SERIES OF SHORT STORIES
BY MARINI BARIKA FACEY PART 12 HORSES PART III A tall man walks into a small cafe like he always does and orders his usual. He sits in the same spot he always picks, and watches the sun rise as he slowly sips his piping hot coffee. He pulls out a pocket watch, locket, compass, and key, and watches closely as the dark sky transforms into light. Ironically, he rarely uses the modern technology he helped create, because of superstition and fear he will lose where he came from. He does the same thing every day. He sets the four objects on the little round table in front of his coffee cup and looks back at the sky. He pulls out a little journal and turns hundreds of pages and begins to write: "What have I done? I've accomplished beyond what I thought was humanly possible, and for what? Brilliance? Arrogance? I wish I could shield them from all the shame and pain I brought on them because of my inventions and ideas." This genius' mind races! He is perplexed because he is in a land and time that doesn't think of him as insane, but the price was his family! He is usually the only one in the cafe that early, but this particular morning, another man walks in the cafe, looks around and doesn't order anything, but just sits in front of him, facing him, as if he is waiting for someone. A short while after the man arrived, a handsome gentleman walks in the cafe with a confused, sleepy look, and he isn't certain he is in the right place. "Peter, over here." He sits down with his back facing the man with the compass and coffee. "Dad, you know I told you I don't want to talk to you." "I know son, but there is something you must know." His father pulls out a peculiar piece of root and sets it on the table. "Woah! Woe! Wait!" "Don't be so loud Peter." "Woah! I told you I don't believe in all that crap! I've never liked that you're mixed up with all sorts of stuff." "Son, it isn't drugs..." "You know it's really funny that you think you can just walk into my life even though I've never really known you! The couple you left me with finally told me a few years ago how you gave me to them when I was a baby. All this time, you had me believe that you were some distant relative stopping in to see us! Now you appear out of the blue and expect me to just pick up where we left off...You can't keep popping in and out of my life when it is convenient for you! My parents told me it would be a start if I called you dad, but that is all you're getting from me! You've been messed up my whole life, drinking and God knows what, and look you're still shaking. I don't even know why I came here! You probably haven't slept yet either, 'cause your eyes are bloodshot." "Listen Peter! I have to tell you something..." Peter stares at his father, waiting for the new excuse.The man behind them accidentally knocks over his coffee because he was intrigued and couldn't help but eavesdrop. Peter turns and helps him clean it up. "Thank you!" "No problem. That happens to me all the time. Besides, I needed an excuse to leave anyway." Peter pushes in the chair and nods at his father. The time went by quickly, because as Peter walks out the door, he bumps into the morning crowd as they rush to work. The cafe door opens and closes and gets louder and louder as customers quickly rattle off their orders. "I could tell it was a bit tense. I'm sorry for interrupting." The man with the spilled coffee says. "You should be Charles!" "Excuse me? How do you know my name?" "You come here every morning. You and I are a lot alike Mr. Lapierre." "How so?" "I've lost things and you've lost people that are important to you. Now listen and listen carefully! You must go back Charles--" "Hold on! What are you talking about? I don't even know you?" Charles stammers but tries to stay composed, because no one has known about his past. "Charles, you've started something beyond your comprehension. When you decided to be curious and explore the unknown, you started a revolution. The invisible is tangibly being made visible!" "I'm sorry, you are mistaken. I don't know what you're talking about and I don't even know you." Charles grabs his belongings and rushes out the door. When Charles looks back, the stranger gives him a knowing look. Charles is relieved he is in such a huge crowd, because he desperately wants to hide and get away. He goes down lots of steps and people push him on every side. He quickly gets onto a train, sits down, and sighs! He looks up, only to see this same peculiar man! "How?" "That really doesn't matter. Listen very carefully! You have something that I need. There is a woman names Elizabeth, who--" "What, that's my mother in law's--" "I know! Now! You are the only one who can help me get back." "Why should I--" "Because I will kill your wife and daughter if you don't!" "Wait! Hey, do not threaten me!" "Eliza did something long ago... The young man in the cafe is your wife's twin brother!" "How can that be?" "Why do you have Elizabeth's son? Why doesn't he age?" "You shouldn't be so surprised. You've already proven anything is possible. Charles, this root is part of a root within Eliza." The sinister man holds up a shriveled, twisted root. "I must have it to keep her indebted to me, but she tricked me! She sent Peter to this time period to protect him and I was trapped because of it! I have been waiting decades to find you here, so you can get me back there." Charles looks out the window and thinks of all the ways he can escape, but the train begins to speed up like a stampede of galloping night mares, faster and faster. "It is ironic really, because you try to stay away from modern technology, not remembering that objects you carry from one dimension to another hold magic in them; I know exactly what you have in your pocket Charles, so it really doesn't matter if you help me or not, because I just needed to be near those four objects to be able to be transported back anyway!" "What about your son Peter?" " Ha! Well, like you said, he's Elizabeth's son, so I don't need to worry." This wicked man smirks as the train is pulled into a vortex! Charles longs to see his family again, but he is extremely concerned because of the evil this sinister stranger intends to unleash! The End or The Beginning... *COMING SOON* New Series: "INVISIBLE" How beautiful and delightful it is to see approaching over the mountains the feet of a messenger who brings good news, a messenger who announces peace, a messenger who brings goodness, redemption, and restoration. -Isaiah 52:7
SERIES OF SHORT STORIES
Written by Marini Barika Facey PART 11 HORSES PART II Sophie reaches her hand towards the silhouette and Gwendolyn opens her eyes! “Sophie?!” “Ma mere!” Gwen is relieved but her heart still races! “Ma fille! Ma fille! You made it here!" Gwenny looks around, "wherever here is!” “Gran mere led me to you!” Gwendolyn can’t believe what her daughter has just uttered and stutters, “My… my mother? How can that be?” Sophie smiles, “Ma mere, we are truly in a magical place. Gran mere was just here with me! Look! There is the little wooden box Ma pere gave me that Gran mere used as a portal in this world.” “What? Sophie! I don’t understand!” Sophie shuffles around the cave to grab her little box. “There! …But where is Gran mere! How can this be?” “Soph, are you sure you saw her?” Gwendolyn looks at her daughter as if she is delirious and confused. “No! I was with her! She has to be here! She looks more beautiful than the photographs you have at home! She looks just like you…” The front door shuts and Irma’s face softens as she turns to this man who has rescued her again from the mysterious occurrences in the Lapierre home. As they wait under the street lamp, raindrops lightly trickle on Irma’s face. “Peter, you know that Eliza never meant for all of this to happen this way. She didn’t know how to tell you all those years ago; she confided in me and asked me what she should do.” “Irma! She did what…” Peter’s face becomes so stern, a cold chill runs down Irma! She knows she has said too much. “I didn’t think you were ready to hear what Elizabeth had to say…” “You, the servant, thought you knew best for my family? You weren’t even a nanny…let alone, a governess yet! Is that what she promised you for secrecy? All the while, you were betraying her. You were the one who had me believe Gwendolyn wasn’t my daughter! You were wrong about Elizabeth! You didn’t know what I know now!” “What? What are you talking about Peter? I… I just thought…You were so busy speculating and trying to salvage the businesses Peter!” “Irma! Don’t ever address me as Peter again!” “Sir! Sir…” Irma begins to cry as her past quickly unravels; she is confused and wonders what he meant, but she doesn't dare ask! “I helped you today, but don’t you ever contact me regarding this matter!” Peter storms off and the gentle rain begins to fall more heavily! Elizabeth wonders how she got separated from her granddaughter and suddenly finds herself spiraling in a whirlwind. All she can hear is her past haunting her in this tornado. Memories that she hasn’t heard for decades, echo all around her! “If Peter doesn’t pay me, I will destroy your family. You came to me before for help; I notice you are having twins, perhaps we can make some kind of arrangement again!” “What? No! I owe you nothing!” “If you give me your son Eliza, I will keep your family from shame and your husband will have prestige, honor, and everything he has ever wanted.” “I cannot do that! I cannot—“ “I should have warned you, I am going to take your son from you anyway! I just wanted to see if you were a coward, weak and pathetic like your husband.” Eliza weeps and angrily pleads, “No! Don’t you ever say that! I will destroy you one day, just wait and see!” “How can you destroy me Eliza? Are you forgetting the night you came to my little shop in the alley? I am the one you came to see. I am the one who gave you the ancient root to chew, because you couldn’t bear children. I bet you never told Peter that. You knew he was growing cold and distant…having children was your only hope!” Sophie shakes her box and hopes something will fall out of it! She sticks her hand in and suddenly begins to get pulled into a vortex! “Ma mere grab my hand!” Sophie and Gwendolyn zoom through another unknown world! Horses gallop in the sky as if it is normal and birds fly low in pastures. The animals, that once were Sophie’s toys, are now huge creatures again! Gwendolyn shakes and trembles because she still cannot fathom any of this! Sophie tightly squeezes Gwendolyn's hand to reassure her; she isn't startled anymore because she is with her mother again! Eliza is ripped from the whirlwind and thrown to the ground! Dirt gets in her nose and mouth! The taste causes her to remember the magical root she once ate that was controlled by such a sinister man. Even more memories flood Elizabeth’s mind and she recalls giving birth to Gwendolyn. Eliza remembers her horrible secrets! She knew she could never tell her husband that they were having twins, and that she named one of them Gwendolyn and the other Peter II. Elizabeth couldn't tell Peter I he had a son who would be taken! When Elizabeth was in labor, the sinister man magically appeared when Irma left the room just for a second, and Eliza knew she had to protect her son somehow, but how? She had many secrets, but she carried an even bigger one that no one knew about...She put a spell on her son, that would send him to another realm and give him the ability to discern and become invisible whenever he needed too. This spell also ensured that if the sinister man ever took anything that belonged to Elizabeth, he would be banished and trapped in a different time period. When she saw the evil man appear in her room, she turned her head away in anger and fear because she had to conceal her plan. As the sinister man touched her womb, the umbilical cord snapped and Peter magically flew out but then pulled the sinister man into another time! Elizabeth cried and screamed but no one knew that it wasn't because of the intense labor pains, but rather her utter sorrow, loss and separation she felt; her only son was gone! As the years went by, the mysterious root began to grow inside of Elizabeth and made her very ill! She did not know the wicked, clever man put a curse on the root; she could feel it pulling her into another realm, but she didn’t dare speak such witchcraft and nonsense to her husband. He would think she was going mad! Irma feels shame, regret and anger as she enters her former residence. Peter arrives at home and heads into his library. He turns on the lamp and sits at his desk. He recalls what Elizabeth’s letter said on the day he brought a record player home. He shakes his head and refuses to shed any tears. Peter mumbles under his breath. “Oh Eliza… I would have understood. If only you would have told me! I could have protected you…fixed everything!” Peter never knew how much his indiscretions, frivolous living, and gambling cost him till now! Torment cloaks him as he remembers everything in Elizabeth’s letter, and Peter regrets throwing it in the fireplace. This strong, stern man shivers and becomes frightened all over again. To be continued… SERIES OF SHORT STORIES BY MARINI BARIKA FACEY PART 10 FEATHERS PART III Nanny Irma is left in a state of shock and is irate because of the condition this home is now in. Irritated, she mumbles under her breath. “Where is that wicked girl Sophie? Where is Lady Gwendolyn? This is ridiculous! I should notify the police, but what do I say?! I don’t want to be humiliated and mocked like last time!” Irma walks back and forth, gestures, and carries on a whole conversation as if she was speaking to someone. “I will wait till Lady Gwendolyn comes back, but this is unlike her to be so disrespectful towards me! I’ve always looked after her so well.” Nanny Irma finally decides what she will do, and feels there is no other choice; it is her last option. She spins the dial and waits. “Hello! Who is calling at this hour?” Embarrassed, Irma stutters but still sees the urgency of the situation, and convinces herself she’s doing the right thing. “I am sorry to disturb you sir, but I need you to come over immediately, because strange things have been happening again, and you are the only one I could think of who wouldn’t think I was mad!” Irma continues to have a conversation and then quickly hangs up the phone and waits for his arrival! Gwendolyn wipes tears away after seeing such a horrible sight illuminated on the cave walls. “How could papa do that, but mother as well? I have lived all these years and never known. No one told me anything!” She wonders why it is being revealed to her now. Gwen is also astounded about the words written in her mother’s letter! “How can it be? How did I not know? It all makes sense now! Oh! No wonder…” She becomes silent because she hears a sound coming from the entrance of the cave and she is petrified! Gwendolyn tries to hold back her tears but she is still too loud! She scurries and pushes herself against the back wall and tries to be invisible, but at least Blitz helped cover her nakedness but not her shame! A tall man walks up to the Lapierre home and Irma runs to the door! “Come in sir! Come in! Thank you for coming at such short notice, but I …”, Irma said. “Well... I never… What has happened here woman?! It looks as if a train and tornado has come through the walls and halls! Ha, I’m not surprised, because you know that crazy inventor must have been up to all sorts of mischief! Huh, but the fact that it is still happening even though he isn’t around, hmm… Where is Gwendolyn?” Irma opens her mouth to speak, but she is interrupted! “I don’t want her to know I am here! Irma it is absurd that you called me! What can I possibly do? I am getting tired of being dragged into her affairs!” Irma humbly nods and looks ashamed, as if all that is happening is somehow her fault. “This is hopeless and I think you should leave at once and go home.” “Sir! Look at the state of…” Irma is quickly interrupted! “This is not your responsibility anymore Irma! Wait for Gwendolyn to call you and then that is when you can return, and I daresay you will have a lot to say to her, because this is downright preposterous!” This gentleman becomes less stern and feels sorry for this nanny. “I can see you are scared and confused, but mostly vexed by all of this Irma. I knew years ago that I wanted to have nothing to do with this home.” Irma is afraid to speak and follows everything he has told her. “Well... Go on… I will wait for you to gather your belongings, and then escort you home.” Irma runs up the stairs to pack her things. Sophie and Eliza charge like a derailed train towards the windows! Frightened, Sophie hopes at least one of the windows will open in time! “Which fenetre will we get sucked into?! This can’t be good gran mere! Which one will we go through?! Ahhhhhh!” The little wooden box hovers beneath Eliza and seems as if it is invisibly tethered to her ankles. She grabs Sophie’s hand and tries to reassure her that everything will be okay and tries to convince Sophie that everything is normal. “Now Sophie, think of this as horseback riding lessons dear. Well I guess that doesn’t make sense does it. Just know you are safe, even though this is extremely dangerous!” “Gran mere, you know that doesn’t make any sense at alllllllll!” Elizabeth and Sophie are pulled into the third window which is brightly glowing green! Even Eliza admits to herself that it is getting a bit scary! “Sophie, I must confess… I have been here for some time now, and I still get scared of the unknown. It isn’t about not being afraid, but it is about learning to goooooooo with the changes, because change is inevitableeeeeeee!” Gwendolyn pulls her knees in closer to her body in an attempt to hide from whatever is coming into the cave. Eliza and Sophie sound like rattling thunder as they pop into the cave and fall to the ground! The ground and dust are like the feathers that appeared in Sophie’s room! She violently coughs and it echoes through the cave and Gwenny shakes from fear because of what she hears, and tightly shuts her eyes! The box hits the ground and bangs and bounces right in front of Gwendolyn!The cave is rather dim so they cannot see clearly yet! Sophie shakes the dust off of her face and feels a bit dizzy! She crawls and whispers, “Gran mere, where are you?” Sophie feels her way around this huge cave, and finally sees the box turned over! “Oh no!” She rushes over to get the box, but then hesitates because she is startled by a strange silhouette in the corner. Sophie tries to pull her racing thoughts together and reasons, “Maybe it is gran mere…” Sophie slowly reaches out her hand to touch this unknown person. To be continued… SERIES OF SHORT STORIES BY MARINI BARIKA FACEY PART 9 HORSES PART I The little wooden box begins to pull Sophie towards a raging force! “I don’t want to spiral around and around in this strange whirlwind!” Sophie shuts her eyes and tightly holds onto the box because her feet wildly fly into the air! “Ahhhhhhhhhhh! Aidez-moi! Help me!” Poof! She vanishes! Sophie bursts through time and space like galloping horses! She is pulled in every direction like a ragdoll that dogs fight over. Nord, Sud, Est, Ouest, each wind whirs and rouge, bleu, violet, and vert become even more radiant and blinding! Fenêtres open in front of Sophie and the four winds zoom away into each window, but Sophie is preoccupied by something more startling! She hears a voice she’s never heard before echo all around her! It sounds strangely familiar, and Sophie gets frightened! “Je suis votre grand-mère Elizabeth.” The deeper Sophie goes into the unknown, the more it feels as if she treads water. “Ugh! Zut! I feel trapped in pudding…like I’m stuck in custard!” Sophie is a cloud suspended in the unknown! The four colors suddenly turn into rain and lightning and the peculiar voice booms like thunder! Sophie shuts her eyes and wishes that everything could go back to the way it was before! The little wooden box slips out of Sophie’s grasp and she quickly opens her eyes and swims towards it, trying her best to reach it! Oddly enough, the thunderous words shake inside of Sophie’s little wooden box; it slowly opens and ticks like a music box, and puts Sophie in a trance. Like lightning, rouge, bleu, violet, and vert mix with this thunder and transform into a person! Sophie stares as the four colors wade in front of her like a hologram. “Mère?!” “No Sophie, Je suis votre grand-mère Elizabeth. Your grand-père Peter always said Gwenny was the mirror image of me!” “Your père tells me you are learning French, très très bon!” Sophie is intrigued but perplexed! “Where did my animals go? Where are my toys? Were you in my wooden box all along? How do you know ma père?” Eliza omnisciently smiles, “It is a long story, so I will show you!” The four winds burst through the windows like a stampede heading directly towards Sophie, but in all actuality, Sophie is the one who is moving like wild horses towards the fenêtres at a rapid speed! Elizabeth wades above the wooden box like a genie and sweetly smiles at Sophie; Eliza embodies peace itself, but Sophie is hesitant and scared! Pour être continué… |
"Do something wonderful, people may imitate it!"
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