The Lost One's

Rain beat down on the faded windowpane as thunder rolled on the distance. The night was slowly casting its shadow over the little Village on what had already been a very dark day. Emily pulled the drapes closed; there was no need for them to remain open any longer. What little light that crept through the clouds was almost gone. Soon it would be night; the warmth of the bedroom called to her. As she tended to wood fire and the old kettle cooking the evening meal. Even now she could feel the soft warm sheets and plump fluffy pillows. As she dreamed a wet chill swept in as the front door opened and Jonathan her Husband waltzed into the room. “Take off your boots and coat now.” She ordered. “It’s perfectly warm in here, no need to be draggen the rain inside.” He removed his cap and slyly smiled at her “What’s the matter? Don’t like the cold.” He chuckled as Emily made a face at him. “The cold is perfectly fine outdoors thank you.” She rebutted as Johnathan came up behind her; hugging her waist and kissed her cheek. “You know.” He spoke. “I think you’re just grumpy I’ve been gone all day.” Emily looked up at his deep blue eyes. “Maybe.” She teased; slowly pushing him away as to focus on the Fire. “Or maybe I just don’t like betting my new blouse all wet with rain.”

Opening the lid, she stirred the now boiling cabbage stew. A simple meal for a simple couple; despite the dreary day all was well within their little world. Jonathan had a good job as a salesclerk and Emily had worked as a livery maid before marring Jonathan and now resigned herself as a housewife. Her days were awash with cleaning; cooking; and preparing for a baby. She touched her belly as she poured the stew into two bowls; She hadn’t told Johnathan yet and wawas planning on surprising him that evening. Smiling to herself she placed the bowls across for each other at the table. Sitting down they began to eat.

Yet before the first bite reached their mouths a low rumbling was felt; It came softly, first a low rumble that shook the furniture. Johnathan and Emily looked at each other in surprise as it slowed. “What was that.” Emily wisped before the shaking came again. Slowly at first, then the blast came. Like an ancient war horn it tore through the air as it shook the whole house violently. Pots and pans clanged together as the window glass shattered all over the floor. Johnathan stood up grabbing the table to stabilize it with one hand and hooked Emily’s shoulder with the other. She held down the bowls so the Stew wouldn’t paint the celling or floor. The Shaking got harder and harder until what was a rumbling blare now broke into a symphony echoing from each direction outside.

“What’s going on!” Emily Screaked. As she did so the sound came again, Now the melody was clear its tones were so sweet and so triumphantly strong that for a second, they both forgot their panic in its rhythm. It called out with a voice so strong yet so sorrowful before finishing with a magnanimous blast. After it had finished, they both shot out of there trances; confused yet somehow refreshed and energized by the symphony; Racing to the now open window. Emily scanned the horizon outside; the view no longer distorted by the glass they searched the rain for any signs of the sound just then a rumble came again, followed with another blare knocking them both back each other. Johnathan grabbed the window seal as Emily tugged on his shirt, pulling herself up. “There” Johnathan pointed, “Up there at the old Abby!” Emily looked up to see a pulsating light coming directly out of a dilapidated tower. The bell tower of Dimhollow Abby. For years the ruins of the Abby had been abandoned even by vandals and criminals, it had remained empty and all but forgotten 20 years. Now a faint light could be seen from its sanctuary. It pulsated a dim brightness that could barely be seen unless you were looking for it, but it was there.

They both rushed out into the rain barely grabbing their coats on the way. The song came again dancing around from up into the sky and then darting back down into the ancient ruin that had once been the Abby. They followed the sound down the damp cobblestone streets now only lit by streetlight, yet as they ran Emily began to slow; just as they turned the corner Emily paused. Standing beneath the overhang of the local grocers; shielding herself from the rain. “Hey!” Jonathan yelled “What are you doing!” “Where’s everyone else!?” Emily stated. The sound echoed all around as the low rumble got harder the closer, they got to the Ruin, despite this they were the only people outside this night. Dimhollow was a small community. Tightly knit both in people and buildings, yet here they were the only two people out in the pouring rain chasing after the phantom sound. Johnathan looked around his eye catching hold of The Sword and Staff, the village Pub across the street. Despite the late hour the place was packed with about 20 patrons who all seemed oblivious to the goings on. The sound blasted again but the patrons were completely oblivious, Ither ignoring or never hearing the music. Emily was right, No one was out tonight. Either no one knew or no one cared. Turning back to his wife

“I don’t understand” he said “that blast nearly knocked me to my feet. Did they not feel it!?” “I don’t think they know what’s going on?” Emily asked her face now in distress. “Do we know what’s going on??” Johnathan answered. They paused. “No” Emily finally answered. “But something important is happening.” He looked at her husband, her eyes tired and fearful but determined. “I don’t care if anyone else comes. We need to go up there.” He was silent then nodded in agreement. They darted back into the rain and began climb up to the ruin.

The path was so overgrown it was hard to see where you were going. It had always been a dirt road but over the years of abandonment it now felt line a series of dirt puddles climbing up the hill. As if a giant had stepped through the area with very muddy boots. The rain didn’t help either. Emily struggled to keep up with Johnathan, constantly slipping in the mud reaching out her hands to grab at whatever would stabilize her. Johnathan had always moved fast, as a boy he used to run track and field just to get some energy out. Now his job required him to sit at an office desk for hours on end. Despite his age he was bursting with energy. Reaching back and pulled his wife up he blushed as he relied just how fast he had been going. “Stop leaving me!” she cried. Tears or anger beginning to pool in her eyes. “Sorry dear.” He panted. “But we’re almost there” the Abby loomed in front of them as grave marker for an ancient forgotten world. The sound came again softer this time yet seeming to encircle the central building. Panting they made their way into the overgrown courtyard. Now it called them from the main sanctuary a sense of distress easily detectible. Johnathan pushed the doors open and they made their way in.

Broken arches welcomed them into the sanctuary as the sound quietly came now from the far side of the wall before fading slowly into a small and very mossy part of the wall. Scanning this section of wall Johnathan noticed a faint light coming from behind a crack in the brickwork. Pushing against it he tried to force himself through. “Stop it your goanna collapse it on us!” Emily ordered, “Not much left to Collapse.”

Johnathan looked up at the black raining sky though the ruin arches; before returning to the task. Placing his hand on the crack he slowly moved the moss out of the way slowly reviling a hidden bas relief in the stonework. “Hello? What’s this?” the symbol he uncovered appeared to be a feather so lightly indented in the wall you’d never notice it unless you were looking directly at it. “You recognize this?” he brought Emily forward; she squinted at the feather studying it closely before stepping back. “A feather?” she stepped back “do you think it’s. . .” she tailed off. “I don’t know.” He answered. Slowly putting pressure against the relief, he began pushing against the wall.

At first there was nothing then they heard the faint click of a latch and felt the stone slowly give. Pushing their way through until the door slowly slid inward until it was completely open. Staring before them was a long dark stairway descending with light coming from the bottom left. Faint noises could be heard from below as if someone was crying for help but couldn’t find the words. Following the light, they crept down the winding path; the light and cries were coming from behind a sharp corner. Jonathan went first gently pushing Emily behind him. He peered around gasping and stepping back. His face shocked in utter confusion. Emily swallowed before looking in. What she saw would change her life forever.

In front of them appeared a huge cavern. Limestone walls and ceiling bouncing torchlight off each twist and turn in the glossy surface. The bottom of the cavern was a pool of crystal-clear water; the embankment made a shelf for several people to stand comfortably on but now it was completely crowded with children. Every inch contained with them. Some crying, some sleeping, & some awake watching everything that was going on. They all appeared to be between the ages of 3 and 6 but all of them were less than 11 inches tall some as short at 6 inches. On the caves left side near the door were two adult sized figures of a man and a woman slumped over they huddled together shivering, pale white with skin cold to the touch. Emily was frozen in place, not knowing what she should do. Stuck between helping the two figures or tend to the children. Johnathan took one look at the children before deciding the adults need help first. Reaching over he pulled the two figures stand up.

The man stood taller than Emily but shorter than himself. The woman no taller than his wife. They both looked like hell. Their clothing looked like what had been a white dress with a girdled belt decorated with ornate symbols hugged their waists blood covered both of them staining the garment, It was also torn almost shredded in places with blood dripping from the lacerations. Both of then looked battered and fatigued seeming to be getting worse as the moments passed. The man struggled against the wall trying until collapsing over. Johnathan rushed over breaking the man’s fall. His hair was bleached white; and their eyes were weary but still alert. “Sir, can you speak English?” Johnathan asked as he helped the man to his feet. He looked at Johnathan and spoke in a language neither Emily of Johnathan could comprehend. The Woman looked up. Her eyes silver with ocean blue swirling within. “No. I can. A little.” She wisped. “What happened here” Emily asked. “Final push.” She said in a voice trying to come out but failing on each note. “Final push” Johnathan repeated. “Do you mean to tell me these all came from you?” He gestured to the children. She smiled faintly as she shook her head. As she did so the man put his hand on Johnathan’s shoulder and pushed something into his chest. “What’s this” Johnathan took the object wrapped in blue cloth. “Hide this” she again whispered. “They’ll need it when they find their way back.” As she said this the room began to echo as the children who had mostly seemed oblivious now cried out in unison. The Woman looked at the man and spoke to him. The then turned together and sat down; with that she took a small lyre from her robes and here mate took a pan pipe; sitting down they began to play what Emily would describe as the saddest yet most comforting song she ever heard. The music overwhelmed the cavern like a small symphony and all the children who had been crying now calmed down into a deep sleep. Stunned the two stood and watched as the figures continued for hours each note piercing the heart until finally, they trailed off and slumped over.

Placing his hand on their skin Johnathan bowed his head. “Their Dead” he stated. Tears flooded both of their eyes. “What do we do? Should we need to bury them?” “I Think that’s best.” He swallowed and chocked back the tears. Not was not the time to cry. Now he needed to be strong for his wife. Taking the bodies in each hand they slowly moved the two up into the sanctuary. Lying them flat on the earth just outside the room Johnathan looked around for a shovel. As he did so Emily Gaped “look!” the two that had been humanlike before now turned into perfect stone along with their clothing; there arms crossed their chests and their eyes closed. Their skin now looked ages younger. As if age had faded with the wind. Perfect statues. “What were they?” she asked “Do ya think that could be Fairies?” Johnathan said more to himself that to her. “I don’t know.” She trailed off. “What are we goanna do about the kids.” Fear gripped them both as thought of how-to cloth and feed hundreds of tiny mouths; “I better go check on them. Make sure they’re still sleeping” Emily quietly tiptoed back down the passage as Johnathan turned back to the figures. Kneeling he touched the face of the man. The feeling was that of marble. Any sign of life was now gone only replaced with stone. “AAAAHHHHH” a shill came from the cavern, Johnathan raced down the stepped to find his wife. Fear and shock griped her face. “They’re . . . they’re gone!” she stammered. Looking up Johnathan relished what she meant as his own face dried of color. The Cavern was empty. Every one of those hundreds of tiny children were gone. Vanished from the room. Looking back at his wife Johnathan helped his wife up to her feet. She looked at him in disbelief twisting here her head from him to the cavern and back to him. “They’re Gone!” she again stammered. Johnathan looked and realized he had been so focused on his wife he hadn’t even noticed the cave was now completely empty. Stepping back, he almost tripped in his disbelief. Every single one of the children were now gone. What once had been a room full of crying, wriggling, and eventually sleeping children now lay utterly barren. Emily held on to Johnathan’s coat as she lifted herself up. “We need to get the police” she stammered “Send out a search party. They won’t last out in the cold, and we need to help them.” “And what do we tell them?” Johnathan mused to his wife as her face slowly dawned on his meaning. They slumped down and sat there for what seemed to be a long time before turning to leave. Their faces both looking absolutely defeated. As they walked out of the chamber Johnathan’s hand grazed something. He glazed over at it before jumping back. “Whooh” he said. Looking where he stood Emily saw a statue of a baby curled up in a little ball resting on a shelf in the wall. The statue was about 6 inches in length and about 4 inches wide. She reached over and touched it, giving a little jump when she did. it was warm to the touch. Warm and faintly Breathing. Looking at each other a faint smile crossed Emily’s face. Picking up the statue she tucked it within her apron. “What are you planning to do with that!?” Johnathan looked puzzled but Emily gave him a sly smile. “He’ll need a warm bed and loving caretakers when he wakes up you know.” Her face began to brighten. “And I can’t think of anyone better to parent such a dear than we.” A matter-of-fact tone had found lodging in her voice as she spoke. Possibly it had always been there but had temporarily been expelled due to the unforeseen circumstances of the night. Johnathan took a deep breath. Though fatigued from both the day as well as the unusual night, he knew that she was right. They very well may be the best to take care of the lad. After all they alone knew of their unusual origins. “We need to start preparing.” Emily was almost out of the cavern by now. “Like The Weird lady had said. They’ll need us to repair a place for them when they get back” she paused “what did he hand you anyway? Johnathan unraveled the silk like cover. Inside was a horn not unlike the ones Vikings used to carry, it was decorated with golden accents and studded with rubies and sapphires. Upon the face of the Horn was the same feather symbol accented with a star ensign. He held the Horn to the light studying the markings. Around the sides of the Horn were markings of a writing system. They glistened in the firelight. “Can you make it out?” Emily asked. “No” Johnathan replied, “but a have a feeling well know soon enough” Taking his wife be the arm they left the passage with the precious cargo safely tucked away.

The house seemed cold now. The chill of the night pouring in the broken windows. Johnathan boarded them up with whatever he could find before turning to his bedroom. His wife stood in the door. She held the small statue that had earlier been a living boy. Its tiny body still giving off hints of life even now. The put him in a small shoebox lined with a warm blanket. Emily gazed down at him. “I don’t know who you are or when you’ll finally awake. But well, be ready. The grasped her hand with her husbands. They know. They’d be ready.