Michelle, this is for you; a teaser from my current writings. I had started this chapter and realised it was going nowhere, so set it aside for a night and then came back to write it. So here it is:
This is Chapter Nineteen of the third book of The Guild Chronicles - I am not sure it will make sense out of context, but hopefully it will inspire you to read the rest of the book when it is finally finished and published.
Chapter Nineteen
My name is Judith Dallamoor and I am 16 years old. I am gifted – I can create things and my Father is going to destroy me.
The opening lines of Judith’s journal sent shivers down my spine. I began typing, pouring the purified Ether into her words. Looking up, to a startled sound; I saw her standing in front of us; a beautiful young woman – her face peaceful and yet filled with pain and sorrow.
“Hello Mother.” She smiled at Marta, who reached for her. “No, you cannot touch me; remember that is one of the rules. I am sorry that I stopped visiting you; but he found out and he had his people watching the Sanctuary. I had to keep Arianna a secret.”
“Judith, is that really you? But, I don’t understand. I buried you, I saw your body. How? I mean, I know that you are not with us now, but you said that you have been visiting Marta – I just don’t understand.” Edward stammered.
“It is okay Father, all will be revealed.”
Edward Dallamoor slipped to the ground, his face ashen. “Father, you called me Father?”
“I have known since the day you came to bring me home to this place, that you were my Father. I wish I had known in life that you were mine. I always loved you, felt that we belonged together, but ‘He’ held us all in his power; we were all helpless.” Judith smiled at Edward.
“Now I must tell you my story. Make yourselves comfortable.” She waited as we all settled down on the ground. I realised that I was not longer typing; Judith had taken over and her power and control had brought her here to us.
“Larron held us all in his power. He did not have the power of creation or control of the Ether, but rather something far more evil. He held the power of destruction and punishment; he recognised what I had within me and his research over the years, allowed him to manipulate and train me. At first I found it so exciting; I made him happy and he showered me with love and attention. I knew that his disappointment that I wasn’t a son could be overcome if I created things for him. I wanted his love and his approval. I wanted him to tell the world that he was proud of me.
He kept me a secret however, I was forbidden to create for anyone but him. And then, it began. The punishment for creating only beauty; I hated being forced to create ugliness, hatred, manipulation. He had me study the stock market sheets and create paths of success for some companies, while creating crash and disaster for others. He gloated over competitors whose lives were destroyed and even shared with me the glee that he felt when his greatest rival, shot himself rather than face ruin.”
Judith shuddered and shimmered, fading in and out of existence with the emotion she was experiencing. We could feel the sorrow and the pain; we too existed within her world.
“Father, sorry Larron, pushed me hard. Some days I would bleed with the pain of it. Using the power of creation for destruction takes its toll. For every action in the Ether you experience the physical reaction. I became anaemic, lost my appetite and stopped sleeping; my dreams when I did fall asleep, were full of condemnation. The visitors from the dead, the damaged – all calling my name, all cursing me, all begging for redemption. I tried to fight him. I stopped creating. He threatened to kill me. I told him it no longer mattered. And then he threatened to kill you Mama. He said I would do his bidding or you would suffer. I had no choice then; I couldn’t let him harm you. I had to leave.
Yes, I used my powers to create an illusion – I created the Judith you buried. Uncle Edward, sorry Father, you were right, you did bury me. But, it wasn’t the real me; it was my illusion. I was however, bound into the illusion, gone from the real world, yet still here. I had not realised that the power of creating a replica of oneself would take part of my soul and bind it to the replica. Judith Dallamoor died that day, she swam out to sea. I floated with her on the waves, peaceful and serene. I floated and waited; we did not sink, we did not swim, we did not die; we just waited. Finally, the tide washed us back to shore and we waited. You found us Father; I watched your grief, I heard your words and I felt your tears wash my face, wash away the salt water of the sea and replace it with the salt water of your wounds. I knew then that you were my Father and that Larron Dallamoor was the imposter, the cruel monster who had control of our lives. You buried me, here under this tree, but you kept me alive with your love. I have sat by your side in the garden, watched you tear out the daisy bushes with your bare hands and watch them bleed as you ripped them to pieces.
Mother, he won. He won when he brought Este to stay. I tried to help her, to warn her, but I was so weakened I couldn’t protect her. My action to save you and to save myself meant that she was sacrificed. He bound her with love and admiration, he used her. He had learnt well from me; his failure. This time he didn’t force her to do anything; instead he isolated her from all who loved her. He became her world.
Justin, he isolated her from you as well. Every action that you performed he highlighted your anger, your envy and used them against her. Yet, while doing so he also isolated you from her. By taking you into his service, he could control you both. And then the only thing left to do was to get rid of your parents. His Destructors created the car crash that killed them both. Larron Dallamoor is evil, nothing but pure evil.”
The sadness and tears overwhelmed me; I leant into the ground and cried; I cried for my missing friend, cried for Judith and for Edward and Marta. I knew that wonderful holiday of Este’s taken all those years ago had been the beginning of her ruin. I was not sure if we could save her, but I knew now what had happened. I knew from the depths of my soul, the manipulation that she had endured and suffered. My isolation at school had been difficult, but hers had been worse, because she had suffered it in joy and reward; false happiness had been created for her. His praise and love, handed out to her in compensation, reward for her success, not given freely and without a price. Este I am so sorry. I cried.
Sarah, don’t cry for me. I am free of him as well now. Judith has freed me. I have listened to her story as well. I remember. I am coming home.
Judith smiled at us all. “Yes, Sarah, she remembers. She has felt and heard your grief and your love. She is on her way home.
There is more that you need to know. There is another; a gifted one – she has named herself Arianna. Be careful of her. She is but a child, and powerful with the richness of song – she can easily be influenced as she is wilful, without the boundaries of mortality. Arianna is my child. Born of the Ether and born of the realm of Creation. I was lonely, isolated half-way between worlds and I sought to create love. I succeeded but the price I paid was to move further away from you all. Mother you were right – we did visit you. No you are not crazy – you never were. You just needed time to deal with your loss and your grief; but it is now time to take up the fight with the others. You can no longer hide. I heard your words last night to Larron, I am so proud of you. Edward needs you Mother, Arianna will need you.
Sarah, you will need to birth Arianna into full creation. Beware! Larron Dallamoor will seek to control her. Without you, she will join the Destructors and her powers will be all that he needs to take over our world. Lucas, you will need to support Sarah. Arianna will love you both; she will be the child of love, if you right the wrongs of the past.
For too long there has been a power imbalance. For too long The Creators have ruled all and decided all. It is time for change. Melissa, you are part of the old; but I sense in you a chance for change. I sense that you can begin anew with these young people. Stand up for equality, stand up for balance. Find the change within and invite the outsiders to join the table. Creation is not only the gift of the writers; creation is the gift of all – the gift of the artist within us all. The gift of our Creator, nurture that gift in each of us and our world will survive. Destroy it with rules and designations of selection and our world will die. The choice is yours.”
Judith had finished, she smiled at us – reached out of the Ether and touched her Mother and Father. They reached up and embraced her; the sun’s fading glow lit them all up in gold and shimmers of Ether. We could see her absorbing their love and returning it a hundred-fold. Then slowly she began to fade, slipping slowly towards the ground. Her grave stone changed from white to red, a single red rose appeared next to her name and the date of her death shifted once more. The date was today. Judith had come home to rest; she was no longer lost. She was at peace.
