by Mandi Oyster
I crouched on the floor, not the rocky ground. A sob raced up my throat, rushing out before I could stop it. I slumped against the door, and tremors shook my body. I fought to steady them, but they only deepened.
Cody sat and wrapped his arms around me. His breath hitched when his fingers touched my back. “You’re here. You’re okay.” His words caressed my ear.
I stared at nothing. Terror clung to me. My heart pounded in my temples. Nefarious lifted his sword. Flames. He stepped forward. Burning. Pain. I couldn’t move. Whistling as the sword cut through the air. Fire on my neck. Again and again, the vision replayed. I closed my eyes, and the image intensified. A scream lodged in my throat. Fire. Blood. Pain.
Cody held me tighter, rubbing my arm, whispering in my ear.
It can’t be real. Monsters aren’t real.
“Please say something … anything.” Cody’s touch eventually stopped the trembling. He slid one arm under my legs and lifted. “Oh, my God, Dacia—” he nearly dropped me “—what happened to your leg?”
I looked at it as if through another’s eyes. Mutilated flesh. Muscles. Bone. Blood. So much blood. Crimson stained my blackened skin and muscles. The room spun. Then nothing.
Pinpricks of light broke through my eyelids. Was it all a dream?
Fuzzy fabric massaged my fingertips. Not my bed. I pulled in a deep breath and opened my eyes. I sat in Cookie Monster with Cody kneeling on the floor beside me. Samantha, her eyes red-rimmed and scared, sat in Big Bird. My injured leg was propped up, covered with a towel and I couldn’t feel it.
“Sarah’s on her way over.” Cody’s voice was hoarse, strained.
I nodded. This can’t be real.
I reached for my leg, and pain tore across my back. The room lurched into a nauseating spin. Sweat dotted my temples.
I put my hands on either side of my leg, gripping it, fighting the pain. My fingers tingled. Healing energy flowed into my leg, but it drew on my strength. My breath shallowed, and my vision blurred.
Startled by the knock on the door, I grabbed Cody’s hand and clenched his fingers.
He rubbed his thumb over the back of my hand. “Dacia, it’s okay.”
“Watch your step,” Samantha said as she let Sarah in.
Sarah glanced at the floor and, without a word, stepped over the blood. She sat across from me, and the three of them looked at me the way a child would watch over an injured pet.
Cody pulled the bloodstained towel back, showing Sarah my leg. Her face gave away nothing, but her eyes dilated with fear.
“The back of her shirt is shredded and bloody.” Cody covered my leg again. “She hasn’t said a word.”
Even for me, my voice was hard to decipher. “I know … you want me to … tell you what … happened … but I’m … still trying … to figure it out … myself.”
“Dacia,” Sarah said, “I think you are in shock. Would you like to go see Nancy or go to the hospital?”
“Uh … no. Bad idea.” I gave her a look that said she was stupid. I didn’t mean to, but I was in no condition to filter my reactions.
“Think about it,” she suggested.
“No, if it heals right away, how am I supposed to explain it? The doctors will think they’re going crazy if they see two miraculous recoveries in such a short time.”
“I’m just trying to help you,” she said. “Why don’t we get you cleaned up?”
A loud noise. Rocks falling. Flames. Pain. Blood.
I jumped and jerked my head around. My heart blocked my throat.
“Dacia”—Cody sounded like he was trying to calm a wild animal—“it was just a door. You’re okay.” His face was a blank mask, but I saw despair in his eyes.
I looked down at my lap and began my story. “I keep waiting to wake up. This has to be a nightmare.” I felt lifeless, like a zombie sitting there.
When I told them about being tangled in Nefarious’ whip, I jerked my leg back. I could feel the whip coiled around it, the blazing pain. I clenched my jaw and held my screams inside. It’s not real this time. My fingers dug into the arm of the chair. Breathe.
“Take your time, Dacia,” Cody whispered in my ear. “It’s okay.”
Sarah reached forward. “You’re here with us. You’ll be all right.”
I looked Sarah in the eyes and said, “No, I won’t. I can’t beat Nefarious. I won’t get out alive again.”
For once, nobody told me about their unending faith in me.
I continued my story. I needed to get it over with. Using my powers had taken its toll on my body, and exhaustion made it hard to talk.
My chest tightened when I thought about Nefarious’ sword slicing through the air. Sweat beaded at my temples and above my lip. My stomach heaved.
Samantha found her voice, “Dacia, you’re white as a ghost. Are you going to be okay? Can I get you something?”
I shook my head and closed my eyes. You’ll feel better as soon as you’re done with your story. Might as well get it over with.
They stared at me. Their eyes filled with so much compassion. I wiped the sweat from my face and tried to finish. “He pulled his sword, and he, uh—” I took a deep breath “—he swung it at me. It was like a scene straight out of a movie. The sword moved in slow motion, and the rest of the world moved at its usual pace. I looked down at campus and thought how much I would like to be here. I was about to die, but then I was here.” I held my hand up with my thumb and forefinger barely spread apart. “I was this close to death.”
Cody sat down on the arm of the chair and pulled me to him. His hand traced circles on my arm. His eyes filled with tears.
My voice was somber. “So, when am I going to wake up?”
The three of them just looked at me.
“All my past dreams seemed so realistic, so today, I kept expecting to wake up. When the whip wrapped around my leg and I didn’t, part of me knew it wasn’t a dream, but the other part of me prayed it was.” I stared at nothing. “I don’t—” A lump formed in my throat. I closed my eyes and leaned my head back. Somehow I needed to figure out how to quit being so emotional. I needed courage to defeat Nefarious.
“Dacia, take all the time you need. We understand how difficult this is for you,” Samantha said. “With all you’ve gone through, you have plenty of reasons to cry or scream or throw a temper tantrum or whatever you need to do. Somehow you have to relieve some of your frustration.”
“I can’t go around crying all the time.” I swiped at my eyes. “What am I supposed to do, drown Nefarious in a river of tears? If you were watching a movie and the hero had a meltdown every other scene, wouldn’t you think, ‘What a wuss!’?”
“This isn’t a movie.” Cody’s hand dwarfed mine, warm and reassuring. “This is your life. No one is paying you to play a part. You were thrown into it and have every right to get upset.”
“He’s right,” Samantha agreed. “I don’t know how you deal with this at all. You’re so much stronger than you think. Give yourself a little credit.”
I looked over at Sarah, waiting for her to speak her mind. She’d been quiet through this whole thing; it wasn’t like her. When she didn’t say anything, I said, “What I wanted to say earlier is Nefarious is huge and strong and fast and … pure evil. I guess that’s the best way to describe him. The hero in the diary tried to use lightning against him. I tried ice.” I pushed up my sweatshirt sleeve, then pulled it back down. “I’m, uh, pretty sure fire won’t work against him. After a few rocks hit him in the head, they didn’t seem to bother him. I’m out of ideas, and I think … well, I … I think I’m about out of time, too.” The last words rushed out of my mouth, tumbling over each other in their hurry.
Sarah patted my good knee. “I don’t know how you will defeat Nefarious, but you have proven you can hold your own.�
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“How do—”
She held her hand up. Her voice took on a no-nonsense tone. “Please, let me finish. You made it out alive, injured but alive. You found a new power, and if need be, you can teleport out of danger again. I know you’re frustrated and discouraged, but it will get better. Now, I would like to see your leg.” She stood and eased the towel from it.
Clear fluid oozed out of charred flesh. Two gouges ran from my knee to my ankle, exposing muscle and bone. My stomach rolled, but I couldn’t look away. “It’s not healing.” I tugged my hand through crimson curls. “I healed the two of you faster than I’m healing myself.”
Sarah sat again. “Your injury is severe.”
I crossed my arms and glared at her. “Oh, I’m sorry if I’m being unrealistic. After all, you were dead,” I snapped. “Something tells me no matter how mangled my leg is, dead is worse.”
Sarah shook her head and shot me a disapproving look that any other day would’ve made me feel guilty. “Maybe it’s a little harder to repair flesh and muscles that have been burned and sliced apart than it is to make somebody breathe or start the heart pumping again. Hmm—” she rubbed her chin “—it seems to me even doctors, at times, have more trouble with that. I’ve never seen stitches come out the same day they went in, but I have seen people receive mouth-to-mouth resuscitation and be fine after just a short time.”
“Cody’s cuts healed quickly,” I reminded her. “I’m sure Dr. Sequoia will attest to that.”
Sarah glanced at Cody and tilted her head. Her eyes held an apology. “Cody’s injuries were serious. However, his cuts did not tear through muscle and weren’t clear to the bone. Yours were also caused by a demon. That, in my opinion, could very be a significant factor.”
I had to admit she was right, but patience wasn’t a virtue of mine. I wanted to be better now.
“How’s your head?” Samantha asked.
I reached up and felt it. Both bumps were gone. “It seems to be fine.”
“Maybe Sarah’s right about the demon thing then.” Samantha shrugged. “I suppose it’s possible his magic counteracts yours somehow.”
“Maybe not magic,” Cody said. “Maybe venom or something.”
“I just hope it heals soon.” I looked down at my hands. “I hope I’m making the right decision about the doctor.” A tear slid out of my eye.
Cody brushed it off my cheek. “We all hope so.”
Sarah stood. “Let’s get this bandaged.”
“We can take of care of it,” Samantha said. “You should get back before it gets dark. Dacia won’t be able to save you tonight.”
“Are you sure?” Sarah asked.
“Yeah. Oh, and I’ll be sleeping there.” Cody pointed at Big Bird. His voice left no room for argument. “Hope you don’t mind.”
“For the record, Cody, you cannot be in the girls’ dorm after ten at night.” She shook her finger at him. “Unofficially, I think it’s a great idea. We all need to watch out for each other.”
Cody relaxed his stance. “Want me to walk you back?”
“Thank you. No,” Sarah said. “I’ll be fine.” She stopped just before the door. “I forgot about this.” She pointed at the floor. “Do you want help cleaning the blood?”
“No,” Samantha answered. “You need to get going. Me and Cody will take care of it. Right, Cody?”
“No, I’ll do it.” I fought to hold a yawn in, but it pushed my jaws apart. “It’s my blood, not yours.”
“Dacia, you’ll sit there ‘til your leg heals,” Cody ordered. “We’ll take care of you. You have to let us.”
Sarah looked me in the eyes and said, “Get some rest.”
I tilted my head back, closed my eyes and tried to heal my injuries. I needed to be better before Nefarious’ next attack.
Chapter 29
Plagued By Nightmares
The light from the exit shines in front of me. With a newfound sense of determination, I fly outside. I turn to see if Nefarious is behind me. His claws rip through my burnt flesh like a hot knife through butter, and he pulls me toward him.
Just outside the cave, hiding behind some bushes, I see her. The unmistakable coal black hair of Cassandra glistens in the sun.
I jerked my leg up and gripped the arms of the chair. My knuckles whitened as I tried to fight off the pain.
“Dacia, breathe.” Cody pried my fingers up and squeezed my hand. With his other hand, he brushed the hair off my face. “You’re going to hyperventilate.”
Shallow breaths dimmed my eyesight.
“Just a nightmare.”
“Not your nightmares. Your nightmares are dangerous … life-threatening nightmares.”
“What’s your point?”
“Don’t pass it off as just a nightmare.” His fingers gently stroked my cheek, calming me. “They’re a big deal.”
“She was there,” I muttered.
“Who?”
It took me a second to process his question. Of course, he doesn’t know. Nightmare. I shook my head, silently reprimanding myself for being stupid. “Cassandra. I can’t believe she just watched him try to kill me.”
“What?”
“She hid behind the bushes. I didn’t notice when it happened, but in my dream, I saw her as plain as day. Everything Nefarious or I said or did was exactly the way I remember it, down to the last detail. I probably saw her, but it didn’t connect.” I closed my eyes and focused on that image. “I’m sure she was there, though.”
Cody rubbed the back of his neck. “Not good.”
“Where’s Samantha?”
He looked at the door. “Washing. We got covered in blood.”
They shouldn’t have to take care of me. I’m supposed to be the strong one. I should take care of them. I threw the blanket to the side and gasped.
“What’s wrong?” Cody asked.
The lump in my throat kept me from answering. I nodded at my leg. The bandages were soaked in blood. I should’ve known. I got injured in a dream. Of course, the wound reopened.
Rocking back on his heels, Cody said, “I’ll get something to stop the bleeding.”
“Just use the blanket.” I leaned my head back and closed my eyes. “It’s probably covered already.”
He grabbed it and looked at his bloody hand. “Yeah. Bandages off or blanket on top of them?”
“Just cover it. I’ll take the bandages off when it stops bleeding.”
Cody put pressure on my leg, and I inhaled sharply.
“Sorry.” His eyes pinched together in an expression more pained than mine.
“I know, but it hurts like hell,” I told him through clenched teeth.
After a few minutes of unbelievable pain, Cody released the pressure. The room spun, and darkness pulled me under.
The crisp morning air combined with my walk invigorates me. After three days, it’s great to walk without a limp. I close my eyes and lift my face to the sun. Who knows how much longer I have to enjoy the simple things.
I continue sauntering to the library. A sudden bout of nausea stops me. My stomach cramps, and I double over in pain. I feel like I’ve been kicked in the gut. I stay there—bent over, grasping my stomach and trying not to throw up.
Then I hear Nefarious’ familiar growl. “You won’t get away from me next time. Your worst nightmares will seem like nothing compared to the torture you and your friends will endure.” His evil laughter echoes across campus.
When his voice trails off, his fiery whip flies through the air. Terrified, I try to run, but my leg won’t hold my weight. I fall to the ground with a thud and roll to the side. The whip strikes the pavement next to my head.
“Dacia.”
I opened my eyes to a dark room. Cody sto
od above me. His hair was tousled. “You okay?”
“What time is it?” My voice sounded scratchy.
“It’s, uh, 2:33 Monday morning.” He knelt beside me. “Are. You. Okay?”
“Nefarious threatened to get to me through my friends.”
Samantha jerked upright in bed and switched on her lamp. “Us?”
I nodded. “He said because I got away, he wouldn’t go easy on me or my friends.” I stared down at my trembling hands. “I’m sorry.”
Samantha’s initial shock wore off. “Not all your dreams come true.”
“Yeah … maybe.”
Cody cupped my chin in his hand and turned my face toward him. “Are you hurt?”
I shook my head. “Nothing new.”
Relief erased stress and fear on his face.
“Do you need anything?” Samantha asked.
My face heated up, and I imagined a wave of red covering my freckles.
Cody’s head tilted to the side. “What?”
I turned away. “Glacier.”
Cody climbed my loft ladder, grabbed my white teddy bear and handed her to me. “You’re so cute when you’re embarrassed.”
I snuggled with Glacier, hoping she could stop the nightmares.
The pink glow of dawn filled the room. I rubbed sleep out of my eyes and stretched. Pain shot through my leg, stealing the air from my lungs.
Heal already. I focused all my energy on my leg. A cooling sensation traveled down my wound, fighting the burn. My shoulders slumped, and my eyelids drooped. Why? I stopped trying to heal myself. Why does it take all my energy?
“Hey, Dacia”— Cody’s voice was rough from sleep—“how long’ve you been awake?”
“A few minutes.”
“How’s your leg?”
“It hurts.” As bad as it did yesterday. “Can you help me up? I’m scared to try it on my own.”
“Yeah, sure.”
Cody put his hands on my waist, and I pressed down on the arms of the chair. As soon as my right leg touched the floor, excruciating pain shot through it. I fell against Cody so hard he had to brace himself to keep from falling.