11 "Zebra"

"A part of the human soul does not awaken until it tastes the love of animals."

*

When Gwen woke me up with a pinch, I startled and looked around. We were the only ones on the plane.

"Oh Elizabeth! I don't understand what kind of sleep you have!"

Gwen quickly got up and started dragging me behind her. The scorching heat we encountered when we got off the plane made me dizzy. As I walked slowly I was wondering how hot Africa could get. We left the airport and took a taxi waiting outside the door. Gwen and I looked at each other for a while when the taxi driver asked us where we were going.

"Well... we don't know exactly where we're going. There's an explorer named Benjamin Bullock around here. Do you know where we can find him?"

"Are you serious? Who does what with Benjo?"

"Benjo?"

"Ha... Yeah, Benjo. The guy you call the explorer is a crazy guy! We all call him Crazy Benjo! The reason everyone knows him is because of his madness... Who normally knows him anyway!"

As I listened to what the taxi driver had to say with surprise, I wished it was just a nightmare. I'm sure Sky wouldn't lie to me. No matter what, I should have seen the man they call Crazy Benjo!

"You take us to him. We decide if he is crazy or not."

"Well... Whatever you want, ladies..."

Gwen and I stuck back as the taxi driver stepped on the gas. While looking angrily at the taxi driver, the taxi driver looked at us in the rearview mirror and laughed.

"Keep calm! It's best to go fast as he lives far away, so you might get a little shaken!"

After saying that, Gwen grabbed my arm and closed her eyes. Looking out the window, I swore I would never step into Africa again.

*

When we came to a desert-like area with sporadic trees and wild animals, the taxi driver stopped and turned to us.

"We came!"

"Does he live here?"

"Yes. You wanted so much, I brought you. Get down, let's see..."

After I gave the money, I quickly got out of the taxi and looked at Gwen. My poor friend was barely standing.

"Maniacs always come across us as well, Gwen..."

"Exactly!" Then she looked around and pointed to the wild animals.

"They don't attack us, do they, Elizabeth?"

"I don't think... They can't be aggressive since he lives here. Anyway, the little house ahead is his! Let's go!"

We started walking fast. When we got to the front of the house, I knocked on the door and waited. The man with glasses, beard and bald, slightly bellied, who opened the door, glared at us.

"Enough! Go find some other fun for yourself, little demons! Get out!"

Gwen and I were almost frozen when the man shouted. I answered quietly when I barely opened my mouth.

"You misunderstood us. We were looking for Benjamin Bullock, is he here?"

"What are you going to do with him? Who are you?"

"I'm Elizabeth. This is my friend Gwen. We need to see him urgently!"

The man looked at my face for a long time, then opened the door wide and pointed inside with his hand.

"Go inside..."

The view we saw when we entered was truly magnificent. There were different handmade tools and phoenix sculptures everywhere! The different colored sculptures were eye-catching. But what caught my attention was more of the fairy statue in the corner than the phoenix statues. I went to the statue and examined it. The statue, exactly the same as mine, was just a different color. I turned around and looked at the man. The gleam in the man's eyes that I could not understand made him look even more mysterious.

"I am Benjamin Bullock. Of course everyone here calls me Crazy Benjo. Anyway... they would never have told me that if they knew what I said was true!"

"So you are Benjamin Bullock. Why would they call you crazy?"

"It's not something to be told standing up, sit down."

Gwen and I sat next to each other in the corner seat, and I stopped him before he started to explain.

"Well... I'm sorry, but I have something to ask before you start talking."

He took a deep breath and calmly looked at me.

"Ask me..."

I took out the statue from the bottom of my bag and held it in my hand. I started talking while Mr. Bullock was looking at me and the statue in surprise.

"I recently found this statue in my room. It emits a very strange smell and suddenly disappears. And I cannot touch it, it burned my hand the last time I touched it. I can easily touch it because it is frozen now, but I am very curious what this thing is. I could not find any logical explanation. You have the same but a different color. Maybe you can give me some answers. "

He smiled at me as I looked at him with anticipation. And he took and held his own statue.

"The name of this statue is Tania's Curse... There are five in the world. All of them are different colors. Mine is red, yours is golden. There are only three left. I don't know the color of all of them. Some of them are said to be seen by no one. It is believed that the person who owns all five of the statue will attain Tania's powers and her curse will be maintained."

"So we're talking about her curse on the phoenix Sky, right?"

"You got as far as Sky told you, Elizabeth!"

"Do you know him?"

"Yes, I do!"

"I understand... So why did it smell around and burn my hand? Did the same happen to you?"

"It didn't happen to me, but maybe the statue understood that you were its enemy!"

"What do you mean?"

"You have the same power as Sky, even his life energy is the same as yours. You complement each other, Elizabeth! So the statue of the fairy cursing Sky will try to hurt you!"

After listening to him silently, I took my head between my hands and rubbed my temples. Mr. Bullock's footsteps echoed around the room. When I looked up, Mr. Bullock was gone. I looked at Gwen. She was looking at me anxiously. I hugged her and just waited. When Mr. Bullock came back I let her go and leaned back.

"So... Elizabeth... you froze the statue?"

"Yes. I froze it."

"So you are starting to use the blue fire! Very good!"

I smiled lightly at Mr. Bullock and looked at my hands. I think it was time to make it all clear.

"Mr. Bullock... Sky sent me here. He asked me to find you. So he thinks you have some information to help me. Do you have anything important to tell me?"

Mr. Bullock shook his head positively and stood up.

"Come outside, girls."

We both stood up and followed Mr. Bullock. Mr. Bullock looked very calm as he went to the zebra standing in front of the door. Gwen squeezed my arm and looked at me in fear.

"Okay Gwen. You wait here."

"Thanks, Elizabeth."

I nodded and went to Mr. Bullock with the zebra.

"I'm sure some things have happened to you lately, Elizabeth. Am I right?"

"Yes, you are extremely right..."

"I'm sure you are wondering who the people chasing after you..."

My body stiffened and I got angry when David, Chris, Tom and Dylan came to my sight. Mr. Bullock was telling at the same time as he continued to look at me.

"Nobody knows, but the Curse of Tania has been told for centuries by people, fairies, and more. They seemed to know that something like this would happen one day... There is a group that is now formed. They are after you. They want to take your power and destroy the phoenix fire. You may have seen some of them, but be sure they are too many and even worse they have fairy blood. They have no wings and mystical looks but can cast magic. They come here and cursed some animals. They are consuming the descendants of wild animals here. Blue fire harms the creatures here. Their purpose is to destroy and take the life energy of the universe and rule the universe with blue fire! But they don't know about some things! For example, they couldn't think that some people in their group might fall in love with their enemies..."

My face was already burning as Mr. Bullock was looking at me with a smile. I was looking at my hands while Mr. Bullock stroked the zebra beside him.

"Don't be ashamed, Elizabeth. Love knows no barriers..."

"They... They're hunting me. How can I be with him?"

"Oh Elizabeth! As Dylan said, you don't know what's going on. He'll be here soon. You are longing, huh? And as he said, he can't hurt you..."

"What?" When I shouted, Mr. Bullock went home, ignoring me.

I looked at the zebra next to me. It looked sick. I felt its coldness when I lightly patted its head. Seriously, the blue fire must have been hurting it. The blue fire was cold and bitter, but I thought that maybe blue fire could give life to the universe, as Sky said. While the zebra's body was heating up, my body was on fire. I have done it. I was able to balance the temperature of the zebra! The voice I heard in my ears as I radiated heat was Sky's voice:

"Don't be afraid of love, Elizabeth. The heart never makes a wrong choice. Because it always feels the right thing..."

No, Sky. Love doesn't always feel the right thing. You're wrong. With a tear running down my eyes, I thought of Dylan. Maybe he wasn't as wrong as I thought. Maybe we could write our destiny. I thought so.

When I thought that Dylan was going to be here, my hand was on my feet. I stroked the Zebra for the last time and rushed home to get angry(!) with Mr. Bullock.