The Twins of Almexia

By Jeffery L. Buckner

Days before her fifteenth birthday, life is pretty good for Jessica Murphy. She expects her softball team to make it to the regional championship. She expects to catch the eye of college recruiters. What she doesn't expect is to be told she was born in another world where her twin sister and birth parents await her on the other side of a secret portal.
A world away, Lexia struggles to maintain her citizens calm as invasion by a rogue king is imminent. Food supplies are low, the Council is missing, and without her sister, there is little hope for the small land of Almexia.
The road to a reunion is filled with excitement, obstacles, and unexpected decisions. Raised in worlds apart, The Twins of Almexia soon discover that together they have the power to change the fate of both worlds forever.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Balboa Press
• Release date: Oct 18, 2019
• ISBN: 9781982236199

Jeffery L. Buckner

Jeffery L. Buckner grew to love writing as he sought for an avenue of self-expression. He received both his Bachelor of Arts in English and Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing from National University. He lives in Southern California, where he teaches high-school English Literature. This is his first novel.

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Copyright © 2019 Jeffery L. Buckner.

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 author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

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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 Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

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ISBN: 978-1-9822-3618-2 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-9822-3678-6 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-9822-3619-9 (e)

Balboa Press rev. date: 10/18/2019

Contents

Prologue

Chapter 1     Alma

Chapter 2     Lexia

Chapter 3     Alma

Chapter 4     Lexia

Chapter 5     Alma

Chapter 6     Lexia

Chapter 7     Matthew

Chapter 8     Alma

Chapter 9     Lexia

Chapter 10   Alma

Chapter 11   Jarrett

Chapter 12   Lexia

Chapter 13   Alma

Chapter 14   Lexia

Chapter 15   Matthew

Chapter 16   Alma

Chapter 17   Lexia

Chapter 18   Alma

Chapter 19   Alma

Chapter 20   Lexia

Chapter 21   Alma

Chapter 22   Eòsaph

Chapter 23   Alma

Chapter 24   Eòsaph

Chapter 25   Alma

Chapter 26   Lexia

Chapter 27   Alma

Chapter 28   Alma

Epilogue

Acknowledgments

About the Author

To Jorge.

And to JJ—wherever you are…

Earth provides enough to satisfy every man’s needs, but not every man’s greed.

– Mahatma Gandhi

Prologue

Pale-green moonlight did little to help Jonathan as he led his wife and daughter toward the portal. He felt like prey attempting to escape a tireless predator. Shouting voices from within the city—although too distant to be understood—alarmed Audrey, for Jonathan felt her body twist as if to ensure no one followed. Until now they’d kept close to the tall stone wall that surrounded their city, but it was time to risk detection. Anyone who spotted them would know Audrey held the baby. That thought caused enough anguish, but not so much as they would soon experience. With a nod of his head to warn Audrey, Jonathan turned toward the dense oak forest.

As soon as the family was under the cover of trees, Audrey slowed. They were both exhausted, but Jonathan didn’t want to stop. Stopping made the situation all the more real and would do nothing but delay the oncoming separation.

Is he behind us? Audrey asked.

I don’t think so, Jonathan replied. The night was warm and humid. Sweat collected on his forehead and threatened to interfere with his vision. I don’t think he knows we’ve left the city. The shouts must have come from someone else. Audrey pulled at his arm. He slowed.

She’s our daughter, Audrey said, her breaths heaving with exhaustion. Maybe the Council was wrong. I can’t bear the thought of losing her.

I don’t want this any more than you do, Jonathan said, wiping at his brow, and you know it.

It was true. He didn’t want to send his daughter away, but the land of Almexia was changing, disappearing into the sea as the waters inched toward the center of the large island. The Council—whose members had left the city to search for three of their own who were lost—had never been wrong in their prophecies. Jonathan knew the survival of the world he and his wife had grown to love rested on their daughters, one who slept in the castle in the center of the city, and the other, unaware of her future, who slept in her mother’s arms.

To think they will grow up apart from one another. So much could happen. Audrey held the child even closer. Promise me I will see her again. I want our daughters to have a chance to be sisters.

We have to trust the Council, Jonathan said, eyeing the gates of the city and then the sky. The green hue of the moon faded as it neared the horizon. He knew if the portal closed, there would not be another chance. As long as they could get the baby through in time, she would be safe. Let’s get moving.

Taking Audrey’s hand, he led her through the darkening forest. The familiar scent of the trees brought reassurance to the desperate feelings that fought to overwhelm his senses. He allowed his memory to guide him. A lamp would only give away their whereabouts, so he’d refused to bring one along. As they neared a familiar downward slope, Jonathan noticed his chest tighten. As they reached the bottom, the portal that connected them to their former world came into view. It was time for goodbye.

It is still open, Jonathan said. I can see the light. He held out his arms for the child. Audrey embraced him instead, allowing the baby to rest between their chests. At that moment, Jonathan saw Jarrett, his most trusted servant, emerge from the portal. Green light flowed out of the hole in the sloping ground, making a silhouette that appeared to be of a small boy.

The passage is clear, Jarrett said and bowed to each. They are waiting for us on the other side. I’m afraid there isn’t much time for goodbyes.

We love you, Alma, Jonathan said and kissed the baby’s forehead. He stifled a sob as he handed Alma to his subject. Jarrett will keep you safe.

Jonathan, Audrey, I promise to protect her until the portal opens again, Jarrett said. Remember, it is the only way to be sure that it will reopen.

We will miss you, Audrey said. Please be careful. Earth is very different. It can be a dangerous place.

When he was gone, the king and queen of Almexia turned away in anguish. Audrey wept, her face buried in Jonathan’s shirt. Tears blurred his own vision, and for a moment, it seemed as if the shadow of another figure followed Jarrett and the child into the hole, just before the light in the portal faded to darkness.

CHAPTER 1

Alma

A s Jessie wrote the page numbers for her homework assignment, she had the distinct feeling that someone watched her. She looked out of the window near her desk. The man who stood across the street stared back. It was unlikely that he could see her through the window at such a distance, but his glare convinced her otherwise. The tiny hairs on the back of Jessie’s neck stood up as the man took a step forward, now placing himself in the shadows of a large cypress tree. Perhaps he wanted to avoid the bright California sun, but it was more as if he were hiding. He was incredibly short. Jessie first thought he was a child, but then she noticed the black goatee contrasting with his pale skin. His pose, stiff and unmoving, his hands placed behind his back. It wasn’t just the tiny hairs; Jessie felt a chill move down her spine. She considered telling her teacher. Then she noticed the fingers tapping on her desk.

Jessie flinched. Mrs. Cornwall, the freshman English teacher from hell, stood gazing down with her usual knowing smirk.

Are you with us, Jessica? Mrs. Cornwall said. Jessie cleared her throat.

Yes, I’m sorry, Jessie said. It’s just that I saw… She looked outside again.

Yes?

The man was gone. Jessie felt the looming silence morph into crushing embarrassment. She sat up straight before turning her attention back to her teacher.

I’m sorry, Jessie said. I must have been daydreaming.

She took in a breath of relief as Mrs. Cornwall moved to the desk behind her. There was a graded assignment on her own desk. Jessie was pleased to see a large B circled at the top of her book report on Les Misérables. It wasn’t her best work, and she had expected a lower grade. The assignment was due the day before. The dreams of being lost in a strange place had started two nights before that. Lack of sleep caused her to finish the assignment in a fog. Considering this, she appreciated the B.

The creepy stranger was an unwelcome addition to an already sucky week. After a grinding softball practice on Monday, things went downhill. A migraine drove her to bed early—a place she didn’t want to be when her nights were so tormented by dreams—and she didn’t have the extra time to rest with so much homework to do. Now it was Thursday. She needed her luck to head in the other direction. The game that would determine her team’s place in the championship was now a day away. A week ago she had felt sure of a win. Right now, she felt the constant presence of a peculiar sense of unease.

A movement outside the window caught Jessie’s attention, not just in her peripheral vision, but she felt something unusual. A heaviness in the air crept toward her. Jessie shifted in her seat, checking to make sure the teacher was still passing papers. She was.

The small man came out from behind the tree. He no longer stared into her classroom, but checked for moving vehicles. A car passed, and he crossed, heading for the school. Jessie tracked his movements. She couldn’t figure out why there was something familiar about him. When he reached the area of the sidewalk closest to her, the man tipped his hat, grinning. He then turned and walked in the direction of the school’s entrance.

The bell rang and Jessie jumped to her feet. Laughter broke out in the room as her classmates gathered their things. Mary Ross and Chelsea Grossman made it a point to snigger all the way out of the room. Jessie felt her cheeks burn. She felt like a spaz and detested unwanted moments in the spotlight. She grabbed her paper, placed it in her notebook and left the room.

Jessie made her way through the currents of scrambling students as they moved in every direction. She had to sometimes push her way toward the front doors of the school. She didn’t know why, but she needed to know what the small man was doing. As she approached the main office, she could see the stranger was already speaking with the secretary. Jessie couldn’t understand what they were saying, but the man tried to convince the secretary of something. The sounds of stomping feet and excited voices dwindled away to silence as Jessie watched the man turn his head toward her. Their eyes met once again. The short man smiled. Jessie took in a breath and froze. A muffled voice mumbled something from behind, but failed to pull her gaze from the man. As if someone removed an invisible set of silencing headphones, ambient sound returned.

Jessie, what are you doing? Although the voice of her best friend was familiar, she jumped when a hand touched her shoulder. Adam stepped back, confused. His black hair was wet. For a moment Jessie wondered why, still in a daze, but then remembered Adam’s last class was PE. His hair was always wet after school. The smell of soap and deodorant helped to snap her out of whatever funk she was in.

Jessie?

Move over here, Jessie said. She walked Adam around the corner.

What’s going on?

Did you see the short guy?

Short guy?

Yeah. The dwarf looking guy, Jessie said. Adam peered around the corner for a moment, then returned, nodding.

Who is he?

I don’t know. But I think I’ve seen him before, Jessie said.

What’s he doing here? Adam asked. Why does it matter? His confusion was apparently greater than hers.

I think it has something to do with me, Jessie said. Adam raised an eyebrow. Never mind. I need to get to softball practice.

Jessie waited as Adam retrieved the camera he got for his birthday from his locker. He always stayed around while Jessie played softball. It wasn’t just for the photo opportunities, Jessie knew. He didn’t want to go home to his heavy-handed father and constantly screaming mother. She couldn’t blame him. Jessie felt particularly glad he was sticking around for practice that day. She wanted to tell him about the dreams. She needed to tell someone. Maybe on the way home, she would.

I’ll be by the bleachers, Adam said as he placed the camera strap on the back of his neck.

OK.

Hey, Adam said. He lifted her chin with his fingers. Jessie hadn’t noticed she was looking at the floor. You worried about tomorrow’s game?

Jessie smiled. She thought about the first time she met Adam, almost three years before on the first day of seventh grade. She’d been nearly in tears as she looked for her first class. If it weren’t for him, Jessie would’ve suffered the new-girl blues yet another time. Now, it was nearly the end of freshman year. Adam was still Jessie’s lifeline, and, in a way, she supposed she was the same for him.

No, Jessie said. Snap some good pictures of me.

I will, Adam said. You’re the only blonde beauty who’s worth it.

Adam winked, and Jessie rolled her eyes. They both laughed as they started toward the gym.

Adam wasn’t the only one in the bleachers with a camera. After changing, Jessie approached the field and saw Coach Jenson chatting with several people she had never seen before. Out of the five strangers, four sported apparel with the USC logo.

The sight provided an emotional boost that Jessie needed, although she was unsure as to why the visitors were at a practice and not the upcoming game. She wondered if recruiters would be interested in freshmen anyway. If she could win their attention, they’d be back. The softball field was one place she didn’t mind being in the spotlight. Playing for USC was her biggest dream. She accepted this distraction from thoughts about the man outside the window.

Coach Jenson did not introduce or discuss the visitors, but she yelled for the team to start warm-up drills. Jessie paid no attention to the bleachers as she began her laps. By the time practice was in full swing and softballs flew from glove to glove, the group from USC was gone. Jessie ignored the questions forming in her mind. She had plenty of time to impress them over the next three years.

After the hour-long sweat fest, Jessie found Adam sitting near the top of the bleachers with his camera on a tripod, pointed at the San Gabriel mountains. She climbed to him. He snapped a few more pictures.

So? Adam said, his eye still in the viewfinder.

Get any good shots of me? Jessie asked.

Nah, Adam said. The mountains have been more entertaining.

Nice, Jessie managed. She began to think of a clever retort, but her attention shifted. She felt him again. Jessie turned, placing her hand over her eyes to block the sunlight as she glanced over the fields. The man with the goatee was back. He stood on the other side of the softball field, outside the fence.

That’s the same guy, isn’t it? Adam asked.

Yeah, Jessie said. She told him about the last few minutes of class.

I’ll ask him why he is following you, Adam said.

No. Don’t talk to him. He’s freaking me out. Jessie knew he was there to watch her. She couldn’t explain how or why, but she knew.

Let’s go home, Adam said. If he follows us, I’ll call the cops.

He didn’t follow them. Jessie checked frequently as she and Adam walked the eleven blocks through Downtown Glendora to their own street. Jessie nearly told Adam about the dreams several times. Something held her back, for she knew they were connected somehow with this man. She wanted to know exactly what was happening, but at the same time she hoped these intrusions in her life would disappear. Softball and approaching semester finals brought enough to her plate.

Adam placed his hand on Jessie’s shoulder as they neared her house. You look worried, Jessie, he said. I can stay here with you until your parents get home.

Jessie did want this, but her parents didn’t allow her to be alone with a boy in the house. Not even Adam from down the street, with whom Jessie held no romantic interest. No, that’s OK, Jessie said. She nibbled on her fingernails. It was a nervous habit she thought she had quit for good.

Text me, Adam said. He ran down the street to his house and jumped over the toys that littered his front yard. Jessie watched him go through the door before approaching her porch. A glance up and down the street brought no sign of the man with the goatee.

Parker scratched at the back door as soon as Jessie entered the kitchen. She let the golden retriever in and gave her an obligatory pat on the head before the dog lapped up water from the bowl near the trash bin. A note on the kitchen counter said that her parents had taken a drive up to Visalia, and she should make sure that she was in bed on time. These long outings were becoming more frequent. She didn’t know why they were going there so much, but she had the feeling that her parents were planning another move. She liked Glendora. She liked the house. She liked her school. Adam was her best friend, and she didn’t want to leave him. If they were planning a move, Jessie hoped she could change their minds. Visalia was boring. And hot. Then again, they could be visiting her Aunt Nancy who lived up there, but Jessie’s mother and her sister rarely spoke to one another.

The afternoon passed into evening without incident. Jessie warmed up frozen burritos for dinner, smothering them with cheese and sour cream. Her mother would have frowned at the lack of vegetables and the extra condiments, but Jessie didn’t care. She finished her homework as she ate. Gusts of wind came through the open dining room window, sending the sheets of math problems into a scrambled mess on the floor. As she picked them up, knocks, creaks, and cracks came from the second floor. The Santa Ana winds always shook up the old two-story craftsman home. Her mind probably amplified the sounds, but she didn’t like being alone. Before allowing childish fears to panic her, Jessie distracted herself with television.

After Jessie let Parker outside and set the alarm, she settled in her room. Music from her headphones drowned out her solitude as she attempted sleep. She was still awake when her parents came home, but pretended to be dead to the world when one of them opened the bedroom door to verify she was in bed. Sleep came soon after.

Wait…maybe this way? Or maybe I should go…Where is she?

The ground was cold. Jessie wandered, frightened and barefoot, around the moss-covered stones, so damp and slippery that she was forced to watch her step. Beams of light from the setting sun illuminated her way and helped her avoid a fall, but there was no warmth in them. A brisk wind blew, so she wrapped her arms around her waist.

Someone was out there. A woman’s voice, strange and unfamiliar, echoed in the mist. Adding to Jessie’s confusion, the voice was at times near, then far.

Alma! the woman called from a great distance to Jessie’s left. Who is Alma, Jessie thought as she moved to follow it once again. This game tired and tormented her. Whether or not this woman was calling to her or someone else Jessie did not know, but the woman likely thought she was Alma.

Although she was nearly fifteen, Jessie felt at this moment as if she were eight again, when she got lost in the wilderness near a campground her family visited every year. That day she had been able to keep calm until her parents found her. This place was nothing like California. Fog crept toward her from the north, making it hard to tell what was there. Squinting, Jessie was able to make out the edges of a tall stone wall. Glancing upward, she saw the turrets of a castle rising above the low drifting clouds.

In the west, the sun faded, taking with it the hope of finding the frantic woman. Glancing in that direction, Jessie saw the beginnings of a forest. The wind that chilled her to the bone also caused the branches of the tallest trees to bend and sway. Had she come from that direction? She did not have a clue as to how she got here. The woman who called out for Alma was the only other sign of life in the darkening, cold place. Locating the moon’s almost full form to the east, Jessie was startled by its greenish hue. This was not normal. With renewed intent, she ran toward the voice, pulling at her long white nightgown so it would not swirl around her feet.

Alma! she heard again. The voice came from the opposite direction. Maybe this woman was teasing her, perhaps even laughing at her. Or, maybe she was in danger? The thought troubled Jessie, and she tossed it away. Instead of giving into fear, she gathered the courage to call back.

Who are you? What do you want? Jessie’s shouts echoed in the mist. Flapping wings drew her attention to the left, but there was no bird in sight. Where are you? she called, her voice now weakened by fear.

Alma! called the voice, as if in immediate response.

She thinks that I am Alma…

Running footsteps in the distance. Jessie hid behind a stone shaped like a mammoth cracked egg and held her breath. Now she heard nothing at all. Seeing a natural pathway up a slight slope, she took it, and was startled, as she did so, to hear a voice close by crying, Alma! No!

Terrified, she whirled around, but saw nothing through the gathering dusk. This time, from a distance, she heard the name called again and then again by a chorus of dissonant voices. Then there was silence.

A light appeared at the top of the hill. A man carried a lamp of some sort. Jessie crept back to the egg-shaped rock. The man called for Alma all the way down the hill. He stopped near the large stone where she ducked into shadow.

I am not Alma. He must be looking for someone else. This can’t be happening.

The man ran back up the hill, laughing as he went. Jessie watched the lamplight fade away on the other side. He was gone. Silence swept over the land once again. Who was he? It seemed that he knew her, but he hadn’t tried to talk to her.

Don’t let him find you, called the woman, sounding more frightened than ever. Jessie now had a feeling that someone else was near her, hidden in the approaching fog. She could not explain the dread washing over her in that moment. Once again, the voices danced around her, calling from every direction. Jessie felt the world around her spin. Faster and faster it went. Screams and laughter danced in her ears, coming from every possible direction.

Stop it! What do you want? she cried out. Sobs came as she was engulfed not only in fog but by a paralyzing fear. Covering her ears, she sank toward the ground. There was nothing else she could do. The voices were coming nearer, and she didn’t know what they wanted.

Jessie worried she would wallow in this grief forever, but then a strength from deep within her began to grow. Something was wrong. She had to know what it was, and where she was. Frustration welled. In a moment of courageous terror, she stood and screamed into the darkness, I am not Alma! My name is Jessie!

Jessie’s screams brought her parents running. The door swung open, meeting the wall behind it with a crash. Light flooded the room. Scampering feet neared her bed. Her father stubbed his toe on the bedpost. He yelled and flinched in pain before sitting on the edge of the mattress. Heaving breaths burned Jessie’s lungs.

Jessie? her mother said, caressing Jessie’s shoulder. What is it?

This was her bed. She was safe. Her mind spun, and she could not understand how this dream, this nightmare, had seemed so real. It was even more real than the others. All she wanted, for now, was to be alone, to forget the