Everything swirled in quick motion. Aflana tottered from dizziness. "Please don't hurt me," she said in her little voice. She held tightly to a stuffed rabbit. Soldiers surrounded her. They wore silk around their faces, gold jewelry along their arms and fingers. They were covered in brown tattoos of runes. The soldiers pointed large curved knives at Aflana. Her pendant glowed a vibrant blue, the light of it filled the room. They stepped back from her. She floated six inches off the ground. The ceiling began crumbling.
Aflana pushed the memory aside. She wasn't sure if it was real or not. But it was one of her oldest memories, dreams, or visions. She felt a strong desire to find the pendant, even as she was burning up and sweating.
*****
Raul waited for an answer from Edmonson. He seemed to have gotten distracted by Doc Sav who was pulling on Ed's cheeks and chin. Raul cleared his throat. "Ahem. Do you understand the severity of the situation, Ed? Can you pretend to be a tourist, for your sake and Aflana's?"
Edmonson winked in agreement. "I'll pretend I ended up here once on a treasure hunt, that's why I'm a little familiar to it."
Doctor Sav tied a string around Edmonson's bicep. He kept pulling on it and then used a geared device to collect data. It looked like a miniature windmill in his hands.
Raul inspected Aflana's pendant. It glowed blue, just like everyone else's but it had a flower etched on it. He slipped it into his pocket. "Ed, one other thing," said Raul.
"Yeah?" Edmonson said as the doctor tightened the string to get a better blood pressure reading.
Raul tugged on his beard. "Stay away from your sister. She won't be any good at keeping a secret. I'll tell her to fall back." He gave a stern look at Edmonson and raised a punishing finger then he limped out with his staff tapping the floor.
Doctor Sav looked up from his clipboard. He said, "Okay, so I think you're perfectly fine. Your health seems to be exactly where it was on our last record. Your friend got more bruised up and was more dehydrated. She has a bad laceration and her temperature is running hot, so we'll keep an eye on her. Rest will be good for the both of you. I'm giving you your exit papers. If anything unusual comes up, you can come back here or one of the inner village clinics. I've prescheduled a 3 month checkup." He handed Edmonson an appointment slip.
Aflana peeked through the bushes and dug in the sand. She left the medical hut and was searching for her pendant. Children came by and were kicking a ball. They noticed Aflana and couldn't help but gawk. They hadn't seen a new person in a really long time. She didn't notice, however, as she was picking up rocks and looking underneath them.
The kids lost interest in her and ran to the beach.
Aflana sat on the ground. She mumbled to herself, "Where is it? It must have slipped out of my pocket."
Nurse Sally had two fans under her arms. She dropped them and ran over to Aflana. She cried, "No, get back to bed! You are too hot. What are you doing out here in the bushes? We've got to cool you down."
Edmonson stepped out of the medical hut and watched the scene unfold.
"I'm perfectly fine," said Aflana as she wiped beads of sweat off her forehead.
"No, m'am you're going to faint," said Nurse Sally as she tucked Aflana under her arm.
Aflana wrestled out of her hold. "I need to find my pendant!"
Sally lifted Aflana over her head and placed her across her shoulders. Sally grunted. "You're a tough… lady, Aflana… but you… need to forget… about… that pendant… and get some… rest." The nurse carried Aflana back to the hut. There was a thud when she dropped her onto the bed.
Edmonson peeked into the hut. The nurse put a fresh, cold washcloth on Aflana's head.
Sally said, "I am ordering you to drink water. Stay right here. And wait until we've given you the clear. I'm not about to let a patient pass out from heat." She rolled up her sleeves.
"I'm fine. I look great!" Aflana said half smiling with a thumb raised up. Sweat was popping up all over her clothes.
Edmonson ducked out of the room. Nurse Sally stormed out to grab the fans.
Edmonson stood outside acting nonchalant, whistling and twiddling his thumbs. Sally looked him up and down. She picked up the fans, went back to the room, and locked the door.
It was muffled, but Edmonson could hear Sally and Aflana in an argument. "Why have you locked me in here? I haven't done anything wrong," complained Aflana.
"Because YOU have no idea what you're getting yourself into, and if you keep pushing it, you're going to get very sick! So I'm making sure you stay right here, even if I have to stay and watch you all day and all night long," said Sally.
Edmonson wasn't sure if Aflana was really this ill or if this was part of a plot to keep her at bay so the people of Clockhaven had time to make adjustments before she started wandering the area and asking questions.
Edmonson slunk away from the beachside medical huts. He watched as the kids kicked around a ball. They waved at him. Tall coconut trees offered shade. Bushes were everywhere and abundant with tropical berries, grapes, and guava. Edmonson strolled up a stone path up a hill. It led to a swinging bridge over a shimmering stream. As he walked along the bridge, memories came to mind. He had crossed the bridge millions of times. The feel of the bridge's ropes made him feel like he was home. It was a nice feeling after being gone for so long. As he approached the other side, he could see the peaks of Clockhaven's tallest buildings: the windmills, the Clocktower, Evice Castle, the Lookout Bell Tower, the Silver Ferris Wheel, and a myriad of treehouses. The smell of fresh bread wafted in the air, frogs croaked, and villagers shouted, laughed, and sang.
At the end of the bridge, there was a fork in the road. Instead of going down the path toward Clockhaven, Edmonson took a left into the woods. The sun's rays danced around the trees, creating a patchwork of light and shadow. The brush had grown thick, but the path was still easy to follow. Many of the trees had palm fruits, one of Edmonson's favorite fruits. Colorful birds danced on the branches. Lizards crawled chaotically around the leaves and sticks.
Along the path, before the woods became too thick, stood three houses: one with dark purple siding, another with orange brick, and the last had hunter green wood paneling with a tin roof.
Edmonson went to the purple house, there was a nameplate that read: The Lencaster Family.
"Someone's been taking care of the place," said Edmonson under his breath. He lifted the chain around his neck and fit the ring into the door, twisted it, and the door sprung open.
The living room had two maroon armchairs and a purple couch aligned with pillows in silver and gold. A coffee table had books, a vase of fake purple flowers, and packs of playing cards.
Hooks along the walls had jackets, coats, and backpacks. There was a giant grandfather clock and several cuckoo clocks, all ticking and chiming away. The wall had vertical stripe wallpaper in maroon and a lighter reddish-purple shade.
In a corner was a globe, an abacus, and stacks of unused candles and candle holders.
Edmonson made his way into the kitchen. The antique black stove was still in one piece. The pots and pans neatly hung on hooks. A large rectangle table had eight chairs, all cut in a straightforward way with precise angles; the set was a light colored wood, almost beige and almost gray. The windows were drawn shut and the glass was thick and opaque. The pantry was a tall chest of drawers with intricate carvings of flowers and gold handles and knobs. Edmonson went over to the sink and poured himself a cup of water.
The house was mostly quiet. He could hear the ticking of clocks, which were placed everywhere in the home. The kitchen walls were burnt orange; it was a gorgeous room in the afternoon when the sunlight poured into the room. There were many shelves with mugs, plates, trays, and utensils. Edmonson had flashes of his mother in the kitchen serving dinner or baking a cake. His father coming home from a hunting or fishing trip, bringing in his catch. His sister spinning around in circles singing.
Edmonson smiled for a moment. He took a sip of water. Then he went back to the living room to make his way to his bedroom.
The mahogany stairs creaked a little as he made his way up. On the second floor, there was a large room where his parents used to sleep. Edmonson had converted it into a sitting room. The other room was his sister's. It was full of stuffed animals and a delirious amount of pink decorations with white furnishing. A table was set near the window for tea and snacks. A small washroom in blue tiles was at the end of the hall with a shower, sink, and toilet.
On the third floor—some would call the attic—was Edmonson's room. It was a large space with a pointed ceiling that met in a triangle. There was a twin bed with an iron frame and a quilt of many colors. The walls were aligned with bookshelves. There was a round table with four chairs and an oil lamp.
On the wall was a portrait of Edmonson's family. His parents… himself at 13 years of age… a baby girl in his mother's hands. Edmonson looked into his father's pale green eyes. He was tall, bearded, and in a suit. His long jet black hair complemented his crooked smile. This was Graham Lencaster.
His mother had long, beautiful brown hair, big brown eyes, and rosy cheeks. Her name was Aleah Lencaster.
Edmonson sat at a desk at the end of the room. He pulled out paper and a quill and ink. The desk was next to a window that looked out into the woods. It was raining, and the droplets made loud pangs as they hit the roof and window. He put ink to paper; a storm of thoughts came to him.