Chapter Six—Flaw In The Plan

 

The land around us changed yet again. We were outside of a different wooded place; a divided path lay ahead of us. A man wearing little more than a bone necklace and grass skirt stood at the fork.

“Is this the guy from our riddle?” Helen raised an eyebrow.

“You may only ask me one question.” The man stated. “To get to England…”

“England, guys! We just need to pick the right path and we’ll be in our next country!” I tried to be optimistic—probably not the smartest move.

“Why not just ask ‘which way to England’?” asked Sesana.

“No!” Guinevere waved her hands. “He might be a cannibal!”

Several of the Listians stepped back from the man, eyeing him suspiciously. Guinevere sighed.

“I meant he might be a liar. Do you guys honestly think His Tightness would leave us here with a cannibal?”

“I wouldn’t put it past him.” Jess said, folding her arms across her chest.

“I assure you, I am no cannibal, nor am I a liar.”

“So let’s do it!” Labyrinthian went right up to the man and simply asked, “Which path leads to England?”

The man pointed to the left; some Listians sighed in relief. Sarah had always chosen right and things didn’t turn out so well afterwards.

Labyrinthian gave a nod to the man. “Thank you.”

And we went forward on the path that would lead us to England, and to our next List members.

Or so that’s what we thought, just before the ground gave way beneath us and we landed hard on a floor, somewhere in the dark.

 

*                      *                      *                      *                      *

 

After the initial shock set in, moments of silence followed. No one moved; breathing ceased.

I had landed on my back and gotten the wind knocked out of me, but as soon as I was able to talk again, I asked, “Is everyone okay?”

A light flickered and slightly illuminated our enclosure. Rock surrounded us, and there was only a single, small hole at the top.

“Why are we in a Oubliette?” Mollie held a lighter—our only way of seeing, albeit dim.

“The tribesman claimed he didn’t lie.” Anony said irritably.

“And he was indeed true to his word.”

Jareth graced us with his presence again. He wasn’t grinning in that omnipotent, mocking way, but instead smiling faintly. Which, of course, didn’t soften the blow. “Both paths lead to England, although the path you chose contained entry to an Oubliette. You failed to ask about that.”

“Jareth, this isn’t funny anymore!” I insisted. “You don’t even realize what could have happened, do you?”

“So you’re not enjoying my game?” The King asked, cocking his head to the side.

“Your little ‘game’ is going to get us killed!”

“Have you no faith in me?” Jareth was fast becoming impatient.

“Not when these close calls are scaring us to death!”

“Guys?” Cheralyn’s voice wavered.

“What?!” The King and I shouted in unison, swinging around furiously.

“My…arm hurts and…I can’t move it. Something’s wrong with it. When I fell…”

Mollie, who, along with the others, had been watching the tennis ball fight going back and forth, pointed her lighter toward Cheralyn’s voice. Even the Goblin King winced as the light shone on her.

Her arm was at an unusual angle, and it made me cringe. I didn’t do well with broken anything. However, I rushed to Cheralyn’s side, wanting to help and knowing full well there was nothing I could do.

“She can’t go on like this.” Stated Lori firmly.

“Cheralyn needs to get to a hospital!” Cybil demanded.

From the place by Cheralyn where I knelt, I glared at Jareth. He still looked shocked and guilty that he’d let such a thing happen—as he should have been!

But before I could say as much, he brushed past the other Listians and over to Cheralyn. In a poised, regal, and fairy tale manner, he lifted her up with a concerned expression, then faced us.

“The rest of you, of course, will have to find your own way out.”

He faded away, carrying a near-tears Cheralyn. Sighing, I hoped she’d be okay.

 

*                      *                      *                      *                      *

 

“Well, it’s official,” declared Mollie. “There’s no way out.”

Our lighter-wielding Listian had gone through the whole Oubliette: the walls, the ceiling, even the ground. Nothing.

We used Beth’s jacket, Starlight’s cloak, and a few other odds and ends, hoping to form a door, but with no luck. We were stuck down here.

“The worst part is, Jareth never mentioned a 13-hour time limit.” FireDstany sighed. “So we’ll still be here tomorrow.”

“Cheralyn won’t, at least.” Rhonda half-smiled.

“His Tightness better have gotten her arm checked out!” Anakerie fumed. “Or he’ll have to answer to me!”

I twisted my necklace in my hand. Already, I had tried to make a door, or something of the like, but my crystal wasn’t reacting. What a time to revoke its power, Jareth, I thought.

“If there were only a bigger hole…” Stephanie mumbled. “I could fly out.” She half-smiled as well; her wings moved a little.

And that’s when my necklace glowed.

A crumbling noise above us was the cue to look up, and lo and behold, the size of the hole had increased!

“But…I was kidding! Or at least half-kidding!” Stephanie protested, standing up quickly.

“Wait, what was it Jareth said before he left?” LitteWren spoke up.

“He told us we’d have to find our own way out.” Replied Rave. “And so far, we’ve done a bang up job.”

“But maybe it’s because we’ve tried to find a way out together.”

“You mean,” Stephanie began, “that because I thought of a way I’d get out, it happened?” LittleWren nodded.

“So all we have to do is think of how we want to leave the Oubliette individually?” Northstar asked.

Michaellah stepped forward and took a deep breath.

“I want to float up to the top in a bubble. A crystal bubble!”

Again, my necklace glowed and almost instantly, Michaellah was inside a large, round bubble. Slowly, up she went.

Stephanie laughed; her wings brought her toward the top, then out.

“I want a stone ladder!” Daisy said. Magically, stone rungs appeared in mid-air, and she started climbing.

“I want to be tossed up in a parachute.” Starlight decided. She turned to the rest of us. “You know, like the ones you used in school when you’re little.”

When such a colorful parachute appeared, Starlight got in, and in a few waves, we got her up.

Mollie volunteered herself—and her lighter—to stay until everyone had gone, so they could see as they left the dim Oubliette. Then, it was down to the two of us.

“Go ahead.” I insisted. “I’ll hold your lighter, and give it back when I join you.”

“Thanks.” Mollie smiled.  After a moment of thought, she said. “I’d like to swim up.”

A tall, wide cylinder encased her, filled with water.

Mollie waved to me, then kicked her feet and swam away. Now, I was the only one left.

Of course, the others had some great ideas, and it would be hard to think of something original. It looked fun when Guinevere rode away on the horse she asked for. (She said it reminded her of Peaches.)

Then, it came to me; I’d never been in a hot-air balloon before!

As if just thinking it were enough, a big, silver balloon with a clear, crystal basket appeared in front of me. A set of white, marble stairs materialized for me to climb up. I grinned, pleased with my imagination.

The moment I was in, I pulled the cord to release fire into the balloon, and away I went. It was a short ride to the top, but fun all the same.

Mollie helped me out of the basket. I gave her the lighter, and we continued on our somewhat merry way.

 

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