Chapter 18

Senior Kamryn Schultz finishes her serialized book titled Redemption. This is her final chapter of the book. Make sure to go back to previous chapters and leave comments on what you think about it. If you missed the seventeenth chapter, read Thieves.

We headed to the dock where a huge, very familiar ship stood. Its main sails flitted in the breeze, getting ready to make way. The crew seemed to be docking the ship quickly, running this way and that to make sure everything was in order. As we got closer to the ship, I noticed faded lettering near the stern, that read Blue Wanderer.

No sooner had I made the realization then I saw a familiar, scruffy looking sailor hoisting the mainsail and shouting orders at him scatterbrained men.

“Tomas!” Evan shouted, waving in his direction. Indi and I looked at each other confused. Small world perhaps? Seemed to be the rising question these past couple weeks. Tomas looked our way and wave back in amusement.

We neared the ship as Tomas starting climbing down the ladder to greet us.

“Tomas, thank you so much for waiting for me. I hope it’s OK I let these two on board with us back home.”

“Oh yes, quite alright.” His eyes met Indi’s but quickly turned down in sheepish regret. He smiled at the ground and stirred his foot in the gravel, making a small divot.

Evan turned to us. “This is Tomas, he’s been my guide and close companion in my journey to find you.”

“Oh, we’re quite familiar with him,” Indi cut in, trying not to express any emotion. But I could tell she was happy to see him.
“We need to head to France. I’ve gotten us both train tickets out of here, we need to get these two on board as well. They have the gems I was talking about. All three of them, Tomas. Which can mean only one thing.”

“That her plan is already in motion, I know.” Tomas looked at us sternly. “You know beyond all doubt that these stones have immense power, even more so when put together. You are aware of the consequences? When placed in the wrong hands?”

I looked at him in shock. “How… do you know…”

“That’s not important. What is important is the fact that you need to destroy these before they get in the wrong hands. Which can only be done through immense force.”

“Such as?”

“In France, there’s a volcano called the Puy de Sancy. Although inactive for about 220,000 years, there is an old legend that states if you throw all three stones in the heart of the volcano, they will lose their power. A huge risk, yes. But better them be destroyed then placed in the hands of your father or The Undetected.”

“So all that work, for nothing?”

We turned to Indi, who was shaken in disbelief.

“We almost died, multiple times mind you, to get these gems, and now we have to throw it all away?”

“Indi, it’s what’s best. If these get in either of their hands, the world as we know it would be no more. We can’t risk it.” He took her hand gently and looked into her eyes. “You have done so much for that kid. All your hard work, all the effort you put in. It mattered. She wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for you.”

“It’s true,” I chimed in. “You helped me through it all Indi, and I couldn’t be more grateful for you.”

Indiana looked at us both at first with annoyance, then softened her eyes and took a deep breath.

We headed to the train station, where the train’s pipes smoked thick clouds into the sky, billowing upward and then disappearing entirely. We boarded the train, and took our seats towards the back of the caboose.

Indi looked scared, her eyes darted back and forth and she starting rubbing her hands together, totally unnatural to see from her usual tough demeanor. Tomas sat down next to her and saw she seemed nervous. He slowly took ahold of her hands and squeezed it tight. Almost immediately, she relaxed, releasing all the tension she felt inside.

I took a seat on the left side and rested my arm on the windowsill. As the train began it’s decent, I thought about my mom, Maryland, Kevin. Everyone that I had completely forgotten about on this crazy journey. The idea of the gems and their powers had grown stronger in me.

I opened the bag to glance at them. I reached inside and held one in my palm, feeling its smooth surface. Their pulsing green glow was activated by my touch, and I started to feel stronger. A surge of energy took over me and I sat up a little straighter. I quickly placed the gem back in the bag and closed it tight, scared of what just happened.

I looked at my hands; they were shaking uncontrollably. I gripped them tight, trying to shake off the feeling. But secretly, I was trying to hold on to that power for a little longer. My whole life I felt powerless. That I couldn’t do anything for myself, that I needed help from others to get by. But when I held on to these gems, they gave me hope, strength. Confidence.

“This seat taken?”

I looked up at Evan, who had moved from a couple seats in front of me to grace me with his presence.

“Oh, um, no go ahead,” I said, startled by his sudden intrusion. He plopped down next to me and opened up a notebook. He started flipping through it rapidly, so fast I could barely see the pages. He finally landed on a note pages filled with scribbles and crossed out pictures. He scanned his finger over the drawings, then suddenly pointed to a picture of the volcano we were traveling to go see.

“I hope this works,” Evan muttered. He turned to me. “If the Undetected finds out I am taking you people to destroy the gems, I’m toast. She’ll kill me. It’s better this way. When we get to France, I can get a new name and hide away. No one will ever find me, and no one will know what I’ve done.”

I wasn’t sure if Evan was talking to me or himself, but the conversation seemed intense, and I didn’t want to intrude.

I glanced over at his drawings again, and beneath the scribbles I could make out a figure. A women, wearing olive green clothing with a stern look on her face. I couldn’t make it out, but somehow she looked so familiar. I couldn’t put my finger on it.

Before I could even grasp what was happening, the train suddenly jerked to a stop, throwing us forward to the front of the caboose. The force was so violent I hit my head on the wall and blacked out for a moment.

When I came to, I felt a throbbing pain in my arms, my legs, and my head. My entire body felt like it was on fire. I wanted to cry, the pain was too unbearable. I grasped the side of my head and scanned my surroundings.

Everyone was gone. Indi and Tomas were nowhere to be seen, and I couldn’t find Evan either. My eyes widened as I started to panic. I reached for something to pull myself up, but the pain I experienced held me back. I fell back onto the floor and screamed. My head was badly wounded, as was my leg. I scanned my body for more injuries, and had to quickly look away as soon as I saw my other arm.

I was losing a lot of blood fast, and I needed to get help if I was going to live. I heard a thump from overhead. Someone was walking on the roof of the train. The noise edged its way closer and closer, until it was right over me. The silence was deafening, as I wondered what exactly I was about to die from.

I closed my eyes and curled into a ball, ready to accept death. A part of the roof fell, and I felt a heavy thud just inches from my body. I was too scared to look up. Too afraid to give myself a chance at life.

“Get up.” The voice was feminine, strong and demanding but somehow comforting.

I closed my eyes, refusing to obey orders.

“Paige, do as I say.”

I froze. How did she know my name?

I slowly shifted my eyes from the floor to the towering figure above. And in that moment, that small moment, I felt like I had already died. Not one day will pass that I ever forget it, and not one moment will fly by that I unsee what I saw. Because what I saw was impossible.

“Farryn?”

Impossible.

For Redemption chapter 1, read Confronting weaknesses. For more articles, read Profile: Schultz strives for excellence on and off court.

Kamryn Schultz can be reached via email and Twitter.