~5~
I’m dead, thought Luke. I’m dead, I’m dead, I’m dead. . .
The world was swirled in a mix of light blue and white. The entrancing amalgam of colors was beautiful, but confusing. . . his head was spinning, the blood rushing to his brain. . .

He was lying on a bed of soft grass, staring up at the sky. Sitting up, he realized that he was in one of the open fields near Henesys. Small wildlife scurried through the tall blades, rushing for the safety of their homes. He perceived a soft swish swish moving through the field, coming closer and closer. . .

Luke dove to the ground, keeping his head just above the green underbrush. It was Matthew.

“Oi! Luke! Where are you?!” His voice was hurried and frantic.
Luke stood, brushing off his clothes. “I’m here,” he replied, raising his arm.

He could see now that the strange man was tailing Matthew. “We must have dropped you a way back!” he yelled. Luke just gaped.
They had met in the center of the field now, eyes jumping from face to face. “No matter. . . we should have lost them by now. . .” the man muttered to himself.

Luke embraced Matthew, a full head lower than his brother. “What- what’s going on?”

The man had raised his long, red staff again. “No time to explain. Just follow me!”
A large doorway had appeared in the middle of the field, revealing a white, swirling fog. Luke glanced at Matthew, and then at the man. He stepped back, slowly. “What- Matthew- where are we-”

The man waited patiently beside the doorway, gesturing toward it. “After you,” he exclaimed.

Matthew shrugged, and stepped towards the doorway. “Wait!” Luke shouted from behind him.

The two turned. “Who are you? How do you know us?” asked Luke, exasperated. His mind was screaming for information. . . he could feel another headache coming on. . .
The man raised an eyebrow. “It’s a long story.- but first, let us travel to safety.” he gestured at the door.

“No! I’m staying put until you tell me!” Luke sat on the ground, cross-legged, scowling.

The man sighed, talking hurriedly. “Come, come! I am a friend, D.B. will be here soon-”

Now it was Matthew’s turn to scowl. He folded his arms. “What’s going on? Our- our parents-”
“No time to explain!” He gestured towards the door once again. “Hurry, they are following us..!”
“Who?”

Suddenly, the clouds darkened, covering the sky. The busy life in the underbrush had suddenly gone to a halt. The grass waved back and forth, blown recklessly by the chilly wind. A clammy feeling entered Luke’s shoulders, working its way down into his chest. He glanced at Matthew, who was shivering uncontrollably.
The man’s eyes widened in fear. He raised his staff once again, its orb illuminating the darkened field.

Suddenly, Luke screamed, pointing towards the man’s blind side. “Over there!”

A dozen shadows had emerged from the grass, bobbing up and down in the tall blades. They too grasped cold, steel knives, with long, red-tasseled flights on the ends. Luke began to run, stumbling over the rough ground. . .

The man raised his staff, glaring at the twelve shadows. He looked to the sky, moving his arms in a wide, upward arc.
Matthew gasped.
A long, pink ray of light had burst from the clouds. From it streamed dozens and dozens of fairies, each no larger than an arm. They had flowing, colorful hair which reached their shoulders, and tight, squinting eyes. A few bore small, wooden wands, while others still carried with them miniature swords and spears. Tied around their waists were brown, leather belts, securing cup-sized pouches to their sides.

They surrounded the old man, raising these large pouches in unison. A few spotted Matthew and Luke on the ground, and hovered around their heads as well. Then, in perfect synchrony, they poured the contents upon the three’s heads.

Luke gasped. A warm, soothing liquid had spilled out of the containers, filling him with a sudden feeling of enlightenment and content. He glanced at Matthew, who also seemed to be enjoying the effects of the liquid.

Following this, the fairies sprinkled yellow flakes upon their heads, and then headed into the direction of the twelve shadows. This second treatment seemed to have no effect whatsoever, but Luke and Matthew suddenly felt strong, and safe.

The shadows leapt in the air, trying to dodge the oncoming mass of fairies. The fairies clustered around their targets, taking large swipes at their heads and limbs. The shadows crumpled in defeat, hunching down on the ground and disappearing. The clouds pulled back to reveal the bright sky, and the field regained its healthy glow.

“Now, come with me.” Luke recovered from his trance to gaze up in the eyes of the man, who had stretched out a helping hand.
“All right,” he said trustingly, brushing off his shorts.

“Behind you!” Luke turned to see Matthew standing in horror, looking straight at the man’s left shoulder. The man whipped around to see an immense shadow, easily twice his size.

“Run!” Luke dashed towards the door, grabbing Matthew’s hand. The last thing they saw before they disappeared in the fog was the man grappling with the large shadow – he gave a loud yell and fell to the ground. . .
~To be continued.~
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