Midnight's Gift: Cipher of the Elders

By T. Sendi

Welcome to the world of Cipher Of The Elders, where the unexpected is always just around the corner. In "Midnight's Gift," sixteen-year-old Catherine Forbs finds herself facing a series of strange and unsettling events. At first, she thinks she's going crazy, but she soon meets Brenda and Trevor, who show her that she is not alone. As she learns to control her newfound abilities, and unfold the secrets that lie within Ohethen, Catherine discovers that the unnatural can be both thrilling and dangerous. so will she be able to defeat the darkness with their help before it's too late?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Archway Publishing
• Release date: Apr 24, 2023
• ISBN: 9781665742733

T. Sendi

T. Sendi grew up in Kuwait. She has always found solace and inspiration between the pages of books, and immersed herself in different worlds, which sparked a passion for writing a world of her own, instead of keeping it locked in her mind. This book was written in hopes that you might find yourself between the pages too, and fit in a fictional world that offers an escape from reality. My instagram account is @literarysendi.

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Copyright © 2023 T. Sendi.

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.

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.

Archway Publishing

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Bloomington, IN 47403

www.archwaypublishing.com

844-669-3957

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.

ISBN: 978-1-6657-4274-0 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-6657-4273-3 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2023907527

Archway Publishing rev. date:   04/21/2023

Contents

Beginning

Chapter 1     Midnight

Chapter 2     Controllers

Chapter 3     Dear diary

Chapter 4     William who?

Chapter 5     Twin

Chapter 6     Foresthill forest

Chapter 7     our story

Chapter 8     Southbush

Chapter 9     Clueless Two Sides

Chapter 10   Dorothy

Chapter 11   Tunnel

Chapter 12   The Imperiums

Chapter 13   United again

Chapter 14   Who is the real enemy?

Chapter 15   Uncle jack

Chapter 16   War

Chapter 17   Rebuild

Chapter 18   School play

Chapter 19   Not yet

Dedication

To whoever finds a home in my words. But most importantly, to pops, who isn’t here to witness the outcome of his endless support.

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prologue

Beginning

IN A FARAWAY land behind the wide sea. A kingdom has been created; Ohethen.

It was created over five years ago by an assemble of absconding youth of orphans from all sorts of nations and backgrounds. As the years passed, those teenagers became adults with families of their own, which led them to scatter around the land, some went north, and some went south.

It’s an unknown land by the outlanders, it took more than a hundred years to reveal the existence of Ohethen. But till this day, not anyone can cross its borders.

The outlanders believed that Ohethen has existing abnormality for so many generations, believing that you can find it if you look close enough. But not soon after, this belief turned into a myth. A fairytale.

But is it really just a myth?

chapter one

Midnight

IN A WIDE, dark, and empty passageway, Catherine Forbs stood. It was a place she did not recognize. Her pulse was beating rapidly; air was barely able to reach her lungs. She felt as if she was dying slowly, losing the ability to breathe with every inhale. It felt as if an invisible stone was on her chest, making it hard to breathe.

Her eyes opened wide. Staring at the familiar white ceiling filled with her drawings made her realize that it was nothing but a dream. Yet it was still hard to breathe. How could it have been just a dream? She sat up and removed the cover off her before the cold ground met her bare feet. Her digital clock informed that it was 12:00 A.M. Brand new day—October 10, 1954.

My birthday, she thought. My sixteenth birthday. Sweet sixteen to me, I guess…

She slid the curtains open, and then unlocked her window hoping to get some fresh air, but it did not help; it was still hard to breathe. She rushed down the hall and pushed open the bathroom door, and immediately sat on her bathtub’s ground, letting the cold-water drip on her; fully clothed. She lifted her head up, eyes closed, taking in the feeling of the chilly water running down her face, soaking her, removing the heat she felt moments ago. She stayed there in silence, not knowing what was going on.

Why was my room hot as hell? She wondered. Why do I feel like I am burning slowly from the inside?

After a long moment of silence under the running water, she reached for the faucet to stop it from dripping, ready to get out of the tub and forget whatever madness she was feeling. But as she reached for the faucet, the water stopped without her having to turn it off. She scratched the back of her head in confusion, but the lack of sleep made her ignore the unexplainable occurrence and stripped out of her wet clothes and changed into dry ones.

She climbed back onto her bed with so many questions and thoughts crossing her mind. She closed her eyes, ready to sleep and escape this puzzling night, but apparently her brain disagreed; it was wide awake, and she knew there was no way for her to go back to sleep. So, she got up and tip-toed down the stairs and into the kitchen, not wanting to wake her uncle. She picked up her coffee mug and made some to sail her through the night.

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Eight more hours.

She counted down the hours till her school day would begin, the last day of her junior year. She was not sure how the years flew by so fast. She will be a senior next year, which is a scary thing indeed. You see, the years cross by without realizing, and the next thing you know, you are at an infirmary ready to die.

Catherine went back upstairs and started drawing in her sketchbook. She found herself sketching the dark passageway she had dreamed about. She stared at it like it was a familiar place, It felt like she had been there before, not only through that dream; but as if she had once walked through that in real life or perhaps she would one day. She shook the thought away and opened her wardrobe to pass some time by picking her outfit for the day—beige khakis and a tank top since it was a bit hot outside.

Nothing has changed, she spoke as she looked at herself in the long mirror; her black curly hair fell naturally over her shoulder. She had hazel eyes, that her uncle never stopped reminding her of the similarity that hers had with her mother’s eyes. That is why it was her favorite feature of hers. Just a different number.

Time passed slowly that she felt every click of every minute.

You are up early, Jack, her uncle, said. I usually have to snatch you off your bed.

Yeah, well. She shrugged. Last day of school…

He nodded. All right, go on then. That would make your principal happy. He joked.

Right. She chuckled as she got up and walked back downstairs with him. Remind me how often she has called you to complain about that matter again?

More than I could count. He let out a breathy laugh.

She chuckled as she headed to the front door, thinking he’d forgotten about her birthday.

But before she could step out, he said, Happy birthday, Catherine. And he handed her a stuffed animal.

What’s this? she asked. It was wearing a dress; it was in a good condition but looked quite old.

I was at the attic yesterday, going through some stuff when I found this, he said. It belonged to your mother—well, before that it was given to her by her mother.

Thank you, Catherine said, not knowing what else to say. Thank you truly.

Hello, Mrs. Coleman. She smiled at her neighbor who was watering the plants like she always does.

Oh, hello, dear! she said with a warm smile. Ready for your last day of school?

Yes! Catherine said enthusiastically. Let’s hope they don’t give us summer homework.

I hope so too, Mrs. Colman said. I can’t seem to see more of you with all these assignments they give you. she looked at the sky, It seemed like she was looking into a memory. Remember when you were younger? When I was able to run? She chuckled. We used to have fun running around the field over there. She pointed at the green field behind their neighborhood that was not visible from here, but Cathy knew what she was talking about. Didn’t we?

We did, Cathy replied. Fun times without the reality of misery.

No, dear, she sighed. Don’t say that. You will finish school in no. I believe you will have a glorious path ahead of you. Wait and see.

Catherine smiled and nodded. I sure hope so, she said. All right, I have got to go now.

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The Hill-High sign became clearer as she walked closer to her school.

Catherine Forbs at last! a soft voice spoke, and she immediately knew it belonged to Dorothy, her blonde-haired best friend.

The birthday girl has arrived! Added Ann, the black-haired best friend.

Catherine smiled at them both as she approached. Ann was wearing a dotted black and white dress, which was not a surprise since she wore it almost every day. This one in particular, has a special place in her heart since it belonged to her mother. She lost her at the age of seven. Unlike Cathy, she’s been an orphan for as long as she can remember.

Ready for your party? Ann asked.

Party? Catherine questioned. What party?

Your birthday party, duh?! Dorothy said, pushing Cathy playfully.

Right. She nodded. My birthday party, one I don’t recall throwing.

Of course you don’t, we are throwing it...

But I do not wish to have one if I am being completely honest with you.

Dorothy and Ann broke into laughter, but they soon stopped when they realized that Cathy was being serious. Seriously?

Mhm, Catherine nodded.

Nonsense! Dorothy exclaimed. You are going to have a party. It is not under discussion. You and I both know how much you love birthday parties, especially since they include vanilla cake!

I never liked parties, Catherine said. But vanilla cakes? I live for them.

You won’t get a cake without a party, Ann said.

Cathy’s frown turned into a small smile. In that case, I can’t say no to that.

Yes! they both screamed in joy as they jumped and hugged her tightly.

OK, guys. I can’t breathe! she barely managed to speak. It reminded her of that dream; it made her lungs close even after they let go.

Right, They chuckled. Sorry.

It’s OK, Catherine mumbled still trying to catch her breath. She felt the world circling around her. Is it raining? she asked, looking up at the sky when she felt a drop of rain. The heaviness she felt a second ago disappeared.

It is! Ann said excitedly as she lifted her hands up.

Weird, Dorothy commented.

It is weird, isn’t it? Cathy agreed since it was not supposed to rain that day, according to the news and the hot sun that was there earlier.

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After school ended, Catherine walked with the girls to the local diner, Joey’s diner, where all the students of Hill-High usually spent their free time at. Sometimes she wondered if they had a life outside of school since they went there on the weekends too.

Don’t they get sick of one another? She chuckled.

Hey! Ann placed her hand over her chest. Dorothy and I come here every day too, remember?

Well, you have got to have a life.

You are just lame, Dorothy said.

Aside from seeing the same faces every day, it’s such a positive diner I admit, Cathy said. But I genuinely can’t come here regularly.

It was indeed a positive place, for its looks at least. The diner was filled with pastel pinks and blues. Waiters and waitresses moved around wearing roller skates and smiling at the customers to bring them joy.

The three of them finally reached it, and when they walked inside, it caused the bell above the glassy door to move, making a familiar sound. Everyone who looked their way waved slightly, and some shouted happy birthday to Cathy until they reached their spot, the right-side booth next to the window. Since it was a small-town diner for students, no one was allowed to change their tables; that was Joey’s rule when it first opened for students. Or maybe students created the rule? She was not sure. Freshmen got to choose their spots when the seniors graduated, and it became theirs for the following years of high school. That day of their freshmen year when the seniors left, Dorothy was one of the first to head to the diner, making sure she got the best spots available for the three of them. Her eyes lit when she found the floor to ceiling window booth available, she made a run for it and claimed it.

October 10th was extra special at the diner, not just because it was Catherine’s birthday, but because it was the last day of school too. Everyone was genuinely happy, mostly for the free milkshakes, but also because it meant no more math classes with Mrs. Deloris, at least until April. School starts the first of April and it’s the time where students finally unleash their mischievous plans that they have come up with all summer for April fools.

Catherine groaned, resting her head on the table. I am definitely not ready for April, she said, but then she smiled wide. Though I am definitely ready to get back at those three brats and their two followers.

Talking about the devils, Ann said, nodding her head at their left causing both Cathy and Dorothy to look at that direction.

Their greatest enemies looked straight at them from their left side booth, the same as Cathy’s right side one. One of them actually fought for the right side one when Dorothy claimed it back then, thinking Dorothy would actually leave it. Dorothy was all glittery and pink from the outside, but she was mean when she needed to be. The girl ended up taking the left side booth from a guy who has a crush on her, quite an idiot really.

They are certainly not invited to the party, Ann commented.

Of course they are not, Dorothy agreed.

Good.

The waiter skated to their table with a note in his hand, and a pen resting behind his ear. Hello, Lucas. Catherine grinned.

Cathy, he nodded slightly, milkshakes, right?

Is that even a question? she questioned.

Of course not, he shook his head and skated away.

He is perfect. Dorothy commented not a second after he left, she was completely swooning over him; chin rested on her hands and head tilted to the side.

Mhm, Ann agreed gazing at him, skating away.

Catherine snapped her finger in front of their faces to get their attention back to her, he isn’t even that good looking, she spoke, knowing they are going to eat her alive. Because he is mesmerizing.

Are you kidding? Dorothy’s eyebrows knitted, have you seen him?

She sure hasn’t! Ann jumped into the conversation, but soon her eyes looked away from Cathy’s and stared at the closed door waiting for him to walk out and continued daydreaming. His gorgeous blonde hair, and his beautiful blue eyes- Dorothy nodded along everything Ann said.

Okay back to me now, Cathy snapped them back to reality, where is the party going to be?

You will see, Ann simply said.

Ann, you know I hate surprises, what are we doing and what should I wear?

Fine, she huffed. don’t worry about what you will wear since we got that ready for you. And as for what we are going to do, nothing much, we will go to the disco at Upper Rose Lake (URL) and at the end of the night we will go back to Dorothy’s house to eat your vanilla cake.

Disco? Catherine chuckled. No way.

Come on! Dorothy insisted. Pretty please?

Catherine shifted her eyes between both of her friends, fine, she said as she rolled her eyes. But we won’t be staying long.

Dorothy clapped her hands excitedly. I informed Andrew to tell people from our school to be there, she said, And I made sure that he doesn’t tell those brats. she looked at those girls then back to Catherine.

Andrew? Catherine questioned, Is he that friend of yours that always carries the argus 1952 camera? Dorothy nodded, Catherine snatched her eyes away from Dorothy’s and looked towards where the singing came from, it was Lucas singing happy birthday to Cathy with a bridge of pancakes in hand and the three milkshakes they ordered on a circular tray held by the other hand.

After the song ended, he muttered Happy birthday with a smile on his face as he placed them on the table.

Thank you! Cathy smiled wide before huffing the candle on the pancake.

No worries, he gave her another smile then skated away.

Lucky, Dorothy said, giving Cathy a jealous stare jokily then washed it with a smile, "when is the wedding?’

What? Cathy chuckled, he sang me happy birthday, he did not propose.

Ann chuckled, yeah, but we see the way you two flirt. Catherine shook her head disapproving, he likes you, and you do too. You will realize it one day.

Definitely not.

After they ate and drank their milkshakes, they pushed Catherine out of the diner and rushed home. The three of them walked inside and they immediately entered the living room, a huge black box was waiting for Cathy on the table, here, Ann said, handing it to her, this is your dress.

Dress? she frowned at how huge the box was, aren’t I supposed to be comfortable on my birthday?

You have to look like a queen, Dorothy winked which made Cathy cringe. You get to be comfortable all year round.

Come on! Dorothy pushed Cathy up the stairs while Ann followed with the huge box in her hands

Ann opened the box and pulled out the purple dress, Cathy gasped in astonishment, it’s gorgeous. And it might be the only time she would say that about a dress.

It took me four months to work on, Dorothy said.

You made it?! Cathy asked.

‘course I did!

Dorothy styled Cathy’s hair in a loose low pun while Ann put the curlers on Dorothy’s hair. Then Ann painted Cathy’s nails while Dorothy dressed up.

After what felt like an eternity, they dragged her outside and into Lucas’ car.

Don’t you have a shift now? Catherine asked Lucas.

Yeah, I asked someone to cover for me since your friends asked for a ride.

Catherine looked at her friends, what? Ann asked, it’s better than taking the train, plus, he wants to be there for your birthday anyway…

When they arrived, Lucas held his arm out, intertwining it with Cathy’s without hesitation even though they knew that Dorothy and Ann asked him for a ride to set them up.

Where to now? Cathy questioned, looking around her, then she spotted the sign, did we seriously leave Forest Hill? I thought you were kidding about going to Upper Rose Lake for a disco.

We are never kidding about this stuff, Ann said confidently.

Upper Rose Lake is about fifteen to twenty minutes away from their hometown, Forest Hill, but it was still insane what they were doing.

We had to, Dorothy said as she high-fived Ann, proud of what they had done. We don’t have a disco in our boring town.

We could have done anything else, Cathy said then turned to Lucas who stood cluelessly. Also, a gown is a bad choice for a disco.

You are going to steal everyone’s attention, so a gown is never a bad idea. Dorothy said, plus, you could always remove the layer if you like.

What do you mean? she asked. Dorothy walked behind her and unbuttoned the extra layer that made a long skirt and removed it, leaving Cathy in a knee-high dress. Not magic, just a genius layering idea by the future fashion designer of the group.

Catherine looked at them for a few moments then gave them a mischievous smile and said, let’s do this!

That’s my girl! Ann said

They jumped around and the three of them ran towards the disco, but then Cathy glanced back looking at Lucas who scratched the back of his head still standing in his place. Come on! she said as she returned and took his hand, dragging him along.

The four of them got inside and felt the music blast because of how high it was. Whenever they spoke, she could not hear them. So, they spent about an hour dancing around and singing along at the top of their lungs.

Catherine felt dizzy once again, so she excused herself and headed to the bathroom, she reached out to wash her face, but the same thing happened again, the faucet turned on without her having to touch it.

Look who we have got here, the voice she hates the most spoke, Cathy lifted her head and saw Hanna’s reflection with Ashly and Sabrina behind her.

Hm, Cathy smirked at her, where are your little minions?

Oh, you mean Bianca and Angelica? she raised a brow, they are out shopping for good clothes, she looked at Catherine up and down, did someone donate that to you? Ashly and Sabrina chuckled.

Haven’t you heard? Ashly spoke, getting closer to Cathy, an orphan she is. Poor little orphan, no money nor parents.

Being an orphan does not mean being poor. Catherine attacked, but soon regretted giving them the attention that they clearly do not deserve.

She talks, Sabrina looked at her in disgust, how did you get in here anyway?

Maybe she needs a lesson, Hannah said as she slapped Cathy’s cheek twice softly, to understand there is no place for her in such places.

Don’t touch me, Catherine warned.

Or what? Hannah asked, hm?

I am eager to see what she is planning to do.

Right? Sabrina smirked before slapping Cathy hard this time.

She winced in pain, you!

What? Ashly asked as she pushed Cathy to the ground while Sabrina pulled the sleeve causing it to split in half. Me what?

Catherine felt rage burst out of her, her hands ached to scar their faces. But before she could do anything, the four water faucets from each sink broke and splashed on them all. They whined and stepped back, soon the ground was full of water, the toilets burst out too.

You freak! they cussed as Catherine left the bathroom.

The girls and Lucas spotted Catherine and waved for her to approach them, so she did. But her mind was somewhere else.

They walked outside at the end of the day and talked excitedly about how much fun it was. I am so ready to have that vanilla cake at Dorothy’s house, Ann said.

Cathy’s head could not keep up with everything going on, she couldn’t catch a word they were saying. Take me home, she said.

What?

But we just-

I said, take me home! she shouted, and at that moment thunder and rain started from nowhere. She looked up, freaked out, rushed to the carriage, and got inside waiting for them.

I don’t know what’s going on, she thought, and I don’t think I want to know.

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The day after, Ann and Cathy went to Dorothy’s house. Catherine was glad that it wasn’t weird, they didn’t ask about her outbreak at the end of that night. She didn’t want to tell them about what those brats had said to her, they already weren’t on good terms, so she was thankful that they did not pressure her to speak about it. And since it was vacation it was more of a reason not to ruin it by the thought of them.

Mom!! how are you? Ann and Cathy greeted Dorothy’s mother, Shirley. Neither Ann nor Catherine has a mother, but Shirley is the closest person to a mother they have. They have been friends with Dorothy since they were little girls, they started calling her mom ever since because they heard Dorothy calling her that. It is quite a funny story really, Catherine and Ann both assumed that Shirley’s name was mom.

This is mom, little Dorothy introduced.

Hi mom, little Cathy repeated.

Hi mom, little Ann echoed.

But even when they got older and understood the meaning of the word, they never stopped calling her that because it felt wrong calling her anything else. They got used to it plus Shirley doesn’t mind it.

Hello, girls. glad to see you back here. Why haven’t you visited me in a while? Are you mad at me or something? Shirley joked.

No! Cathy denied, of course not. It’s because we don’t have as much time to hang out as before. But since school is out, you will see a lot more of us, I promise you that.

Can you believe we are going to graduate next year? Ann asked.

Shirley shook her head. No. she said, no I can’t believe that. Wow, I am going to tear up.

Please don’t! Cathy said, her palms in the air, ready to wipe any tears. Because if you do, I might cry too.

Alright, Shirley chuckled, go on now, I will bring you girls snacks in a bit.

The three of them nodded, Dorothy thanked her mother, and they went inside to play some board games, but Dorothy’s four older brothers kept bothering them, especially the youngest of the four: Martin. Catherine got extremely happy when she won in one of the games, and rain suddenly occurred which freaked them out. Cathy’s vision went black for a moment.

This keeps happening, she thought. and I am afraid that it might be increasing.

Does anyone want some vanilla cake? Shirley asked as she stood beside the door, ready to leave after hearing their answer. I forgot about it, there are plenty left since you didn’t eat it at Cathy’s birthday.

Right, she thought. my birthday cake.

I would like some, she said. Thank you.

Ann and Catherine ended up spending the night at Dorothy’s, and in the early morning they went to the Upper Hill shared lake since they had nothing better to do. The three of them dressed in pink since Ann and Cathy wore from Dorothy’s Wardrobe.

It’s unhealthy how much you like pink, Cathy commented.

Martin decided to come along, the four of them sat on a bench and talked. They loved that place, who wouldn’t? Cathy gazed at the lake, it seemed to stretch on forever, pelicans flew low over the water; her eyes caught one who lifted a fish with it on its way up. she gasped in admiration and looked over to her friends and frowned for the fact they missed something so wonderful.

She heard a high-pitched noise and turned her head towards the sound and glimpsed at the effect on the lake; someone must have skipped a rock at it. Her eyes searched for the source, and they landed on a wavy black-haired boy who seemed around her age. He must have sensed her stare since he looked her way, he had ocean blue eyes full of wonder and his brows were clenched together as if he had all the stress in the world carried over his shoulder.

Cathy tore her eyes away and looked back to her friends, but somehow her attention still belonged to him. she kept looking at him from time to time and there was this connection, a magnet pulling her, merging them into one. She didn’t know what it was, but it felt like they knew one another, in a different life maybe.

Soon her friends went home, but she stayed for a little while longer. She wasn’t sure if it was because that boy was still there, or if it was because of the memorizing lake before her eyes. she got up from the bench and picked up a few stones and decided to skip them just like he had been doing all day. She wanted to see how he managed to stay there doing nothing but throwing stones, doesn’t it get boring?

She threw one after the other, with her fifth throw and his one thousand’s one, the lake somehow made a passage in the middle but soon closed back to normal. She shook her head confused, glanced over at him, and saw that he was a couple of feet away, leaving.

What just happen? She wondered. Were our stones that heavy?

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The next morning, she decided to take a walk around town and ended up sitting at the local park with her sketchbook in hand. she looked around her at the picturesque view and drew it down. Her pencil moved effortlessly on the piece of paper, creating a beautiful piece of art. This might be one of her favorites. She threw her head back, closed her eyes and inhaled the fresh air. It felt as if she hadn’t breathed in forever. She opened her eyes as the wind touched her face, only to see something beautiful she had never seen before, not even in her dreams. Leaves flew by the breezy wind all around her, it looked magical. She wanted to stay there forever and look at this mystical view before her eyes; but alas, the wind calmed, and the leaves fell to the ground.

She collected her supplies and placed them back in her tote-bag before she got up. she swung her bag up and down as she shuffled through the park, finding her way to the main road again. She debated whether she should just go home, or stop by Joey’s diner for a little while; but what she did next wasn’t expected, she found herself walking to the abandoned road that leads outside town. She did not know why she took that path, but she knew that she had to. She kept looking at both sides and behind her, since the place was creepy; There was barley any trees, they were all cut down, and there was not a single soul around. As she walked a little further, not even the cut-down trees were in sight. It was an empty land, deserted, with nothing but sand all around. It felt as if she had crossed the line and found herself in a completely new world. Her eyes spotted one single item in this empty place: a broken sign. she walked to it and wiped the dust away; it looked like it had words, but she couldn’t form them. The letters were scratched until they weren’t clear, to the point that she couldn’t tell what used to be written on it except for the red X sprayed all over it. She lifted her head and glanced at the wide land, looking for anything, but there wasn’t any. She looked behind her, to where the main road had vanished, then she took slow steps forward, not sure if she is supposed to go in