The Lost Lakomai

By M.K. Rosenquist

Strange things start happening to Dinah Royals when she moves from the big city to a small mountain town in California. The day she arrives at her new home, a mysterious stranger emerges from the forest and tells her she is not an average teenager, but a lost Princess, and the last hope of a hidden world named Kiya. Dinah must leave behind her old life, and even her own mother, to help save this new world. But when mysterious kids appear at school, a sly assassin begins stealing from the kingdom, and an evil power spreads throughout the land, theres no stopping the growing threat Dinah must face. As the last member of a royal bloodline, she must risk everything to defeat the evil that threatens Kiya. With countless lives at stake, Dinah learns the importance of friendship, sacrifice, and love as she fights to save her kingdom and reunite her family.

• Language: English
• Publisher: iUniverse
• Release date: Nov 26, 2014
• ISBN: 9781491752098

M.K. Rosenquist

M.K. Rosenquist is high school student in Los Gatos, California. She has always had a great passion for writing novels, short stories, poems and screenplays. In her spare time, Rosenquist plays drumset in several bands inside and outside of school. She also enjoys spending time with her cats and watching classic movies on Netflix.

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Copyright © 2014 M.K. Rosenquist.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, names, incidents, organizations, and dialogue in this novel are either the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

iUniverse

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Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

ISBN: 978-1-4917-5208-1 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4917-5209-8 (e)

iUniverse rev. date: 11/25/2014

Contents

Chapter 1 Moving to Mineral

Chapter 2 The Lost Heir

Chapter 3 Invisible Kidnappers

Chapter 4 Into the Land of Kiya

Chapter 5 Kiyan Lessons

Chapter 6 High School

Chapter 7 An Assassin and a Birthday

Chapter 8 An Assassin Unmasked

Chapter 9 Biyoshi

Chapter 10 Kuzza is Coming! (And so is my Mom’s Boyfriend)

Chapter 11 Journey to Kuzza

Chapter 12 Princess Alleyah vs. Lord Eeyetti

Chapter 13 Civil War and The Xanphalee

Chapter 14 Meeting Long Lost Relatives

Chapter 15 Unexpected Visits

Chapter 16 Search for Kiv

Dedicated to the boy who told me,

"Hold your worlds close to your heart, Marin,

and know those places aren’t so far away."

Thank you for giving me the opportunitiy

to let my imagination become a reality.

I will never forget you.

Grandfather?

Yes, darling?

I’m not tired. I do not want to go to bed.

Do you want me tell you a story?

You have already read all of the books on my shelf.

Then I will tell you a story of your great-grandmother when she was young.

Did she live with the Terrans when she was little?

She lived with them until she was a young woman, so ten years older than you are now.

Really?

Yes. Do you want me to tell you her story?

Yes, Grandfather.

Well, years before your great-grandmother was born, there was a young queen who wanted to know her future…

Prologue

I n the chill of night, a man strode down the dark hallway. The only hint of light came from the full moon outside. He was a servant of a powerful leader, and he was to speak with her at once.

He twisted around the corner and came upon a set of large double doors. The doors were flaming red, and studded with rubies. He stared at the jewels and could see twenty reflections of his own face, as if looking into a kaleidoscope.

The servant pushed the heavy door open and walked down the wide corridor. He strode across the red velvet rug as he approached his Queen.

Permission to speak, my Lady, he asked, and touched his forehead and chest as a sign of respect.

Oh please, there is no need for all that, said the seventeen-year old Queen. You may speak.

The man rose and announced, The Oracle. He is here.

The girl stood. Bring him to me, she commanded.

Yes, my Lady, said the servant, and he clapped his hands twice.

At that moment, the red doors flung open with a loud slam. A crooked old man in rags hobbled to the Queen’s feet. His silver hair hung over his right eye, and his face was speckled with warts and moles.

The crooked old man began to speak, but he was interrupted, My Queen, let me say that—

I didn’t have you come here to preach! she snapped, stepping down the stairs from her throne. I have heard that you will read anyone’s fortune, and that your predictions always come true. Is this so?

Yes, my Lady, the man hissed.

Then I want you to tell me mine, said the Queen. She turned and walked to a large window that overlooked the entire kingdom.

Yes, yes. I know all, said the old man, his red tongue flickering.

Then tell me, she flared back, her hazel eyes gleaming, what do you see in my future?

The old man closed his eyes and mumbled some words under his breath. The Queen looked back through the window at the land below. She did not turn around as the aged man quickly raised his arm, his eyes flashing.

I see, the old man began, as he moved his arms like a fish swimming calmly in the water. I see war. I see a terrible but strong leader who brings this to her land. She becomes possessed by dark magic and a desire to destroy all who oppose her.

The Queen turned around and saw the oracle’s warped face swaying from side to side. He walked closer and closer to the girl. The guards’ hands slid to the hilts of their swords as they protectively moved to the Queen’s side. She waved them away and stepped slowly toward the man.

She wants more power. She wants it all. And she can’t…control it…

The Oracle stepped toward her very slowly and deliberately. The girl raised an eyebrow. Who was this old man? He continued to wave his arms around slowly as his spoke, his head still ticking from side to side.

The guards instinctively started toward the girl’s side to protect her once again, but she held out her hand to stop them. She was interested in what was happening.

Her power will turn her people to stone. Her guards will turn to monsters …and she won’t be able to control it, hissed the man, his head shifting side to side, the movement accelerating.

Who are you? whispered the girl, peering closely at his repulsive face.

I only tell the truth…and the truth will happen, he said, as his head moved faster and faster.

I would never hurt my people, growled the Queen, I would never put them in danger! You lie!

No, for it will happen…and you can’t control it! said the man. He quickly dropped his arms, grabbed the girl’s neck in one hand, and lifted her into the air.

The guards ran to him, but man’s free hand shot out a flash of light, and the guards froze where they stood.

Let me down, you peasant! screamed the young girl.

She clutched at his hand as she struggled to catch her breath, her legs still dangling in the air. His sleeve fell down his arm, and the girl saw his arms were strong and muscular, not the frail and weak arms of an old man.

The suffocating girl’s eyes widened with fear as she saw the true form of the old man.

The Oracle tossed the poor girl into the air, and she landed on her knees and slid across the room. He pulled off his worn robe, and his entire appearance changed, until a burly young man dressed entirely in black stood before her. She let out a whimper of pain as the Oracle slowly approached her.

The Queen could hear a gathering crowd banging on the doors outside the room. She knew that her guards were trying to save her. But why were the doors not opening?

The Queen knew that she must be brave and act quickly. She turned away and reached for the small knife she kept in her belt. The Oracle approached menacingly, but when he was close enough, she hurled the dagger at him. Her eyes stared in amazement as the blade went through his head, as if going through a mist. The dagger hit a wall, and then fell to the ground with a clatter.

The Oracle’s beady eyes continued to glare at the Queen as she cried, What type of sorcery is this!

The evil Oracle murmured, Simply magic…dark magic.

He stood over her and pulled a dark phial from his clothing.

Please, do not hurt me. My people still need me. Please! the Queen begged, pushing herself away from the man as much as she could.

No one can hear you now, whispered the old man so quietly the Queen could barely hear him. She watched his pitch-black eyes stare into her own.

I will never kill you, my dear, hissed the man, offended, for you will be the one that will kill your people, and many more. He pointed at the Queen with a thick finger.

No! screamed the girl, My brother! He will come for me! He will help me.

The man held out a bottle of midnight black liquid. He bent down and grasped the young Queen by the neck again.

My dear, if he is in your kingdom, he too will be under this curse, he snickered.

Please, I beg of you, the Queen pleaded.

My Lady, I won’t bring death upon you, he said.

Then he forced the bottle into girl’s mouth and poured the black liquid down her throat. Once the bottle was empty he released her, and she fell to the ground, as if dead. The girl’s hazel eyes went black as night. The man tossed the bottle onto the floor, where it shattered.

He walked past the frozen guards to the door. As he reached for the handle, he spoke his final words.

You will be the one to bring death upon everyone else.

Chapter 1

Moving to Mineral

W hen most people think of the California mountains, they think of redwood forests, clear blue creeks, or maybe even cute little animals like in the movie Bambi . When I first found out I was moving to the California mountains, I thought of only three things: dirt, bugs, and the fact that leaving civilization meant leaving behind all my friends.

My mom and I were moving to Mineral, California, a tiny town at the foot of Mt. Lassen. I had grown up in the bright and busy city of Chicago, so her sudden announcement that we would be moving to a boring forest town like Mineral came as quite a shock.

I thought my life in the city was pretty much perfect until my mother decided to move us to the middle of nowhere. I had lots of friends in school, but I didn’t know what I would do without my two best friends, Alexandria and Penelope. I would also be leaving Mike Headlands, who I thought was the smartest and kindest boyfriend in the world.

You don’t appreciate what you have until it is gone, I thought. But now I’m leaving it all behind and saying goodbye to Alex, Penelope, and Mike. What could be worse?

I walked out of my house with the last box for the moving trucks. As I peered over the cardboard box in my arms, I was delighted to see all my friends outside. I put the box in the moving truck and said good-bye to all of them, but I saved my best hugs for last, for Alex, Penelope, and Mike.

So, this is it, I said quietly, walking up to my three best friends. They all had their heads down, as if they were at a funeral. Alex’s curly brown bangs drooped into her dark face as a tear rolled down her cheek. Before I could say a word, she buried her face in her hands and began crying loudly. Penelope stepped in front of me, her blue eyes glistening with tears. She grabbed me and wrapped me in a big bear hug. I hugged her back as tightly as I could. I could feel her tears falling from her warm cheek onto my shoulder.

It’ll be okay, I told her. I’ll come and visit.

Penelope pulled away from me. Her makeup was all smeary, and her efforts to wipe away her tears made it even worse.

That’s not good enough. I wish you could stay, Penelope said, sadly, but with sympathy.

Me too, I said softly.

The front door slammed, and I heard Mom’s footsteps walking toward the car.

Hey, Dinah, hurry it up,’’ Mom warned, We’re leaving in five minutes!"

I know, I said, as Penelope wiped her eyes.

As I turned to Mike, taking both his hands in mine, I could hear him whisper quietly, Crying is for wimps. I am not going to cry. He quickly dropped my hands and rubbed a tear from his eye. When he had blinked back his tears, he held me at arm’s length to look at me, then pulled me close and hugged me like all the rest. He stroked my hair and rocked me back and forth.

Who could replace you? Who could replace my favorite girl in the whole world? he asked, as he backed away, touching my face.

I kissed him quickly, then said, You will do fine. I promise.

Well, it’s not like you’re dying! he said with a chuckle, and gave me a warm smile. I know you’ll be able to keep in touch, even out in the wilderness.

I laughed too. Mike always made me laugh. We had so many good times together. People sometimes found it strange that we never fought, but Mike wasn’t just my boyfriend; he was one of my best friends, too. I hugged him one last time.

Text us every day! Penelope said, while some of the others chimed in with their farewells.

I will, I replied, letting go of Mike. My hand reached down to hold his hand one last time.

And don’t die! warned Mike, shaking his finger.

I promise! I said, smiling.

I heard a car engine start. Mom shouted from our black Kia, Come on Dinah! Let’s get a move on! I want to be there in less than a week!

Okay! I shouted back. I turned to my friends, saying my last goodbyes. I slowly slipped my hand away from Mike’s.

Are we leaving now? asked the moving truck driver, with a note of impatience.

Yes. Let’s go, Dinah, said Mom. I moved slowly to the Kia and got into the passenger seat. Before mom could start the car, I heard someone say, "Wait!"

Mike ran up to the car, his hand outstretched. You forgot this, he said. I saw it on the sidewalk. I guess you dropped it. He held in his hand a small, stuffed, grey striped kitten that looked as if it had been played with for many years. You didn’t think you could leave without Mopsy, did you? he asked, grinning. I grabbed the stuffed animal holding it close. This was my most prized possession. It was from my dad.

I never really knew what happened to him. My parents were living in California when they met and fell in love, but they never married. Mom once told me that Dad was from a wealthy family, but that he had a ‘different type of money.’ At the time, I thought that he had some sort of foreign wealth that he couldn’t convert to American money.

Mom said I was only a year old when Dad had to go off to war in his home country. Before he left, he gave me this stuffed kitten, and my mother an emerald necklace. He promised Mom he would come back soon, but we never saw him again. That’s when we moved to Chicago. Mom talked about Dad occasionally, but whenever I tried to ask questions she would only give short, vague answers. I learned it was best not to bring up the subject.

My heart ached as I held the cat and looked up at Mike. He swished his dark hair out of his face, and smiled.

Thank you, I said to him.

No problem. I know how much she means to you, he whispered.

I love you, I said in a small voice, hoping Mom wouldn’t hear me.

Love you too, he murmured, and blew me a kiss.

Mike stepped away from the car as I rolled up the window. I looked outside, and saw Alex still crying on Penelope’s shoulder. I waved to them, and Penelope and Mike waved back. I saw Penelope nudge Alex, and she quickly turned around and waved too.

Mom put the car in gear. As we drove away from Hope Avenue, my friends shrank smaller and smaller. The next thing I knew, we were gone.

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We drove for days, staying in a different motel every night. We would arrive at each stop in the afternoon, and then wait for our moving trucks, which would catch up in a couple of hours. We timed each day’s drive to avoid traffic as much as possible, because Mom hates driving. We could have flown, but I have a terrible fear of planes and I firmly refused to go near one.

When I was younger, Mom and I went to see her brother, Uncle Toby, in New York. Unfortunately, I forgot Mopsy at our house. We were still on our way to the airport, so I convinced Mom that we absolutely had to go back to the house to get her. We rushed back to our house, but by the time we got to the airport gate the plane had already departed. We decided to call Uncle Toby and to get a plane the next day. That night, as we were watching the news, we saw that a plane going from Chicago to New York had crashed right after takeoff. We were so lucky that day. If I hadn’t forgotten Mopsy at the house, I reasoned, Mom and I might have died! What were the odds that I would forget Mopsy, we would miss our flight, and the plane would crash? I swore that I would never fly again.

I was dozing, eyes half open, when we crossed the border into California at nine o’ clock in the morning. Then suddenly, I felt a strange breeze against my face. It felt warm and strangely comforting. Even though my head was full of gloomy thoughts, the warm draft lifted my spirits like Hope in Pandora’s Box. I opened my eyes and looked outside. The morning looked crisp and cold outside the car window, so I didn’t know where the warm wind came from. Then a thought came into my head like a quiet voice. It said, Welcome home…

I sat straight up, and looked around for the voice. Nothing.

Dinah, you okay? Mom asked. I could see why she was worried. I was looking sharply around the car for the source of the sound. Once I saw that there was no one in the car but us, I caught my breath, and assured her that I was fine.

I asked, Mom? Do you have the heater on?

No, are you cold?

No, but I just felt a really strange wind blowing on my face. It was warm, so at first I thought you had the heat on.

Mom looked at the road, then at me for a while, and then at the road again.

Do you want me to pull over and get you some aspirin at a drugstore or something? she asked. You look don’t look very well.

Mom, I’m sure I’ll be okay. I think my eyes were bigger than my stomach at the hotel breakfast buffet. That waffle isn’t agreeing with me right now, but it’ll be over in a bit. Just stay on the road.

"Okay, if you say so. It’s your stomach," she said, sounding unconvinced. I tried to give her a reassuring smile, but I thought of the wind and the voice again. The voice was friendly, but faint and weak, like the voice of a dying man. I looked around the car again, to see if a window was open, but Mom had the windows and doors shut and locked. I was not sure what had happened, but I soon decided that I should try forget it and go back to sleep. Something strange was going on, and I had the feeling that something out of the ordinary was going to happen.

As I was sleeping, I had a very unusual dream. I was in a great green castle speaking to an old man. He said that a great war had begun, and he needed my help. I walked outside on a balcony and saw thousands of snapping, crawling, and biting creatures wearing armor and wielding heavy weapons. I asked the old man if I had to fight these hideous beasts.

He said yes. As I looked back at them, they started moving toward the castle, and I suddenly knew they were coming for me. I tried to scream, but no sound came out. I tried to run, but my legs wouldn’t budge.

Then I heard someone shout, Alleyah! Alleyah! In a panic, I thought, My name isn’t Alleyah. It’s Dinah. He must think I’m someone else. But the voice continued to call me, shouting for help. Alleyah! Come help me!

I then realized that I had heard the man’s voice before. It was my father! I don’t know how I knew it was his voice, but I wanted to help him, even though but he was nowhere in sight. I rushed all around the balcony but I didn’t see anything. He kept calling out in anguish, and I couldn’t find him!

The next thing I knew, an arrow rushed straight at me from the throng of creatures below. I screamed…and I woke up. I looked outside the car window and saw a sign:

Corning

The Olive City

Tasting & Sales

Olives & Olive Oil

Next 3 Exits!

There was sweat on my brow, and I felt dizzy. Angry drivers honked their horns as Mom swerved and pulled quickly over to the freeway shoulder.

Dinah! What’s the matter? Are you hurt? Are you sick? Mom asked, panicking.

I rubbed my eyes and my fuzzy vision went away. "Ugh! Where am I? What’s going on? I asked, completely dazed. I ran my fingers through my hair to get it out of the way.

My mother shook my shoulder. Dinah, it’s me, honey! It’s your mother! You fell asleep and then woke up screaming! Did you have a bad dream?

Ugh! Yeah! Sorry—sorry I made you pull over, Mom, I apologized. What time is it?

Mom looked at the dashboard clock. Ten twenty-six a.m., she said exactly.

Okay. You can get back on the freeway. I’m feeling better, I said massaging my face.

All right, sweetie. We can stop in the next town for a bite of lunch and take a breather, okay? she said soothingly.

Sure, I said, still rubbing my eyes. We got back on the freeway and drove to a small café. Once I got some food in my stomach, I felt better. Still, I could not forget the dream about the monsters, the old man, and my Dad’s frantic voice.

We got back on the road, and I told Mom about my dream. Her eyes widened when I told her about hearing Dad’s voice, and she didn’t ask any questions about the rest of my dream. Her face reddened, and I was afraid she might start to cry.

Mom, I’m sorry, I told her, worried that I went too far.

No, it’s okay! I’m fine, she said, rubbing her eyes.

All right, I said, but I saw a tear roll down her freckled cheek.

Sometimes I don’t know how my Mom and I can be related. We have completely different features. She has brown hair; I have blonde hair. She has light, sky-blue eyes; I have dark green eyes. She has freckles; I have clear skin, with a few moles here and there. Sometimes I imagine I get my traits from my Dad, but I don’t remember him well enough to be sure.

We merged onto highway thirty-six as we drove closer and closer to Mineral. At first there was nothing but miles and miles of barren, rock-studded hills. Mom told me these volcanic rocks were the remnants of a massive volcanic eruption many centuries ago. The entire mountain just blew up, leaving a deep valley and a few smaller but active volcanoes.

Great, I thought to myself, Not only do I get to live in the middle of nowhere, but I get to be near active volcanoes.

As we wound our way up the mountain, more and more trees appeared on the hillsides until we were driving through a thick forest. Through the branches, I saw the sign that read Mineral, population 120. We passed three small shops: a restaurant, a general store and a ski shop for tourists.

Are these the only stores here? I asked, baffled.

Mm-hmm, Mom answered. No big grocery stores or strip malls until Chester, which is a ways away.

I groaned.

Can you at least try to be appreciative? Mom asked, sounding annoyed.

I can try, but I won’t like it, I mumbled, folding my arms across my chest.

Look around! You don’t get views like this in Chicago!

Yeah, we certainly don’t.

We turned off onto another empty road, and I peered out my window. There were some houses here and there, but as we kept on driving, the houses and signs of civilization were getting scarcer, until we were in the middle of the forest, and the middle of—again—nowhere. I glanced at Mom, and felt reassured that she seemed like she knew exactly where we were going.

As I watched the road ahead of us, we drove out of the thick forest and into a big meadow. I was instantly struck by a row of massive trees that stretched from the edges of the forest and crossed through the middle of the meadow. The trees went on and on, in a dark, solid line. One of the largest trees had two separate trunks that had grown together into a single, tall spire. The road went right between these two trunks, which gave the tree the appearance of a tall, arched gateway.

Oh, my Gosh! Wow—Isn’t that cool, Dinah? Mom said, enthusiastically.

Yeah, it’s… I paused and looked at it, feeling as if the trees were looking back at me. …weird.

When we drove under the redwood tree, I felt the same warm wind as I did when we crossed into California. And, as if things could get any weirder, I had the peculiar feeling that we were being watched.

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Dinah! Mom called, Can you get the cats’ cages and put them in the house for me, please?

Okay! I yelled back.

My mother is a cat person. She told my dad about her love of cats when I was a baby, and he got us not just one, but five cats. Mom says he had complicated names for each of them when he brought them home, but we always called them by the short names I gave them; Pearl, Smokey, Domino, Garfield, and Tami. Each cat had a distinct color pattern and personality, but every single one of them had striking green eyes.

I stood in front of the house and gazed up at the riot of colors. The walls were green with a blue trim. The roof was white and the front door was bright glossy red.

Who wants a house with so many colors? I wondered.

As I stood and stared in a daze, I heard faint voices chattering. "It is her! I told you." I glanced quickly behind me, but I didn’t see anything.

Dinah! Are you listening to me? Mom yelled from the porch. She was holding a box of kitchen supplies.

What? Yeah, Mom! I replied. I grabbed Pearl and Smokey’s cages and trudged up to the house. The inside looked bigger than the outside. I took a step in the house. Creeeeek! I took another step. Eeeeeek! The floorboards protested at each step I took into the house. Creek eeek creek eeek creeeek!

Well, this is going to be a problem.

I put down the cages and looked around the house. There were two sets of stairs at each end of the entryway. Both went up to a narrow landing with a door at either side. I looked to the left. There was the kitchen, where Mom was putting silverware in a silverware drawer. I looked to my right. Two grunting moving men were carrying a sofa into the corner of a living room. I stepped forward into the house and I saw another room straight ahead, glowing with light. My jaw dropped. It had an immense stained glass window. I slowly walked down two steps, looked up and gazed at it.

I saw a golden brown eagle with wings spread wide. Redwoods, pines and oaks surrounded it, while butterflies danced through the blue sky. In one corner, a spotted fawn nestled by her mother’s side while a buck stood tall and proud over them. In the other corner, a mother bear was followed by her two playful, wrestling bear cubs. A bobcat was staring out from behind a bush, and off to the side was an ocean, the glassy water dotted with glistening blue dolphins. In the background were rows of purple mountains, one behind the other. Lilies, petunias, daisies, irises and many more flowers I didn’t recognize were scattered all over the window, and a pinkish white fish swam gracefully in a pool at the bottom of a small waterfall. A border of narrow branches intertwined with berries and pinecones surrounded the entire scene. It was one of the most beautiful things I had ever seen. I was amazed how many colors and animals could fit in this window that stretched up to the high ceiling.

I walked up to the glass as the light of the warm sun shone its rays through the window. I gently touched it, and felt the warm energy of the glass run through my fingers. I closed my eyes in delight. Suddenly, I didn’t have a care in the world. All I knew was that I was happy, that I was here and that I was touching the glass.

Then something interrupted me from my reverie.

Do you like it? Mom asked lightly. I turned around and saw her staring past me.

Yeah, I guess, I said. I let go of the glass, and my momentary bliss faded away. I suddenly missed my friends.

Mom walked forward and looked at the stained glass window. She touched it and ran her fingers down the colorful panes. She looked at her fingers and rubbed them together. I guessed that there was dust on the window.

Look, she said peacefully, down there. I looked through the colored window into the valley outside the house. It was steep, and I could see a deer trail running down the slope. The mountains surrounding the valley mirrored the scenery in the stained glass, a real-life reflection of the glass before me.

I think we are going to like it here, she said, putting her arm around me.

Maybe, I shrugged, trying to remain as neutral as possible. Then something caught my eye. Through the blue river glass, I saw a shiny, red metal post at the bottom of the hill. It stood about six feet tall. I asked Mom what it was.

Oh that? Hm. I don’t know. Probably the property line, she guessed. I agreed out of politeness, though it seemed too elaborate to be part of a simple property line fence.

Hey, can you go get the other cats’ cages? Mom asked, remembering my task.

Oh! Right! Sorry! I ran out of the house, picked up Domino and Garfield and put them inside. Then I did the same with Tami. I let the cats out of their cages and allowed them to scamper about and explore the house. Our cats were as youthful and active as when Dad gave them to us, over a decade ago. The kittens were small and playful as ever, and the older cats still full of energy. Dad had told Mom that they were very special cats, and that they were extremely rare.

Yeah! I thought with amusement. Rare enough to look the same age for thirteen years! Those are some pretty rare cats!

Garfield walked up to me and mewed.

I know, I know, boy, I said, picking him up, I know you don’t know this place very well, but it’s home. I looked around, and breathed in the dust and old cabin smell. For now…

The moving men installed our stove, washing machine and dishwasher, and plugged in the phone. The old stove and other appliances that came with the house were as old as my mother, and looked as if they hadn’t been used in decades. In a few hours, they had all of our furniture and boxes in the house, and all the appliances up and running. I was actually quite surprised at how little time it took. Mom paid the moving men and they drove away. But now came the hard part: unpacking.

I was just sizing up the task of unpacking the rest of the kitchen when Mom came in. Hey Dinah, you don’t mind if I run to the store down in Red Bluff, do you? she asked, grabbing her purse and keys, expecting a yes. I need to get some food for tonight, and the store up here doesn’t have everything I need.

"I don’t mind. But Mom? Why did we move here?" I asked, catching her before she could reach the doorknob. A sudden burst of anger went through me.

Why the hell did we have to move to some random house in the middle of nowhere? There’s nothing interesting here. No interesting places to go, no interesting people to see. Nothing. This, I thought with growing fury, was the exact definition of crap.

I couldn’t say exactly why, she said, turning around. I’ve always wanted to get away from Chicago. I hated it there.

Well, did you ever think about what I wanted? I didn’t want to move. I loved Chicago! I said with some force. I had never talked about my feelings about this move, but now it flooded out of me.

Mom stood there in shock. She opened her mouth, but before she could speak, I interrupted.

I want to go home!

"This is home, Dinah! We can’t go back to Chicago because we live here now. She frowned, and I could see she was getting upset. And you always said you wanted to live in California!"

That was when I was ten, Mom! Even if I did still want to live here, I would want to go to a real city like Beverly Hills! Not some boring old house in the middle of nowhere! I want my old life back, I said angrily, then brushed past her and stomped outside.

I walked to the end of our long driveway and ducked behind an old oak tree. When I got there, I leaned against the tree. It was right next to another red post, like the one Mom said was the property line. I watched Mom’s car pull out of the driveway. When she was out of sight, I buried my face in my hands. I really wanted to go home to Illinois. I slid down the oak tree so that I was sitting in the damp ground. My jacket collected some of the loose bark of the tree and my eyes filled up with tears. Now I really missed my friends. I wanted to go back to them and say goodbye, one last time.

I looked up at the red post and touched the shiny metal. The post was strangely warm, like it was alive. I could see myself in the reflection of the paint. Even though the post made my reflection warped like a fun house mirror, I could see the tears streaking my face.

My phone started to beep. A text! I didn’t think I had reception up here. I pulled out my phone and read it. It said:

Hey Dinah! U at your new house yet?

It was from Mike! I pressed reply and texted in:

Yes :(

I hit send, and a minute later I got another text message from Mike:

You know what? In August I’m going to see my aunt that lives in Chico. Cuz that’s not too far from Mineral, right? I could see you!

Oh my God! Mike could visit me? I couldn’t wait!

That would be great, even though it’s going to be a long wait. Why are you coming in August?

A little bit later…

Family reunion, and better than nothing… I g2g to basketball practice! Bye love ya!

Bye. I love you too.

That was it. I had him, and then I lost him. It was going to take months for him to come. It was only March! I couldn’t wait that long! I felt the tears welling up in my eyes again.

Then I heard a scratchy, but kind voice coming from above.

Why so sad, Princess? the voice said.

I whipped my head up to see where the voice had come from, and there stood a tall and slender old man.

Chapter 2

The Lost Heir

I

recognized the man and his voice from my dream earlier that day. He had a small black and grey plaid hat on his white hair and rough stubble on his unshaved chin. He wore many layers of old tattered clothing, with green gloves that were ripped at the fingertips. I stared into dark green eyes that were just like mine, and stumbled to my feet.

I thought he looked like a homeless man, but why would a homeless man wander all the way up here? I was suddenly nervous. Would this man hurt me? Would he try to rob me? Then, I remembered his words, Why so sad, Princess? and his kind voice.

I stood in silence for a few moments, then asked, Are you a neighbor?

The man laughed, No.

I stood there awkwardly. I’m not supposed to talk to strangers.

The old man started to chuckle. Oh I’m not a stranger! Actually, I think you know exactly who I am.

What was he talking about?

"No, I don’t know you. Who…who are you?’’ I stammered, not understanding what he was saying.

I am King Falgo! King of Kiya! the old man crowed. He stood