Chapter 54: A Sacrifice of Hope

The cemetery was in disarray. The shadow now rose from the grave, swirled and twisted, shifting form as if it were smoke in the wind. Townspeople fell back with steps of trepidation, eyes agog with fear. Emma's heart raced as she struggled for any kind of comprehension of what she was seeing. This was no ghost was so much darker. "Everybody, back!" Donovan shouted above the panic. "We have no idea what it wants!" Emma clung to Nathaniel's arm, racing her mind. "We've got to do something! We can't stand here" "No," Nathaniel said, eyes wide with fear. "We must go. This is well beyond us." But that was out of the question, as they were supposed to protect townspeople; and scared or not, she wasn't about to back down. "If we're gonna fight this thing, we need to figure out how! Just then the shadow surged forward in a cold, palpable tide. Like some dark heartbeat, it pulsed once and seemed to echo back the terror that pulsed through the air. Again the ground shuddered and Emma went down, barely catching herself in time. "Look!" Julian shouted, his finger pointed at the shadow. "It's taking form! They stared, terrified and fascinated, as it took shape. A figure now in anguish and desperate formed; eyes aglow stared out. It regarded them, and Emma felt a chill run up her spine. "Who dares disturb my rest?" boomed the shadow, his voice like thunder through the graveyard. She breathed deeper again, continuing, wilder by fear. "We've come to stop you! You're the one that's been terrorizing our town!" The figure laughed once more, so much so that the echo across the night seemed frozen. "You think you can stop me? You are but children, unaware of the darkness which binds this place! Donovan plunged forward, a grim set to his features. "We are not running anywhere. Whatever the price, we just won't let you sully Eldridge Falls!" Its eyes blazed bright as if with merriment. "Then prepare thine selves for a test of courage. The truth of thine hearts is what thou shalt have to face before thou defeatest me. Yet be warned, the road which thou wouldst travel is steeped in danger. She turned to Nathaniel and Julian. "What does that mean?" she asked, her voice shaking. "Your town is built on secrets," heaved the shade, puffing as if it were a flame. "To save it, you have to face the past. Find the Heartstone, hidden in the Valley of Whispers. Only then can you try and break this curse." "Hearthstone?" Nathaniel repeated frowning. "Where's that? "Far beyond your town," said the shadow, "a hazardous journey awaits where only the bravest will survive." Scarcely were the words off their lips when in one flowing motion, the shadow drew back and sent its dark energy surging towards them with the vengeful image of grasping fingers: "Go then. Your quest starts now. Or lose all that you hold dear! With the loud beating of her heart still ringing in her ears, Emma opened her eyes to find herself safely back in the studio once more amidst them all staring at each other in confusion. "What just happened?" painted Julian. "The shadow-it gave us a quest," Emma said, her voice firming up. "We have to find the Heartstone in the Valley of Whispers. That is our only hope if we ever wish to see whatever this thing is stopped." You must be joking, Nathaniel returned. His voice threaded a hint of doubt. "That does sound dangerous. What if we can't find it? "Then we figure it out together," Emma said, and at that moment, she was afraid with determination. "We can't let fear stop us. We need to protect our town." Julian nodded and his eyes shone with new resolve. "Okay then. Let's do it. We can't let that thing win. "Agreed," Donovan chimed in. "We need to prepare, though. We'll need supplies and we'll need a plan. We can't just mosey in. After all, it was in the following days that they got down to work extremely hard, gathering all trip supplies from food to water. They had virtually everything imaginable that could help them face terrors ahead. Further away from Eldridge Falls, Emma was in a mixture of excitement and fear. Standing at the edge of town, just a few streaks of dawn announced the rising sun for a new day: dear streets full of memories. She looked around at her friends, giving weight in her heart to their mission. "Are we ready for this?" she asked, hopeful yet unsure. Ready as we'll ever be, he said, shrugging; slung a rucksack over his shoulder. We've got each other, and that's what counts. He grinned confidently. Léts keep together and watch each other's backs. We can't let anything separate us. Then, like a ton of bricks, it hit her route that made them retreat deep in the woods away from Eldridge Falls did more than just assure them that they were more than friends, that they were a team, a unit; whatever lay ahead, they'd be out to face it head-on together. It was a track through thick growth, and the trees went on forever it seemed: giants from another age looming over them. Emma marveled at the beauty of it all around them, while the feeling of danger blowing in the air put things into perspective. "Keep your eyes peeled," Donovan said, leading the way, "we don't know what we'll encounter out here." They walked in silence for some time, lost in their thoughts. The deeper they pressed in, the stranger it became: trees thickening and twisting, gnarling; their branches raked the sky as though some monstrous, clawed hand did. Leaves quivered in the cool breeze, sending the shiver up Emma's back. "Do you think we're on the right path?" Julian asked uneasily. "We must be," Nathaniel returned. "We shall find that valley very soon. Just keep moving." The trees seemed to grow darker, their shadows much deeper, the farther along they went. A sense of foreboding set in, wrapping them like a thick blanket. Then Emma heard soft whispering in the wind voice just out of reach. She turned to Nathaniel. "Did you hear that?" "Hear what?" he asked, puzzled. "Someone's calling us," she said, continuing as the pulse ran one after another. "Emma, don't pay any attention to it," Donovan warned, looking around. "It is probably some kind of trick." But the whisper grew louder, sounding like it was calling her closer. She took one step further as curiosity gnawed at her insides. "What if this is some kind of clue? What if this can help us?" Emma walked further down, into darkness, as if nobody had held her back, towards the sound. Others were calling her back behind her, but something pulled her forth. Whispers began to get clear; words began echoing within her mind. "Come closer… find the truth… embrace your destiny… Her heart was running with excitement mixed with the feeling of fear. What on earth could have happened here? It seemed now that the trees were closer; it felt as though their branches wrapped around her, hands pulling her deeper into the darkness with each step further she took. Then she was in a sort of clearing; something like light managed to get through the screen. Right in the middle of it stood something that felt like an ancient stone, or so it seemed-smothered in complicated carvings, which pulsed with life. "Emma!" The sudden sound of Nathaniel's voice cut through the fog in her brain. She spun around to see them running up towards her, alarm etched on their faces. "What's going on? We thought you were lost!" "I think I heard something," Emma tried to explain, pointing at the stone. "This could be important!" Donovan hunched lower, eyes wide. "What does it say? Emma reached out, her fingers grazing the cool face of the stone. The minute she touched it, a surge ran right through her body up to her mind, filled with clarity, as images flooded in flashing glimpses of the past of Eldridge Falls, of the dark history that bonded them all. "This is it!" she exclaimed. "This stone is the key! We have got to decipher what it says!" It was then that they began to pay closer attention to the carvings, and suddenly, there was a loud clang issuing from those trees. Whirling around revealed dark figures who came out of the shadows. The eyes shone with malevolence. The air thickened as the figures moved closer; a chilling wind stirred against them. "Guess we're not alone," Donovan said, moving protectively in front of Emma. In one swift movement, they were surrounded by Emma, and her heart thundered against her chest. "What to do?" "We fight!" exclaimed Nathaniel, eyes alight with the need to do something. "We can't let them take us!" The stone was surging through Emma stronger than ever, those dark silhouettes closing in closer. She knew they needed to get moving and fast. But before they could, the figures pounced and everything spiralled into chaos around them. Their struggle for the town and their lives had taken off for good.