This week’s Friday Fiction is hosted at: My Heart’s Dee-Light by Dee Yoder. Stop by to read and share more great fiction!
Author’s Note: I’ve just recently penned this piece for a topic of ‘history’ and feel so in love with these characters, I couldn’t resist expanding the story. Cheers!
“…and so help me, whatever am I going to do with you?” Niswell threw up his hands in dispair. “Morena, you’re a bright girl. You truly are, but this time, you’ve gone too far.”
Morena winced, inwardly crumbling under his disapprove. “I did?”
“Yes.” Pale blue eyes zeroed in on the mischievous apprentice. “You did. A child could have followed those instructions!” Niswell rose from table and paced the length of the kitchen. It was only four steps in each direction, but movement seemed to free his thoughts. He paused in mid-step. “For what you’ve done, the punishment should be equal in emotion and physical trial.”
“It wasn’t that bad!” Morena twisted her fingers together. “Honest! I didn’t know it would turn out like that. I had no idea. N-no one could’ve predicted that it would have…Master, couldn’t we forget it this once? Put behind us, label it history and I promise to never, ever-”
His mouth twitched. “A line with a promise that I have heard one thousand times too many. Still not working, come along, apprentice.” He left, heading for the bookshelf in the corner cove of the sitting room.
Morena scrambled to her feet and hurried after him. “Not working? As in no?” She tip-toed to see over his shoulder at the bookshelf.
“Yes. No.” He frowned. “Sit.” Slender fingers flew up and down the spines of ancient books, until his hand stopped at a burgundy and gold-tinted specimen. “Ah, here we go.”
The eyes rolled again as Moreena slumped onto the sofa. “What’s with the book?”
“It is a physical history record.” Niswell gently set the book on the center table. “And it is very fragile. I do not believe in collecting holographic records, so this is the actual chronicle of Dahze.”
“For real?” Morena breathed. Her tiny face scrunched in concentration as her mind tried to process the reality of what he’d just said.
He nodded solemnly. “Yes. There is something, I wish to show you. A story about a girl. A girl just like you, who had a promising future ahead of her, except she had a knack for getting into trouble. Just like you.”
“Really?” Morena crowded near to see the dusty pages. “Where? For real? Are there pictures? Can I see them? May I? Please?”
Niswell chuckled. “Oh yes. You’ll do much more than that, see here?” He pointed to a golden coat of arms on the top left hand corner. “Feel that.”
A tingle shot through her arms as Morena reverently feathered her fingers across the embellishment. Her eyes closed for a moment and a yawn escaped. “Oh wow…I feel…” She yawned again.
Niswell chuckled softly as the transformation took place. There was a few soft flashes of light before the image of his apprentice appeared on the page. “A lesson in history, apprentice.” He murmured. “Perhaps it can teach you what I cannot. To exit the book, you’ll need to learn something useful. You’re a smart girl, you’ll figure it out.” The book was left open on table, the pages ruffling in the wake of Niswell’s dark cloak.
A sneeze came from the pages followed by a muffled squeak. “Master, you can’t do this!” She wailed plaintively.
“On the contrary.” Niswell’s voice floated back through the room. “I already have. You did this to yourself. Don’t take longer than necessary.”
“Longer?” Her voice quavered.
Niswell sighed. His head reappeared in the doorway. “Yes, Morena. Much longer. You’re in history, remember? It repeats. If you don’t learn your lesson the first time, there’ll be plenty of other chances, however, time over here will still be moving.” His voice softened, serious face allowing a small smile. “Do not worry, if you need me. I will come. Now off with you!”
Copyright 2008. S. Harricharan.