Beyond the doorway there’s a hallway litwith the same kind of artificial light the chandelier above the bedemits. I am worried about what or who roams beyond the threshold,but my stomach is pained by hunger. I have never had such desire toeat in my life.
Cl’auta can you hear me? I cry,reaching out to her from deep within.
Still, I cannot feel her presence or hearher voice. I sense that there is a deliberate barrier set up toblock me from reaching her.
Motivated by my hunger I poke my head outinto the hollow hallway and call out, “Oh ek’k’ka!” Greetings myfriend.
I stand still, waiting for a response. Icannot believe I called a Selell my friend. If he is not of thePact of Gogulon, then he is not a friend—he is a foe. Only silencereturns my call. However, the cold that pains me is now soothed bya warm mist that trickles down from above. I take a sigh of relief.This is the first inviting sensation I’ve felt since arriving tothis place called Earth. And because of it, I easily step out ofthe confines of this room and into the hallway.
I reach a staircase and test my buoyancy byleaping over the banister. My feet hit ground. I look up at where Ilast stood. Strange; my speed is hindered in this realm.
A fruity scent permeates this room with theregal, red velvet furnishings. I take a sniff and the smell leadsme past another threshold, down another short hallway, into a placeI recognize as a kitchen.
I immediately see the baskets of fruitCe’lah’ime and I gathered for The Tilt on the counter. I rush overand swipe a ci’ke off the top and bite into the sweet flesh of thepurple fruit like my life depends on it. I’m chewing and biting,finishing one fruit and then another. My stomach is full by thefourth ci’ke and the pain in my head goes away and my body is onceagain energized.
Ad’ru, in here… A voice I once heardwhispers between my ears.
After the initial jolt of fear passes, Ireach out to touch the world around me. Another life force is near,although the energy confuses me. I gaze in the direction from whichit calls. The i’lek’u is ignited within me as I tiptoe in thedirection of his voice.
There is another hallway. It’s shorter and acold draft from the outside is trapped within its walls.
The way out is near, which is confirmed whenI reach a tall and wide rustic wooden door. If there’s ever a timeto escape and find my way back home, it is now. I grab the doorknoband squeeze it tightly, but suddenly I’m consumed by terror. It’snighttime on Earth. Selells thrive in the darkness. Also, the airis cold outside and I can barely tolerate it. Yet I feel that mychances for connecting with my sisters are greatly diminished fromwithin the confines of this place. All will be well once I reachCl’auta, who will then use the power of the mind to lead me to TheHouse of Benel where I will be safe.
I decide to leave, to run away from thiscreepy manor as fast as my body will carry me. But when I try totwist the doorknob, nothing happens.
I try it again—nothing.
Suddenly it dawns on me that I might belocked inside of here. So I kick the door with my bare feet andpound upon it with the palm of my hand. All I can hear is my ownbanging and knocking—my efforts are feverish but futile. It’s alosing battle, but I won’t stop, can’t stop. Until…
“Ad’ru,” the male’s voice calmly says frombehind me.
Frightened, I twist around and push my backtightly against the door. My heart is knocking against my chest sohard that even as I stand here with my eyes glued to this ominouscreature I can feel the vibration in my throat.
It’s him, the creature with long white hairand black eyes. The Selell.
“Who are you?” I wheeze.
I wait for him to answer but he doesn’t saya word. Instead, he continues to stare at me with such intensitythat my insides tickle and my head goes light so that it feels likeit’s floating above my shoulders. I am sorely confused, unable tofigure out why gazing upon him makes me feel this way. A part of mestill wants to escape and find my sisters, but I want to stay too,only to be near him.
He can’t stop watching me with furrowedbrows. He looks conflicted. So I toss the i’lek’u out of the palmof my hand to subdue him.
“No!” he roars, aiming his own palm atme.
I gasp. The light slams into his hand andreturns to me.
“How did you do that,” I saybreathlessly.
Still, he refuses to speak. There’s nodifference in his expression. What an odd creature, this Selell. Ican’t take my eyes off the sweater he’s wearing. It’s a human’sgarment and I’ve never seen anything look so attractive on acreature. It’s black. His skin and hair are white. And the way theneckline dips into a V-shape makes the contrast between his skinand the garment more remarkable. I want to touch this being who’shaving a peculiar affect on me, but I can’t because he is evil. Iknow this because he refused the light.
“Did you call my name?” I ask, even thoughhe hasn’t answered anything I’ve asked him so far.
“I did,” He mutters.
It’s remarkable; he hasn’t relaxed the frownon his face as of yet.
“Did you deceive me in the Forest ofNaught?”
I notice that he flinches and lifts one sideof his mouth into a tiny bit of a smile.
“No,” he says in a lackluster tone.
I don’t believe him.
“You called me Ad’ru? That is my Enuianname.” I push myself closer against the door and ready my palmsjust in case a battle ensues. This time he will not be able tothwart my
