Return of the Matka-Zem (The Sorain Chronicles) Read Online Free PDF

the small washroom near the back of the library and splashed cold water on her face to clear her mind.
    What in the hell just happened? Jane stared at her reflection in the glass trying to assess the wound on her forehead, but to her astonishment she bore no marks from the marble—not even a red spot. All she saw was her pale face, framed with fire-red hair and large, green eyes.
    Still dazed from her experience, she slowly returned to where she had collapsed. Shakily, she knelt to the floor in search of the round object, but found only a clear white marble between two books. As soon as her fingers brushed its surface, the little sphere crumbled into dust. Off to her left, she spotted the dirty, blue handkerchief half buried underneath the pile of books. She pulled it from the heap and fingered the thin material. The image of the older man came flooding back.
    I have a Father . She was shocked with the knowledge she had a family, But, where are you? Where is home? With the vision of her father holding the blue handkerchief clearly in her mind, she peered closer at the square of fabric to find the next clue. The cloth was a simple blue fabric that showed no special stitching nor symbols except a white laced border. Remembering the golden disk she'd seen in the image of her father, she searched the hole again, but only found dirt. With a sigh of disappointment, she ran her fingers over the dirty lace and felt raised knots throughout its design. Taking a closer look at the dots, she could make out the shape of a "P."
    " Not another puzzle!" Jane whined in frustration. "Why can't you just tell me.?" she asked, directing her comments to the handkerchief, "instead of playing connect the dots?" Clearing off a nearby table, she flattened the handkerchief on its surface and grabbed the nearest felt pen. Running her fingers over the lace again to find the beginning of the knots, she started to color the top of each elevated nub. She ripped a blank page from the closest book and pushed it on top of the fabric. Although some of the marks did not transfer, she was able to make out the words "Puerta de Hayu Marka."
    What 's the meaning of this? she wondered. She made her way to the encyclopedias to see if she could find anything on the unfamiliar words. After some searching, she found what she was looking for and read the first paragraph aloud:
    The Puerta de Hayu Marka is a huge door-like structure in the Hayu Marca mountain region of Southern Peru near Lake Titicaca, revered by local Indians as the "City of the Gods." It is part of an area known as a Valley of the Spirits, or Stone Forest. The door or the "Puerta de Hayu Marca" (Gate of the Gods) has been carved out of a natural rock face and measures exactly twenty-three feet in height and width, with a smaller alcove in the center at the base which measures in at just under six feet in height.
    " Could this place be some kind of wormhole of some sort?" Leaning back in the wing-backed chair, she stared at the book. "Where would it take me . . . home?" Fingering the laced hanky, her stomach twisted into a hard knot. The realization that Earth was not her home was disturbing and unexpected. She took a deep breath to calm her nerves. After a few minutes of contemplation, she rose to her feet. Now that she had a destination where she could learn her identity, she quickly shredded the message, then tore the page from the encyclopedia and shoved it deep into her back pocket along with the hanky. With a little searching, she found a string strong enough to hold the key around her neck. She tied the key to the string and tucked it between her breasts.
    In spite of her misgivings about traveling the forest at night, she decided to leave immediately, before anyone could realize she had gone. She did not trust the staff, especially Inga with her false laughter and eagerness to help. A sense of urgency filled her and she fought the desire to race to her room. Reaching the third floor, Jane realized