Chapter Twelve: The Provence City Of Elyria.

Saying I am shocked by this situation is only an understatement. I'm unsure how to act seeing Koda and Lynn together making my body stiffer than the trees surrounding us. To run into Jane here was just a coincidence, a happy accident, but now discovering Koda and Lynn is something completely different. I'm almost convinced that this was staged, as if they knew we would be here, as if they knew each other personally. I mean, they were just clinging to each other like they'd known one another.

Jane suddenly steps back from her brother who is peering around watching the foreground like something is going to come for us. I almost look back behind me until my sister speaks, "Koda, how could this have happened? How could you leave Ellie behind? How did you find this girl?" She gestures to Lynn who is still hugging Estelle.

He doesn't stutter one bit, "Jane it was too late for me to save her!"

I'm completely uncomfortable standing out here in the dark, my eyes now refuse to look at any of my accomplices. I breathe in the crisp air admiring the beauty of nature yet afraid of what could be out here. My only assurance that there's no trace of Hunters nearby is how silent the forest is.

"We were already stepping onto the platform when the man pulled her from me. They were gone when I had come back up and there was no way I could chase them if I tried."

My eyes fall to the ground below me, only to find a crumbled stone platform a few feet away. My stomach becomes queasy again, knowing the last time I was here the men took me. The time before that I almost died. I attempt at swallowing the lump in my throat but am very unsuccessful.

Koda adds, "I came out here in search for Ellie during day when it was safer, but I found Lynn here instead."

I blink up from the ground at everyone staring at Koda, while Jane demands, "Come on, we've got to go." She sounds angry but not necessarily furious anymore.

My throat closes up for a brief moment as Koda and Jane assist the rest of us towards the platform. I am tense and from what I can see, everyone else is too. All I can think of is the sensation of drowning while my mind goes through pictures of what I imagine Elyria to be like. It could be refreshing to walk through its streets, to be in a world that's safe from Hunters, and to have freedom for once in my life.

Within a millisecond my mind goes blank as I feel Jane's warm hand grab my wrist and pull me onto the platform. I try fighting it but it's too late, my feet feel like they're covered in hardened concrete already. I can not move a muscle. It takes only a second engulfing my legs into the ground as I hear Estelle and Lynn suffering from their fears.

Being sucked into the Earth is an experience all on it's own. I thought the second time would be simpler than the first but this time it is more terrifying. When I'm fully submerged I've got no true feeling in any part of my body until then out of no where I'm standing with Jane's hand still gripped around my wrist.

It takes me a second to be able to regain myself and when I do I open my eyes to the pitch black cave. My ears pick up on Estelle and Lynn muttering about what just happened. While Koda tells them this is normal, but Lynn doesn't take his word, "What is the matter with all of you? This is insane."

The musty scent and wet atmosphere remind me how frightening it was when I was last here alone. The unpleasant horror deep inside my soul diminishes knowing that Jane is with me in this frightening cave. One thing that still gets to me is that presence that washes over me. It's like a powerful spirit of some kind is watching, which is true. The thought makes chills go up my body at how unbelievable it all still seems.

Jane clears her throat, "We are now in the gate," She announces to the others whom I almost forgot were with us because my mind keeps wandering. "It will take a minute or two for the portal to show its physical self."

"What just happened to us?" Lynn murmers.

Everyone else stays silent, and I can hear Lynn's heavy breathing from besides me. Should she be allowed to come through with us? After all, I have no clue if she is one of us or not. What would happen if she was just human?

Suddenly a flash of purple shines before my eyes and I look over to find a mirror like swirling abiss appearing out of thin air. Beside me Lynn gasps in awe and utter shock. It's surface glitters with purple sparkles as if silently luring me to touch it. There is no logical explanation to prove how this whole situation is occurring but here I am standing infrount of a portal to another dimension. This whole time that I've known, my mind was telling me it couldn't possibly be real but again here my eyes see the impossible.

Without thinking I pace forward right into the unearthly portal with Jane beside me as well as the others. Everything inside of me calms instantly and before I know it my eyes are opening to a whole different room in front of me. I sigh of relief, yet my heartbeat is pounding so loud I hear it in my head.

"I never thought this day would come." Estelle whispers. I look over at her as she clutches her mouth with her hands as her eyes begin to tear up.

Lynn spits, "No way, no way!"

The experience of walking through felt like almost nothing at all, just stepping through a doorway into another room. My existence suddenly feels whole again, like a missing piece of myself has returned. Almost instantly my ears pick up on conversations close by, the tapping of a foot in another room, smoothe breathing of a person, or is it a person at all? It sounds as if we have just entered a busy street, yet I don't see one. Am I sure? It is early morning right, no one should be out this early.

"Take a breath." Koda says to Lynn.

Then, it takes a second to finally click in and my brain goes into an exciting panic. This is impossible! Mindblowing. Unthinkable. Impractical. What has happened? My big eyes blink around the room, completely ignoring who stands next to me, and instead catching blurred glimpses of decorative stone. I blink a few times being a bit disoriented but fresh in the same way.

The room resembles a mini cathedral's architecture. My surroundings are like something I would see in a foreign country- wait. We aren't in New York anymore, so what could I call this again? My mind searches until the answer comes to me: the Provence City of Elyria. I remind myself, I'm not on the same continent, planet, or in the same solar system. Who knows if this is even in the same universe.

My vision finally clicks in, adjusting to the drastic change in lighting, to see how the stone walls appear to be ancient with cracks and missing pieces. But still it is eye-catching and sturdy enough to run my fingers along where it won't crumble. My eyes widen trying to take in how amazing this dome shaped room is. Not only is it hard to notice every detail of the structure but there are many other accessories and materials to examine. I turn over my shoulder and find the next spectacular part of the room.

The portal is still there, stuck between the left and right of a wall. It isn't transparent so I cannot see the wall that has to exist right behind it. My eyes are glued to the shimmering portal that reminds me of something I would see in a movie or read about in a book. Speaking of books, they are all over the room. Placed on semi-crooked shelves or displayed ontop of tables that line the walls, the books are the most massive I have ever imagined. I bet they weigh at least fifty pounds each, counting the outside covers that seem to be decorated and embroidered with golden string on their timeworn spines.

I swirl back around to Koda and Jane opening two spruce doors with huge iron rings for handles. It has matching nails that are the size of my palm. It takes a bit for the large doors to creak open to reveal the room on the other side. It's not as bright and gives off a slight breeze smelling of fresh air and a hint of salt.

"Welcome!" A female voice ecchos politely through the room.

I follow through the doorway, letting the doors swing shut behind me with a startling boom and a click. As I turn back around, I find faded red velvet chairs in the back right corner. They look like they came from an actual castle, like something I'd see in a museum. The tables beside them have a tall lamp, illuminating the room in a yellow light.

"Ellie." Jane motions for me to come to her side which is now standing in frount of a desk that in my perspective didn't reveal itself until this moment. It is the same dark wood color as the armchairs, with a massive top like it originates from the same place those chairs were snatched from.

A woman sits on the other side of the desk, pulling her glasses from the brim of her nose. She stares at me, her eyes almost popping from their sockets at the uttermost shock or excitement. She stands, placing her glasses on the largest book I have ever seen laying ontop of the wood below her. I can't peel my eyes from it, as if it was radiating some sort of power that foretold something I long to hear. The feeling reminds me of the book Jane brought back with us. I blink down finding her holding it with so much freewill, unlike any other time she has heald it before.

"Elenor." The woman whispers sharply, "Whatever happened to you? You were missing for years."

I look down at my feet shyly avoiding her eye contact and find how the stone below my feet has little cracks, allowing moss to grow up through it. I don't want to talk to her, even though she knows who I am.

Koda replies for me, "We aren't entirely sure." He steps forward, "She will need some time."

The woman says nothing more and pushes a pen towards us. Even the writing utensil looks unusual, with it's shiny amber metal and its tip covered in a purple ink. Automatically Jane takes it and writes in the book then exchanges it off to Koda, who after attending to the book, hands it to me. I'm unsure what to do and stare down at the page attempting to decipher what to write.

Suddenly my mind becomes distracted hearing two people walking on the other side of the wall where I assume the street is built. The people speak about where to eat before the sun comes up in a few hours. What kind of people go out at this time? I shake the strange and intrusive thought from my head, bringing my attention back to the yellowed book below.

Above reads lists of names unrecognizable, my sisters name listed from a separate occasion as well as my grandparents. So it is documented who comes through the portal and back, a log book. In the middle of the page, labeled number fifteen on page three hundred ninety, is Janalyn Box with today's date. Below my brother signed Koda Box and the date as well. I follow with Elenor Box and copy the date: April 2nd, 2016.

I place the pen down with my left hand, having no clue how I automatically knew how to write since I have no memory of being taught. Not just the feeling of writing my own name but my handwriting even looks foreign to me.

The woman in front of me finally sits back down in the chair, ruffling a cloak behind her to reveal the red velvet chair. She questions, "And who are these two women? We have never met." She sniffs the air before adding, "They seem somewhat human..."

I try to keep my face as straight as possible, wondering how she could know that. I blink over to Estelle and Lynn for the first time, seeing their faces fall and eyes become large. Are they not supposed to be here? Have I endangered them? I look up, fully meeting the woman's gaze for the first time.

She's quite beautiful, with a strange paleness to her skin that I never noticed before. It almost like porcelain, shining brightly like she was not a living creature at all. Her dark hair is braided into a tight bun at the top of her head while her dress tells me we seem to be in the wrong century. I look down at myself and then everyone else, wondering if our clothing style will not be culturally acceptable. At least it is so early in the morning that I wouldn't expect to see anyone out on the streets. Yet again, it sounds as if the residents of the city are out for an all nighter.

Koda answers once again, "They were involved in something Elyrian and we have brought them here for their safety. They already knew of us and our planet."

What has Lynn told him?

The woman smiles genuinely at them, it feels almost warm until I notice her teeth. My stomach drops at the sight of two enlarged fangs besides her human like teeth. I take a step back, knowing that what I'm seeing is in fact real. I wouldn't have noticed them if she hadn't smiled, maybe purposely showing them off. I could say I'm more frightened than excited, but worry that I would be an insult to her and vampire kind. I didn't think this day would be my first encounter with a vampire.

"Welcome to our Provence City." She tells the girls, "Please sign the book, it is required for everyone in order to ensure their safety."

At her words I wonder if she is implying that the book is a little more than just that. Maybe signing a liability instead of just a simple log book. From what I assume, what ever happens on this planet doesn't ensure humans can come to your safety or to bring you justice. A traveller is responsible, and I can expect an individual receiving no excuse for crime punishment, or other kinds if they are human.

She adds, "I work as a keeper of the portal here in Elyria, there are many others as well but expect to see me only at dark." She stands and attaches her cloak to herself, "If I were you, I'd keep it a hush hush about bringing humans here." She winks at the girls.

After they have finished signing the parchment, a new person enters the room. Coming from the door on the left of the desk and hanging their coat on a stand nearby. He greets us and switches shifts with the woman we just met.

"Now off to our uncle's." Jane motions towards the door.

We file out all simultaneously, the door being just as large as the double doors leading to the room where the portal stands. Koda steps onto the sidewalk and reveals a whole new world to my eyes. My jaw nearly drops all the way to China as I catch... China? China doesn't exist on this planet. I feel butterflies in my stomach for the first time I can ever recall.

The surrounding buildings are nothing like a street I would imagine in America, they're midevil style is almost Gothic, mixed with some sort of Renaissance pillars and Victorian decorative windows. My eyes can not stay on one thing for more than a millisecond.

People walking through its streets, happy and content, talking of things I have never heard of. A distant whooshing of water hitting the shore. A memory arises of Jane mentioning a beach? A breeze blows my hair, but nothing like it did in the woods. The air is absolutely the cleanest I have ever breathed into my lungs in my short life. It smells of pure nature, but not like the mossy and damp scent of the woods. Instead it's a chilly, yet salty smell. What's most shocking of it all is how we are in the middle of what seems to be a bustling city.

I catch up to Jane who leads the way, turning left from the building we came from. We stay on the sidewalk that's some sort of light red brick, consisting of vines and grass escaping from cracks. There's no sign of paved roads anywhere in sight as the road looks the same as the sidewalk.

I try my best to keep up with my group but staring up at the buildings are more pleasing to me. The sizes vary in a mix of four to five stories, or large looking mansions all attached together. I catch glimpses of alleyways, but they're nothing I could ever expect. Almost lush and green with strange plants hanging from small windows, doorsteps leading to places, strands of lights hanging above as well as benches with little side tables. From the sidewalks I can see that mostly everything is multiple kinds of stone, brick, and wood with plants almost overgrowing the place.

Every building has most likely aged hundreds of years but contain perfect symmetry and beautiful large glass windows. They're built completely straight up to the walkway allowing no types of large trees or gardens. The street is perfectly flat, making me wonder how they could have possibly done everything so perfect hundreds of years ago.

When my eyes catch the sky I am reminded that it is still a dark, early morning but my eyelids don't fall in sleepiness. I'm wide awake, staring up at the sky that has more stars imaginable than Earth could ever have. Most are white or hinted yellow but other dots in the sky are blue, and are more vibrant than anything I've ever seen. It is a mind bending statement to realize that these are most definantly not the same stars I'd see from Earth.

Suddenly I search around, wondering why the streets are acceptionally bright. I find lighting sources coming from metal looking streetlamps, every shop is lit up from the inside, and there are some that even have lamps hanging outside the door of buildings. Shouldn't the shops be closed? Some even have little terraces which I assume are for apartments.

We pass a pair of two men who come down the street in some sort of two person vehicle. But it is nothing like a car, or anything futuristic, it is more like a bicycle with two seats next to each other and a large basket in the back holding cloth bags of something. They pay no attention to staring while my mind wanders off to the reality they could be any type of monster imaginable. With it being this time of morning I conclude they're vampire like the woman guarding the portal. My fear of them melts away as I continue to trail behind my company and forget I ever saw them.

Signs are lit up, hanging from buildings indicating what shop is inside. The interesting names catch me off guard because of the things they say. Some I'm unable to read, making me assume they're another language. While others are more simple like Bakery and Sweets.

When we approached it, I look in it's window at an assortment of baked goods displayed on a shelf. They're covered in a purple glaze, and as one of the doors open a tempting smells causes me to want to go inside. I'm starving, and a snack like that would definantly give me a full belly.

I call out to Jane ahead of me, "Is the currency the same here as New York?"

"Not anymore." She replies casually.

"Apparently it used to be many years ago but then sometime after the Industrial Revolution on Earth they changed the currency," Koda adds.

"Why?" I suddenly ask.

"It used to be the same currency here in Provence until many Elyrians stopped going to Earth. They believed it was too dangerous, after experiencing new changes there. We didn't agree on their new manufacturing that was harmful to the environment. When the first World War started on Earth, many Elyrians stopped going because of the dangers. The currency was changed in Provence because we had no need to use dollars on Earth so we didn't go. It was changed to the mainstream source of currency soon after that."

I comprehend the new information and suddenly Estelle mutters, "I recall coming here on many occasions." I blink over to her finding her expression to be so care free, almost as if she forgot all about living in captivity. Does she feel at home being here? Her eyes almost sparkle, making me understand she is more than ecstatic to be here. "It looked vaguely familiar to me, and I can picture it's streets. Though some of the shops don't look familiar. Honestly, I don't believe they were where last I remember."

Koda takes a glance over at her and instantly his eyes go wide. We have told him nothing about her, unless Lynn managed to before we ran into them. I take a personal note about the way Koda reacted, unless it really is nothing.

My mind soon drifts away into wondering what Estelle drempt about in the car ride here. Maybe she can remember? "What did you dream of in the car?" My words are so calm I'm almost shocked at my own voice.

She thinks hard for a moment, "Something about the Donnan family."

Koda gasps, "What?" While Jane says, "Aren't they all dead?"

I scan my eyes across to the right where the street is. A man standing on the other side, looking off into the distance suddenly makes eye contact with me. He stands under a street light and smiles at me with a small nod of his head. My mouth falls open and as I attempt to tell Jane what I just saw she asks, "The Donnan family line is gone, right?"

"The only one left is the Queen."

I look back over my shoulder at the streetlamp again, wanting to approach the stranger. When my eyes cast the area in search of him I'm astounded to discover that he's no where to be seen. Just a second ago he was there, but I wasn't paying attention to sound of him so I can't tell if it was my exhausted brain tricking me.

My eyes go to Lynn who is besides me on my left, only to find a building displaying some sort of liquid in beakers at the window. I find Lynn moving up to walk beside Koda. Wow, I've really got to pay more attention to my surroundings, normally I know where everybody is at all times.

I can't stop staring at the way Koda and Lynn walk next to each other. Still, it is quite suspicious to me that she's awfully close to him. He seems to be more of a stranger to me than he is to her in my perspective.

I look up, at the sign of the building reading potions, and another word below it that I'm unable to read. A woman and child step off the building's front step in front of us. Koda and Jane pass them by as if they were normal. Yet my first impression is the woman's smile that reveals a set of fangs. When she is gone my thoughts seem so discriminating.

Jane spoke of some of the creatures that exist on Elyria but my mind is still in disbelief. I try shaking the image of fangs from my mind but I can't. Are vampires really the bloodsucking barbarians that I imagined? The ones from stories with claws and blood dripping down their faces. They are supernatural beings and yet they look almost as normal as a human.

This has got to be a dream, an amazing one that I'll eventually wake up from right? I've hardly been here for ten minutes and I'm mystified by the city my siblings were nearly brought up in.

As we turn left onto a new street, and pass by a sitting area for what I assume is a resteraunt I notice the green painted street sign. It tells me that I'm turning off of Queen Isling and onto Little Barda.

This street is full of beautiful gigantic town houses, connected in threes and fours. Some even have their own property, disconnected from the neighboring homes and consisting of side yards and large bushed trees with vines hanging from them. Unlike any town houses you would see in a city, these all have a good sized front yard.

Jane points out a house on the right side of the street, the same one I'm staring at that's disconnected from the other homes. Compared to Queen Isling street this one is much darker, making me unable to determine the color of the large home I blink up at.

We cross the street, Koda and Jane not bothering to stop or look both ways before proceeding. I do, but remember there was no sign of cars on our walk here. What source of transportation do they use?

Jane beams up at the house with excitement and once again takes ahold of my arm to pull me with her. She climbs the front steps onto the spacious victorian-looking porch. It consists of some rocking chairs and a swing to the far left. Before I can notice much more Jane is releasing me and entering the home like it is her own.