crybaby ghost writer

Nick’s parents didn’t know that he had snuck out of bed and was currently spying on them in their study. They were preparing for another trip; this time to examine a chunk of stone wall that had been unearthed from a dig site in the deserts of Losa. And they were taking Nick with them. He didn’t know how they expected him to sleep with something so exciting happening. Tomorrow was finally the day they were leaving. They’d sail part way and then take a train and then ride camels to the site. Nick thought he might vibrate off the floor he was so anxious to go.

“Ed, did you see where I put my photos of the site? I wanted to study them on the way—Ed!”

Nick’s father laughed as he came up behind his wife and tickled her sides. Viola turned and tried to chastise him.

“We leave on an expedition tomorrow, we need to finish getting ready. You’ve barely been focused all day.”

“I’m plenty focused. On my beautiful wife.”

Viola rolled her eyes but she was clearly having a hard time not smiling.

“Shameless flirt,” she said. Nick made a face as his father started kissing her.

“Gross,” he mumbled under his breath.

“Ed, I do think we’re being spied on,” Viola said, and Nick grimaced, knowing he’d been caught.

“Nicholas, you were supposed to be in bed an hour ago,” Edward called out. Nick sheepishly shuffled into the room.

“I was in bed an hour ago. I just got up and came down here because I couldn’t sleep.”

“Six years old and the boy is already playing semantics,” Edward laughed. “He gets that from you, Vi.”

Viola shot her husband a look and ruffled Nick’s hair.

“You’ve got to get some proper rest, my darling,” she said. “You want to be well rested for tomorrow, don’t you?”

“Besides,” Edward added slyly, pulling Viola closer. “If you stay down here you’ll just have to watch your mother and I tell each other how much we love each other. And there will be plenty of kissing.”

“Yuck,” Nick groaned. “Fine, I’m going back to bed.”

His parents’ laughter followed him as he stomped back upstairs.

Nick woke up from his dream to find that the sun was barely cresting over the horizon. It was hard to sleep well when it was so damn hot. Thoughts of his parents didn’t help much, either. He hasn’t dreamed about them for a while now, but of course he would now that he was here. He’d studied maps enough to know they weren’t that far from where their ship had been blown off course and gone down due to a sudden and unexpected storm. The fact that they’d been so close but never made it here felt like a lead weight in his chest. The oppressive heat and being behind schedule didn’t make him feel any better, either.

No one else was awake yet at this hour. Nick crawled out of his tent, moving to the edge of the rise they had camped out on. He could see a trace of the ocean from here, through all the greenery. The wreckage of his parents’ ship was out there somewhere. It put a pretty hefty damper on his excitement. He sighed and moved back to his tent, pulling out an old journal of his father’s and some of the translation his mother had worked on.

Something was gnawing at him but he couldn’t quite put his finger on it. The puzzle pieces were still shifting around in his brain when Tara poked her head in and told him breakfast was ready.

“Seems like you’ve been up for a while,” she remarked. Nick took off his glasses and rubbed the bridge of his nose for a moment.

“I had trouble sleeping,” he admitted. “I’ll be all right.”

“Come have breakfast.”

He managed to crack a smile and planted a quick kiss on her lips while they were relatively hidden inside the tent. He realized rather suddenly that with Tara, he acted a lot like his father had with his mother and the realization was kind of surprising but also made him feel a little better.

After a quick breakfast that Nick didn’t even taste, they set off again into the jungle. Nick glanced up as some brightly colored birds flew from tree to tree above them, and it got him thinking about the Kerelians and the importance they placed on birds. He was still thinking about it when his shoulder was bumped roughly and he turned to see William there with a cold smirk on his face.

“Sorry, Thatch. Tripped,” he said.

“That can happen,” Nick replied, tone hard. “You should learn to watch your step.”

“Is that a threat, Thatch? Easy now, you don’t want to get another timeout.”

Nick narrowed his eyes and lowered his voice slightly. “Don’t think a little chastising from the captain is any way going to alter my opinion of you. We both know you’re more of a liability than an asset on this endeavor, and a donkey’s backside has more charm and wit than you. Why don’t you do us both a favor and just stay out of the way? Just sit and look pretty, isn’t that what you normally do?”

William’s smirk shifted into a scowl but someone called out that they were taking a break and having some lunch, so Nick turned away and moved up to join the others. Tara was watching him with a worried crease between her eyebrows but Nick flashed her a reassuring smile. He didn’t want William ruining this trip for her. She sat beside him while she picked at her beans.

“Are you all right?” she asked quietly. “You’ve seemed a little distracted today.”

“I’m sorry about that,” Nick sighed. “I just keep thinking about my parents. I didn’t think I’d be so affected when we got here but they’re on my mind a lot.”

Tara nodded, looking sympathetic. “I’m sorry. Will probably isn’t helping much, with his attitude.”

“Will is nothing I can’t handle,” Nick said. “These beans on the other hand are a bit terrifying.”

That made her laugh and Nick saw Will glance over at them, a slightly sour look on his face. As everyone was finishing lunch he apparently decided it was necessary to make another scene.

“We still seem to be fairly lost,” he remarked loudly as everyone rose and resumed their trek through the jungle. “Do you draw maps just for fun?”

“I’m sorry. Perhaps you’d like to lead the way then? You are an expert after all.”

That shut William up for a little while, but Nick knew it wouldn’t last. As the afternoon wore on, Nick began to notice something unusual about their path, and it occurred to him that this may have been a real trail long ago but had been reclaimed by nature. He drew everyone to a halt and moved slightly into the trees to look around a bit more. He was about to voice his theory when he noticed William march up to Tara. He pulled her slightly away from the group, none too gently.

“You’re the reason we’re here,” he snapped in a low voice. “You and the professor over there are supposed to know about this place, so where the hell is it?”

“No one is sure of its exact location,” Tara said. “Now let go of my arm.”

“I should’ve known not to listen to you when you made me meet with that asshole.”

“He’s not an asshole.”

“You’re pathetic.”

“Leave her alone.” Nick pushed his way out of the shrubs to give Will a stony glare. He pulled Tara away from her brother and Will scoffed.

“What concern is it of yours if I want to have a conversation with my own sister?”

Nick didn’t reply, and started to usher Tara back toward the others. He intended to simply ignore William, but then he let out a low chuckle.

“Well, isn’t that cute?” he taunted. “The nerd coming to rescue the helpless damsel.”

“Will, stop it,” Tara said, and her sharp tone surprised him for a moment.

“You’re getting an attitude, Tara. You think you’re special now because you found some rich guy to slut around with? Figures the only one who’d have you is the one who’s supposed to be a genius but is gonna get us all as lost and dead as his parents.”

Nick ground to a halt and whipped around so fast that no one would have been able to stop him even if they’d tried. William didn’t even have a chance to react as Nick decked him so hard in the face that William stumbled and fell flat on his back with a groan of pain.

“I warned you to watch your step,” Nick said calmly. He was still tense with rage but punching William in the face was pretty satisfying. He pulled Tara away and found Captain Montanez gaping at him.

“I’m sorry,” Nick said. “I know that wasn’t professional, but-“

Montanez held up a hand. “I heard what he said. To be honest I’d probably have hit him myself if I’d been close enough.”

Nick smiled slightly. Then he glanced over his shoulder.

“Get Mr. Palmer back on his feet. We’re pressing on.”

“How much longer do you think it’ll take to get there?” Montanez asked.

“We’ve been in the outer ruins of Kerelia for a while now,” Nick said dryly. That’s what I went to look at. There are stoned with carvings on them in the trees. They’re worn and broken, though I don’t think it’s just due to time and weather. I think someone intentionally hid this trail. I think if we keep going, we’ll find what we’re looking for.”

Tara gasped faintly, her face lit with excitement. She was fairly sparkling with energy as they resumed their trek. But after a while she frowned a bit, gesturing to his hand.

“You’re hurt.”

Nick glanced at his hand to see that he’d scraped his knuckles a bit from punching William. He chuckled.

“It doesn’t really hurt, just a little sting. And it was worth it. Though, I’m sorry if I upset you. It was a bit thuggish of me.”

“William was completely out of line. Maybe he deserved it a little,” she admitted. William was trailing toward the back of the line now, his face puffy and bruised. Nick had busted his lip a bit and he was getting a black eye. Nick knew it was childish to feel smug about it.

Evening was beginning to fall when they came upon a wall of stone.

“Should we camp here and go around in the morning?” Montanez asked. Nick didn’t answer right away, because he was looking up. There were far more of the colorful birds here; he could hear them calling to one another and see them zipping among the trees. He looked back at the wall, moving to inspect it closer. He had to tear away from old vines.

“Tara, look. These markings, do they look like carvings to you?”

Tara leaned closer, looking where he was pointing.

“They’re faded now but, yes,” she said excitedly. Nick dig out his mother’s translation journal, comparing what she’d pieced together to the markings on the wall.

“I think this is a door,” Nick said. “It would make sense to build the city here. This is the primary location for the birds.”

“How are we supposed to open some ancient stone door?” someone muttered. Nick inspected the rock further, then glanced at Tara. She was fiddling with the pendant around her neck, looking lost in concentration as she also studied the stone. Nick’s gaze fixated on the ivory pendant.

“To open a door, you need a key,” he said slowly. Tara realized he was staring at her and then followed his gaze to the pendant.

“Do you mind?” Nick asked, and she handed the necklace to him. Nick studied it and then scanned the door yet again. He noticed a groove, and carefully slipped the pendant into it. There was a dull scraping sound and when Nick shoved hard against the door, it slowly groaned open. Nick stepped through it, then turned to help Tara over the slightly raised ledge. They took a few more steps and then stopped, looking down in amazement.

A waterfall plunging down into a river and the green of the jungle trees was the backdrop for the ruins spread beneath them. Possibly hundreds of birds swooped in the air overhead and Tara grabbed Nick’s hand, eyes shining. The others filed in after them, a few people cursing or whistling at the astonishing sight.

“Well, it seems we came in some sort of back door,” Nick said. “But we finally found Kerelia.”