The Key

All eyes gazed upon the shimmering surface of an enchanted mirror as the image of a young girl appeared. The immortal seers’ had gathered. The image of the girl flickered in the mirror like a dancing flame, before vanishing. The figure of the girl was now drowned in the memory of the seers’.

“She is to never know…” one of the seers’ spoke softly. The seer’s eyes were clouded with gray and long inky ebony hair flowed passed her shoulder. She could not see the other occupants of the room, but even blind she could still pierce her eyes through the soul of another.

Not a single wrinkle or indention marred her hand, which she reached towards the mirror. She glided her fingers down the glass; she felt the warmth of where the image had been. A melancholy smile came to her features as the others looked on in anticipation.

Two of the seers’ were huddled together. Their faces were set in stone, holding serious deep cerulean eyes; their bodies built to test the gods, and light lavender silver hair rested at their shoulders. To everyone and the seers’ themselves, they were known as ‘The Brothers’. The younger of the two let his curiosity be known.

“What is she never to know?” he asked in an inquisitive tone. The other seer removed her hand from the mirror and placed it at her side. She turned her head to face him as an irritated look came to her features. Everything about her seemed regal as she made her way to ‘The Brothers’. The other’s continued to look upon the scene, having much more patience then some of the less experienced seers’.

“It would be better if you had more composure Azai, but I shall tell you anyway. She is never to know anything and everything,” the seer replied in a clear and icy voice. Her graying eyes had hardened as she stood before the two brothers.

Azai’s once stone face contorted into one of bewilderment. His eyes fell to his elder brother, whom continued to hold his chiseled set face. The eldest brother looked to the seer. Knowing his gaze was upon her; she raised her head and her eyes fell to him.

“Your words still hold no meaning to us, Kala…” the eldest brother said in a deep voice smooth as silk. Kala collected herself as her eyes narrowed. Her ebony hair slapped at ‘The Brothers’ faces as she turned from them.

“She’s to know nothing of the mystic world. The belief of such a thing as magic will be non-existent to her. She will never know…” she said in a dark tone. Her hand fell to the top of a chair as her nails dug into the wood. The gray clouds of her eyes were growing darker.

“How do you plan on doing this? She is a young girl, yet she already knows all. How do you plan on stopping what has already happened?” the eldest brother questioned. Azai looked at his brother in disbelief. Had he just challenged Kala?

“Avarayr, you fool!” Kala screeched sending a crystal goblet shattering to the stone floor, “Do you not have any sense in your mind! I am one of the keepers of time, are you forgetting that important fact? Do you question my power? Or am I…”

A hand fell onto Kala’s shoulders; one of the seers’ had finally had enough of this lack of control. The room was soon engulfed in chilling silence. The eyes of others’ bore into Kala’s being. The hand placed upon her loosened its grip. A deep voice, gone rough with years past, broke the silence.

“Have you taken this time to forget the eternal watcher’s gaze falls on us?” the deep voice spoke in such a rhythmic tone; it was as if he were the falling rain.

A being as old as time itself and infinitely more; stood behind Kala. His movements were graceful and slow as he drew his hand from Kala’s shoulder. Every crevice from every muscle ever moved seemed to imprint his very soul. In times of great mirth one would state him to be the true wrinkle in time.

At this time however, he seemed so brittle and worn a simple breath of wind would turn him to dust where he stood. He took an intake of breath with his eyes half-lidded, yet still his eyes shone through. Windows to the soul that were of the purest white and held pin-point icicle blue pupils. He stroked his fingers through his grizzly gray beard in thought as he took his place back at the table.

Kala turned her head away from the others and appeared to stare off into nothing. This had always been a well kept trait of the time keepers. Kala released the breath she had been holding and gathered herself together. Nodding towards ‘The Brothers’ as sign of respect and apology, she seated herself again.

“I’d apologize infinitely Zaman, but I’m afraid for a time keeper that isn’t long enough” Kala said in a hushed tone. Zaman looked to her with his pin-point eyes as his elbows met the table. Zaman clasped his hands together and gave the occupants of the room a nod to show he was ready to speak.

“I believe what Kala was trying to tell you” Zaman began, “is that we plan to erase the memories she holds, but we will not set out to do this now,”

The other seers’ scattered about the room began to chatter about in low under-tones their opinions. Kala scanned her un-seeing eyes across the room as they squabbled, her mouth forming into a thin line. Kala’s eyes stopped at a lone seer in the darkened corner of the room.

The seer was enclosed in a thick coal black hooded-robe. The elongated sleeves of the robe concealed the seer’s locked hands. The little light that illuminated the room left the seer’s face shadowed and imperceptible to the common eye.

A first glance in this seer’s direction would run your blood cold, for most would presume him evil. Yes… Most would think him evil indeed; for the shimmering blade of the sickle that leaned against the wall beside him.

“Might I ask you this? Why not erase her memory right at this moment? What difference would it be from now and then?” came the low drum of hooded seer’s voice. He had raised his head, and in the shadows of the hood came the eerie glow of scarlet eyes. A pause came to every other seer’s conversation.

Kala lowered her head and let her eyes fall downcast. With one step forward she took a steady stride, only to stop narrowly in front of the seemingly malevolent hooded figure. She looked up craning her neck as if to intentionally make all aware of the darkened creamy gray of her eyes.

“Why not now? What not all at once?” Kala began in a low murmur only to let her voice rise as she continued, “If we were to take her memory at this time, in an age where she is just developing the essence of thought would be catastrophic in all consequences,”

“Whatever do you mean?” the hooded figure questioned, he pulled his hood over his head slightly more to keep himself away from prying eyes. Many of the occupants in the room were relieved by the absense of the illuminated scarlet eyes.

“What I mean is that her soul would be emptied. If we took her memories in this instance she would have none to remember. We’d strip her of the new emotions she is learning and has just recently gained. Her mind would be blank and she’d be no better than an empty shell wandering the earth…” Kala answered ending her words in a softened tone.

The small candles scattered sparsely around the room danced as the room grew more chilled. Invisible claws squeezed the breaths out of some of the seers’ as other invisible forces clenched at their hearts. All the while a dark throaty laughter erupted from hooded being.

The luminous scarlet eyes appeared once more along with the glimmer of razor sharp fangs. The hooded figure continued to show his amusement as he gripped for his sickle. The sound of the blade scraping against the stone wall was the only warning Kala had before the feeling of warm breath came to her ear.

“Your words entertain me Kala…” spoke the hooded figure in a harsh whisper, “Personally I suspect you to be the one to want this girl to walk a life as living corpse. You do nothing but loathe these humans, no? Besides she would die quicker that way, which is all the more better for me,”

The hooded figure let his robes flutter as he walked by Kala. The seething anger radiating off of Kala was making him all the more amused as he stopped besides the table. The hooded figure’s elongated sleeve reached for the vase towards the middle of the table. He stopped his sleeve right before the rose laying inside the vase.

“I mean humans are so very fragile a simple touch of magic could destroy their entire existence,” he spoke loud enough for all to hear. Having said all that need be, two clawed fingers gripped the stem of the rose and lifted it towards scarlet eyes. The rose petals began to darken black as the stem wilted till finally the flower died in a burst of ashes; deep laughter permeated the room again.

Scarlet eyes looked onto his audience one more. He let his laughter die slowly. The white of his fangs formed a somewhat hidden Cheshire smile. He started walking to the heavy wooden door giving a nod towards Zaman before making his exit.

“The way he speaks towards us it surprises me the eternal watcher has yet to strike him down for all he’s worth,” stated Kala coolly. Zaman took in another deep breath and shook his head. He put a hand on Kala’s shoulder and felt as she slowly released the tension in them.

“I’m surprised you my dear Kala, held as much patience for him as you did. Yet, I’m afraid Garren is a peculiar character in his own mind as he appears to others; but that still leaves us no reason to smite him,” Zaman spoke calmly.

Kala said nothing as she made her way through the sea of seers’ that had been on-lookers to the whole event. She nodded towards Zaman as she grabbed hold of her rightful seat. She and others waited till Zaman took his seat at that head of the table before settling themselves.

Zaman seemed to lapse into the whole ordeal then and there. His shoulders relaxed and he rested his hand on his chin in thought. The whole room seemed to become placid as Zaman released his tension.

“As most of you now know…” Zaman began in a low rumble, “we shall be erasing this child’s memory, but in a very slow manner. This is possible with the help of a certain spell. The spell was developed by the human Wicca in dragonish tongue, so we know the spell to be successful on the young girl. She will lose memory year by year on her day of birth till all memory of magic has vanished. The memories should completely die on the sixteenth year from birth,”

The group of seers’ seemed to contemplate over Zaman’s words. Subtle glances came to him, but he held no worry they would doubt him. Zaman grasped a nearby brass grail and lifted it to his lips. He let the warm thick liquid within soothe his burning throat, which came with the roughness of his voice.

Kala looked up from the table with a blank expression and knuckles cracked. The creamy gray of her eyes had turned into an ethereal pale white. Her lips looked as if water had not touched them for centuries; the light pink of her lips appeared waxen. All emotions concealed within her seemed to crash against some un-known shore. She was ready to recite the spell.

“All shall be silenced…” she spoke in an eerie silky voice. Kala arose from her seat and walked towards the mirror. The seers’ were transfixed as she took a steady stride; she made the room feel as if with every step she took a thunder roared.

She stopped a foot from the mirror let her eyes pierce through the reflecting glass. The image of the girl fluttered back to life before their eyes. The curious eyes of the girl looked towards them through the ancient looking glass; and most felt a sickly feeling come to their stomachs at the future of the poor human.

Kala placed her hand upon the mirror and her eyes open wider. Swirls of colors came to her vision. The picture of the girl filtered through her mind. Kala’s hand had begun to tremble, but she stopped herself. Her bottled emotions came back to her in a flash and a look of determination came to her. The room grew quiet as words of one soul’s destiny were chanted out…

“Erup fo traeh

Erup fo denim

A tseuq ot dnif eht…

Gniediug thgil fo

Gnitsalreve ytinrete

Eht segas llaf…

Repeed otni eht diov

Ssenkrad

Eht etinifni tirips si…

Gnidnepmi nopu su lla

Eht rekawa llahs pleh su

Rof ehs si eht yek ot ruo ecnanetsus,”

Light hues made of a mixture of green and blues looked outside the window. A childish wonder fell into the mind under fair colored hair. Small skinny fingers tapped against the window pane in awe at the falling leaves.

The deep red and gold of the leaves splashed color onto the autumn day. An innocent smile crossed the face of the child as the wind shook the trees with more force, sending the already fallen leaves into a flourish.

The child wriggled her toes in beat as the old house began to creak and sway. The happy smile faltered and the tiny hand fell from the window. A look of puzzlement crossed the child’s features. Her focus soon came to an old beaten mirror in the room.

Faces stared back at her of which she did not recognize. She tilted her head to the side in bafflement and made her way towards the mirror. She began to think the people in the mirror looked sad. She wished she could make them happier.

The child turned her attention to the strange woman. The woman in the mirror was beginning to talk very silly in the child’s opinion. She placed her hand over the strange woman in the mirror.

Time slowed and the room began to spin for the young child. Dancing spots of color dotted around in the little girls vision. She started to become light-headed, till the room grew still once more.

For a brief instant time stopped at a stand still. The young girl’s eyes set blank and emotionless. They were void of anything at all. The blood running through her body slowly pulsed like an icy stream. A breath was caught in the poor girl’s throat waiting to be released.

In that same instant time reset itself and continued back on course. The young girl blinked her eyes and looked around bewildered. Her hand slipped from the glass of the window and she peered at it. The only thing that faced her was herself.

Chapter One

A booming vibration rippled through the fabric of time. An echoing chime filtered through the entire building. There were no gray clouds dotting the sky, but the sound of thunder seemed to spread throughout the building.

Armies of different feet trudged, stomped, and pounded down hallways of continuous opening and closing doors. Faces of a diversity of people stared into the directions their feet took them.

Soon the thunder of feet slowly diminished and the variety of people walking through the seemingly endless hallways disappeared into various doors. Another chime droned into the ghostly hallways. The continuous opening and closing doors were closed shut. It grew silent once again.

One door still lay open and two figures stood in its frame. Their voices came out hushed and whispered as they spoke. Then it came…

It started out low and hummed, and then it grew louder. An inconsistent drumming permeated the quiet hallway. The hushed voices ceased as the two figures attention turned to the end of the hallway.

The drumming sound had transformed into a resounding slapping now. A third figure made her entrance at this time. She burst into view from the corner of the hallway. Every slap came as sandaled feet hit the floor in the third figures sprint. Shoulder-length fair hair sprayed over her shoulder as she ran.

“I’m late, I’m so very late…” the fair-haired figure chanted with every step she took. As the fair-haired figure turned around at the other corner the slaps of the sandals came to a dull drumming once more.

The two figures in the doorway began their chatter again. The look upon their faces far more amused than before the appearance of the fair-haired figure. Each face held a smile as their conversation to a change of course from the sight of the third figure.

“I know that girl” one of the figures spoke in a light tone, “She’s in one of my earlier teachings. She’s very kind, but somewhat odd,”

“Is she normally gallivanting around after the late bell has made its final toll?” the other figure said jokingly. The two figures chuckled to themselves for a moment before slinking back into the teacher’s lounge.

Crinkling, tapping, small shuffles, and light coughs filled the small enclosed room. A percentage of the many faces that had swarmed hallways moments before, were now compacted in the tiny enclosure.

The eyes of the zombie-like conformists appeared glazed over, as if lost in their thoughts or as if holding no thoughts at all. Few even took notice of the slapping sounds coming from behind the single door separating them from the twists and turns of the maze-like hallways.

Several eyes in the room fell to the door as the handle jiggled. Soon more joined in to watch as the door creaked open. A light blush came to the fair-haired girl that entered. Her green and blue hued eyes shifted to the supposed authority figure sitting at the head of the room.

The girl’s current educator held an annoyed look. She beckoned the fair-haired girl over to the desk where she sat. The girl gave a nervous smile as she timidly made her way towards the teacher.

“It takes a lot of courage for my students to come in five minutes late...” the older woman stated “Would you like to tell me how you found yourself five minutes late, Ms. Fredrich?”

Blank eyes stared onto the scene as the girl took time to catch her breath. Her face was starting portray her restlessness at the thought of future punishment. Her nimble fingers left twittering about in constant movement.

“Well, I was being held back in my last class Mrs. Smith” the girl spoke softly, “I am sorry for not being here on time…”

“Very well…please seat yourself,” Mrs. Smith said as she sighed and got back to grading the papers of her students.

The fair-haired girl nodded in thanks and rushed over to an empty desk. Her hair tussled about her as she slumped into her seat. Her gaze turned to a desk beside her as she realized the presence of the other occupants of the room.

A rosy color crept upon her cheeks as her eyes fell upon the boy beside her. A light tan touched his skin and his lean muscular figure was lost in the many folds of his black clothing. His eyes were deep set and held a dark brown color. Those eyes mesmerized as well as the Cheshire smile that crossed his face at times.

“Tsk…Tsk…Tsk, you can’t be late for class little Miss Kaye, that’s my job,” said the boy giving off one of his smiles as he leaned into his desk. His onyx hair fell into his face giving him the cover of straightened black spikes.

“Stop it Dean,” Kaye said as her blush heightened. Dean’s smirk grew larger at that remark. He moved in further to tease Kaye, but was sadly interrupted by a loud rough cough.

Their eyes shifted the figure sitting beside Dean. The figure was a boy as well. His body had a lean build and held a dull tan tone. Dirty blonde hair poked and spiked at the nape of his neck in a messy fashion. His blue eyes narrowed towards them.

“Coming in late is one thing Kaye, playing around is another,” said the boy. Dean snorted and smiled towards Kaye again. Kaye could only shake her head and sigh.

“I’m quite aware of that fact Conrad,” Kaye retorted sticking her tongue out at him. A ghost of a smile appeared on Conrad’s face as Kaye did this.

“Yeah, Mr. Conrad fun killer” said Dean, “You know Kaye he’s probably going to ruin your sweet sixteen party,”

Kaye giggled behind her hand, but was shushed by the teacher who stood in the front of the room. Kaye’s genuine quirky smile showed on her face as she removed her hand.

She had been waiting for her sixteenth birthday for quite a while now. Her moment was finally here.

If only she knew how big her moment was…

Colorful lights flashed on and off and decorations were sprayed around the room. Everyone held a cheerful disposition as they set various shiny wrapped packages on a rickety wooden table.

A light laugh filled the area as Kaye burst from a closed door. A new outfit adorned her slim semi-athletic body. Denim jeans hung loosely from her slightly rounded hips and she had on a sky blue shirt that enhanced her eyes.

“I’m so excited…” were the airy words spoken as Kaye surveyed her surroundings. Friends dotted the room like spots on a Dalmatian, but one in particular caught her eye.

Dean stood in a darkened corner of the room barely visible from the dark clothing he wore. His hands hung low as he adjusted the tuner on his guitar. He had promised Kaye he would play for her party.

Before Kaye could take a step more, someone decided to make their entrance. Short light brown hair wisped around her head as she came through the same door Kaye did.

The girl had hazel brown eyes with a hint of gold. Her body was more compact than Kaye’s, but still proportional. The aura the girl put forth was that of strength and determination. Seeing Kaye she rushed over with a bounce in her step.

“Kaye! How’s life being sixteen?” the girl said as she wrapped her arms around Kaye for a quick embrace. Kaye’s attention however, was focused on something entirely different, but she answered back anyway.

“It’s wonderful Gemma,” Kaye said in a far-away voice. Gemma looked at Kaye oddly. Gemma slowly released her hold on the girl. Gemma followed Kaye’s gaze and smirked.

Now two sets of eyes found themselves on the figure in the corner. Black hair swayed as Dean looked up from his guitar to the girls. His deep brown eyes gleamed as he sent his Cheshire smile their way.

A flushed Kaye flipped around with her hands on her cheeks. Her blonde hair fluttered in front of her eyes as she breathed in deeply. Gemma stifled a laugh as she eased in towards Kaye.

“Is he the one you’ve been talking about?” Gemma asked as Kaye nodded, “He is quite handsome. Go talk to him,”

The rosy hue on Kaye’s cheeks paled at Gemma’s words. She didn’t have time to protest however as Gemma started to nudge her in Dean’s direction. Kaye sighed as she gave in and started walking, but as she made her way to him she was stopped again.

The first thing that met Kaye’s sight was his blue eyes. He gave her a weak smile as he took her hand. Confusion crept onto Kaye’s face; she let Conrad carry her off into another far corner.

“I need to speak to you about something important,” he said in a serious tone.

“Oh alright…” replied Kaye in a light voice. She hoped she hadn’t done anything wrong. Kaye always assumed Conrad didn’t think very fondly of her by the way he always acted towards her. He always seemed to have a look of indifference on his face.

Yet, now in a far off corner of the room he led her with a gentle hand. Kaye was knocked out of her train of thought as Conrad came to a stop.

A breath caught in her throat as he turned to face her. His eyes portrayed something she couldn’t describe. He took these few moments to give a light squeeze before letting go.

“Um…So what is it you’d like to talk about?” Kaye asked as she watched the reflection of the flickering lights bounce off his darkened dirty blonde hair. His head lowered to bring his gaze toward the ground.

“I just don’t want you to forget about me,” he answered in a melancholy voice. A bell-like came after he said this which caused him to look up startled.

“Why would I forget you? I’m not going anywhere…” Kaye said giving him her genuine quirky smile. Conrad stared at her with that same odd emotion in his eyes. Kaye began to squirm under his gaze.

Suddenly his hand lifted from his side towards Kaye. She felt the warmth of his palm in her cheek as he carefully placed it there. Her eyes widened in surprise as Conrad leaned his head forward, but before leaning all the way he stopped.

“I also wanted to tell you that you hold a special place…” Conrad leaned closer to where their lips almost met, “in my heart,”

Kaye felt as if she could melt where she stood. She never had dreamed of a first kiss like this, the odd tingle of warm lips on another. She was lost and couldn’t find her way back to reality. This was not the boy she was expecting, but it felt right.

“It’s time for cake!” bellowed the voice of Kaye’s mother. The magic of her first kiss left as they quickly broke apart. Kaye watched in a mesmerized state as Conrad slowly walked away from her to join the rest of the party.

Kaye found herself standing there in silence for a minute. In a brief awkward moment of courage she headed for the wooden table surrounded by her friends.

She watched the flames of her birthday candles move in an eerie dance. Looking at her candles burn gave Kaye a foreboding feeling, but she had no idea why.

Unbeknownst to Kaye however, there were a few gloomy guests that sat at the end of the table in somber silence. She knew them quite well. In fact she had just interacted with them, but they had their reasons to be sorrowful.

“I’m going to miss her terribly,” whispered a light voice. Her short brown hair swayed a little as she bent her head. Her hazel brown eyes began to soften as she watched her friend sit in front of her cake.

“Gemma, we’re not losing her. She’ll still be here,” spoke a smooth low voice. He sighed as he lowered his guitar in his lap.

“Not all of her…” Gemma replied as she felt a trickle of warm tears flow down her face.

Kaye couldn’t shake off that odd feeling she had, but she smiled anyway. Her eyes traveled around to look upon all the beautiful decorations. It was all so magical.

“Make a wish…” Kaye’s mother said as she pushed the cake forward. Kaye closed her eyes and thought about her wish briefly. When her bluish-green orbs opened again she released her breath.

The clock on the wall seemed to slow till the clicks of the clock hands was a dull pulse. The occupants of the room stayed frozen in their place.

The candles in front of Kaye had been snuffed out with her memories. The smoke from the candles slowly crept passed by Kaye’s blank eyes. Instead of bluish-green color they once held, was now replaced by a temporary blue sheen. A dark laughed filled the still room.

Time reset itself…