Chapter 18
Arax
The drive back was going to be at least four to five hours.
I didn’t mind at all. Long treks soothed me, allowing me to empty my mind and relax.
It was different since this time though, since I wasn’t alone.
I was holding on to these last few hours with Drake, trying not to think that in a relatively short time, our friendship would come to an end.
I got the feeling that Drake’s world and mine were separate, and where he came from, they preferred it that way.
I had so many questions but no answers, and I knew if I asked, I’d get nowhere.
Though I hadn’t seen much of this unusual place, as we drove, I did notice that the mountains provided a sort of natural barrier, allowing for almost complete seclusion.
It seemed like the castle and what I had glimpsed to be a town were situated centrally, deep within and away from the borders.
Everywhere else was nature, and I assumed that was done deliberately, to make sure outsiders could be intercepted before they made it too far in and discovered what they weren’t supposed to see.
It only added to my curiosity. I knew that in the years to come, not knowing the secrets of this existence would haunt me.
I’d have to eventually find a way to make peace with the fact that my time here was nothing but a brief and puzzling interlude.
In the distance, watchtowers had been built, and beyond them were iron gates manned by guards, judging by their movements and attire. I thought it safe to think that that was the same all around the perimeter. These people took their privacy and isolation seriously.
We took a route that only someone familiar with the area would have known to take. There was no way I could retrace it. As we approached, I saw one of the guards nod at Drake and a second later the gates opened, allowing us to pass through.
I let out a deep breath. It was as though we had crossed a threshold, like a portal had been opened, and we were back in the real world. Drake appeared to pick up on my thoughts.
“Happy to be going home?” he asked.
“Sort of, yeah,” I replied undecidedly. A knot had settled in the pit of my stomach, and I was trying to breathe it out, unsuccessfully. It was getting worse as we drove farther away.
“Can I roll down the window?” I asked him. I was getting uncomfortable. I hadn’t been carsick before, so I didn’t know why it was happening now.
“Sure,” he replied and looked over at me. “Rox, you look a little green.”
“I’ll be okay. Maybe it’s because I was trapped inside for so long,” I said, not really believing my theory.
I sat up straighter and rolled the window all the way down. I leaned my head toward the side, hoping the fresh air would settle my unease, when all of a sudden, my stomach turned inside out.
“Drake, pull over,” I said urgently.
He did, and not a moment too soon. The car had barely stopped when I swung the door open and jumped out.
I proceeded to projectile vomit all over the side of the road.
I couldn’t stop. I fell on my hands and knees, and any energy I had left my body, similar to the aftereffects of an adrenaline rush once it receded.
I became cold and weak, but I continued to puke, my throat stinging harshly from the acid… my eyes watering.
I felt Drake’s hand on me, and he rubbed circles on my back. Surprisingly, it helped.
“Rox, what happened?” he asked, worried.
“I have no idea,” I replied with a shake of my head.
I had stopped vomiting but couldn’t get up just yet.
I rolled onto my back, away from my half-digested breakfast that was sprayed all over the grass.
He went to the car and brought me a bottle of water.
I rinsed my mouth out, then took a couple of swigs.
It hurt to swallow, but the water did seem to aid in settling my stomach.
“Maybe we should go back, get you checked out,” he said.
“No, no. I think I’m fine now.” I wiped my face with my shirt and got up slowly. “I’m sorry. I don’t know what came over me. I never get motion sickness.” Maybe it’s the altitude, I thought. Though, I knew that couldn’t be it either, as it hadn’t been an issue before.
“You sure?” he asked, somewhat doubtful.
“Yeah,” I answered. “Just give me a bag or something just in case, so I don’t ruin the upholstery.” I tried to laugh.
I dusted myself off and chugged the rest of the water.
We resumed driving, but neither of us felt like talking.
Drake would glance at me every so often, and I would give him a small smile in response, to let him know I was all right.
Even though the nausea had passed, my uneasiness had not, and I ended up falling asleep for most of the ride back.
I had hoped to spend the hours conversing with Drake, but the litany of unexplained feelings had exhausted both my mind and body.
I didn’t wake until I felt him gently shake me. We were pulling into a gas station.
“We’re close. I have to fill up the tank,” he told me. “Do you have a car you need to pick up somewhere?”
I laughed. “I don’t have a car. Once you see the town I live in, you’ll understand why I don’t need one.”
“Good,” he replied. “That’s a relief. I just realized I should have asked that earlier.”
“Yeah, I usually just take the group bus to the mountains, then I go off on my own. It’s easier than driving,” I explained.
I was reminded then that I had not even once thought of all the equipment I’d left back at the campground.
Hopefully that nice family had decided I wasn’t coming back and had a good time taking what they needed from it.
Either that or there was a missing person’s report out there waiting for me.
While Drake pumped the gas, I got out of the car to stretch my legs and came around to the driver’s side.
“It was a lot of fun getting to know you,” I told him shyly. “I know I’ll miss you.”
“Likewise, Rox,” he said and pulled out his phone. “A couple of selfies to remember you by?”
I nodded.
He leaned in close and pulled me to him tightly and took a couple of pictures.
“Any chance you could send those to me?” I asked.
“Last minute attempt to get my number?” he joked and gave me a wink.
“You know me so well,” I replied, grinning. “I could take a few with my own if you prefer.”
He smirked and handed me his phone. I plugged my number in, sending the pictures to myself. My phone pinged upon receipt. It dawned on me that these pictures and the flowers in my duffle bag were the only proof I had of the last few weeks.
We pulled into my apartment complex a few minutes later.
I took my time getting out of the car. Not waiting for Drake, I went to grab my belongings out of the back seat, and the scent of jasmine tickled my nostrils.
Hours later, their scent was still dizzyingly strong.
I pulled the zipper open to peek inside, and there they lay as white and beautiful as the moment they had been picked.
The attendant back at the castle had spoken the truth.
I lightly brushed the delicate petals before I closed the bag back up and slung it over my shoulder.
Drake joined me, and we both stood there, prolonging the good-bye.
“So this is it,” I stated. I couldn’t keep the sadness out of my voice. It felt too final.
“Looks like it, Rox,” he replied. I didn’t want to kid myself, but I was sure I could hear sadness in his voice as well.
Part of me still didn’t want to believe it was all over.
Even though it had been such a short amount of time—and a limited experience at that—I somehow felt like I had left a small piece of myself back at the castle.
My mind drifted to Konstantine, and my breath caught in my throat.
Was it too silly to think that I’d miss him as well?
Was this the root of my newfound anxiety?
I tried to rid myself of such a ridiculous notion but couldn’t, no matter how hard I tried. I turned toward Drake.
“Well, thank you for the ride. I won’t forget you any time soon,” I told him.
He put his arms around me and squeezed me hard. “I won’t be forgetting you either, Rox.” He released me and looked into my eyes.
“One thing,” he said. “Not that I think you would, but Stan had a request that you…”
“Keep you weirdos a secret?” I said, finishing for him. “You got it. As far as I’m concerned, you guys are members of a religious cult that I escaped.”
Drake broke into a long, rolling wave of laughter.
I grinned at him, wishing he didn’t have to go so soon.
“Man, I’m going to miss you more than I thought,” he admitted when he could speak again. “I didn’t think pretty people had a sense of humor.”
“You can always visit me you know, open invitation,” I said hopefully.
He gave me a tight smile and reluctantly headed back around to the other side of his car. “If only, Rox. If only,” he said, sighing as he walked away.
I knew what that meant. He started the engine and held my gaze for a second before he pulled out of the driveway.
I watched his car turn the corner and disappear.
I walked dejectedly back to my apartment, back to my ordinary life, knowing that the feeling of unease would linger inside me for a very, very long time to come.