Dream (The Waking Sleep Book 2)

by Lucy Adler

  Then she closed her eyes.

  “Can I release this poor thing from its prison?” she whispered.

  YOU MAY.

  With her eyes still closed, Daria stretched out her hand to the flower, holding her palm just an inch or two above the stained and lifeless petals.

  “Then I release it,” she said, focusing all her energy on that single thought, to that single end.

  And as she did, a purple light began to roll down from her elbow to her hand.

  It moved slowly and silently. Almost silently, that is.

  In the stillness of the day, Daria could hear the faint rushing sound of the comets that accompanied her dream-state. It was a familiar sound now, and it filled her with confidence.

  The light continued to engulf her arm, now washing over her fingers, down to the tips, as if her normal hand were merely a glove being removed in order to reveal her true substance.

  And as the light finally reached the ends of her fingers, the black stain on the flower’s surface began to shudder, like water responding to deep vibrations.

  Then, the tiniest of drops began to form... and slowly rise into the air.

  As if gravity had been suddenly reversed, they were dripping upwards, so that one, then two, then a dozen, then hundreds of tiny droplets filled the empty space between Daria’s hand and the flower.

  And the petals were blue again, the stem as green as the grassy field.

  Her eyes still closed, Daria didn’t need to see it to know that the flower was now free.

  She felt its release. It’s return to its natural self.

  But she also felt that her part in the process was not yet complete.

  And so she continued to focus. Listening and waiting.

  BEAR IT.

  “What?”

  BEAR IT.

  “What does that mean?”

  But the voice didn’t repeat itself another time.

  Daria frowned but didn’t break her concentration.

  Her arm was still shining, the droplets still hovering between her hand and the flower.

  She took a deep breath.

  “I don’t understand, but I’m willing.”

  Then, all at once, a fiery pain pierced her finger tips, sending a burning sensation throughout her hand and up her forearm.

  It was so sudden and intense that she felt as if the wind had been knocked out of her.

  She gasped and coughed, pressing her hand to her chest.

  And at the same time, she tried to listen.

  Tried to see if there was anything else to hear.

  But there was nothing.

  The voice was silent.

  And as the pain subsided, Daria felt the moment coming to a close.

  She opened her eyes and looked down at her hands.

  Her right was just as she remembered it. A soft white palm, a slightly tanned back.

  Her left, however...

  That was the hand that had reached out to the flower.

  The hand that had channeled the light... and lifted the darkness.

  Now, there was a narrow marking running along its back.

  It traced a path from the tip of her index finger down to her wrist, as though one of her veins had been charred in a fire.

  She touched it with her other hand. It was sensitive but it didn’t hurt.

  Then, through her fingers, she caught sight of the flower.

  She leaned over it and took a deep breath, its vibrant colour and enchanting fragrance filling her senses. She glanced around and took in the beauty of the day, a beauty now made whole and complete.

  And she forgot about the pain.

  ____________________________

  Daria was rubbing her left hand as she came down to breakfast that morning.

  “Hey Dashy!” Brix said, greeting her with a smile and a hug.

  “Hey, how are you feeling?”

  “Getting better, I think. I’m remembering some more things, so that’s good.”

  “Like what?” Daria asked as they sat down at the table. The smell of whatever was baking in the oven was a little distracting. Her stomach growled.

  “I remembered you rescuing me from the Institute.”

  “Really? That’s great. I mean, not the greatest memory, of course!”

  “And I remembered the couple of days at the cabin, then our trip out here. So that’s good.”

  “Awesome!”

  Daria’s stomach growled again. This time, her friend heard it, too.

  “Sorry!” Daria said, a little embarrassed.

  “Don’t be!” Brix laughed. “I can’t wait for these... what are they again?” she asked, looking over at Max who was in his usual place behind the peninsula that divided the dining area from the kitchen.

  “Scones! The best Devonshire scones you’ll ever have. Minus the clotted cream, unfortunately!” he said apologetically.

  “Clotted cream?” Daria replied, scrunching up her nose. “Sounds like it’s spoiled or something.”

  Max shook his head and made a ‘tsk tsk’ sound.

  “You kids today,” he muttered as he opened the oven door to check on his creations.

  They enjoyed their breakfast that morning in relative silence as the sheer pleasure of a perfectly baked scone with generous helpings of raspberry jam and whipped cream banished any other thoughts from their minds.

  Just as they were finishing up, they heard someone entering the house.

  “Hello!”

  Helena made her way into the dining room and joined them at the table.

  “Scones? You’re too much, Max!” she laughed.

  “So, here to whisk Daria off for another lesson?” he asked.

  “Actually, no. I’m here because we need to move Jake.”

  “Move him?” Daria asked. “Where?”

  “We’ve already pushed it keeping him on fluids for several days now. It’s not good for his body. We need to get him to a proper medical facility.”

  “You’re not taking him back to Progress, are you?”

  “No! Goodness, no. That would be too risky, after what happened at the Institute. There’s a hospital in Billings, about four hours from here. We’ll take him up there.”

  “But what can they do for him? If some kind of dark power did this to him, how can they undo it?”

  “It’s not about undoing anything. It’s just about supporting his physical body until he breaks free from whatever it is that’s taken hold of him.”

  “Won’t they be suspicious?”

  “Remember I told you that there are sympathetic ‘neighbours’ outside the park, just like Clarence? Well, we know a doctor in Billings - a medical doctor only, not a Guild member - who will make sure he’s cared for without any difficult questions. For a while, at least.”

  Daria looked down at the table.

  At her hands.

  She turned over the left one and ran her fingers along the back of it.

  “Maybe I can do something,” she said quietly. Then she looked up at Helena. “Maybe I can, you know, release him?”

  “If you feel like you should try,” Helena replied. “But you’ll need to try now. We’re expecting more snow later today, so it would be best to get on the road as soon as possible.”

  Daria nodded. Without hesitating, she pushed back her chair and headed for Jake’s room.

  ____________________________

  She tried not to let herself get distracted. She had visited Jake everyday since... well, since whatever it was had happened to him. But she could never get used to seeing him with that IV coming out of his arm. It not only made her sad, but it was also kind of creepy.

  She stood over him for minute, taking a few deep breaths and trying to focus her mind.

  Where do I start?

  I guess I just pretend he’s a flower.

  She laughed just a little to herself.

  I don’t think Jake would appreciate me calling him a flower!

  Hopefully we can laugh about it to
gether, soon...

  She knelt down beside him.

  Where do I put my hand? Does it even matter?

  She stretched out her left hand, holding it a few inches over his arm, the one with the IV. Then she moved down to his hand, then up over his chest. Finally, she decided on his hand again.

  Don’t overthink it.

  Just feel it, and go with it.

  Easy peasy.

  She closed her eyes and her breathing slowed.

  Her face was calm and steady.

  Her body was as still as Jake’s.

  And it was as if the same calm, the same stillness, slowly extended like a halo around them. The very air in the room seemed to hang motionless. Not a single sound reverberated through the walls.

  Daria lost all track of time. But to the casual observer, the scene lasted about ten minutes.

  Then something began to happen.

  Rays of light began to dance along the walls and ceiling.

  A few at first, then they grew in size and number, until eventually they merged into a solid glow that illuminated the entire room.

  A purple glow.

  The stillness of Daria’s body and the space around her contrasted with the flowing, swirling, pulsating display that emanated from her left hand. So too the perfect silence that enveloped them only magnified the beauty of that ancient light now piercing time and space.

  And the glow not only illuminated the walls and ceiling, but also Jake’s entire body, especially the hand closest to Daria’s. There, the light was so bright, it almost seemed as if it might shine through him, revealing every bone, every vein and tendon along the way.

  But the ancient light wasn’t interested in flesh. Instead, it pierced deeper than his physical form.

  From the tips of his fingers, the light began to fill Jake’s hand.

  And his hand began to twitch.

  It shuddered and shook.

  Then, suddenly, something came from the other direction.

  As the light streamed in through his fingertips, a shadow poured down from his upper arm, as if someone had spilled a can of black paint.

  And as the shadow met the light, Jake’s entire body began to tremble.

  From head to toe, he shook in his bed, the frame creaking and knocking against the wall.

  But Daria remained perfectly still.

  The light from her hand continued to shine.

  And as the dense black shadow reached his palm, it fractured - first into threads, then specks, like tiny droplets.

  They seemed as if they were obeying something, some unspoken order, as they followed the path of the light from Jake’s hand up to Daria’s fingers, floating like leaves in the wind through the space between them.

  The scene lasted only a few minutes more.

  The shadow was at last exhausted, its wave now a mere trickle, absorbed in silence by the ancient light.

  Jake’s body had settled. He was once again still and at rest.

  Daria’s hand slowly faded to its normal colour.

  The halo, too, that had insulated them from every sound and movement now dissipated.

  But just before they were able to open their eyes in the last fleeting moments of its peaceful embrace, something startled them.

  Banging.

  Shattering glass.

  And an awful shriek.

  ____________________________

  “Did we know each other?”

  “No, not really. But I felt like I knew you! Daria was really worried when she thought you were in trouble. So I guess I started worrying, like you were my friend, too. I think we all did,” Aury said, looking over at Max seated at the far end of the table.

  “That’s sweet of you,” Brix replied. “Thank you.”

  “We wouldn’t wish that place on anyone!” Max added.

  “Ugh,” Aury said with a grimace, “that’s for sure!”

  “And were you there, too?” Brix asked Phillip, who had been sitting quietly at the other end of the table.

  “No,” he started to reply, then he corrected himself. “Well, yes, I was there. But no, I wasn’t with them. I actually worked at the CMI, until recently.”

  He glanced at Aury who caught herself staring at him and quickly looked down at the table.

  Brix squinted and rubbed her temple. Then she focused on Phillip again.

  “Did we meet there?” she asked.

  “Nope,” he replied matter-of-factly, giving her a polite smile as he did.

  “Are you sure?”

  “Definitely. Why?”

  Brix suddenly twitched and jerked forward a little, as though her stomach were spasming. She rubbed both sides of her head now, and her face looked pained.

  “Are you alright?” Helena asked. She was still with them at the table, waiting around to see how things went with Daria and Jake.

  Brix sat up straight again and shook her head, like an animal shaking water from its fur. Then she looked at Phillip again.

  “I just have this feeling like you’re familiar. Like something inside me knows...”

  She trailed off, her eyes slowly closing. She seemed to be falling asleep mid-sentence.

  But then, all at once, her eyelids snapped open as she rose to her feet with force, knocking the chair over behind her.

  “Brix!” Helena cried, standing up and placing her hand on the girl’s shoulder. Everyone else, except Max, jumped to their feet as well.

  “What’s happening?” Aury asked, her voice clearly frightened.

  Brix leaned forward onto the table, her arms shaking, her breathing laboured. She gritted her teeth and let out a deep, tortured groan.

  She grabbed the glass she had been drinking from and hurled it down the table to her left. It wizzed past Phillip, barely missing him before crashing through the window behind his chair.

  Then she stumbled on her feet for a moment, her eyes drooping again. She swayed left, then right, and Helena tried to steady her. She took her by the arm and pulled her towards her own chair, attempting to make the girl sit down again.

  But just as Brix was bending her knees to sit, another jolt of whatever it was that was motivating her shot through her body.

  She jerked herself away from Helena and took two steps towards Phillip.

  She lowered her head, and her brow, and gave him an awful look, full of hatred and violence.

  She gritted her teeth again. Only this time, she didn’t groan in pain. It was more like she growled in unbridled aggression.

  Phillip backed up a couple of steps. He looked past Brix, at Helena.

  The older woman had stopped trying to subdue the girl and was now closing her eyes. She stood still, her right hand raised, palm out.

  Phillip’s gaze returned to Brix, whose own eyes were now filling with a fiery red glow.

  She took another step towards him.

  “Stop it!” Aury shouted. She quickly rounded the table and stood beside her new friend.

  “Let’s just calm down,” Max said. “Come on, Brix. Don’t do anything stupid.”

  The girl’s head swung around and she let out another vicious growl. Her breathing had become so heavy, she seemed like a bull preparing to charge.

  Then she fixed her eyes on Phillip again and started to take another step towards him.

  But as she lifted her foot, she was suddenly frozen in place.

  Like a frightened animal, she began to twist and pull and wrench at her own body, attempting to break free of whatever was holding her. But the more she struggled, the less she was able to move. From her feet to her hips, then her shoulders and arms. The girl became like a manikin, locked in a moment of panic and rage.

  Then she let out the most awful, horrible sound.

  A piercing, tormented shriek.

  Aury covered her ears with her hands. Phillip winced and turned his head away.

  The girl’s voice finally petered out only as her strength waned.

  Then she closed her eyes and stopped fighting the unseen
force that had restrained her. And as she did, her body collapsed to the floor with a dull, painful thud.

  ____________________________

  “What’s going on?” Daria asked as she came running into the dining room. Then she saw a chair lying on its back, and her friend beside it on the floor.

  “What happened to her?”

  Helena was kneeling, touching Brix’s forehead. Aury was still standing beside Phillip, her heart racing. Max was the one who finally answered.

  “Your friend had an ‘episode’.”

  Daria didn’t even want to ask. She didn’t need to.

  She knelt down beside Helena.

  “Was it bad?”

  “Could have been,” the older woman replied. “I managed to stop her before it got that far.”

  Daria shook her head in grief and disappointment.

  “With the memory loss, I was kind of hoping it meant she was wiped clean, you know? Like maybe she was starting over without his influence.”

  “I was hoping the same,” Helena nodded. “But I think we need to move her now.”

  “Where?”

  “The same hospital where we’re taking Jake.”

  “Oh, it worked! He’s fine now! How awesome is that? A little groggy, but he’s awake! I left him in his room when I heard the screaming.”

  “That’s wonderful news. Alright, then maybe we just take her and let him be. Might be safer anyway, in case she wakes up and the darkness takes over again.”

  “What can the hospital do for her, though?” Daria asked, a little confused.

  “She hit her head pretty hard when she fell. And she was already having trouble remembering. Might be a good idea to have her examined.”

  “Can’t the healers help her?”

  “Honestly, Daria, at this point I think it would be safer if we get her out of the settlement. I want to help her. I really do. But not here.”

  “Alright,” Daria conceded. She knew it was the right thing to do. She knew that Helena had been patient enough. They couldn’t risk another fire, another person left unconscious for days - or something worse.

  “But I want to go with you,” she added, giving Helena a firm look.

  “That’s fine. And I’ll have Brett drive. I’d feel more comfortable with three of us there.”