The Jabberwock

A House Is Not A Home

The silence of the galaxy seemed to drown Icuryus in an indescribable way. The way the stars just floated in space like deserted islands gave peace to the never ending existence. She took a deep breath, letting the cold oxygen fill her lungs, as she sat on her makeshift ship. For centuries, the air in the galaxy had been believed to be toxic to all human life, but Icuryus had recently broken that myth. The silence was suddenly disrupted by the grumbling of her stomach. She had only eaten scraps of beef jerky and stale bread crusts she had stolen from her pantry the night she left, and her pockets were now empty. Soon, she would be home, and she would find something to eat. Sighing, she stood up and stretched out her long limbs, noticing all of the battle scars and scratches she had been given from the battle with the Ire and Eci Monsters. Her ribs stuck out like bird cage wires, and she clutched her stomach. Suddenly, a sharp pain shot up her wings, and she winced at their disheveled form. If only she had used Florenzo’s healing fairydust at the right time, she would be in perfect condition. Instead, she had taken it out of its precious little chest too early, and her armor had been blown into shards of metal. The sight of earth suddenly came into view, and it occurred to her that her journey was over. She had accomplished her mission to discover all five islands in the universe. The thought almost made her want to scream and throw up. The only inclinations to return to Earth were to see Jenny, her ten year old sickly sister, diagnosed with cancer years prior, and tell the world of her journeys. Her heart suddenly ached for her sister, although she had promised her that when she returned, they would be the most happy and loving family on Earth, because Icuryus’s dreams and curiosities would finally be fulfilled and the government would recognize her as a hero…at least she hoped they would. Reluctantly, Icuryus climbed up the wooden beam on her ship and started spinning the handle to increase speed towards Earth. The ship’s turbine spun and spun, and suddenly the stars were not so still anymore. Still on the beam, she leaned out, still hanging on with a hand and a leg propped on the side, and the wind blew into her face, making her hair fly out behind her like a hero’s cape. Soon, the wind made her eyes water and she got down. It was not until a few hours later when the giant familiar globe she called home started to look real, and the ozone layer was approaching. Excitedly, she jumped up and started dancing with joy and waving, in hopes that maybe someone she loved would see her, although she knew they could not. As the ozone layer became closer and closer to her eyes, she held on hard to her ship and directed it in the exact way she remembered leaving the atmosphere with solely her wings. Closing her eyes, she jabbed the steering handle forward with all her might, and a rush of burning hot sensations overcame her as she entered Earth’s atmosphere. Breathing a sigh of relief, she sat back down and now realized that she was not in the galaxy anymore. The sky was blue, like normal, and the air was thick, humid, and hot, because of climate change. She blasted her ship ahead and she was just thousands of feet away from being on land, and being in Boston, her home. It was not until that moment when she noticed the destruction on the ground. It appeared that neighborhoods were blackened from fires, which was not all that uncommon, and new establishments were in place. The establishments looked ginormous and white. The smell of smoke filled the air as she approached Earth, which came faster than she imagined. Suddenly, she was flying towards the ground faster than she had ever gone before. The buildings were getting closer and closer and before she knew it, she was just feet away. The landing happened in slow motion. It was like getting the wind knocked out from you ten times in a row. She hit the ground hard and fast, and every bone in her body felt broken, as her ship was shattered into thousands of pieces to the left of her. It felt abnormal to be back on land again and she breathed a sigh of relief and wariness. Looking around, she noticed where she was; she was laying on the sidewalk of an abandoned street, ten blocks away from her house. Her legs hurt more than when she cracked her skull in second grade, but she slowly stood up and groaned at the pain before she started limp-running down the street. She was home. This was it. Her home was just blocks away. Tears were running down her face as she imagined giving her sister a big hug. “Jenny! Jenny, I’m coming! Don’t worry!” Her legs took her faster than she had ever run in her entire life and the tears blurred her eyes, but she didn’t care. She ran, and ran, and ran and— suddenly a massive force knocked her down and she was being shoved, face down into a bramble bush, dirt in her eyes. Screaming and kicking, she managed to say, “What are you doing?! Help me, help me, help–” A hand clasped itself over her mouth and she was helpless. Before she could do anything else to break free, two hands grabbed her waist and turned her over. Stunned, Icuryus stared at the face who had knocked her over, only to recognize her neighbor, Mrs. Wilder. Mrs. Wilder was an elderly woman with three dogs who lived across the street from her. She often went on walks around the neighborhood, but had never hurt so much as a flea. Surprised, Icuryus stuttered and started to speak, before Mrs. Wilder put a hand up to her lips and said, “You listen to me, girl. Everyone is out to get you. You are going to be killed if you are seen anywhere, do you hear me? The government has green-suited men lined up and down our street. Your house is a danger zone. You need to get out of here and you need to get out of here fast.” Icuryus was almost too stunned to blink. Mrs. Wilder desperately went at her again. “Do you hear me?!” Icuryus opened her mouth to speak but nothing came out. All that was flooding her brain was the same repeating thought. Is Jenny okay? Where is she? Finally, she managed to ask her a question, and her voice came out dry and croaky. “Mrs. Wilder, what is going on? Where is my family?” Mrs. Wilder stared at her for a second, compassion and pity filling her eyes, before saying, “Oh honey, I am so sorry.” Blood drained from Icuryus’s face and a cold feeling ran up her spine. “Wha-what do y-you mean you’re s-s-sorry?” Mrs. Wilder tilted her head to the side and hugged Icuryus. Pulling away, she demanded an answer again. “Where is my family?” Mrs. Wilder looked at her feet, then at her hands, and then at the sky before saying, “Oh honey…they’re…they’re dead. They’ve been missing for weeks and we believe that they passed away in a house fire.” Icuryus almost fainted. Time seemed to stop and every sound echoed in her ears. Her mind started spinning and spinning and suddenly she felt like she was choking. Before Mrs. Wilder could help her, Icuryus stood up and started running. The world was spinning and she saw stars, but she kept running, not sure where she was going. Sure enough, Mrs. Wilder called out from behind her, “Stop! You’re going to get yourself killed!” But Icuryus did not care. Without her family, she was nothing. The journey was the reason this was all happening. She should never have left. It was all her fault. She was the reason her family was dead. The tears kept streaming down her face as she ran, and soon, a scar on her lip began to crack open and bleed onto the ground. She served no purpose anymore. She had to do what she had to do; she was going to tell the world of the lies, the tyranny, the oppression…all of it. She was going to tell the world of the islands and the people out there, and they were going to listen to her. The soles of her feet hurt as they beat the pavement, and she soon stumbled into her town. Green-suited men lined the streets and a tall building with big letters printed on the front that read, “CBS” struck her attention. Memories of sitting on the couch in the morning with a steaming cup of coffee watching the news came back to her, as her sister nestled herself in her arms. The thought made Icuryus want to kill herself. She ran towards the building, grabbed the metal handles, and threw open the door. The ground was sleek and shiny, and the place smelled fresh and fake. Her hair was dripping wet with sweat, and cuts were opening themselves all over her body, causing blood to drip down and seep through her clothes. A bald man holding a stack of folders with big headphones over his head stared at her in disbelief as she walked in. The pen he was chewing on dropped to the floor and his glasses slipped down the bridge of his nose a bit. Icuryus stared at him and began to demand, “My name is Icuryus. Yes, I know you know who I am. I need to get on the news right now. I need to get on the news. Please! I need to make a statement!” He made no attempt to respond to this demand until Icuryus took a step towards him. His legs were shaking and he stepped back slightly. “Y-yes, I am very well aware of who you are, and i-i-if you don’t leave right away, I’m going to call the p-police.” His hands were shaking and he fumbled for his phone in his pocket, threatening to tell on her. It may have been an attempt to scare Icuryus, but it only made her madder. She took two steps towards him, and said, “I don’t take permission, so either open those doors or prepare to have me open them myself.” The man looked like he wanted to pass out, so Icuryus wasted no time and pushed past him, into the room in which he came out of. It was big and smelled like freshly printed papers, metal, and coffee. All heads turned in her direction as she stepped in, and immediately, two men wearing black suits with “SECURITY” printed on the sleeves rushed up to her. “Ma’am, this is a staff-only area. I am going to have to ask you to leave.” Ignoring them, Icuryus pushed past all of the staring faces and security guards, and spotted three gigantic, heavy cameras pointed towards a man and woman wearing far too much makeup, located on a stage in the corner of the room. And as she was running through the room, she could have turned back. She could have saved herself. But she did not. She threw herself in front of the cameras, and the cameraman looked at her, too stunned to speak, but did not turn the camera off. This was her moment. This was her moment to tell the world. Staring at the camera, she stuttered. “U-um…” She glanced around, and sure enough, everyone was staring at her with wide eyes. Taking a deep breath, she started to speak. “H-Hello. My name is Icuryus and you know who I am. I am the girl who left Earth and went into the galaxy. Yes, th-that’s right.” Icuryus swallowed and pushed a clump of hair behind her ear. Taking a deep breath, she continued. “The government has been hiding things from us for far too long. They’re all liars and power seeking demons. They want to hold you on this earth. There are other islands out there. There are other beings that mean no harm. They care more about their islands than having absolute power over those who live there.” A commotion suddenly sounded outside and the sounds of police cars screeching the road, followed by gunshots, pierced the air. Icuryus kept going. “And Richard Green–not president Richard Green, because you’re not my president–if you’re watching this right now, you can go to h*ll.” She had done it. She had told the world the truth. Everyone in the room was suddenly screaming as gunshots rang out overhead. The doors flew open and green-suited men were filing in like an army troop. Icuryus did not care whether she lived or died, because she had done it. Her ears were ringing with white noise and the whole room was blurry. Her hair was suddenly grabbed and her feet were kicked out from underneath her. She closed her eyes and let herself enjoy her last moments, for she was Icuryus, and she never feared life. She was going to go join Jenny and her mother and everything would be okay, knowing that she had fulfilled her goal…Her eyes started to go black…and her ears faded away…and everything…everything was going to be…ok. Everything went black. 

3 MONTHS LATER 

The jailcell was cold and empty except for the distant sound of chants. It was growing louder and getting closer. Icuryus’s head panged and the yells echoed throughout her jail cell. Suddenly, the blackened window in the very top corner of her cell made a noise. Heart beating fast, she looked up and noticed a crack running through it. A sense of hope seemed to leap in her chest and it only kept growing and growing. The crack got bigger and bigger, and the slightest bit of daylight crept into her room, casting lightning bolt shaped configurations on her cell bed and the rusty toilet in the corner. Suddenly, the window burst open and a giant crowd was standing outside of her cell. It appeared that they were chanting and holding signs that read “FREE ICURYUS” and “FREEDOM OF SPEECH”. The green-suited men were nowhere to be seen, and before she knew it, people were hammering away at the bars in the window. Icuryus was so stunned, she almost couldn’t move. Squinting towards the light, she managed to get out, “H-hello?” Tears were running down her cheeks and landing in a pile on her dirty feet, as hope filled her chest. She rushed to the corner of her room, grabbing her clothes, and before she could turn around, a familiar voice was calling out her name, amongst the chants. “I-Icuryus? Is that you” It seemed to fade each time, but something inside her knew it. The shirt in her hand dropped to the floor, and the blood rushed to her head. It felt like a thousand needles were pinning at her brain at the same time, because who she had thought was dead for so long was now standing at her window of her jailcell. Her voice caught in her throat, and a croaky cry escaped. She fell to the floor on her knees and began to weep and weep, desperately trying to savor the moment. The air in the room shifted and Icuryus turned around, staring into the eyes of her sweet sister. “Hello Jenny,” she said. Jenny’s beautiful blue eyes stared back at her and said, “Hi Icuryus. We’re getting you out of here… don’t you worry.” 

Gift Of Healing 

Icuryus didn’t mean to land on this island. The storm had weakened her wings from the long flight. Dark clouds were swallowing the sky, and winds were tearing at her wings. The storm pushed her off course even when she fought to stay steady, but every gust dragged her lower and lower until she could barely keep herself in the air, and she had no choice but to descend. She landed on the ground hard, anything but graceful, rolling across the grass before collapsing on the edge of a wide meadow filled with flowers that glowed bright beautiful colors of pastel pink, yellow, and blue. Butterflies flapped their wings through the air, sucking nectar from the flowers, and everything felt calm…a bit too calm. Slowly, Icuryus pushed herself up from the ground. She was tempted to walk into the meadow and frolic like a ten-year-old flower girl at a jolly wedding in the beginning of June. The thought of a child made her think of her sister, Jenny, and her heart sagged a little bit at the thought of her being home alone. Icuryus’s wings ached, and her armor was scratched from the fall. She began to squint her eyes and she realized just how glamorous the scene was. A meadow filled with flowers of every color, shape, and size imaginable filled the field. Bloody red tulips wove around ocean blue daisies, where roses of deep purple and sunny gold blossomed. The flowers were beautiful, far too beautiful, like they were trying to suck you into them, like a bee attracted to pollen. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath, and the faint smell of the flowers flooded her, urging her to go down to the meadow. They smelled sweet, heavy, and intoxicating, making them impossible to ignore. I shouldn’t be here, she thought to herself. I must go forth with my journey… But her body did not listen. She dashed down into the field and let the sun pour over her, warming her skin. Bending down, she gave a cluster of tulips a big whiff. Exhaustion weighed her down, and the meadow wrapped around her like a cozy weighted blanket. Her thoughts blurred, and the world around her softened around the edges. The colors blurred together, melting into one another like paint. She swayed, confused. Her mind was slipping into a hazy dream. A strange sense of calmness spread throughout her entire body, washing away all her fears, her urgency…and her purpose. It wouldn’t hurt to stay here a bit longer, she thought. She fell on the ground. Then, faintly, a voice in the back of her mind pushed through the haze. “No…no!” Her eyes snapped open and she struggled to get back up, stumbling backwards, her chest racing. “No…this isn’t real,” she whispered. Shaking her head, as if to clear her mind of the haze, a fog washed over her mind, pulling her back towards the flowers. Once again, her legs felt heavy. Every step she took felt like she was walking in quick sand. “I have to get out of here,” she thought out loud. Suddenly, just as she felt her vision begin to fade again, a rustle of leaves broke the peaceful silence and her heart started racing. Looking up, a handsome figure dropped from the branches. Alarmed, she quickly got into her battle stance and grabbed a knife from her side belt. “You shouldn’t be here,” a deep voice said quickly. Looking up, she noticed a tall, muscular guy with beautiful, majestic wings and fluffy hair, his muscles rustling in the wind. He looked at her and said, “Don’t breathe it in.” Suddenly, he reached out and grabbed her arm, pulling her away from the meadow. The sudden movement broke her concentration. The haze around Icuryus began to lift, just enough for her to focus. Icuryus blinked, still unsteady, but now, in front of her, she saw the guy more closely. He had green eyes and crisp, tan skin, and now at a closer glance, his hair appeared to be dark brown. “You okay?” he asked, his voice calmer now. “I…I think so,” Icuryus replied, though her heart was racing and it wasn’t entirely from the flowers. “What is this place?” Icuryus asked, glancing up at him. “This place is the Island of Deadly Flowers,” he said, looking down at her. “You were seconds away from never leaving.” Sensing her confusion, he gestured at the meadow and went on. “The flowers here are toxic…you know, that’s why it’s called the island of the deadly flowers.” He chuckled and rubbed a hand behind his neck, clearly uncomfortable. Icuryus replied, “Yeah… I figured it out a little late.” Awkwardly, he shot her a smile, and they both went silent for a few moments before Icuryus decided to break it. “I’m Icuryus,” she said, waiting for his response. “Florenzo,” he responded. Neither of them spoke for a second. “Thank you,” Icuryus said, “For saving my life.” Florenzo shrugged, but there was a hint of warmth in his expression. “Someone had to.” Icuryus stared back up at him again. “I’m serious. Thank you. I wouldn’t have made it out without you.” Then, he looked at her, nodded, and started to tilt his head to the side in confusion. “Um, Icuryus…what island are you from and what are you doing here?” Icuryus shuffled her feet nervously before answering dryly, “Earth.” Taken aback, Florenzo’s eyes widened and he suddenly started stepping back in alarm. Quickly, Icuryus said, “But I’m not like them! I’m different…I have wings.” Icuryus flexed her wings out from behind her and winced at the pain. Florenzo’s gaze softened and he hesitated before pulling something out of his bag. “Well, you don’t look too good. This is healing fairy dust. Use it carefully. This will help you later, and remember; only use it at the right time.” Icuryus took it, her fingers brushing his for a second, before she quickly pulled back. Her face expressed a little bit of embarrassment, but Florenzo didn’t seem to notice. “Why are you helping me?” She, who asked Florenzo, smiled slightly softer this time. “Couldn’t you have helped someone that actually needed it?” Florenzo looked up at her in surprise and Icuryus felt his confidence come warm. “That’s a lot of confidence for someone you just met.” “Not really,” she said. “I didn’t need help at all.” Florenzo looked amused and began, “I mean, you did walk away from those flowers and most people don’t, but one more sniff and you would be an island dweller.” Ignoring his comment, Icuryus looked down at the fairy dust vial in her hand, then looked back at Florenzo. “Well, thank you Florenzo. Do you think I’ll ever be back here someday?” Florenzo paused. “Maybe…If you make it that far.” It wasn’t a promise, but it wasn’t a no. Icuryus nodded. “Then I guess I’ll have to go.” For a moment, neither of them moved, then Icuryus turned to leave, brushing off her wings. Before she could take another step, she heard a roar in the distance. Both Icuryus and Florenzo froze, not moving an inch. Florenzo’s expression changed instantly; the once calm expression was replaced with fear. “No…it’s too close.” Icuryus’s expression thinned and she stared at him, saying, “What was that?” Florenzo, looking panicked, responded with, “A beast of unknown origin. It’s been wandering this island for days, but it’s never been this close to the kingdom.” He started pacing back and forth on the ground. “The kingdom?” Icuryus questioned. Florenzo hesitated, but then nodded. “The kingdom is not far from here. If that thing reaches it–” Another roar was heard, but louder this time, closer than the other roar. Florenzo cursed under his breath. “I have to go.” He then started to flap his wings, lifting him up from the ground, but Icuryus grabbed his hand. “I’m not letting you go alone.” He looked at her before commenting, “You can barely hold yourself together. Please let go of me.” Grinning slightly, Icuryus smirked. “Maybe… But I’m not going to leave here knowing I could’ve helped.” Florenzo took a really good look at her face, trying to study it, trying to decide if she meant it. For a moment, he said nothing, but then gave a small, reluctant nod. “Stay close and do not rush in.” Icuryus jumped for joy before saying, “I just learned that lesson.” Moments later, she launched herself into the air after him. The wind rushed past them as they flew over the trees; the once-peaceful inhabitants were now filled with the sounds of destruction. They finally reached the kingdom, and the monster was already attacking. The monster loomed above the outer walls, its massive body casting shadows across the kingdom, and its jagged wings towered over it, each movement sending shockwaves through the air. “It can fly,” Icuryus said. “I noticed,” Florenzo replied. The monster then turned its attention towards them, its glowing eyes staring straight at them. “I guess we got its attention,” Icuryus stated. “Good,” Florenzo added, “Let’s keep it away from the kingdom.” The monster then flew into the air, and both of them split into different directions. The beast narrowly missed them, the force of its wings sending a blast of wind that almost knocked both of them off balance. Icuryus steadily tried to gain her balance in the air, wincing slightly at the pressure being placed on her wings. “It’s too fast,” she said. Florenzo yelled, “Don’t chase it! Just try to predict it!” Icuryus was now panicking. “That’s easier said than done.” The monster then swung a whole tree towards Florenzo, who somehow dodged in time. Icuryus drove towards the monster, trying to gain its attention. “Over here,” she shouted. The creature turned towards her, then started chasing her. “Okay…that was a bad idea,” she muttered. The monster was now quickly gaining on her. “Icuryus, up!” Florenzo shouted. Icuryus flew upwards at the last second, the beast missing her by an inch, its tail whipping her boot. Florenzo took the opportunity to ram its side. The impact did little to no damage, but it made the monster hesitate. “We can’t overpower it!” she said. “I know!” he replied, “We need to find its weak points!” Florenzo shouted. The monster started to attack again, but more aggressively and less controlled. The monster’s movement grew more wild and sloppy. “Come on,” she whispered, watching intensely. Then she saw it, an opportunity. A cracked section along the beast’s side, glowing faintly each time it moved, found its place right on its side. “There!” she shouted. “Florenzo, drive it higher!” He didn’t question her. He flew straight at the monster, forcing it upward into the open sky. “Now what?” he shouted. “Now we time it,” she responded. The monster roared, preparing to strike them again. “Almost…” Icuryus said, gripping her knife tightly. “Closer…closer…NOW!” She hurled the knife midair at the monster. The blade pierced the crack, releasing a burst of glowing dust that spread across the monster. Everything went still. Then, the cracks flared with light. The Beast let out a sharp, echoing roar as blood poured, destabilizing its form. “It’s weakening!” Florenzo shouted. “Finish it!” Icuryus yelled. Florenzo dove forward, striking at the glowing cracks. Icuryus followed suit, pushing through the pain in her wings to hit the same point. The monster suddenly cried out in pain before collapsing and falling limply to the ground. Icuryus hovered, breathing hard, her wings shaking slightly. Before she could lose her balance, Florenzo was there again, this time steadying her more gently. “I’ve got you,” he said. She looked up at him, a small smile forming, despite everything that had happened. “I’m starting to notice a pattern,” she said. Florenzo looked at her. “Yeah?” Her dimples showed as she looked him in the eyes.“You keep saving me.” He shook his head slightly. “Not this time. That was you.” She hesitated. “We made a pretty good team.” Florenzo smiled softly, real this time. Icuryus couldn’t help but admit it. “Yeah…we do.” Neither of them moved away from each other right away. Later, at the edge of the island, the sky had gone quiet again. “I guess this is it,” Icuryus said. Florenzo nodded, but didn’t look away. “I hope we will meet again,” Icuryus said. Florenzo stepped a little closer, not enough to cross a line, but enough that it felt different. “I hope so,” he said, “Keep going. You’ll survive all of this…I know you will. And on your way out, I give you permission to take some wood with you, from a tree. The trees here are magical. Trust me.” Icuryus smiled. “Thank you. Maybe this is our last time seeing each other.” Florenzo looked at her, smiling. “Maybe it is.” Icuryus then knew she couldn’t hold on a second longer. Rising into the air, she did some spins as her hair blew in the wind. “I guess I’ll see you again,” she called from above. Florenzo nodded. “I’ll be waiting.” Then she flew away, but this time, when she left, she carried something new with her, and it wasn’t just the vile or the wood.