Ravincroft's Retribution - 2. A Discovery

The Discovery

Early the next morning, back at the farm, Theo listened to music through earbuds, humming to himself as he drove the tractor that was pulling the plough to turn the soil ready for planting. Now that Ren’s gone, maybe Dad will finally take me seriously.

A loud clang brought the tractor to a halt. ‘Geez, I hope nothing’s broken. Dad will kill me.’

He jumped off to inspect any damage. One of the blades had bent. ‘It’s fine...hardly noticeable.’ 

Something glowing drew his eye, and he looked over to see a smooth river stone. Inside, a red pulsing orb beat like a heart floating in what looked like a captured ocean.

‘Is that what I hit?’ Theo heard a low hum as he moved toward the rock. He pulled out his earbuds, and it grew louder. He shook his head. As he neared, he could feel the warmth radiating from the stone until the pulsing stopped and it returned to an ordinary-looking river rock. ‘Geez, I hope this thing isn’t radioactive.’

Theo scrambled to pick up the stone when his father called. As heavy footsteps approached him, he stuffed the rock into his pockets, along with his hands.

‘Theo!’ His father shouted as he reached him. ‘Why have you stopped the plough?’

‘It hit a rock and I needed to check for damage; Oh, and I’m fine, Dad.’ Theo rolled his eyes and shook his head. 

‘Get back to work! We only have today to finish this. The planting must start tomorrow. Stop wasting time. Ren would be done by now.’ His father turned his back on Theo and returned to where he worked on the other field, scattering hay and filling water troughs for the cows and sheep.

      Theo made a face and poked his tongue out at his father as he walked away. He took out the smooth stone and turned it about in his hands. He rubbed his chin and smirked. This could be worth something. I could make money if that glowing stuff has any value.

Later that evening, Theo wrapped the stone, now cold and lifeless, in an old T-shirt inside his wardrobe and drifted into a deep sleep. Visions of prosperity filled his dreams until he awoke and sat bolt upright.

He heard a low-pitched drone. An intense light flickered from the gap under his wardrobe door. He spied wisps of smoke escaping under the door. ‘Geez, maybe this thing is dangerous.’ He jumped out of bed, ready to flee when the door flew open, sucking him into a black swirling mist. He blacked out. 

When Theo came to, his head throbbed, and he found himself floating in a dark haze. A sweet and sour odour lingered in the air. He looked below him, feeling powerless to move. He waited to fall into an abyss and swallow him. ‘This must be a bad dream! Where in the hell am I? Theo rubbed his eyes and scanned around.  Makeshift shelves containing old books and beakers faded in and out of his vision. 

As he glanced around, a dark shadow appeared, gliding across the floor heading straight for him. It rose and formed into a hooded entity dressed in a wide-sleeved dark robe. Theo felt the same heat he encountered when he first approached the stone as the entity floated toward him and rose up in front of Theo. Smoke trailed out of its sleeves and weaved in and around its skeletal fingers. Its face was shrouded in shadow.

Beads of sweat formed on his temples. His shaky voice rose and lowered as he spoke. ‘Wake up, Theo! This isn’t real.’ He slapped his cheeks. A smell of old smoke and dust invaded his nose as the entity closed the gap between them.

The apparition with no face spoke in a deep, hollow voice. ‘You shall not fall, fool boy!’

The voice thundered inside Theo’s head. He closed his eyes and covered his ears. ‘No! I am having a nightmare. This is not real; you are not real!’

‘I am no illusion. Can you not see me, Boy? You have opened a passage. I have been imprisoned in this void between worlds for aeons. I propose an exchange.’

‘What are you talking about? Who are you? Where am I?’

‘Silence! You seek to take charge of your establishment, do you not? I can make this happen in exchange for my freedom. There are four ancient relics I wish to secure. These are all I seek, and you shall make this possible.’

Theo held his forehead. ‘My establishment? What? You mean, the homestead? ‘What do you expect me to do? I’m in the farming business. I’m no archaeologist. What’s the catch?’ Theo put on a brave face and managed a weak laugh. 

‘Silence your tongue, fool child! I will make it worth your while. With that, he pulled out a small gold nugget. He made a fist and then opened his hand. A gold ring with a black stone appeared in place of the gold. 

Theo shuddered, and sweat ran down his temples. A prickling sensation crept over his head. His short-slicked hair, rarely out of place, felt like it stuck out like pine needles. 

The entity’s words continued inside his head. ‘On the last day of the full moon in…’

The voice trailed off, and a short time later, Theo landed abruptly against the wardrobe back in his room. 

The rock landed next to him. It pulsed again like a beating heart. Next to it lay the black gem set in a signet-type ring. ‘What in the hell…? There’s no way I’m putting that on! If he thinks he can buy me, he’s a fool. He returned the stone and the ring and slammed the wardrobe door.

Theo tried to go back to sleep but tossed and turned for the rest of the night. His dreams were filled with floating demons overpowering him and the entity’s voice roaring inside his head. He woke in the early hours and looked directly toward the wardrobe. Everything seemed back to normal. When he opened the wardrobe door, the stone looked normal. The ring had disappeared. ‘See, everything’s fine. It’s an ordinary rock exactly as I—’ The red pulse began again, and the same voice entered his head. ‘It’s a rare and precious element, you fool! —A passage to my world, whence I choose to activate it. Moreover, for a simpleton such as you, an imparting of thought transfer.’

Theo dropped the stone and covered his ears.  He locked the talisman away as fading laughter riveted down his spine. At that moment, he saw the ring with the black stone. It sat on his middle finger. ‘What! But I didn’t put that on.’ He grabbed the ring, trying to pull it off, but it stuck fast.

His bedroom door opened, and his father stood there. Theo hid his hand. 

‘Let’s go, Theo. You’ve already overslept.’ He walked off. ‘Oh…you can find your breakfast in the oven, so get a move on.’ 

 ‘Okay, I’m sorry, alright? I had a rough night,’ Theo retorted.

‘By the way, I’ve fed the animals,’ his father said cynically without turning around. Left the chickens for you. Watch the rooster, he’s a doozy,’ his father laughed.

 ‘Hell, will he ever be satisfied?’ Now that Ren had moved out, Theo thought things would be easier between him and his dad, and they could get back in touch, but Ren’s leaving left a bitter taste in their father’s mouth and only made things worse. ‘Ren’s caused this. If he hadn’t left home…’ Theo clenched his teeth and threw his shoe across the room, hitting the wardrobe door with a thud. Straight after, some random words came into his head. 

Speak these words, Boy, and all will be well.

Theo’s eyes stared ahead. Words spontaneously came out of his mouth. ‘Tearg Karabos eseal rew-kalanas.’ A sudden clap of thunder erupted, bringing him back into reality. ‘What the hell?’ Theo ran out of his room and peered through the kitchen window. Thick, dark storm clouds with flashes of lightning had gathered, and strong winds blew. He saw his father, who had begun to sow seed, holding his hat on his head and looking to the sky.