Chapter 13

Day Six

There are so many memories in my brain now. I can smell my mother. I see my father. The fight that started this mess. Why? It is hard for me to understand why a garden built for humans can cause so much pain and suffering.

The truth. The ugly hidden truth about the topside and the humans living there. The garden is home to everything needed to end the topside. Somehow in this mess, my mother became the caretaker of evil. When humans failed the garden and were tossed out my mother was the only one left there. No way out.

She has been stranded there with no wings and no children for centuries. In the process, she has lost everything she ever loved. She was left abandoned. The only way out is to open the doors. Two celestial twins must open the doors. Only one twin will survive. A sacrifice must be made for her to leave.

Her vengeance has grown. She no longer cares. She just wants out to kill everything on the topside. Now she has Camilla Dawn. She knows I will come for her. Sunnie, Ryan, and her precious Damnation are right by her side. She wants to sacrifice my children to open the doors. She won’t risk losing Damnation. She will not ask him to open the door for her. I mean nothing to her. The feeling is mutual.

The tea Sam gave me was from the tree of knowledge. I now know more than I ever should know. I know things about my mother I wish I did not. I know Mayhem left me. I know Damnation left me. I know Bowen would not help me out of the void.

I was left all alone. Why should I help them balance the topside? I will do what is right for me and the twins. The rest can figure it out on their own.

I will help Camilla Dawn. She is my only friend. I owe her everything. She has been here and she was there with me in the void. I remember her. I remember everything she has done for me.

She was there when my family left me. She is my family. Mayhem broke my heart and stole my children. Camilla was there. All the flashes of my children. The flashes of him fleeing with them. The memories of her being my comfort. The realization that she helped me escape.

I walk the path to the bar. I push the door open with my light. The bar shakes. The people inside start to run.

“Bowen! Sam! Mayhem!” I scream for them.

Sam is behind the bar. Mayhem and Bowen are seated. They don’t even look my way. “I know what you three did! I know everything! I cannot forgive you!” I scream at them.

Mayhem stands up to starts walking toward me. “Please understand there was no other way. I was coming back to you. I had to hide them!” Mayhem says.

Mayhem stands before me with tears in his eyes. “I feel nothing for you! You betrayed me. You left me. You are just like my brother!” I tell him.

I scan the room. “I don’t want to hurt anyone. So I will not hurt you here. Stay out of my way. The three of you need to leave me alone. I am going to retrieve my children. I am returning to the underworld. Do not try and stop me. I am done with this war. I am done with all three of you. Bowen does not return to the underworld. My father will know what you have done!” I tell them as I turn to walk out.

Mayhem grabs my arm. “Izzy I love you. I never wanted to see you hurt!”

I knock him to the ground with my light. “Next time you touch me, I will kill you!” I say to him.

As I walk out of the frog pen pub I scream, “I am going to collect my children and Camilla. Do not follow me!”

I can hear their thoughts as I leave. I close my eyes to shut them out. As I close my eyes I remember when I was a child in the underworld my father gave me a dog. He was not a hell hound, he was my protector. I open my eyes.

“SARGE!” I scream.

A cloud of smoke rises in front of me and from the ground a German Sheppard starts to climb to the topside. I turn back to look at Bowen one last time.

“Do not do it!” Bowen screams.

It is too late. I have called upon my true protector. Sarge leaps to the topside and takes my side. I am now complete.

I hear Bowen tell Sam I am no longer Izzy. He is right. Izzy is dead. I am only Perdition now.

“Come Sarge we have work to do.”

Sarge and I begin to walk the stone path. I know we cannot walk all the way.

“Where should we go first, Sarge? My children or Camilla Dawn?” I ask him as I rub his big nose. He looks up at me and looks toward the farm. The children can help. They are more powerful than these people know.

“Let’s go, boy!” I know we have a long journey. We need a place to hide. I need to search for my memories. There has to be something in there to help us. Sarge stops. I can still see the pub.

“Sarge, come on. We have to get as far away from the pub as possible before we stop. Tomorrow we will rescue my children.” I lean down and look into his eyes. “What is it?” I keep looking into his eyes.

Sarge gently takes his paw to my head. “KoKo!” I can summon KoKo. He is trapped in the void. He is not dead. He is trapped. We need a cemetery. It is the perfect gateway to the void.

Sarge barks at me and starts running. I follow him. Everyone has lied to me over and over. KoKo is alive. KoKo is trapped in the void. Sarge is the only one who is truthful in my life right now. He will lead the way.

We approach a cemetery. It is old. All the graves are above ground. Some are crumbling. I follow Sarge to the center of the cemetery. The sun is going down.

As the sun beams through the center of an old grave, I look at Sarge “That is it. Right there!” We sit down beside it and wait for the dark. Sarge lies down beside me. I rest my head on him. I missed you, Sarge. I hope he knows. Sarge licks my forehead. He knows. I remember being small and Labith teaching me summoning spells. I hope I can do this right. I do not want to drag anyone else out of there. I think enough people have come out to cause trouble.

I close my eyes and think of Labith. She always tried to teach me how to be my own person. She tried to be a mother to me. She taught me simple spells. She taught me white, black, and neutral spells. She was an amazing teacher. I search my mind for the summoning spell.

“Sarge, I think I can do this.” He opens his big eyes. He looks deep into mine. He knows how to get KoKo.

“I guess you can do this. Can’t you?” I rub his head. It is almost dark. Not too much longer. Bowen knew Sarge could summon Koko that is why he did not want me to call him. I wonder what else they are hiding.