“Correct.” It confirmed my thoughts. “Fascinating, isn’t it?”
“It seems I have a very vivid imagination when I sleep.”
“Silly girl.” It said. “You know, there aren’t many who can do what you’re capable of doing.”
“Creating nightmares? I hardly think I’m unique in that way.”
He talked over me as if I hadn’t said anything at all.
“It’s quite an inconvenience on my end actually.”
“Yeah, well join that club. There are a lot of things I find inconvenient these days. Why do you have these reapers watching me?” I asked again before he could distract me again.
“To keep an eye on you.” It said very simply.
“You’re responses are very vague.” I complained.
“Don’t worry about any of that right now. My introduction was merely a test.”
“You didn’t actually introduce yourself, but I’ll play along. What was this test and why am I being tested?”
“To see just how strong you are.”
I thought about that and it couldn’t hurt to ask. “Did I pass?”
“Of course you did. “
“Glad to know I’m living up to expectations.”
“I knew you would be strong, but exactly how strong you are, was the real question. I have my work cut out for me, but everyone has their weakness. Even you, Sara.”
“I don’t understand anything you’re saying.”
“No you wouldn’t would you. Just like right now, you’re always in the dark and it’s not very easy finding your way around is it?
“It’s even harder when I’m being talked to in riddles. So, if you’re done I’d like to go back to bed now.”
I yawned and stretched the muscles in my neck and shoulder, hoping to relieve some of the tension that was embedded into the tissue, weighing me down.
The ear piercing laugh had me gritting my teeth.
“Sorry.” It said, not really meaning it.
“I take it I said something funny, which means I’m not going back to bed yet, am I?”
“Sorry, but no. You may have passed my test, but –” he sighed annoyed, “my idiot reapers didn’t see this coming and now you’ll have to face them.” It sounded excited about the last part.
“Somehow that doesn’t sound as much fun for me as you seem to think its going to be.”
“You’re right, maybe not for you.”
“That’s what I was afraid of.” I was too tired to feel anything inside this dream. Including fear at his words. “Let’s get this over with, I’m tired and I’d like to wake up soon.”
“Yes I suppose you would. You look tired.” The snickering was really starting to get on my nerves.
Was everything an inside joke I didn’t understand? I thought.
“As you can see I haven’t been sleeping very well.” I said as I stood here talking to basically myself.
“Are you sure that’s what it is?”
I frowned. “Well, now I’m not.”
“Goodbye Sara.”
I waited for some thing to happen following the new silence, but nothing did and I could sense that I was alone again. I could hear the sounds of wildlife beyond the tangled mess of jungle landscape in front of me. Like every time before, everything seemed so real. I could feel the damp debris below my feet and feel the sultry humid air hanging around my body, making my skin sticky with it’s after effect.
I wanted to stay put until the dream eventually got bored with my incorporation and I was finally able to wake up, but I couldn’t control the curiosity that was building inside of me. The urge to venture further into the dream managed to overwhelm me into submission and I closed my eyes and took off into the direction my feet led me.
The ground was littered with thick roots that struck out from the moist earth like booby traps and connected to gigantic trees that looked as if they made a path to the sky. I used their thick, rough trunks to help guide myself through the traps so I wouldn’t fall face first.
I could smell the fresh clean puddles of water my toes kept finding, hidden beneath the fallen leaves –most of which were almost as long as I was. It wasn’t raining, but I could feel each drop of water as it slipped off the bright green leaves, falling down to the earth below and landing with a splash on my skin. The smell was so fresh and cool against my hot skin that I wanted to surround myself with it. I turned my face toward the sky and stuck my tongue out trying to grab the water with my tongue. I managed to get a few and it tasted like heaven on my tongue.
I maneuvered my way through the jungle’s maze, climbing over anything that got in my way. I couldn’t hear much, except for the wild life that was all around me, it made it easier to keep going when I didn’t try to figure out what was on the other end of each sound I heard, dream or not, you still feared the unknown.
I froze.
I didn’t breathe, scratch that, I couldn’t breathe, I didn’t even blink as I stood there listening to the sounds that I could actually identify. I didn’t need to squint to see the soft glow of light several hundred feet in front of me. It would have helped if it were a little brighter as I tried to focus on what the light was. The light swelled brighter and I realized it was a camp fire.
“What the hell?” The first voice said.
“Calm that fire down, before she sees it!” A second voice complained.
“Keep your voices down both of you.” The third one said.
She? I thought. Were they talking about me?
This dream had taken another weird turn and I was confused.
I quietly moved closer, careful not to step on anything that would made a sound and give me away to the three shadows. Right now that’s what they looked like as they were cast by the fire they sat around.
“If she makes our location we’re in deep shit.”
“We all know she is going too. This was a suicide mission.”
“Of course it was! It’s taking the three of us to hold this crappy thing together. We’re not much of a threat or match to her.”
Oh yes, please, more code talk.
I couldn’t make out what exactly it was that I was looking at, but as I got closer I realized there was no actual fire. I could see the glow of the light and I could see the shadows it cast, but I couldn’t actually see flames or bodies. It didn’t make any sense to me and I was determined to get closer.
I was still several feet from the glow of light and the voices, when I noticed something was off. It was like I was looking at a transparent wall in front of me and the closer I got to get it the more it rippled and the imagine in front of me shook. Just like in the dreams I had when I had been embedded into thick layers of ice.
Slowly I reached out touching the barrier in front of me causing blue streaks of electric ripples to form and spread out from where my finger was disturbing it. I was intrigued and I ran my fingers through the obstruction and watched as the colors blurred and blended between my fingers causing the entire wall to shake and tremble.
“Do you feel that?” I heard one of the voices say and immediately I snatched my hand back.
“Do you think it’s-“
“Hush!” the voice barked.
I hid behind the nearest tree, crouching low, watching as the shadows danced around, I still couldn’t make out their figures.
I was frustrated that I still couldn’t see them and I knew that it had something to do with whatever was the partition in front of me was. Feeling around the ground, my fingers searched until I found what I was looking for. Looking down at the smooth rock, I threw it toward the wall with all the force I could. I didn’t know what I expected to happen, but it certainly wasn’t nothing at all. The only thing I had managed to do was create more ripples that spread out even farther this time.
I sat there concentrating on the light - I didn’t know what else I could do to get rid of the wall. Looking down at my hands I remembered what I had done in my hallucination when I had created him. I th
ought back on what he had told me to do, shrugging to myself I figured it would hurt to give it a try again, but just like before I didn’t really know what I was doing.
Lifting my hands I cupped them together and interlaced my fingers before focusing on the center point between my hands. Closing my eyes I focused, seeing the light I wanted to create there. I could feel the power and the energy burning underneath the surface of my skin as it traveled to my fingertips, building there until it swirled out, flowing out of my fingers and forming a ball of light.
I smiled to myself.
I focused hard on the light on the other side, until the glow of the fire dimmed and hissed as it slowly started to burn out and everything around me was swallowed by the darkness. I could hear the anxious whispers of the three voices as they realized what was happening, something I had yet to do.
The ball of light swirling inside of my hands, flared bright with each breath I took, with each beat of my heart. Looking at the wall, I aimed throwing the light toward it and watched as it shattered almost like glass. Colors burst and bled in each other, until all evidence of whatever it had been was gone. It wasn’t until then that I could see the last of the fire go out leaving ribbons of smoke in its place. I could hear the shuffling of feet as the dark figures looked for the nearest shadow to camouflage with.
Turning around, I flattened myself against the tree and held my breath, listening for any sound that would give away their positions, but I heard nothing, but the hiss of the smoldering flames.
It took a few minutes for my eyes to readjust to the darkness and I was able to see again. I didn’t want to turn around and look behind me again because I didn’t know where they were and I didn’t know what would happen if they saw me before I could find them. I knew there was only one thing I could do.
Run
I took off running, jumping over anything and everything that got in my way. I didn’t know where I was running too, but I hoped it wouldn’t be long until I woke up. I was no longer intrigued by this dream anymore and waking up seemed like a fabulous idea, but it didn’t seem too matter that I was running so fast my legs felt like they were going to disintegrate at any moment, or that I was being torn apart by the branches and twigs that stuck out from the trees that lined my path. Nope, none of that was enough to force me back into reality and all I could do was continue running.
Wake up Sara! Please! Wake up! I was begging myself, hoping if I screamed the command loud enough, I would finally do it, but unfortunately for me – I wasn’t listening.
Up until now I hadn’t heard anyone following, but to my ultimate dismay that was no longer the case and I could hear them closing in on me. Fast. I had no idea where I was going, but I hoped I would find some place to hide soon. I continued to fly by tree after tree with no hope of escape when I heard one of them yelling.
“Put it up!”
I made the mistake of letting that distract me and I looked behind me trying to see if I could see anyone, but there was nothing except the blur of darkness. I turned back around before I ended up tripping on something and that’s when I saw it.
What the hell!
I tried skidding to a halt, but I didn’t have enough room too completely stop and I slammed into the wall with my shoulder. Cursing, I grabbed my arm and gritted my teeth against the shooting pain that was raced through the muscle. I turned, pressing my back against the wall - that had appeared out of nowhere - and pleaded with my knees to not give out.
My eyes darted around, back and forth, searching franticly for the shadowed figures. I could still hear their foot steps as they fell hard against the ground, coming for me.
His eyes gave him away, the smoky grey tint shined noticeably against the night as he ran straight for me with no signs of slowing down.
I held up my hand, hoping to shield the hit and I felt the force explode from my palm. I heard him grunt as he was jolted in the chest by the blow and was sent flying backwards. I wasn’t expecting that to happen and I didn’t have time to catch myself from the aftermath, before I tripped over myself landing hard on my butt. I didn’t have time to recover from the fall before I was being attacked by one of the other two figures. Dark hands, hands made of the same black fog that plagued all of my dreams, reached out grabbing my thigh yanking me toward him. Focusing all of my fear and anger, I felt the energy building once again inside of my and I threw my hand toward him, throwing him into a tree.
Scrambling to my feet I ignored the spot on my thigh I could feel burning as I was branded with another mark. I took off running, aware that there was still one more out there, but I wasn’t going to stick around until he was ready to come after me.
I slipped easily through the trees this time, feeling more comfortable that I knew what I was doing and would be able to avoid any tragic falls. I could see light as dawn filtered through the tree and I pushed myself harder and faster, making it my goal to reach the edge of the light. As I got closer to the light I could see my surroundings out the corner of my eyes as it began to tremble and shake with each heavy step I took.
I realized then that the third figure was following me, and he was catching up fast. I ran faster wanting to get to the light before he could catch me, but that didn’t look like it was going to happen. Every time I turned around only distracted me and he was able to use that toward his advantage. He was right behind me, so close that I didn’t need to turn around again because I could hear his footsteps.
As I reached the end of the jungle I could see the same transparent wall, but I didn’t stop running. His hand shot out grabbing my arm briefly, but I managed to wrestle it free. Holding my breath, I ran through the wall and was glad when I was able to slip past it with no resistance. The light exploded against my face once I was on the other and I turning around, watching as it did the same thing the other wall had did, until there was nothing left including the figure. I slowed down trying to catch my breath as I realized I was back in my back yard again. Bending over, I rested my hands on my knees sucking in as much oxygen as I could.
Exhausted I fell backwards landing on my butt, I took several more deep breath before lying back on the grass. Eventually consciousness faded into sleep and there was nothing I could do about it.
I didn’t know how long I had been lying here, but I knew it had to have been awhile and when I finally managed open my eyes the sun was shining brightly on me. I always had a perfect spotlight whenever I was in contact with the sun and right now I glorified in it. I could feel the warm rays sinking into my skin, my body was absorbing the much needed vitamin D, and I felt like I was being rejuvenated after this morning sleep walking.
Sitting up, I looked around.
There were no more signs of invisible walls, dark shadowed figures and my hands didn’t seem to be shooting out anymore mystic swirls of light. As much as I wanted to continue to believe that I was sleep walking, that what I had experienced this morning was nothing more then an over active nightmare, I couldn’t ignore the two new black handprints tattooed on my thigh and upper arm. Nightmares didn’t leave physical impressions to be carried as a constant reminder of something you wanted to forget as soon as freakin possible.
Examining the two new imprints, they looked just like the one on my ankle. Squinting, I looked at the fabric on my pajama shorts and then inspected the elbow length sleeve on my top. Frowning, I touched the scorched edges around the handprint. It hand completely burned through the thin material to my skin, leaving a hand shaped hole in my top and bottoms. Rubbing my bare thighs, I tried to push away this new mystery.
I knew all of this had something to do with everything that had happened up in those mountains, I just didn’t know what, how or why, but I knew Andres would know. I thought about telling him, hoping that maybe he would finally tell me what was going on, but I was worried this would just be one more thing he would keep from me and I couldn’t handle that right now. I couldn’t handle anymore of his lies.
There was one other person who migh
t know what these marking meant, someone who I was almost positive had been in those mountains with me.
Saving me, always saving me.
After last night, there was almost no doubt in my mind that Adan had been there, in my head. How? I didn’t know, but I planned on finding out today and hopefully he would be able to answer all of my questions. Everything Andres was hiding from me. There was still a little part of me that thought I was just going crazy and wanting desperately for Adan to be the one, but too many things were starting to add up and I didn’t feel like pushing them away anymore.
I looked back at the house, my doors were still opened, but it didn’t look like Andres was up yet and that was surprising after his warning last night about keeping our workout. Getting to my feet, I walked slowly back toward the house and into my room shutting and locking the doors behind me. With every step I took I could feel the dark invasions scorching my skin. It was painless sensation, but it made my skin crawl.
I had to be at work in a couple hours and I didn’t plan on sticking around here until then. I had to find Adan, there was so much I wanted to tell him and I wasn’t afraid to do it anymore. I also needed to find Scott too. He had left me last night with time to think about what I wanted and I didn’t need anymore time.
I had his answers
Flutter
Fourteen
Sparks fly
I figured if I walked around long enough, he would eventually find me.
Adan seemed to always know where I was at all times, and since I didn’t have a clue where to start looking for him, I thought it was easier to let him come to me. He had said he was staying at a hotel last night, but he didn’t mention the name of the hotel, and other then where he was staying I realized I had no clue what he did during the time he wasn’t with me. I made a mental note to ask him.
Flutter (The Discover Series) Page 33