Just Say the Word - 1. Chapter 1

“I think I’m going to dress as an ice hockey player.” Sam panted, trying to keep up with Noah’s furious pace.

“For what?”

“For Professor Warner’s bio lab course.”

After reaching his locker, Noah entered the combination. Then Sam’s answer registered. “What?”

His friend rolled his eyes. “For Halloween, of course. Do you have an idea what you will be?”

Noah pulled impatiently at the lock. “This thing is utter crap.” Finally, it opened, and Noah ripped the door open. Something orange sailed across the floor.

“Holy shit!” Sam ran after it and snatched it up in a flash. Pressing the envelope against his chest, he whispered, “You got an invitation to Attikus Vanderhold’s Halloween party.”

Noah frantically packed books into his bag. “Shit, I’m so late.” He turned around and ran.

Sam followed him, even though he had to be somewhere else next. “This is the most coveted invitation ever.”

“I have to write two essays, and did you see my reading list? You can have it.” They reached the lecture hall, and Noah looked around, found a seat, and got his laptop out.

Sam squeezed into a chair beside him. “Are you insane? These invitations are personalized. And no one turns down an invitation to Attikus Vanderhold’s Halloween party.”

“Then call me that from here on.”

“Huh?”

“Call me no one, and now shut up. Prof. Finch hates it when people keep talking after she has entered the lecture hall.”

“Whatever.” Sam grabbed one of Noah’s books and stuffed the envelope inside. “You have to go. And don’t tell anyone that you got invited."

“Why? Is it illegal?”

“Because then everyone will pester you about how you got it. Or they will diss you, or just… think of everything unpleasant people could do because they are green with envy.” Sam groaned as the professor entered the room. “And now I have to endure an entire lecture about Heroes of the Gael, obviously.”

Noah tiredly threw his books onto his desk at home. When a sliver of orange caught his eye, he pulled it out without thinking. “Most coveted invitation… must be something phenomenal when Sam uses his big words." He opened the envelope, fully expecting something overly fancy to fall out: orange confetti, a pumpkin spice or beer-scented letter. “Huh.”

The simple white card said:

We would be happy to see you at All Hallows' Eve

Noah Bauer

A footnote said: Please arrive on time at 7:30 pm at Hill Creek Road 1. If you need a ride, text your address to this number. A costume will be provided.

Noah had lied to Sam about his workload. One essay was already done, and the other wasn't due until December. He just didn’t like Halloween. He could never decide on a costume and hated drunk people. The nicest thing his friends had called him was party pooper, so why bother?

During the one-hour ride to the party, Noah still didn’t know what had come over him. He almost asked the driver to take him back to the dorms several times, but then didn’t. By the time he had made up his mind, they had arrived at a surprisingly unpretentious house. Still a mansion, but not as bad as he’d expected with a name like Attikus Vanderhold.

The car had stopped at a side entrance, where a man in black tails, slim black pants, a white waistcoat, and a bow tie waited.

Ah, here the glitz began. “Your invitation and ID, please.”

After Noah showed his driver’s license and invitation, the man consulted his tablet. “Very good, sir.” He opened the door behind him to another man in the exact attire. “Noah Bauer, the green room.” He waved Noah through. “Thomas will show you to your room.”

My own room? Am I staying the night? Thomas led him up a small staircase to the second floor. At a hallway, they turned left. Their footsteps were swallowed by a thick blue carpet. Thomas stopped before a white door and opened it. “Someone will be here soon to help with your, um… costume.”

Noah stepped into a beautiful room with high ceilings. The floor was polished dark wood. One wall was painted a dark forest green; in front of it, on a thick oriental rug in shades of green, stood a huge bed with a black frame. On the matching bedside tables sat lamps with iridescent green glass shades. The other walls were a lighter green. On the left, an open door showed an ensuite with gleaming white tiles. The only object that didn’t fit was a white dressing table, with a large mirror framed by small lights and a pink stool in front of it. Noah grinned. Someone had stolen their little sister's furniture. He went to the window wall; all he could see was a dense, seemingly endless forest. The green room indeed.

When a knock sounded. Noah turned around. “Enter.”

A tall man with red curls, carrying a garment bag over his left arm and pushing an overflowing beauty trolley, bounced inside.

“Noah?

“That’s me, yes.”

“My name is Patrick. I’m going to make sure you're looking fabulous for the party tonight, okay?”

Noah eyed the trolley warily. “Sure?”

Patrick looked around, then nodded toward the open bathroom door. “Why don’t you take a quick shower and freshen up while I unzip this,” he lifted the garment bag from his arm, “and see what I’m working on?”

Noah eyed the bathroom reluctantly, but when he saw the big sparkling tiles and faucets, the fluffy towels, and luxurious showerheads, he couldn’t resist.

It was one of the best showers he’d had in years. The water pressure was exactly right; nothing compared to the trickling lukewarm water in the dorms. After he stepped out of the shower, he rubbed himself dry and grabbed the white thick robe from a hook by the door. Shit, clean underwear would be good too. Then he noticed the black briefs in one of its pockets. It seemed they had thought of everything here.

Patrick had laid something black on the bed. Before Noah could take a look, Patrick caught his arm. “Nuh uh.” He guided him to the dressing table. “Let it be a surprise a little longer. First, I’m going to dry your hair.” Patrick ran his hands through Noah's long black tresses. “This is perfect.” He parted Noah’s hair into different thick strands, then began braiding them, all the while picking silver pearls from an ornate wooden box.

He watched as his usually wild dark mane was being turned into a beautiful hairdo with woven braids, tiny braids decorated with silver pearls and black feathers. “Am I to be an elf?”

Patrick winced. “Only you can interpret your costume.”

What an odd answer…

When his hair was done, Patrick handed him soft leather pants and a matching tunic. If Noah had to guess, he’d say it was entirely made out of deer skin. When he looked at himself in the mirror, he saw that everything fit perfectly. He wriggled his toes. Even the boots fit as if they had been tailored just for him. Then Patrick gave him an assortment of rings and told him which had to go on which finger. They slid into place easily, as if they’d been made for him and he’d worn them before. The rings were old and clearly not cheap China stuff. He lifted his hands. “How is this possible? How did you get my measurements?”

Patrick shrugged. “I’m just your glorified maid, man. Magic?” He laughed. “The Vanderholds have their ways.”

Noah wasn’t happy with this answer, but before he could ask more, Patrick bent down and pulled a sword from the garment bag. “And here's the cherry on top.”

He weighed the richly decorated sheath in his hand. “Is it genuine?”

“Of course. Everything is real. They don’t buy cheap imitations here.”

When Noah involuntarily touched the thin edge with his finger, a drop of blood beaded at the tip. “It’s sharp!”

Patrick frowned. “One would think you’d know better. We were told you fence.”

“I do, but do you think it's appropriate to carry a sharp weapon to a party?”

“It belongs to the outfit.”

Reluctantly, Noah fastened it to his belt. He would not pull the weapon. But when he looked in the mirror, he had to admit it was very decorative. It was the coolest Halloween outfit he’d ever worn.

#####

A polite knock sounded. When Patrick opened the door, someone asked in a low voice if Noah was ready. After one last critical look, he tugged the sword slightly to the right, then clapped him on the shoulder. “I think you’re good to go.” He winked. “You look fantastic.”

This time they took the main stairs; music and raucous laughter drifted from somewhere to the left. The party seemed to be in full swing already. But in the lobby, they didn’t head toward it; instead, they went to the back of the house until they reached a large room. Noah stopped in the doorway. This wasn’t where the happy noises had come from. About thirty very different people stood around talking quietly to each other. Not much hinted at Halloween, let alone a party. The patio doors in the back stood wide open, despite it being late October. When he looked closer, he saw a few guests were actually in costume. In the back, two or three men dressed as coal miners argued heatedly with a gigantic ice hockey player who definitely wasn't his petite friend Sam. The man pushed one of the miners so hard that he stumbled and fell. Before it could get out of hand, three black-clad attendants ushered the giant outside.

Noah turned to the man who’d brought him there. “Are you sure this is the right room?”

He consulted his tablet. “Noah Bauer?”

“That’s me.”

“Then you’re at the right room. Enjoy.”

Noah entered slowly. Some of the guests had put a lot of effort into their outfits. There was a cowboy whose boots looked as if he’d mucked out a stable just half an hour ago. Thick clumps of mud or manure covered the worn leather. Beside him stood a tiny princess in a light blue dress studded with rhinestones. Noah tried not to stare. Her wings fluttered and vibrated as if they were real. As he passed her, he thought he heard a low whirring. As he went further, his nose twitched. The stench of rotten fish and brine wafted through the room. Looking for the source, he spotted a man dressed up as some kind of fish creature. His boots looked like webbed feet, and his gloves had suction-cup fingertips. Long, bluish, stringy hair dripped onto the floor, and when their gazes met, Noah swallowed. For a brief moment, Noah thought he’d seen a nictitating membrane hiding lizard-like yellow eyes. Must be contacts. One could overdo it with the authenticity. Then Noah’s eyes fell on a butcher who looked deceptively real. His white gumboots were splattered with blood, as were his white T-shirt and black-and-white striped trousers. The man smelled of blood too. From his belt dangled a cleaver. This wasn't what Noah had expected from a fun Halloween party. He headed towards the open patio doors.

Outside, a brazier heated a large balcony; at the far end, stone steps led to the well-maintained lawn that was gently sloped into the dense forest he’d seen from his room. Noah took a deep breath and braced his hands on the stone balustrade. The fresh, crisp air cleared his head and washed away the horrible smell still clinging to his nose.

An owl came up carrying a plate. “Tiramisu? I stole it from one of the other parties.” Her voice sounded like Professor Finch’s, which was ridiculous, of course.

“You’re a lifesaver. This is the first party I’ve been to where they don’t serve any food.”

Like all the others, the costume was perfect. Large yellow eyes blinked slowly as she turned her round head. A ring of green feathers framed each eye in her heart-shaped face. It had to be glasses. Feather tufts atop her head moved slightly in the wind. A thick plumage covered the entire body. Long tail feathers brushed the tiles behind her. Her narrow legs tapered to sharp talons. Large wings were folded on her back.

“Your costume is amazing.”

The woman laughed. “Thank you. Yours isn’t bad either.”

With the fork hovering over the plate, Noah frowned. “What did you mean by one of the other parties?”

The woman waved her hand. “Oh, they have all kinds of parties here; some even serve food,” she said, grinning. “I think I can already see the attendant who’ll lead you to yours.”

The man inclined his head, then gave Noah a folded piece of paper. “Please follow me.”

Noah read dertsch. He opened his mouth….

“Quiet! Just memorize it.” Then he plucked the note from Noah’s fingers and tossed it into the brazier. It went up in flames. “After me.”

They stopped at the forest's edge. “Go a few more steps ahead, then speak the word.”

Noah first said it in his mind. ‘Dertsch.’ Once he was sure he was alone, he said it aloud, though he felt silly. “Dertsch.”

Suddenly, the trees around him seemed massive; they were covered with moss and lichen. The dense canopy had swallowed the moonlight. His heartbeat quickened. Noah turned around a few times, but the path he had come by had vanished. Voices drifted in from somewhere. A new path had opened. After a brief hesitation, he followed it slowly. When he reached the last line of trees, he stopped and watched. Several people sat around a long, roughly-hewn wooden table, eating and drinking. This had to be the right party. Everyone wore costumes similar to his own. He thought about how he would describe them to Sam next time he saw him. “Think elves but with an edge.” The setting was perfect. Moonlight illuminated the entire scene like a floodlight. At the far end sat a man with long, white hair on a throne-like chair. A black cloak, embroidered with a jagged silver pattern, was draped over the armrests. As he talked animatedly to another man with short, dark hair, he constantly scanned the edge of the forest.

Noah had only seen the back of the second man until he had turned. His breath hitched. The open coat revealed swirling tattoos across a naked chest.

He took a step forward. It was as if a headlight had found him.

One of the younger men laughed loudly, then spotted Noah. His laughter cut off instantly. He jumped to his feet and shouted, “Nedrec! You can’t have died yet.” He turned around. “Father! What is he doing here?”

Father… The word triggered a hidden part of his mind. The man on the throne was his father. The boy at the table was his brother, and the man beside his father… was his beloved. Ardach.

For a moment, everything stood still. The weight of this revelation threatened to crush the air from Noah’s lungs.

He stared at Ardach.

Ardach stared at him.

Noah ran.

Ardach ran.

They crashed together. Noah’s arms went around Ardach’s waist.

His beloved pressed his face to Noah’s neck and breathed him in.

They were entwined souls. Never meant to be separated, but their former king had hated Ardach and wanted to punish him.

“We only have a moment.” Ardach’s voice sounded muffled. In the distance, an owl called.

Noah’s arms tightened. “I know.” His entire existence shrank to a single pinpoint of time.

They tried to cling to this moment and stretch it into forever, but they were already losing their grip.

“I will find you.”

“How?”

“In your dreams; just say the word.” He kissed the red stone of one of the rings on his left hand.

A loud pounding on the door woke him. Noah had the weirdest dream. He lifted his head and looked around. Huh. He’d stayed the night in the green room of Attikus Vanderhold’s house. After pushing the blankets aside, he padded to the door and accepted a tray loaded with breakfast. When he grabbed the mug of coffee, he saw something glinting on his hand. All the rings Patrick had given him were gone, except the one on his smallest finger.

That evening, back in his dorm room, he whispered, “Dertsch.”