The Fifth World 2

Bo: I take one last look at the world around me. I stare at the grey sky and the clouds above. A couple of birds fly over head and land in some snow covered trees in the yard. I turn around and look back at the house. Inside, behind a window, stands Jonathan. His dark hair is a little messy, his face pale. I know he is afraid. Oh, my Jonathan. I smile very softly at him as he raises a hand to the glass and holds it there as if he is waving but his hand does not move.

He is so worried about me.

As Johnson begins to draw the portal in mid-air with his dagger I remember my last conversation with Jonathan and how hard it was for the both of us... I close my eyes.

"Is there no other way? You really have to go?" he asked me as I finished packing my little backpack.

I had decided that there was no way I was going to take a suitcase. I needed to pack lightly, I will be on the run for most of my time in the Fifth World. Last time I lost all of my things and was only left with the clothes on my back.

"Yes," I said with a sigh and sat down on his lap as he sat on the armchair in my bedroom "Jonathan, yes," I had taken his face between my hands, "I know you are afraid, I am too, but I need to do this. I have to save Adam, I have to bring him home. I also need to find my birth mother... even if she did abandon me. There are other things too..."

Images of different faces and locations had ran through my mind - mountains, Thornes, Colt, Jasmine, the Royals, Lucius... but most importantly Cynric.

"Promise me you will come back," he asked me quietly.

"I will."

The way he stared at me pierced me like a thousand knives. His eyes contained such pain but such love at the same time. He is going to miss me dearly and he fears for me. He wants to be there with me, he wants to help, he wants to protect me. I could never forgive myself if any harm came to Jonathan from the Fifth World. He is an Average Human, he belongs here.

A tear ran down my cheek when we spoke, "In return you promise that you will check up on Theresa and if anything happens... you will get her away from trouble as soon as you can."

"Of course."

I kissed him and I kissed him again. Over and over. My arms wrapped around him as he held me to him like a baby or a child. He cradled me and at any other moment I knew I would have felt completely uncomfortable being in that position but I was too unhappy, too vulnerable to even care. I was terrified. I was sad. I knew I wanted go to to the Fifth World but I never thought it would be this hard to leave the Average Human World.

I open my eyes again. The portal opens as Johnson puts away his dagger. Again, I look back at the house and recall when I said goodbye to Mum. It was by far harder than saying goodbye to Jonathan and that was hard enough. I asked her not to see me off - it would confuse her more, plus it would be harder for the both of us too.

I close my eyes and I hear her voice in my mind...

"I don't understand," Mum said to me as we sat in the lounge by the fireplace, she was warming herself, "Why can't I come with you?"

I had put a hand on her shoulder to comfort her but I removed it as I realised she might have interpreted it as patronising, "Mum, I have to go get Adam. The place I am going, only I can go. The good thing is that I won't be alone, Johnson and Derek will come with me. I shouldn't be too long. Just think, Adam will be home soon."

Mum smiled at me, I can tell the thought of Adam being home excited her, "Oh, Adam, I trust he is regaining his health, then?"

"He certainly is. The doctors think he will be just fine," I had lied to her. Again.

I remember feeling a gush of emotions come over me. I was going to cry, again, and this time the tears would be a lot heavier. I could feel the gasps coming, the way someone struggles to breathe when they are genuinely crying and the way they moan and cringe and wince and struggle. I love Theresa so much.

In an effort to block the tears I had tried to keep talking, "You know, while I am gone you could call up some of your old girlfriends. You haven't spoken to Sally in a while, maybe you two could grab a cup of tea."

"That is a nice idea," Mum said to me as she considered it.

And then came the tears. They just came and came and came. The second I started to gasp for air, just as predicted, she pulled me into her arms and held me to her. I don't think she even understood why I was crying so much but for that moment, for that long yet short moment, she felt like a mother again... she felt like the older person, the protector, the parent, and it felt good. As she held me I ran my fingers through her beautiful red hair and kept my head on top of her bosom. I was able to hear her heart beat a perfect rhythm as one of her hands held me to her and the other stroked my face again and again. When it came time to leaving she still did not understand why. I had to just leave her in the front lounge with a cup of tea and a blanket by the fireplace. At least Jonathan was there for her.

I open my eyes as a tear runs down my cheek. I breathe out and look up at Johnson who is staring at the open portal with a stone cold expression. He is clearly afraid, clearly nervous, clearly determined and clearly angry. He knows that whatever lies through that portal will be out to get us. My attention shifts to Derek who is staring at the portal with complete fascination and fear. His eyes connect with mine and I nod once at him as if am assuring him we will be okay. Of course, I don't know if that is the truth, I just am doing that to help all of us. We look back at the portal and Johnson steps inside and is swallowed. I take Derek's hand and the both of us walk in together and are sucked into the Fifth World.