Stealing Eternity

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Stealing Eternity

6 min readJan 22, 2015

Chapter Sixty-Two

Saidi’s Part:

Yeah, and whose hand do you think is responsible for this? I’ll have you know that took every ounce of energy to appear, and write with black gooey stuff, and then for only one pair of eyes. I made a lot of efforts, and I wish others could have seen my high materialization technique.

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Security started investigating the issue and studied and restudied the message on the glass to try to unravel its meaning. They took pictures minutes after in case the moisture ruined the evidence as the letters started to bleed into a marbled effect against the aquarium backdrop.

The king’s counselors and even fortune-tellers called to figure out the meaning, but the logic didn’t read right with the king. The queen, notably upset that nobody knew what it meant, “stupid people,” she said, “somebody has to know what this means. It saddened the king and the prince to see her in such a state.

“Gram can help,” Olin said. “She probably gets this kind of thing a lot.”

“He’s right,” the king said, “Except she didn’t show up earlier when I called for her to help with your mother,” the king said, “But maybe her Infinīte powers can assist with this problem.”

The queen agreed with his suggestion. “You like Gram don’t you? To some extent she even threatens your primary counselor, if not me,” she laughed. “But I think we should utilize her services in every way possible before we set all the Infinītes free,” she said.

Just then, the idea of hope hit in her solar plexus. She looked at the bazaar clashing of her husband and son, but she looked carefully now at her son. He made pretty good sense tonight. Together they constituted a great idea. She felt she could restrain herself from Gram’s Infinīte aroma since she had a feeding just two days prior. So if Gram could, she should interpret the message. Perhaps she’s good for something other than occasional back rubs.” Bring Gram here right away. She said.

The king started shouting orders for security to find Gram. Olin wanted to help and thought he knew her a little better than the security guards, and said, “I’ll find her.”

“Good, go!” the king said, but he sent some backup to search other places just in case.

Olin took off instantly in pursuit. He had a hunch he knew her whereabouts. A place he’d notice her going at different times. He headed for the library with the soothing indoor pond and fountain that he liked to listen to as it gurgled. He turned the corner and heard voices that quickly quieted as he approached. He flung the door open, “surprise,” he said.

Shenser, Gram, and Cat all stood up from the couch and chair; their mouths opened in surprise. “Gotcha,” the prince said.

“Shhhhh,” Gram said to Olin, “others might hear you and want to join our private party,” she said as if playing a game with a child.

“I won’t speak a word of this to anyone, I promise. I tend to think of myself as a secret keeper.” Olin said.

“Can I help you Olin?” Gram asked him, “or did you just want to surprise us?” “My mom and dad need you. Mother saw a big hand writing a message on the aquarium, and we think you can calm her down,” he said.

“Is the Queen okay?” Cat asked. “I told her I’d return with Shenser, but I ran into Gram. Oops?” she said.

Olin looked at Gram and then looked at Cat. “Um, you probably get this a lot, but are you two sisters?” he asked.

“No, we’re not sisters,” Gram said, “just from the same country.” she lied.

“I didn’t think so,” Olin said, just kidding.”

She added, “And people from the same country like to become friends. She gave Cat another hug. “It’s a small world?” she said.

“I wish I had someone to hug,” Olin said. “Since you look alike I’m going to pretend that you’re sisters. I had a sister once, she’s dead, but if she weren’t I’d hug her,” he said sadly.

“Oh shit,” Shenser said, “we have to go.”

“Oh shoots,” Olin said. “Yeah, they need Gram right away.”

“Should I go too?” Cat asked.

“No,” Shenser said, “they already kicked us out and told us to leave the castle.”

Gram looked at Olin and said, “We’re trying to keep this country meeting a secret so could you not mention it?” her eyes pleading.

“I’m not supposed to keep things from my mother,” Olin said, “but okay.”

“Thank you,” she said.

“I’ll even let you out the front door, so you don’t have to stay in the library all night,” Olin said to Cat and Shenser.

Moments later Olin delivered Gram to the king and queen, exhausted from his fun little adventure.

“So, any clue about this writing?” the king asked her. “Any insight into its meaning?”

With just one look, she said, “Death for the flesh of innocent people,” she offered with no apology.

As the king and prince heard this translation to the riddle they wondered who died. So the confusion remained, and the king asked her, “Who wrote the message?”

She considered the question and hesitated knowing what the answer would provoke. Finally, she said, “A guardian from another realm wrote the words.”

“Oh, Cool,” Olin said.

“Don’t give me that,” the Queen said, flashing a mean eye at Olin. “For all I know, it’s a magic trick written by someone at the party, a ploy to get more negative press.” With that, she turned to the king, “Did the press find out about this?”

“The security guards contained everyone including the media to the other rooms and then sent them home. They kept an eye on all photo’s taken as well,” he reassured.

Prince Olin felt he had to say something. “Even an obvious question to everyone except him, “why did the hand write this gibberish in the first place?” he asked.

“That’s an excellent question,” the king said and then asked Gram, “does the message have a purpose?” he asked.

This time Gram didn’t know how to deliver this news, knowing the full meaning. Great, he’s going to love this. Why does he even think I can interpret such things?

The king cleared his throat, reminding Gram that she stood before a king. “Do you know the answer?” he asked again.

“I do sir,” she said. “But it’s not pleasant.”

“Just spit it out,” the queen demanded. “If you know just tell us, and we’ll judge your hunch,” she spat.

Gram said, “The text indicates a divided Kingdom and foreseen death. This death will boomerang back onto the sender.” She breathed.

Olin gulped in the air, “Oh know,” he said, hands over his mouth. He started hiccupping.

“Oh, shut up,” the queen said. “This prankster wants us to have this kind of reaction,” she said.

When Gram told the king and prince the interpretation, it caused more questions. The same fear as the initial terror struck the same vein. The queen remained bitter in her stubbornness. But she kept that fear to herself and feigned innocently even around the prince who also kept their secret from the king. Without wanting the king to suspect that she had anything to do with the death of innocent people, she thanked Gram for trying.