Baken Tota

By: This Guy!

The sun was shining over beautiful Arizona, and the storms had long since dispersed. The day was dry but cool compared to the usual weather. That coolness stretched out even into the desert wasteland, where no one in their right mind would be. And how odd, people who were out of their minds were there on that very day.

Jacob bit his lip as he made his way to the basement of his house, if it could eve be called that. It was really just a small underground room where the hot water heater was. A small layer of water covered the floor because the heater itself leaked year round, but there were still some spots that had a dry cement floor. Not long ago Jacob had cleaned the area up and put up a shelf where he kept his books. From time to time he'd go down there and practice his art.

The weather didn't really concern Jacob in the least; he was in Arizona for another reason entirely. To mend what he had tore, that was his goal. It was foolish of him to think that he could perform the miracle he was there for, but foolishness ran in his family it seemed. The first thing he learned about magic was "If you stretch the existence out too far it'll do one of two things. 1) It will just go back to normal, but in some very bad cases the second thing happens, and existence tears." It all depended on how strong your will was, and Jacob's was exceptionally strong, maybe too strong.

"Jacob?" his girlfriend, Jennifer, interrupted. He glanced back at her with his light brown eyes. They were once full of happiness, but now bitterness took them. She loved his eyes nonetheless, but did wish his happiness would return. It wasn't likely, though, unless he successfully completed his journey. Though she didn't think he had a chance of doing so she stayed by his side, because that is what people who're in love do.

 So humiliated, he thought. Long ago he stopped weeping over the event, which caused his life to metaphorically end, but he still felt hurt on the inside. Slowly he reached for a book which had the golden letters engraved on the front of it. The book said 'Baken Tota' which in some unknown language meant 'Book of Time'. He wasted no time in finding the page he was looking for, and then studied the ingredient. Jacob followed the instruction of the book to the letter and poured garlic extract on the floor, then he dropped some deer blood into the mix, next he added a few random spices, and just a grain of salt. Finally it came to the most important ingredient. The ingredient, which would bind the spell to his soul. With his knife he cut his palm, and winced in pain as he dropped just a few drops of blood onto his pile of gook. Next he repeated the words directly from the book, "Alucia Kador." Though the whisper was nearly inaudible the spell took hold, and his basement was illuminated in a bright golden light.

"What?" Jacob responded while studying a rock. He was looking for a door of some sort, which would lead him to a tunnel. The most vague instructions his sources had ever given him, but they claimed it was the best they had on his quest. His hand ran across the rough surface as he scanned for an opening, or something that looked out of place.

"Are you okay?" she asked, her voice lined with both worry and affection. She loved him dearly, even if he'd lost it recently. Things weren't the same, but she'd weather the storm with him until it was over. She just didn't know how long that would be.

"I'll be fine," he reassured her. But she didn't believe him she never did anymore. He used to speak to her like she was the sun of his world, the center, the most important thing, but now he regarded with complete stoicism. Like she was just an object, or a puppy he couldn't get rid of. Deep down she wanted her old Jacob back, but deep down she knew he needed to fix things for himself.

 A smile made it's way onto the fifteen year olds face as his dreams were given life. Soon he'd fix everything that went wrong that day, and his life would be what it once was, glorious. But the sudden sounds of footsteps told him differently, and his mother's call drew his thoughts elsewhere. He glanced back at the door, which he had closed but not locked. Hoping his mother would not look down here for him was just foolish, and at that time he realized it, but it was too late. The old white door swung open, and his mother stepped into the room. As her foot hit a small puddle the aura shifted, from a bright golden light to pitch black darkness. He felt cold now, colder then ever but his body wouldn't shiver. His eyes connected with his mother's for just an instant before she was lifted off the ground and…

The brunette found the hole he was looking for and shoved a few fingers in. With a heave and a ho he pulled the rock apart to reveal a long dark path that was crafted out of stone. The workmanship on the walls and the floor was astonishing, and would've caught his attention if a sudden chill had not first. It seemed that the tunnel itself was colder then a Missouri winter night, and he could only shiver in response to his discovery.

"Brr," Jennifer said, catching the young man's attention. He turned around and stripped the large knapsack, which he had been carrying. After opening a small golden latch on it he produced a large brown coat, which she gladly accepted. Even though he had changed he was sometimes the same, but not often enough for her.

After re-latching his knapsack he turned to the entranced and gazed down it. Just a short walk in the dark to his ultimate goal, "Ready milady," he asked suddenly, catching Jenn of guard with a courteous bow. She nodded with a smile and entered before him.

The room was filled with a fine white mist, but every so often Jacob saw a red gleam. It was his blood, and he knew it. Even though his arm, or what was left of it, had long gone numb he still knew it was his. Slowly he focused his blurry vision, and then looked at his left appendage. It was cut off at the shoulder, or torn off rather. His stomach turned and he leaned over to vomit in response. Things were not supposed to go that way, not at all. Was it his mother's fault, or his own? Magic should never be used for selfish intentions he had been told by his father long ago, and now he realized why.

As the memory of that day, the first day, the last day, the day that changed his life forever, surged through his mind he gripped his false arm. How he had found the power to walk for two days after that he knew not. He knew for sure his will to see Jennifer was pushing his body at the end, and when he knocked on her door his mind went blank. Next thing he knew he was in a bed with a bandage on his arm and a worried blond looking over him. All those times he thought he'd be nervous at his first meeting with her he had no idea. He blushed, shivered and sat under the covers wishing for her gaze to turn away, and yet at the same time he hoped she had stared longer.

"Hey, I see a room," she said, interrupting his first good thought in a long time. They stopped in front of a large circular room, which had apparently been built into the large hill that was above them. It had archways setting above archways, but no stairs or doorways to show how to get higher up. The floor itself was made of a unique tile pattern, which circled to the center. Each row closer to the center point was a tile smaller until it reached the center itself, which was a lone circular tile.

"Amazing," he murmured. Slowly his right arm, which was his only real arm, wrapped around Jenn's waist as he pulled her close. She nearly collapsed into his grip, feeling love wash over her, and a small blush come to her cheeks. Being able to share a moment like this with him was a bit of nirvana in her eyes, and it really didn't matter what they were looking upon, as long as they were together. The moment was short lived though as he pulled her behind him and strutted into the room confidently. When at the center he shot a feral look back at her and said, "Stay out of the room, okay?" She nodded weakly as he turned his gaze to the far wall.

Jennifer shuddered at the thought of his look, but she guessed it was better then that empty look which he had all those months ago. She remembered answering the door to find a blood soaked boy who had an empty look to his eyes, and a look of pain on his face. He blinked once at that time, and then his look softened at the sight of her. After a sigh he had collapsed into her arms. Her parents rushed him into the hospital, and there he was given an experiment procedure. They implanted a false arm, which looked real, and he would be their first and only test subject at the time. A few days later he woke, and to her surprise, blushed at her. Things were so good back then, or so she wanted to think, but in the back of her mind she knew things would be very sour in her immediate future.

Her vision blurred suddenly, and she rubbed her eyes. As her hands moved from her eyes something looked out of place. At first she couldn't tell, but then it registered. The wall looked warped, and the distortion was getting worse. Suddenly from the bends in space an odd looking figure appeared. It looked like a dragon of sorts, but with three heads. The left head was a short-necked green-scaled beast, which had a playful look to his eyes, but lacked any wisdom. The center was a red-scaled head, which seemed to radiate confidence and power but through his eyes you could see his soul, which was kind and caring over all. The last head was a long necked blue head, which had a fierce look but a wise presence.

The red head, which was obviously the leader, looked around the room slowly, and then focused his attention on Jacob, who was attempting to stare it down. "What is it you ask of me," Red queried while giving the brunette a harsh look. It was obvious the thing had no time for games.

"I need your help in casting a spell," the boy paused, "A spell to bring my mother back to life!" Jacob's face softened, and his eyes seemed to plead with the beast. Even in his voice his desire for life was shone, as it shook in desperation but still maintained a strength of heart in it.

Green cackled at the mortal and then said, "Oh, does the boy miss his mother? And where did she go?"

Jacob shuddered and responded, "She was taken away by the existence when I asked for my dreams to be granted."

Blue took his turn next, and his voice was lined with condescension. "You realize that you are but a mortal, and that your mortality was the problem in the first casting?"

Jacob nodded numbly, trying to hide his shame. It seemed like an hour, or maybe even a day, before Red decided to speak. But when he spoke he made it clear that his decision was final, and no one would argue. "Fine, you have my aid. Do not fail me mortal."

Jacob smiled at the beast as its body fazed out of existence. Now he just had one more thing to do, and with power of a god behind him he'd not fail. Jacob pulled from his pack some seeds from various trees, a feather of a crow, a feather of a dove and a knife. After placing all the objects on the ground he cut his palm and dripped blood onto the pile. Jenn winced as she watched her boyfriend mutilate his palm, but knew that he had to in order to get his wish granted.

"Aben, sutan, kados" he chanted once while staring into the pile. He dripped more blood, and then waved his hands about. "Aben, sutan, kados," he repeated once more and then dripped more blood. Slowly the room started to take a golden aura, and a wind started to spin around Jacob. His form was completely encompassed by a wave of warmth, and slowly he felt eased, like everything was going to be okay. His eyes caught sight of a pale figure slowly dropping form the sky, and deep in his heart he knew it was his mother. In his right hand a golden orb appeared, and it radiated such warmth that he thought his palm might be burnt, but slowly he realized it would not hurt him. The figure started drifting towards his orb of light, but then everything changed. The orb cracked and turned to sand, the wind died down and the room turned red. A dark crimson smoke started to rise from the Earth and it began to twist and spin into a funnel.

His body began to lift from the ground, and his torso began to burn. Jacob's mechanical arm was torn off at the base, causing him to wince and scream in pain. Then his right leg, which bound him to the tiles, was torn off at the knee and blood sprayed through the air. Next a gash appeared on his chest and it wept crimson for the catastrophe. His vision blurred, and then he heard her voice. "Jacob!" Jennifer screamed, running into the room and grabbing his arm. His bicep burst much like his chest did and blood covered her form. Then, she too, was slowly lifted. Suddenly Jacob fell back down to the pavement, but she did not. She was torn away from his hand and swallowed by a void.

While this happened Jacob stared, unable to look away. Now he was forced to gaze up at the top of the room, unable to blink, barely able to breath, and unwilling to move. The events of that day, and of the past four months, ran through his mind, and he questioned his motives. Was he still being a child, unable to let go of the fact that he was human, not god. He couldn't stop time and he couldn't bring back life. The more he studied his past the more it started to become clear to him that all he could do was take life.

"No!" he screamed into the room's stale air. Slowly he sat up, and then stared at the nub, which he once called a leg. "Jennifer," he gasped before breaking down into tears. He repeatedly sobbed her name for minutes while the pool of blood was growing larger and larger. His vision blurred and his head went light. Slowly he fell back to the ground, and in his coma he breathed a few final words. "I'll bring you back to me, I promise."

-To be continued on our one year anniversary ^^

P.S.

~So, this story was written as a gift for a girl I dated, oh, probably ten years ago.  We were young, and I was an awful writer, and it just didn't work.  The idea was that I would write a short story that could be continued, and I would just write her new installments as the year unfolded.  This was for her birthday!  And who is surprised it didn't work out, what with me killing her in a story meant for her birthday?
Also, how cool am I in this story?  Seriously?