Saving Octavius
chapter of work in progress by Iris Carden
When they’d slept, Maurice gave them breakfast, and walked with them to the edge of the garden.
“I thought about your friend who is partly in the void. None of the ones lost in the void can leave it. So the only way to reunite your friend with the rest of himself would be if you could transport him to himself, the other part of himself, without him leaving the void. I don’t know how you do that. Or you could bring the rest of him here to the void, where he may be reunited, but you would risk more parts of him splitting off instead.
That gave them something to consider when they went back into the void and found Ghost Octavius waiting for them.
They followed the thread back through the void, rolling it up on the way. Wendy was thinking hard.
Eventually, she said, “Uncle Augustus, there are two ways we could get you back together. One is that I send you to join the other part of yourself. It’s tricky, but I think I know how I can do it. The other is to bring the other part of you her, but the more parts of you could break off. Do you want me to try one of those things?”
Ghost Augustus, who was fading in and out of visibility as he swirled in the fog beside them, thought.
“I would like you to try to send me to the rest of myself. If it fails, at least I would not be trapped in this horrible place. Don’t bring the other part of me here when he, I, he, that other me, whatever he or me is, could be harmed even more.”
Wendy nodded, thoughtfully. “When we get to the edge of the Void,” she said, “I’m going to need you to get as close to the edge as you can without fading away. I need to be partly out of the Void, so I can use my abilities, but I’m going to need to reach into the Void, and get you to hold my hand, or whatever you can do to actually be in contact with me.”
“I think I can do that,” Ghost Octavius said. “But you might have to stretch a lot.
“What if I stand between you?” Frederick said. “Woofles as well. We can form a chain. Woofles and I can help. Our abilities won’t work if we’re in the Void, but your power can work through us.”
“I can give you a boost,” Toad said. “I’m too small to be part of the chain, but my power added to yours will help.”
“Yes,” Wendy said, “that will help, and I know how we can get another power boost from the Ivory Tower.”
The walk back seemed shorter than the walk to the garden. Even so, they were all quite tired before they reached the edge of the void. They stopped and rested and ate some fruit Maurice had given them to recover their strength. Then Wendy, with Toad on her shoulder stepped clear of the swirling fog of the Void.
She blinked and thought a message to Nancy in the Ivory Tower communications centre. “Nancy, I’ve got a way to help Uncle Octavius, but I’m going to need help. I need all of the operators on duty, and anyone else you can get to help.”
She heard Nancy’s voice in her head, “Give me five minutes.”
“Five minutes until our help is ready,” Wendy said. I’ll tell Mum what we’re doing.”
She blinked and thought a message to her mother to say they were safely out of the Void and would come home as soon as they did a small errand to help Octavius, and she would explain it all when they got home.
Woofles and Frederick arranged themselves in a chain between Wendy, on the edge of the Void’s realm, and Ghost Octavius, who stayed far enough from the edge that he wouldn’t fade away.
Wendy heard Nancy’s voice in her head. “I have ten operators, the rescue squad, half a dozen other Watchitts, and the Queen, all ready to help, waiting for your instructions.”
Wendy explained the situation as quickly as possible, then counted down, both speaking for Toad and the others with her, and thinking for those in the Ivory tower: “Three, two, one. Blink.”
Everyone on the edge of the void and the team back at the Ivory Tower all blinked at once. Ghost Octavius disappeared.
Wendy, Frederick, Woofles and Toad all looked at each other. How would they know if it worked?
“We don’t have time to wait to find out,” Frederick said. “We have to get back and save Bobby.”
He wound up the last of the golden thread and gave it to Wendy. She carefully put it back in its box, and put the box in her backpack.
Then she heard Nancy in her head. “Wendy, I have a call for you, connecting now.”
Next she heard Octavius, “I don’t know how to thank you. I will meet you at your house.”
“Time to go home,” Wendy told the others. “Three, two, one.” They all blinked.
Chapters of the Venomous Void to date:
- Chapter 1: Going to Grandma’s
- Chapter 2: Taking a Break
- Chapter 3: Octavius’ Story
- Chapter 4: Communications
- Chapter 5: The Problem at Home
- Chapter 6: Thread
- Chapter 7: Into the Void
- Chapter 8: A Strange Encounter
- Chapter 9: The Garden
- Chapter 10: Saving Octavius
- Chapter 11: Fruit for Bobby
- Chapter 12: Happy Birthday Wendy
Now the story is complete, I will edit it and get it ready to publish it as a book. Look out for it soon at your favourite online bookshop.
The Venomous Void will be the Sequel to Wendy Watchitt
Wendy Watchitt
Wendy Watchitt is just an average 10 year old girl.
She’s brave and clever and caring. She carries her pet toad on her head, and makes strange things happen when she blinks. Well, perhaps she isn’t quite so average.
A new adventure starts for Wendy when her family moves house.
A new town, a new home, new school, and new best friend are just the beginning of what she’s going to find.
Wendy will have to save her friends, travel between realms, learn some very big family secrets, and still find time to get her homework done.
While you’re here…
Find my Books: Direct from the publisher From Amazon Or from your favourite online bookshop
Follow Me: Twitter / Facebook / Instagram
Digital Tip Jar: PayPal Me
Everything on this site is the product of human, not artificial, intelligence.
Iris Carden, Author 
2 comments