reached out, and as his fingertips brushed against the heel, poof , it was gone, scooped up by Nakal. Aaron scrambled to his feet just in time to see Nakal toss the shoe to one of the band mates, who was then escorted off the stage along with the singer.
“Now what?” Aaron mumbled to himself. “Of all the shoes they could’ve picked for me to grab, it had to be one that belonged to one of the most popular performers of all time. He slumped into one of the chairs and watched the crowds slowly exit the arena.
Aaron looked up just as Nakal approached.
Nakal laughed.
“What are you so happy about? You’ve not won yet,” Aaron said.
“Oh, but I will.” Nakal crossed his arms and leaned back on his heels. “And this victory will be oh, so sweet.”
Aaron rose to his feet and looked Nakal directly in his eyes. “Why did you pull me into this stupid game? Why did you pick me?”
“Easy,” Nakal replied. “I liked your family.”
“But you never knew my family until after you came to the house.”
Nakal shook his head. “That’s not true. I have been watching you and your family for a year.”
“What?” Aaron yelled. “So, the whole story about your family driving here from New Mexico was a lie?” His throat suddenly felt dry. “Where are you really from?”
Nakal looked up at the sky. “Somewhere up there, but that’s not important right now.” Amber sparks swirled around in his eyes.
Aaron sprang to his feet and grabbed Nakal by his arm. “Turn around and talk to me. Why have you been watching my family, you creep?”
Nakal pushed him away. “Aren’t you curious what I will gain if I win?” An evil grin spread across his face.
Aaron swallowed as he tried to control his trembling mouth. “What will you win?”
“Your family.”
“And what will happen to me?” Aaron asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
“The nothingness.” Amber sparks once again swirled around Nakal’s pupils as he turned and walked away.
Chapter 7
Aaron watched Nakal until he seemingly disappeared into thin air. A flicker of light caught his attention. Directly in front of him a board appeared. On it, were his name and Nakal’s. A checkmark appeared under Nakal’s name. Nakal—1 Aaron—0. The board disappeared.
As Aaron slowly left the arena and headed back to the library, he tried to wrap his head around Nakal’s words. How could he just make me disappear, and how does he think he can just take my place? My parents would never go for that.
He made his way around to the side of the library, retracing his steps to the opening in the wall. When he got there, the wall was sealed shut. Aaron headed to the front of the library, but he noticed the truck and walked over to it. The truck was once again beat-up and rusted. He glanced around, and just as a scroll unfolds, the landscape and the people returned to the modern time. He headed back into the library, hoping to find the librarian who had helped him with the first clue.
“Hello there,” a voice yelled from off in the distance.
Aaron turned and saw the shop owner he and Parker had spoken to earlier that day. He jogged over to him.
“ Row, row, row your boat, gently down the stream ,” the shop owner sang. “ Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily, Life is but a dream …”
“Say, uh … ” The shopkeeper leaned in and whispered, “Did you ever find that old man you were looking for?”
Aaron’s face crumpled, and eeriness surrounded him. “You mean the old man you swore was never there?”
The shopkeeper wiped his face with his hand and looked puzzled. “What do you mean? I told you which direction he went in.”
“No, you didn’t,” replied Aaron, slowly backing away from the man.
The shopkeeper moved toward him, smiled, and continued singing. “ Row, row, row your boat, gently down the stream ,” he sang. “ Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily, Life is but a dream …” He continued as he turned away. “ Row, row, row
“Now what?” Aaron mumbled to himself. “Of all the shoes they could’ve picked for me to grab, it had to be one that belonged to one of the most popular performers of all time. He slumped into one of the chairs and watched the crowds slowly exit the arena.
Aaron looked up just as Nakal approached.
Nakal laughed.
“What are you so happy about? You’ve not won yet,” Aaron said.
“Oh, but I will.” Nakal crossed his arms and leaned back on his heels. “And this victory will be oh, so sweet.”
Aaron rose to his feet and looked Nakal directly in his eyes. “Why did you pull me into this stupid game? Why did you pick me?”
“Easy,” Nakal replied. “I liked your family.”
“But you never knew my family until after you came to the house.”
Nakal shook his head. “That’s not true. I have been watching you and your family for a year.”
“What?” Aaron yelled. “So, the whole story about your family driving here from New Mexico was a lie?” His throat suddenly felt dry. “Where are you really from?”
Nakal looked up at the sky. “Somewhere up there, but that’s not important right now.” Amber sparks swirled around in his eyes.
Aaron sprang to his feet and grabbed Nakal by his arm. “Turn around and talk to me. Why have you been watching my family, you creep?”
Nakal pushed him away. “Aren’t you curious what I will gain if I win?” An evil grin spread across his face.
Aaron swallowed as he tried to control his trembling mouth. “What will you win?”
“Your family.”
“And what will happen to me?” Aaron asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
“The nothingness.” Amber sparks once again swirled around Nakal’s pupils as he turned and walked away.
Chapter 7
Aaron watched Nakal until he seemingly disappeared into thin air. A flicker of light caught his attention. Directly in front of him a board appeared. On it, were his name and Nakal’s. A checkmark appeared under Nakal’s name. Nakal—1 Aaron—0. The board disappeared.
As Aaron slowly left the arena and headed back to the library, he tried to wrap his head around Nakal’s words. How could he just make me disappear, and how does he think he can just take my place? My parents would never go for that.
He made his way around to the side of the library, retracing his steps to the opening in the wall. When he got there, the wall was sealed shut. Aaron headed to the front of the library, but he noticed the truck and walked over to it. The truck was once again beat-up and rusted. He glanced around, and just as a scroll unfolds, the landscape and the people returned to the modern time. He headed back into the library, hoping to find the librarian who had helped him with the first clue.
“Hello there,” a voice yelled from off in the distance.
Aaron turned and saw the shop owner he and Parker had spoken to earlier that day. He jogged over to him.
“ Row, row, row your boat, gently down the stream ,” the shop owner sang. “ Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily, Life is but a dream …”
“Say, uh … ” The shopkeeper leaned in and whispered, “Did you ever find that old man you were looking for?”
Aaron’s face crumpled, and eeriness surrounded him. “You mean the old man you swore was never there?”
The shopkeeper wiped his face with his hand and looked puzzled. “What do you mean? I told you which direction he went in.”
“No, you didn’t,” replied Aaron, slowly backing away from the man.
The shopkeeper moved toward him, smiled, and continued singing. “ Row, row, row your boat, gently down the stream ,” he sang. “ Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily, Life is but a dream …” He continued as he turned away. “ Row, row, row
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