Blue Crane’s eyes- Chap 60

Whoever that said that all truth is not worth revealing was right. Because at this moment, it’s not the truth that’s hurting, it’s the reality of it. The girls wished everything Harriet told was a tale. In fact, they wished she should have been sobbing and not talking. Iv felt dizzy and zigzagged backwards fell down in Park’s arms.

At seven years old, all she can remember was fire blowing underneath the hood of her parents’ car and her face covered by nasal masks, liquid from serums flowing through multiple needles pierced through her left arm. She remembers waking up and listening to Park’s mother telling her the worst news of her life. She remembers spending two years recovering from the death of her parents. She remembers nightmares she still has, playing with her mother and watching her father waving from his peugeot. She vividly remembers her mother telling her that they had to move to Capewood because her father got a new job there. She remembers everything now like it was yesterday. Park supported her, the same way she did years ago, but now she is throwing up. She rocked her, wiping her tears, whispering “he is going to pay for it”. But Iv couldn’t stop. Someone had turned on a well of remorse and she can’t seem to shut it no matter how hard she tries. She was reliving her childhood all of a sudden. Imagining how everything could have been different if her parents were still alive. Li asked her why she decided to reveal the truth now. And the only response was a shake of her head. “Enough!” Parker murmured. Harriet was still next to Julius crying again. She had moved, in a bow position touching his numb face. Sensing something strange next to her feet, she moved aside and noticed that it’s the compass trembling. Vibrating causing a minor quake below her left knee. Lifting it up, she noticed the needle of the compass ticking. Harriet peeked the direction it was giving, and her jaw dropped. For the first time in loss of words. Slowly, she got up and held it up and saw the little light in it shut off. “Girls… something just happened” Harriet held the compass in both hands like a glass full of water, she doesn’t want to see a spill of drop. She stood up and walked five feet away from Julius. Li intrigued of what she just said nodded at Park and followed her.

“Come on” Park helped Iv to stand up and move where Harriet was. The two stood on her right and glanced at the compass in Harriet’s hands. “It’s pointing North” Harriet said to the girls. What’s in the North? Li wanted to know although if she guessed the answer, she’d be right. Looking next to Park, she noticed something in Iv’s mind. Although she couldn’t risk telling. Two reasons of why she cried. A memory of her childhood was still playing and a look she was giving Parker that meant something else. She was worried about her. Worried of losing her too. Should I say something? Li thought. She wanted to let her know that she was there to help. She was on her side, and nothing will happen to either her or Par if she is still breathing. A promise she made a few days ago. Although she can’t remember how she started to care about Park and Iv as if they were her own siblings. “Don’t stand there staring. Let’s do something” Park said to Harriet. Li passed behind Parker and tapped on Iv’ shoulder. “Are you okay?” Ivy nodded. “Let’s get moving. I won’t stop until he is finished”. Park said.  One by one, the girls surrounded Harriet. “Guide us to Dabbahu. We need to stop him before it’s too late” Li said. Somehow remembering the agony she felt brought back energy to protect the only close people she now has. “Dabbahu is a deserted land. A place a hundred times hotter than Lesotho and a hundred times deadlier. We can’t just go there. Why? Because the fissure is still smoking. And I know, it’s a trap. By the time we arrive, it’s going to be too late” She bent her head in despair. “No. Let’s go. Parker can fly. You can fly. I am sure he brought them there for a reason. And our reason is to find Zi and save her. She helped us to escape him, and you’ve taught us so much to stand here and do nothing, let’s get moving” Parker barked. Harriet ramped on the floor and in unison, both crossed hands and up they sailed to the heavens.

As if air was clearing her mind, words started coming out of her mouth again. More of questions and hypothetical answers to try make sense of the situation. “That’s why my mother wanted to come here. She wanted to be held hostage, but why did Colette come with her?” “How do you know she was here?” Li asked. “She is my sister. I can sense her presence, but I don’t know why G brought her with our mother. The only reason I can think is she was forced into this” “Is there any way your sister might be involved with G, I mean romantically?” Park dared to ask. Harriet shot a monstrous look at her “No, she is a nun! Have you seen nuns in a relationship?” Park shook her head. “She committed her life to God. She loves it. She wouldn’t sabotage it for a man. She dreamt to become one since primary school. She can’t be involved with that villain, unless..” her eyes grew bigger again. The girls looked at each lost. Iv shook her head at Li and whispered, “what’s next?” Li lowered her eyes. The car on the loose of brakes does not compare to the speed Harriet is at while coming down on the ground. This is not how an airplane lands for sure. Never been in one, but this is torture. The girls thought. They landed back next to Julius, and Harriet held her left hand indicating for them to wait for her. She grabbed a bag full of a respiratory mask and threw it to Li “We are going to need this.”

She knelt next to Julius, brushed her hand on her forehead and murmured something only him must have heard. Together again, hands crossed together, Harriet lifted both girls and shot in the sky as if she is running from a bunch of arrows aiming at her. “Brace yourselves” She yelled and like a shooting star, she melted in the clouds in a blink of an eye. “Remember. It’s boiling where we are going. And our mission is to put our masks on, rescue my mother and Colette. Also, for your information. He might have the sapphire stone, but that’s not why we are going there. We can always come back for it” Park turned to Li, and both knew that her plan would be compromised once Zi and sister Colette were rescued safely. Both knew the sapphire stone had powers that can make G the evilest man. They knew bringing back the sapphire stone was a must unless they want to see their town, or even better the whole world collapse in his hand. They all knew G wanted them gone. The reason was pretty obvious since they were three girls bothering his behind all the time. But that wasn’t a worry at the moment. Not until they arrived in Dabbahu.

The wind above the clouds was getting warmer than in Lesotho’s as they move closer to their destination. “Do you think you can fly faster than this?” Li asked. She wanted to get there as soon as possible. The urge of losing one other person she knows was eating her alive. “Of course,” Harriet said.

As they spent more time in the air, the wind was feeding them anxiety. Thoughts of seeing who they fear the most, confronting him and coming back alive. What’s life? Nobody knew anything about it. At this age, what they have seen has been within the perimeter of their town. And now away from it, they might not even arrive safely to see what’s outside of their country. Or better yet return to see who they have left behind. With an hour behind from Lesotho, Harriet slowed down a kilometer away from their destination. She showed the girls the place and both noticed that it was brighter than the rest of the territory. Messenger boys were already there, circulating Dabbahu fissure like weak road lamps. Enough to illuminate the place, therefore, not brighter enough to shed light on small potholes. Within few inches away from the ground, the girls started feeling sweat foaming in their hands. Suddenly as they landed on the ground, a vent of sand blew in their faces. Harriet didn’t lie. It was boiling hot. Li looked around and saw gas storming in some areas. “This place looks cursed with all the smoke coming from the ground,” she said. Harriet nodded and handed her a respiratory mask. “Make sure your nose and mouth are covered. One breath of those gases can kill you. You understand? You can die from it.” Li thought of those gases as the last thing to kill them if G doesn’t get to them first. Park asked if there was any water around. Her throat was drying while her body was leaking liquid. On her side, Iv turned to her and reminded her that there are safer taps she can drink from later once she is out of this place alive. Park swallowed her words as the living encouragement she needed and stood straight. Maneuvering the masks, Harriet walked behind each one and tightened the straps of the masks behind their heads. After adjusting everyone’s, she asked if they were all comfortable enough to breathe to which they nodded yes.

Dirt air winded as they started marching towards the fissure. Breathing through the respirator didn’t make it easy for them to be invisible. The harmony of their breathing sounded like water flowing in the river or in this case, life reminding them that they are still breathing. All four suddenly stopped when they could clearly see what was in front of them. Harriet’s heart almost dropped out from her body when she saw her mother and sister hanging, feet tied on the cable. A vision of meat on the grill would describe their settings, but in this case it’s her family dangling in the mouth of Dabbahu fissure. Her face dimed once she noticed that they had no mask on and suddenly her legs tripped. Within seconds, her knees were on the ground while her hands shook. Li realizing what was happening in Harriet’s mind, she crunched herself and gently lifted Harriet’s face to hers. “You must be strong Harriet. For your mother and Colette. We all must to be strong. For each other. For our town, our village, and our people. We have to get Zi and Colette, show the boys that they don’t know who they are playing with and possibly .. get the sapphire stone where it belongs.” Harriet nodded and teared underneath her mask. The more she breathed, the louder the sound out from her mask. Without reading, the instructions on the back of the respiratory masks mentioned that no liquids shall enter the filters. But they didn’t mention the quantity of the liquids. And no need to worry about what’s not indicated right now.

“Let’s think of a strategy”. Park whispered and Harriet got up. She knew if she had to save Zi and Colette who is actually her real sibling, she didn’t have much time to mope around. Of all people, she knew how dangerous G was and she was not about to let him take away her family. “One messenger at a time” Harriet suggested. Li, Park and Iv stood in awe. Instead of asking what she meant, they stood there nodding. “Then rescue Zi and Colette” she added. Walking ahead of them, she stretched her hand and pointed her index finger to the right showing the girls where they should start. Turning back to facing the three, she reminded Iv to stay invisible no matter what, Park to keep on moving and Li to use her mind to her very last limit. She asked if there were any questions and both nodded. “Someone is calling you” Li said to Harriet who couldn’t hear a thing. She furrowed her eyebrows, and cocked her head left and right waiting to hear something. Still, she heard nothing. The girls looked at each other, wondering what’s happening. Nobody heard anything other than the warning from Li. Was she imagining something? Or did someone call onto Harriet?