you?”
“I am when I’m with you.”
“Just… stop… please.”
“Hey, Pooh. Don’t cry again. Come on now. I want to see you smile.”
“Drella… I’ve been going along with this like it was a dream, a splendid sort of preposterous fairytale. But it’s not, is it?”
“…No, it’s not.”
“So… you’re not real, are you?”
“I’m not human, no.”
“We aren’t in this messed-up dream together, are we?”
“No, Pooh. I am a Seeker—”
“Yeah, yeah. And I am a Witness , or whatever.”
“Listen to me, my love. We live in different realms now. Your eyes have been opened, remember? That is how you’re now able to see me. Now, with that being said… I’m glad I was the lucky one to greet you in your new role.”
After a few quiet moments and a few more sips of coffee, my frayed nerves were back under control.
“I’m sorry for acting like such a brat. Forgive me, Drell.”
“There’s nothing to forgive, Ladybug. In truth, I’m amazed you’re taking this as well as you are. Most people, they just completely lose it.”
I snorted. “Yeah, I bet. And I’d be counted among them… if I hadn’t spent the better part of my life reading all there is to know about the unknown … about the Otherworlds.”
“Pooh… why did you never form ties? You walk through this life like you’re the happiest soul who ever lived. At least, that’s what you show people. Yet… you are completely detached.”
“You see me as I truly am, Drella. And… you can also see that I’m fine like this. Okay?”
“Very well, Pooh. We’ll leave those words for another day.”
“Anyway… I’ve been looking at my pendant. Call me crazy, but there’s no little red stone.”
“There is. See? There, above the brown one… next to the bail.”
“Umm… That’s not red, Drell. It’s clear.”
“And that’s why you need this .”
He slid that little wooden box open to reveal a lovely ornate dagger.
“A knife?”
“An Extractor. The last Witness who used this, he preferred a blade.”
“Pfft. Airport security’s just gonna love that. I hope it’s not important. It’ll get confiscated the moment I try to leave jolly old Ireland.”
“The Extractor is a tool you can never be without, Pooh. It is invaluable. And… the only way to make the keys work.”
“But how am I—”
“Just take it. When the Witness accepts the Extractor, the tool will take its proper form.”
“What do you—”
“Just… take it, Pooh.”
I ran my fingertips down the jeweled hilt. It was a truly breathtaking piece of ancient artwork.
“Pick it up. It’s yours now.”
When I carefully lifted the antique artifact, it glowed, faded, and then disappeared altogether.
“Wha… What happened? Did I do something wrong?”
Drella quickly grabbed my hand, turning it palm up before growling under his breath. “It’s in your nail. Dammit.”
“My what ?”
“Your right thumbnail. Look.”
“Seriously? My thumbnail is metal now?”
“Not metal. Well, not any kind of metal that will set off alarms. It’s called Prisalyn. Just make sure you keep them painted and no one will notice.”
“Well, that won’t be a problem. I’m never too far away from some rockin’ awesome nail polish. Got a super sparkly one in my bag as we speak.” I chuckled. “Hey… Drell? What’s with the scowl? This is great, no? I was worried about keeping up with it. This way, I’ll only lose it if I lose a finger.”
“I’m not scowling.”
“Yeah, you are, Babe. Stop it. Your brow gets all wrinkly when you do that. It scares me. Makes me think you’re about to get into a fight.”
He ignored me.
“…Drell?”
“Let me see the pendant,” he grumbled, snatching it.
“Hang on. Don’t get the chain caught in my hair. Jeez, Drell. Calm down.”
He continued to ignore me as he laid the green stone we had taken from St. Anthony’s, just below the brown one I had found whilst studying in Jordan. I watched as
“I am when I’m with you.”
“Just… stop… please.”
“Hey, Pooh. Don’t cry again. Come on now. I want to see you smile.”
“Drella… I’ve been going along with this like it was a dream, a splendid sort of preposterous fairytale. But it’s not, is it?”
“…No, it’s not.”
“So… you’re not real, are you?”
“I’m not human, no.”
“We aren’t in this messed-up dream together, are we?”
“No, Pooh. I am a Seeker—”
“Yeah, yeah. And I am a Witness , or whatever.”
“Listen to me, my love. We live in different realms now. Your eyes have been opened, remember? That is how you’re now able to see me. Now, with that being said… I’m glad I was the lucky one to greet you in your new role.”
After a few quiet moments and a few more sips of coffee, my frayed nerves were back under control.
“I’m sorry for acting like such a brat. Forgive me, Drell.”
“There’s nothing to forgive, Ladybug. In truth, I’m amazed you’re taking this as well as you are. Most people, they just completely lose it.”
I snorted. “Yeah, I bet. And I’d be counted among them… if I hadn’t spent the better part of my life reading all there is to know about the unknown … about the Otherworlds.”
“Pooh… why did you never form ties? You walk through this life like you’re the happiest soul who ever lived. At least, that’s what you show people. Yet… you are completely detached.”
“You see me as I truly am, Drella. And… you can also see that I’m fine like this. Okay?”
“Very well, Pooh. We’ll leave those words for another day.”
“Anyway… I’ve been looking at my pendant. Call me crazy, but there’s no little red stone.”
“There is. See? There, above the brown one… next to the bail.”
“Umm… That’s not red, Drell. It’s clear.”
“And that’s why you need this .”
He slid that little wooden box open to reveal a lovely ornate dagger.
“A knife?”
“An Extractor. The last Witness who used this, he preferred a blade.”
“Pfft. Airport security’s just gonna love that. I hope it’s not important. It’ll get confiscated the moment I try to leave jolly old Ireland.”
“The Extractor is a tool you can never be without, Pooh. It is invaluable. And… the only way to make the keys work.”
“But how am I—”
“Just take it. When the Witness accepts the Extractor, the tool will take its proper form.”
“What do you—”
“Just… take it, Pooh.”
I ran my fingertips down the jeweled hilt. It was a truly breathtaking piece of ancient artwork.
“Pick it up. It’s yours now.”
When I carefully lifted the antique artifact, it glowed, faded, and then disappeared altogether.
“Wha… What happened? Did I do something wrong?”
Drella quickly grabbed my hand, turning it palm up before growling under his breath. “It’s in your nail. Dammit.”
“My what ?”
“Your right thumbnail. Look.”
“Seriously? My thumbnail is metal now?”
“Not metal. Well, not any kind of metal that will set off alarms. It’s called Prisalyn. Just make sure you keep them painted and no one will notice.”
“Well, that won’t be a problem. I’m never too far away from some rockin’ awesome nail polish. Got a super sparkly one in my bag as we speak.” I chuckled. “Hey… Drell? What’s with the scowl? This is great, no? I was worried about keeping up with it. This way, I’ll only lose it if I lose a finger.”
“I’m not scowling.”
“Yeah, you are, Babe. Stop it. Your brow gets all wrinkly when you do that. It scares me. Makes me think you’re about to get into a fight.”
He ignored me.
“…Drell?”
“Let me see the pendant,” he grumbled, snatching it.
“Hang on. Don’t get the chain caught in my hair. Jeez, Drell. Calm down.”
He continued to ignore me as he laid the green stone we had taken from St. Anthony’s, just below the brown one I had found whilst studying in Jordan. I watched as
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