Curveball

THE JUNCTION

A million shades of pink, purple, and orange cascaded across the sky as the last sliver of sun was completely swallowed up by the rocky horizon. Darkness would come quickly, but she knew the way back from her spot, even in pitch black. This is where she went to think, and today her mind felt heavily plagued. Becca sat on top of a giant, gritty boulder overlooking a vast rocky landscape dotted with Joshua Trees. There is only one area these spiky desert trees grow, and it’s the place she has called home her entire life.

Fifteen years ago, the world changed immensely when an asteroid the size of a school bus struck the Atlantic ocean fifty miles off the coast of Virginia, generating a mile high catastrophic tidal wave that demolished the entire east coast. Survival after that meant much of society breaking up into small communities and tribes that lived off the land, reverting many back to a more primitive lifestyle. The last time she felt this unexplainable mental itch was seven hours before one third of her country had their consciousness swiftly removed from the planet, millions more passing in the aftermath of the tsunami.

Today she felt the same ominous dread burning inside of her. She hoped that there was a much more rational explanation to her internal discomfort, but hours of pondering in her secluded boulder garden hadn’t helped any form of conclusive understanding to emerge.

Becca effortlessly scaled down the side of the boulder, and began making her way back to the Junction. The path was near invisible to most, but a map of this area was eternally ingrained in her mind. Her foot kicked a coyote melon, and she heard it rattle as it rolled away. She picked it up off the ground, inspecting it as her grandpa would always do when he found one on their walks together. “The desert creates her own music, Mai-coh.” She kissed it, and put it in her jacket pocket. The sound of it gently rattling with each step she took gave her the first feeling of solace all day.

Forty five minutes later she reached the lights of the Junction. People were bustling around, preparing for the communal dinner they share once a month when the moon is full.

“Hey, Becca!” She turned to see a handsome, blue-eyed man with a long beard jogging towards her.

“Oh, hey Zack.” The sight of him made her smile. Zack and his younger sister are newer members of the tribe. They were goods traders who passed through selling furs, woven blankets, dried fruits, and various tools, but decided to stay and call this desert oasis home. All were happy to accept them, as it was easy to see that Zack was an asset to have around, not only because of his extensive knowledge of craftsmanship, but also because he was the kind of man who would give the shirt off his back to someone who needed it.

“I have something for you,” he said, smiling mischievously at her, hands clasped around something round. Earlier today while she was at her thinking rock, he had come home from a five-day excursion to a trade market by the Salton Sea. Perhaps while he was gone she had crossed his mind as much as he had crossed hers. She felt a warm sensation in her chest, and her face blushed. He opened his hands to reveal a shiny, ruby-red, perfectly unblemished apple. Becca’s mouth dropped.

“How did you…” Becca hadn’t seen an apple in years; it was too difficult to supply the water needed to grow them in this area.

“There was a guy who brought them from the valley. I had to trade three blankets for it, haha… But I thought it would be something special.” He reached his hand out, gesturing for her to take it.

“No! I can’t!” She always had an easy comfortability around Zack, but for the first time felt overwhelmed.

His ocean-blue eyes looked deeply into hers, and his stature didn’t budge, “I got it for you, Bec.”

Becca walked home happily enjoying the light breeze, and studying the perfect piece of fruit in her hand. She agreed to accept Zack’s generous gift, as long as they could share it tomorrow at her rock. The only other person who has been to that spot with her is her grandpa, but recently she had been feeling that perhaps it was time to let someone else into her life.

“Mai-coh! Perfect timing, come help me!” Becca opened her front door to find her grandfather bent over a large bowl on the kitchen table full of different spices, powders, dried herbs, and flower buds. Of the seventy-three people that built their community, Ne’eshjaa was the oldest, the wisest, and the only member of Becca’s family who survived the demiurge fifteen years prior.

“Ha ha, so this is a moon worthy of your magic, huh?” Becca joked at her grandfather, gesturing towards the concoction he was mixing together with his bare hands. She assisted him with different rituals every full moon, and it was assumed by most in their community that she would continue his practices one day.

“Rebecca,” his tone a bit more serious, “your purpose is to carry the light, and you must learn how before the owl takes me. Pay attention, my love. Sit.”

The lights outside began to dance as a bonfire erupted in the middle of the Junction, and acoustic instruments seeped their melodies through the warm summer night air. Her grandpa knew several languages, but for rituals he chanted in his native tongue, which Becca could only decipher every couple of words. “Mai-coh, Listen with your heart, you will understand.” Becca closed her eyes, and the rhythmic sounds all around encouraged her to slip into a light trance. The empty fishbowl of her mind allowed indigo and crimson waves to flow in from either side, melting into a deep purple kaleidoscope of geometric shapes in her mind’s eye.

Suddenly, there was a loud crack, followed by people screaming outside, and Becca was pulled sharply out of her hypnosis state. “What the-”, she stood up, but Ne’eshjaa was standing in front of her, blocking her from the door. More popping sounds, and louder shrieks continued outside, echoing throughout the village.

“Mai-coh.” His eyes were endlessly deep pools of sadness as he looked to her for understanding. “I named you after a wolf, and now it is time for you to run with them. I don’t have much time to explain, so please listen to me,” he spoke while swiftly dead-bolting all seven locks on their front door, and turning around to face her with a deadly serious look stretched across his worn face. She rarely ever saw her grandpa lock even one of the dead bolts, and always wondered why he had thought to install so many to begin with. She glared at him in disbelief, and tried again to move around him towards the door, but he blocked her and continued, “I know you have your father’s warrior spirit, but you can’t stay here and fight. That isn’t your purpose. Darkness has infiltrated our group. I knew it was only a matter of time before they would come looking for the sword, but I didn’t think it would come so quickly… I thought there was more time to prepare you. You must take the light, and keep it from the ones who wish to use it to feed their own dark spirits.”

Becca felt a wave of fear rush over her as her grandpa’s words sank in, and the screams from the other side of the door grew louder. “I don’t know what all this cryptic shit means grandpa, but I need to-.”

“Rebecca, we only have a short time, you have to listen.” He slid the table aside, and lowered his chest down to the hardwood floor. Becca had never noticed that one of the floor boards under the base of the table had the symbol of a small six-sided star carved out in the corner of it. He bent low enough to the ground that his face was almost kissing the floor, and his necklace fell through the neck hole of his tunic. He placed the star-shaped pendant inside the floorboard, and twisted it counterclockwise. That’s a key? This whole time?!?!

He pulled a medium size leather bag out from below the floorboard, and with a steady voice, but desperate eyes, he instructed her, “Go to the Salton Sea, find Elijah. You’ll be guided where to go; look for seventeen, and for the hummingbird. It is of utmost importance that you DO NOT TELL OR SHOW ANYONE what is inside this bag. Do not remove it until you get to Elijah.”

Now the chaos had reached their door; men’s voices yelled, and pounding thundered dully through the thick oak barrier that provided their temporary safety.

“Climb up through the rafters, and go out the window to the roof. Take this-.” He threw a black wool blanket at her. “The golden hair your beautiful mother gave you will give you away, even in the darkness,” he whispered at her.

The loud pounding became more vigorous, as the men outside resorted to a door ram to break through all the large deadbolts. Becca could barely process what was happening, and looked to her grandpa, her whole body trembling, “I can’t do this. I can’t lose you, you have to come with me. I can’t do this alone.”

“Mai-coh. This is what you were meant to do all along. It is your time to go, and you must go now. You have everything you need. Go now, my love, and I promise I will be with you.” He hugged her tightly, then shoved Becca towards the central wooden beam she’s climbed up since adolescence. She scrambled up, and out the window to the roof as quickly as she could. She took one last glance at her grandfather, calmly sitting at the kitchen table with his hands in his lap, before the front door burst through.

Their house was on the outskirts of the Junction, and she knew how to navigate the ravine of rocks behind their house with extreme precision, even in the dark. By the time she reached a peak about one hundred yards away the cries were gone, and the sound was dead. All she could see was fire. The entire Junction was lit up, fire engulfing every house. Fire in her field of vision, in her mind, and burning intensely in her heart. Like the tidal wave that had changed her world so many years before, now her happy life, which had taken so long to build, was calcifying before her eyes. Again, nothing would be the same, and streams of tears streaked down her cheeks.

The corner of her eye detected movement, and her gaze shifted to a massive Joshua Tree. The glowing eyes of a white bird stared unflinchingly at her through the darkness. She could make out the round face of a white barn owl. She grabbed every large stone she could find, and chucked them over and over again at the highest part of the tree, sobbing and sputtering at the bird, “YOU! You fucking demon! You took him from me. You took them all from me… Again.” The bird launched itself soundlessly into the night, leaving her on her knees, whimpering alone in the darkness.

THE PATH

Becca’s cloaked figure walked though the night, like a hermit seeking to understand so many unanswered questions. The illumination of the full moon guided her steps, and the map in her mind guided the way. She knew where to go, but not how she’d get there equipped with nothing but a blanket, a coyote melon, and an apple. She held the apple in her pocket as she walked, turning it over in her hand, and feeling grateful for the bit of nutrition it would provide her, while also feeling solemn over the thought of sweet Zack facing a similar fate to her Grandpa. The Salton Sea was a two-day trip by caravan or horse, but walking would take three. I’ll need water, she thought to herself.

She covered several miles before stopping to rest, and was compelled to look in the leather pouch, finally feeling ready to face whatever dragon lie inside. She pulled out a full canteen. Well, thats helpful. Reaching deeper inside she felt a round hard ball wrapped in a blue silk scarf. She peeled the scarf away revealing a clear crystal sphere the same size as the coyote melon in her pocket. She stared at it, stunned for a second before feeling a wave of emotions hit her.

“THIS?! This is what I needed to escape with? A stupid crystal ball!?! THIS was worth leaving you behind?” The idea that her grandpa might have made some kind of grand mistake crossed her mind as she grabbed the ball in her bare hand, but before she could chuck it at the nearest cactus, it began to glow, lighting up in her palm, brighter and brighter. It started to vibrate, and she could make out images, patterns, and numbers swirling around inside. She took a swig of the canteen, half hoping it contained whiskey so she could dissociate from her current situation. She had never seen anything like this before, and would probably have been even more awestruck if she wasn’t physically and mentally exhausted to the point of her body shutting down. She put the orb safely back in the leather bag, and tightly wrapped herself up in her blanket. The last thing she heard before drifting to sleep was the faint sound of an owl hooting somewhere in the night.

The next day Becca felt numb as she awoke, and regained her memory of where she was and how she got there. She brushed away a few insects that had creeped into her blanket, and continued her daunting trek towards an unforeseeable future. She walked for hours over the mountainous desert landscape underneath a merciless, blazing sun. She sipped on the water in her canteen, wondering if it might be better to walk at night when it’s cooler, and less taxing on her system. Her stomach was groaning, and she thought about the apple in her pocket, but decided it wasn’t time to indulge. She also felt like eating the apple on her own made Zack’s cessation feel more real, and she wasn’t sure she was ready to fully accept that yet.

Becca decided to stop and take a break after she cleared the last part of the ravine she had been winding though for the past hour, and sat in the shade of a large Joshua tree. She held her hand up vertically, measuring the space between the sun and the horizon with her fingers. It must be about three o’clock, she thought to herself. Maybe I’ll rest for a bit and keep moving when it’s not so hot. Becca closed her eyes to meditate, but quickly drifted off to sleep.

“Ma’am? Excuse me? MA’AM?!” Becca woke up suddenly to a blonde haired man wearing a cowboy hat leaning over her.

“Oh good, I thought you might be dead.” He held the reins of two horses who were standing quietly behind him; one saddled, the other lightly loaded up with saddlebags, and camping supplies. Becca, startled, jumped away from him, scraping her back on the rough base of the Joshua tree she had been napping against.

“Oh, sorry ma’am,” the man said, respectfully backing away from her with his hands in front of him, “I just saw you sitting here, and you don’t look like you have much with you, so I thought I would… um… just make sure you weren’t dead. But look! You are definitely alive! I apologize again if I startled you.”

“How do I know you aren’t one of THEM?!” Becca blurted out, narrowing her eyes at him. Being abruptly woken up by strangers definitely had her on the defense.

“One of who?” He replied, with genuine confusion on his face. His blue eyes studied her for a second as he seemed to be rethinking his approach. “Hey, let’s start over, I’m Martin”, he said calmly, reaching his hand out towards her, “And this is Odin and Shiloh,” he nodded towards the horses standing patiently behind him.

“Becca.” She cautiously took Martin’s hand, and allowed him to help lift her to her feet. She thought for a moment about giving him a fake name, but there was something innately trustworthy about him that made her decide otherwise.

“Look, I’m heading back to the sea, and my horses are carrying a lighter weight now because of all the stuff I just dropped off in Yucca. You don’t seem to weigh all that much,” he said, quickly looking her up and down with a sheepish smirk on his face, “So if you want a ride that way, I’m sure Shiloh will oblige ya.” She scrutinized him, searching for reasons to say no, but none came to her. Her eyes shifted to the horses; one was a mahogany chestnut, and the other a dark gray appaloosa with a spotted flank, and his mane cut short like a mohawk. The gray horse’s saddle pad had a turquoise bird embroidered on it… a hummingbird.

Becca agreed, and as they rode together Martin chatted happily, agreeing to stop at dusk. Becca wasn’t exactly in the mood for conversation, but had to admit that being around him lightened the heaviness her mind was carrying. Although his english was perfect, she noticed Martin had a slight accent when he spoke.

“Where are you from?”

“Norway.”

“Norway?”

“Norway.”

“So… you’re a Norwegian cowboy?!?!”

“Since I was born, Ma’am.”

“Well that’s something you don’t see everyday.” Becca smiled for the first time in two days.

They stopped to camp for the night, and Martin built a small fire after he fed and watered the horses. He offered Becca half of his food, and some water, which she accepted, graciously. By this point she was starving, and every bite tasted like heaven.

“So, what’s with the hummingbird?” She asked Martin after a bite of beans. He immediately gushed, and sat up a bit more straight with a big grin on his face.

“That’s my wife. You’ll have to meet her when we get into town. She’s really something.” He kept smiling to himself with a look of longing, and amusement on his handsome, tanned face. Becca slept a little easier that night, feeling less alone in the world.

THE SEA

The next morning, Martin was up with the sun, and the journey to the sea continued. He was a bit quieter today, and it dawned on Becca that maybe his chattiness from the day before was more about making her feel comfortable, than his own need to converse. He had a grounded, stoic demeanor about him that made her feel safe in his presence, and something about him made her think that maybe things would be alright again one day.

They rode into town before nightfall, Martin’s giddy excitement to get home becoming more and more visible the closer they came to the city lights. I wonder where he gets so much energy, Becca thought, feeling wiped out. With no plan going forward once she reached the Salton Sea, she couldn’t help but feel a pang of anxiety. She patted Shiloh’s long, red mane and kissed his neck, thanking him for carrying her safely.

“I’ve got to take the horses back, and get them sorted, but you won’t want to miss the show…” Martin winked, and pointed down an alley. “The bonfire is in the square, if you walk down this way, and hang a left, you can’t miss it. See ya out there Becca.”

Becca turned and looked at Martin, feeling very grateful he had intercepted her on her lonely path. “Martin, I can’t thank you enough…”

“Oh, no problem. It was my pleasure. I’ll see ya later, Bec.”

The Town Square was different than the last time she had seen it. It looked vibrant, and full of life. A raging bonfire lit up the middle of the square surrounded by couple hundred people who were talking happily amongst themselves. It felt so alive here, and everyone looked so different and unique. They wore colorful clothing made of intricately woven fabrics, and beautifully patterened silks. Some were leading small groups in what seemed to be meditation or prayer. It was so different than the cold, solemnness she remembered feeling on her visits here with her grandpa so many years ago. An arrangement of instruments began to play, and people in the crowd cheered appreciatively as the gentle melodies floated through the dusky twilight.

Becca studied the city for a minute before her gaze was caught up in the plumes of smoke swirling up from the fire, and into the starry night sky. The beat changed to a deep, guttural pulsing, and the sound immediately received recognition from the audience, excited cheering erupting all around. Out of nowhere a beautifully tan, black-haired woman adorned in a teal-blue jeweled top with cleavage up to her neck, and very small, fringy matching shorts, walked barefoot to the base of the fire. Every step she took perfectly synchronized with each heavy strike of the music. She held a long, pronged metal tool in each of her hands. The sound began to elevate as more instruments created a presence in the melody, and her hips shook rhythmically, perfectly matching the beat in a way that entranced onlookers. One of the guitarists howled, and the crowd turned to the east, looking in the direction of the rising moon now peaking up from the rooftops into vision. The rest of the crowd erupted, howling like a pack of triumphant coyotes as the woman in teal held up one of her hands, and spit liquid at the spiky, metal contraption, causing it to erupt into flames. The harmony of the music leveled up another step, and the feel of the crowd was primal as the sultry woman fire-danced through the square. The observers all gazed at her with expressions of adoration, and amusement. Some nodding their heads politely as she twirled past them.

Becca, hypnotized by the environment, turned her gaze to the bonfire, and stared into the flames, allowing herself to become lost in the sound of the music. The sight of the burning Junction flashed in her mind. Her home, her people all lost in a baptism through merciless flames. Fire and water have destroyed everything i’ve ever had.

“I told ya she was something.” Becca was jolted back to reality by Martin’s voice behind her. He had on a fresh outfit, but the same cowboy hat. Martin offered her a swig of his canteen. She was surprised to taste some kind a of fruity tea, but was grateful to accept it. Martin turned his attention back to the teal woman, as he spotted her making her move towards him. She smiled at him lustrously, dancing a little bit differently than she had before. She shimmied towards him, then crouched down, extinguishing the flames in her hands against the dirt ground. Becca noticed Martin’s matching turquoise belt buckle right before the Hummingbird ran and jumped on him, wrapping her legs around his waist, kissing him over and over again.

That feeling of coming home. I wonder if I’ll ever know that again. Becca watched them be repulsively romantic with each other for a few moments, half hating them, and half feeling glad to know that kind of thing still existed in the world, before Martin remembered she was standing beside them.

“Baby, this is Becca,” he gestured towards her, “I picked her up on my way home.” The beautiful dark woman dismounted the cowboy, and walked towards Becca. To her surprise, she embraced her in a long bear hug. “I had a feeling you were coming,” she said quietly in Becca’s ear.

“I uhh… Nice to meet you!” Becca had no idea what to say. It felt good to be well received though.

“Maybe we should go home and have a chat.”

The pair led Becca down several alleys to a quiet, secluded area where they approached a dome-shaped house aside a large, lofty barn. The house was illuminated by string lights, glowing warmly in the twilight. She could spot the latent rumps of Shiloh and Odin through their stall windows as the group made their way up the path to an arching front door. Once inside, the Hummingbird draped a silk robe over her hourglass frame, but remained comfortably in her extravagant outfit while Martin served the three of them some cold beer from a tap in the kitchen.

Becca sat down at the table, took one sip of her beer, and then spoke very directly. “I’m looking for Elijah.”

She watched both figures freeze their motion for a moment; Martin unloading the contents of his pockets on the countertop with his back to her, and his temptress wife poised over her leg, unraveling an anklet that was tangled at some point in her vigorous dancing display. The Hummingbird stood up straight, and looked Becca dead in the eye, speaking very intensionally, “Who told you that name?”

Martin scooted past them towards the living room, “I’ll just be in here if anyone needs me,” and he migrated quickly to a different room where he could still hear everything they were saying, but was less involved in the conversation.

“My grandpa.” The words choked a little on their way out.

“Where did he hear it?”

“I don’t fucking know,” Becca said a little explosively, feeling triggered at being asked one of the unanswered questions that had been plaguing her for days. The Hummingbird’s look softened, and she looked down for a second before sitting at the table next to Becca.

“Do you… have the sword?” Her golden brown eyes searching.

“Sword? Ha, I definitely don’t have a sword, I have a goddamn crystal ball,” Becca scoffed, “A sword would probably be more useful.”

“Can I see it?” The dark woman looked at her patiently. Becca reached into her bag, and pulled out the pearlescent orb, presenting it to the woman. It began to glow and pulse in her bare hand, twisting shapes appearing within the crystal. Instead of receiving it in her hands, the Hummingbird stared quietly for a minute, then stood up from the table. “We’ll have to go see Bunny.”

“Bunny?” Becca felt exasperated, and apprehensive at the idea of bringing yet another stranger into her situation, while having still no answers for herself. The statement, however, seemed decisive as the Hummingbird was already changing her clothes, and preparing to lead Becca out the door, and towards yet another journey through the night into the unknown.

“Where are we going? Who is this “Bunny?” She asked Martin and the Hummingbird as they walked away from town into an eerily dark, dense forest.

“Oh, haha, she’s like our… village witch.” Martin chuckled.

“Your village witch is named ‘Bunny’?”

“Well it’s a nickname. She’s also our army general.” He replied.

He has to be screwing with me. Becca was feeling frustrated, but contemplated what other choices she really had in the present moment. All she had in this world to provide her with any shred of hope were her grandpa’s last words to her. “You’ll be guided where to go… look for seventeen and for the hummingbird…”

At this point, what did she really have to lose?

The woods were peacefully quiet, and simultaneously vibrantly alive. She could feel subtle movement around her, but it was hard to perceive more than a few inches in front of her outstretched hand. An owl hooted at them from a nearby tree branch as the Hummingbird led them deeper down the narrow dirt trail, a lantern shining in her hand .

They approached a clearing with a large concrete structure surrounded by several horse pastures. The entire area was completely fenced off, but as they approached the padlocked gate the Hummingbird removed a key from her pocket, and nimbly unlocked the barrier. As they walked towards the concrete structure, the dark haired woman raised her lantern, and loudly yelled out, “Oi!!!” Several lanterns suddenly appeared on either side of the structure, and replied back “Oi!” from various locations, dimming after.

“I’m sure you have something important to say, breaching my property in the middle of the night.”

The three of them quickly turned around, to find a tall, lean woman dressed in black with a long, blonde braid running down her back. A tan German Shepherd at her leg waiting quietly for her cue.

“We’ve been tracking you since you entered the woods,” she smiled playfully at them.

She looked at the dog then made a clicking sound, and he ran towards them, barking excitedly, greeting the trio by sniffing them all over, wagging his tail ferociously as he wiggled between each of their legs.

“Some guard dog,” Martin joked, as him and his wife both hugged the blonde woman, who seemed every bit as happy to see them as her canine was.

“I’m Bunny.” The blonde didn’t reach her hand out for Becca to take it, instead she embraced her in a warm, tight hug, like the one the Hummingbird gave her at the square.

“I suppose we have business to attend to then,” Bunny said with a smile, gesturing towards the concrete building. As they approached the structure she also yelled out “Oi”, which was met with an response echoing the same.

Although the exterior of the building was cold, hard concrete, the inside was ornately beautiful, dark wood glowing in golden candlelight. Full bookshelves lined the two main rooms in the entry, and as Bunny quietly conversed with the Hummingbird she led them upstairs. Becca noticed Martin and their witchy, warrior-princess host smiling at her through one of the wall portraits that lined the stairway. Martin caught her gaze. “Yeah, I forgot to mention, she’s also my sister.”

She ushered them into a room with even more bookshelves filled with musty leather copies, and gestured towards a round table in the center room. They sat down as she filled a cast-iron teapot with water, and placed it inside the burning fireplace. Bunny moved to the table, taking a seat beside them with her elbows on table, and her chin resting on top of her long, entwined fingers. Becca spied a tattoo in roman numerals on her forearm. XVII… seventeen.

“What does seventeen mean?” Becca said, more than ready for people to begin explaining things. Bunny looked at her inquisitively, and tilted her head sideways. “Lucky number,” she responded, with a strong poker face before redirecting the questioning. “More importantly, who are you?”

Becca took a deep breath, and paused for a moment. “I will try to explain this as best I can.” She looked at the rest of the table, hoping that telling them the truth would be the right thing to do, and began explaining all the events of her story as best she could. They all listened silently, and when she was finished Bunny was the one who responded.

“You have the sword with you?”

“What? the crystal ball? Why do you keep calling it a sword?! Yeah, here, have at it.” She slid her leather pouch across the table. Bunny stood up and opened the sachel, peering inside. She slid her hand inside, and a white glow illuminated her face as she touched the orb with her finger tips. She closed the bag, and pushed it a few inches away from her. After a few minutes she stood up, and walked to the door of the room, and her dog followed. She opened it, and instructed the animal, “Go get Zack,” and the dog trotted off down the hallway.

Zack? What? Wait, WHAT?

“Go get ZACK?!” Becca stood up from the table in disbelief, her mind spinning in circles. She accidentally kicked her chair over, and almost tripped over the leg as she backed away towards the only window in the room. She was suddenly suffocating, Zack? Is here?!?! What does this mean?!?!

Despite Becca’s hysterical reaction, Bunny calmly walked back to the round table, and took her seat. She placed her clasped hands on the table, and looked at Becca though strong, empathetic eyes as she began to speak.

“A sword is a primordial symbol of incorruptible truth... and like a sword, truth can be used to protect, or to enslave. The orb you are in possession of is one of two on earth. We aren’t sure exactly where they came from, but there are many theories. One orb holds the light of every truth perceivable in every world that exists... The other possesses the ability to control all physical matter. When they come together they are fully activated, allowing the conscious being holding both to have god-like powers. Powers great enough to do whatever they wish… like the ability to create a tidal wave that wipes out half a country…” Bunny sighed deeply as she leaned back in her chair, sorrow spreading across her face. “My Dad kept us safe from the orbs by separating them, giving one to each of the two wisest men he trusted most in this world. The only people who knew him by the name “Elijah” were the ones who sat across from each other at this table.” Bunny placed a hand down on the smooth wooden surface, and looked down at it before continuing, “But we all knew it was only a matter of time before the wrong people would be hunting them."

Becca was stunned. Her whole understanding of the world shifting before her eyes. The tidal wave wasn’t an asteroid? It was caused by crystal balls?! The whole scenario was a hard pill to swallow.

The door creaked as the German Shepherd pushed the door aside, letting himself back into the room, followed by Zack.

“Whaaaaaaa?!?!!? Oh, really? Who the hell are you?!!” Becca spurted out at him as he quietly shut the door behind him. He leaned against the door, the back of his head knocking lightly on the thick wood. “Hey Bec.”

Becca’s mind was a flurry of chaos. What is real, and what is crazy? How can any of this be true? She had no idea the whole time? No idea what really happened to her family, and to her country? No idea that her grandpa was hiding a magical, life-altering device underneath their floorboard? No idea that Zack wasn’t what he seemed? She crumpled to the floor, sitting against the wall, knees out in front of her with her head in her hands. She allowed the tears to pour out of her, as all the emotions she had been repressing finally hit her like a sledgehammer.

She felt a dog softly licking her face. She shooed him away, but he came back again, his ears tucked sweetly back towards his head, gently licking every part of her face that he could access. She couldn’t help but let out a reluctant laugh, and her emotions lightened for a millisecond. “So… where is the other Magic ball then?”

Zack responded, but now he wasn’t across the room near the door, he was kneeling in front of Becca, his beautiful blue eyes looking hopelessly at her. “I have it.”

A dead silence engulfed the room, and the dog curled in a ball next to Becca’s side. Bunny was the one who spoke next. “Zack has been seeking rectification in the aftermath of his grandfather’s decisions. He once sat at this table too. For several years Zack moved along the trading routes, hoping to find the man who possessed the other ball before anyone else could find it, and-.”

Zack cut her off “And then I found you, Bec. And I felt like maybe I didn’t need to figure it all out, maybe I could just forget everything and be happy for a bit. Maybe I could have a normal life, and maybe the girl I liked, and admired the most in this world might like me back too. I thought things could be easy for a while…” Zack looked at the floor. “But, there are other people looking for the orbs too. And when they came, I swear I had no idea, Becca.” A tear slid down Zack’s cheek as he looked at Becca with sad eyes that searched for her understanding. “I would never…”

Becca threw herself on Zack, and hugged him tightly for a long time. He put his face next to hers, and kissed the side of her cheek over and over. Then kissed her on the mouth, lingering there a while longer.

“Ahem,” Bunny jolted them back to the room. Despite her serious tone, she had a sentimental look on her face. “I believe you know what to do. This is your business, your paths, and not my place to intervene… perhaps you can catch up on some of the details on your way to the boat. You know where the dock is, Zack. Don’t make it obvious. Oh, and Zack,” His eyes locked with Bunny’s intense pupils, “I trust very much that you will do the right thing.”

An hour and a half later, Zack and Becca sat alone in a row boat on the middle the Salton Sea. Dark gray fog enveloped them, making it hard to determine exactly how far out they were, which seemed to be the the perfectly ambiguous location Zack was looking for as he guided them away from the dock.

“We keep humanity safe by making sure that the orbs stay out of the hands of men.”

Zack pulled a shiny onyx orb out of his jacket pocket, which glowed as soon as his hand touched it. He stood up in the boat, and took one last look at it before pitching it like a baseball into the dark lake. Becca pulled hers out of her leather bag, and did the same in the opposite direction. They both sat in silence, breathing in the salty air, and the quiet sounds of the night. She noticed the winged figure of a white bird as it soared above them before quickly disappeared into the night.

“You ever wonder what would happen if you held both.” Becca looked at him curiously.

“No. No one should have that power over other people’s lives.”

She nodded her head, agreeing silently, and turned her attention back to the glassy black water.

“So, what should we do now?” Zack asked her, with a playful half grin on his face.

Becca smiled back at him. “Ya wanna share an apple?”