Beyond: Snillotia Trilogy Book One by Donna Wagner (books you have to read TXT) 📕

He raised the weapon and pointed it at Grandpa Leumas first. Suddenly, the man stopped moving. He stood there, frozen, taking on a slightly blue tint. Grandpa Aras gasped. "It can't be!"

Another man appeared in the doorway behind the frozen one. "Come quickly. You know it doesn't last forever."

Grandpa Cire's face lost all color, but he clutched Grandma Aras' hand tightly and they followed the man. All the other grandparents and Anna's parents looked like they were in shock as well but followed too. Soon it was just Anna, Tim and Goldie left in the room. Grandpa Siul paused in the hallway and called back, "Come on kids, it's okay, hurry."

Tim picked up Goldie, thinking she'd have trouble keeping up. She squirmed in his arms. "No, Tim. I can't go. I need to stay connected to the Ymedaca. Take the medallion from around my neck and close the door after I go through. I'll be able to find you again as long as you have that medallion. If you need me, just call."

Tim took the medallion, barely listening to what she was saying, then quickly pushed the chair holding the door open out of the way. Goldie went through and Tim closed the door after her. Then he grabbed Anna's hand and they ran after everyone else. Anna let out a cry and Tim felt her pulling back on his hand. He spun around. The frozen man was no longer frozen, and he had grabbed Anna's other arm.

"I'll deal with the rest of them later, but you two are the important ones anyway.”

"Go, Tim, run!" Anna cried, letting go of his hand.

"No, I won't leave you," he said trying to pull her away from the man.

"Trust me, Tim. Let go." Anna's voice was loud in his head.

Surprised, he let go and stepped back. The light Anna could make was glowing. It kept getting brighter, but instead of turning to fire like her grandfather's, it turned blue. The man let go, his face showing fear again, but it was too late. Anna directed the blue light at him, and it shot from her hand and hit him squarely in the chest. It hung around him for a moment and then suddenly, the man was gone. The force of whatever Anna had done was shaking the whole castle. "Come on!" he grabbed Anna's hand again and they raced away from the shaking walls.

Anna and Tim kept running. They didn't know where they were going, since they didn't know which way anyone else had gone. They ran through the hallway where all the portraits were and back into the version of Tim's house. This part of the castle wasn't shaking so when they reached the room Tim had arrived in, they stopped to catch their breath. As they were standing there, there was a horrible crashing sound. "I think I made that part of the castle completely collapse," Anna said, in shock.

"Yeah, what was that?" Tim asked.

"I don't know. I think my light is actually energy. I think I found my power, but I don't think I like it," she said, with a short laugh, and then collapsed onto the floor.

Tim rushed to her side. She was unconscious. Tim didn't think they could stay where they were much longer. He didn't know how the man had gotten into the castle and if he did, others could be inside now as well. He also didn't know who the other man who had led everyone else away was or where they went. He looked at Anna again, lying on the floor. She was small. He thought he could carry her, at least for a little while. He scooped her into his arms and carried her through the wall.

PART II:

NORMAL LIFE…  SORT OF

CHAPTER NINETEEN

Tim clicked save at the top of the computer screen and sighed. His report on the Civil War was the last thing on his mind and he’d barely put any effort in it. Myra would be upset if he failed again, but knowing what he was supposed to be doing, and knowing it was more important than eleventh grade history homework, he couldn’t quite bring himself to care anymore.

He thought back to that day- more than two years ago, when he’d come through the wall and stumbled, not expecting there to be anything in his way. What he’d saw surprised him. The secret room was set up like an office, with a small couch in the corner. He’d placed Anna on the couch, gently, when he’d heard a gasp behind him. He’d spun around to see a woman standing there, eyes wide, staring at him.

“You came back. Something must have gone horribly wrong!”

Then she had run out of the room. Torn between leaving Anna alone and following the woman, Tim’s curiosity had won out. The woman had run into the kitchen. It was still Tim’s house, but everything was different. Tim quickly realized that other people lived here now, but this woman hadn’t seemed surprised he’d come through the wall. She seemed more surprised that he’d come back through the wall.

“Yes. Okay. I will see you shortly, then.”

Tim heard the end of her conversation as the woman hung up the phone. “Adam will be here soon,” she had said, not showing the slightest surprise that he’d followed her to the kitchen.

“Who’s Adam? Who are you? And why are you in my house?” Tim had been yelling by the time the last question came out.

“Calm down, honey,” she had said, reaching out to pat his arm, but her hand had fallen short before making contact, “Adam will explain, don’t worry.”

Tim had shaken his head. He hadn’t believed it was really happening. The woman hadn’t attempted to hurt him, or Anna, but she hadn’t answered his questions either. He had turned and run back to the secret room. Anna