Chapter Twenty Seven
I awoke to the disgusting odor of smelling salts being waved back and forth under my nose. I coughed and choked from the stench. Pushing Celeste’s hand away from my face, I inhaled some fresh air.
“It’s okay, Ember. You just had a little scare, but everything is fine now, I assure you,” Celeste said in her quiet manner.
I was being held in Tray’s arms so I knew I was safe. But I was currently shaking all over from adrenaline. It surged through my veins like a speeding train.
How much more can I possibly handle??
I was losing my mind, illuminating from time-to-time, these people are glowing blue and now a mute child speaks to me! I felt the insanity threatening to sweep me back into the darkness – an escape…
Tray stood me back on my feet when he thought I was lucid. That might turn out to be a mistake. I was still a raging mental case and about to come unglued any second.
Although I didn’t notice him originally, Boo had been holding my hand since I woke up. He tilted his head sideways as if he were perplexed.
“Not sleep time – sun waked up,” he said clearly.
After Boo made his announcement, he ran back into his room to play. Celeste and Tray were both staring at me again. She was obviously preparing to offer me another reassurance, but I completely lost it before she could speak. I morphed into ‘psychotic-Ember’ right before their eyes.
“No, let me assure you all that I am not fine. I can’t take this madness anymore. You all need to hear me on this issue because I’m not likely gonna come back from the ledge once I go flyin’ over it. I’m losing my mind. I’m crazy – as in, ready for the loony bin and a jacket that snaps shut in the back. I urgently need a padded room…doesn’t anyone here get it?? You’re the blue aliens…well, not Tray – at least not yet he isn’t…
“Creator you can just take me now because it’s not like I’m ever coming back after this craziness. You all really need to listen since I’m not likely to visit any of you again once I’m back to my own alien world…I’m gonna stay there. So here it is…I might be a tentacle-horn sprouting girl, but this is all crazier than that. I assure you that I am many, many things, but I am definitely n-o-t, not, not fine. I’m …talking ttttooo…rubbbber…ddduccckksss…I’m…III ccannn’ttt bbbrrreeeatthheeee. Please… please…Tttrrrayyyy…mmakkke this lllunnaaccyyy…sssttttopppp…” I panted and heaved as the hysteria overtook me.
Celeste and Tray walked me over to the couch. Then she instructed me to lower my head between my knees. I tried to regain control of my breathing as she soothed me.
“Calm down, shh, calm down. Breathe, just breathe…feel the air filling your lungs…calm down, everything’s going to be okay…you’re going to be okay…sshhh…that’s a girl, Ember…quiet your thoughts…” Celeste whispered and rubbed my back in slow, even circles.
My breathing eventually returned to normal. I noticed her light blue aura was surrounding me again. Although it should have sent me back over into insanity, it didn’t. Her light felt like a warm embrace and it calmed me. Once I had control of myself, I leaned back against the couch. My face was flush from my inner fire and severe embarrassment. Celeste smiled at me and then handed me a mug filled with some type of herbal tea.
“You should hold it with both hands – there you go. It should help warm them slowly. That’s a special tea blend. It will help calm your spirit, nerves and mind,” she told me.
“I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to fall to pieces. I really haven’t been myself lately…” I tried to explain, but it sounded pathetically hollow.
“You have nothing to apologize for. In fact, I should be the one apologizing to you. I didn’t expect to walk up there and see those exquisite rainbows you created. Did Boo say anything about them?”
I was rendered speechless, but Celeste didn’t seem to notice. She continued talking in a sane, rational voice.
“Your spirit light was astounding to witness, but that wasn’t the reason I fainted. I was overwhelmed by Boo’s sudden ability to speak. I have seen and heard many unusual things in my life, but that certainly beats them all. When did he first talk to you? I bet it was when the water turned your essences into rainbows. That’s what happens when the element combines with a spirit light, obviously…”
She sounded entirely normal, but I must be misinterpreting the situation. My skin was damp with sweat. I wondered just how long it would be before the cops arrived or worse, the Department of Social Services.
I will need a shower before they lock me away in some underground government facility, for heaven sakes…
I glanced worriedly out of the front window. However the only things of any interest were parked cars and a cat as it ran across the yard. Then I looked at Tray. He was sipping coffee and appeared to be relaxed.
Why wasn’t he ready to grab me and run right out the door?
Then I remembered our conversation from last night. Tray could just use his ability and make everything alright. But he didn’t appear to be doing anything besides listening attentively. I didn’t sense anything wrong or unusual. Everything felt natural. This situation could never be defined as normal.
Since I couldn’t comprehend my new reality, I headed back into the madness. So, I suppose a mute child speaks and a girl makes rainbows with creek water every day around this place. I would have yelled that too, but my voice wasn’t working. I couldn’t hear anything Celeste was saying as my mind sailed over the brink.
Why isn’t Tray zapping her or whatever it is that he does? Why was Celeste still talking about all the madness from earlier? Was this Tray’s master plan – to let her spill all she knew and then erase her memories? If so, he was going to have to erase Rave’s and Boo’s memories as well because they were there to witness it. So for that to work then Tray has to zap me out of existence. That means he will have to erase Boo’s memory to a time where he doesn’t remember meeting me. Whatever I did made him find his voice. Could Tray take this gift of speech from him just to save me from getting locked away in a psycho-ward? That felt so wrong for so many reasons…
I felt the tears beginning to fill my eyes again. I fought against them and forced them to retreat somehow. I tried to concentrate, but my labored mind had become Swiss cheese. So I had to settle for sitting quietly and allowing fate to spin the wheel. It’s not like I had another choice.
Rave placed an old, leather bound book on the coffee table in front of me. Then he winked and smiled. The book didn’t have a title and it was barely held together by a thick, gold thread of some type. Anyone could tell it was an antique. I reached out to feel the leather and considered opening it because I was very curious to look inside, but I decided against it. Maybe it was their private family scrapbook.
“Go ahead, open it, please read,” Celeste offered.
She slid the book closer to me. I did as she requested and read a few lines. It appeared to be a long list of names with what I assumed were dates of birth and death etched beside them. A few pages later, the stories began to unfold. It was her family’s history – written down and recorded for future generations.
Tray thanked her for the coffee, kissed me on the forehead and told me to stay inside. He and Rave returned to the garage to continue their work. Celeste offered me a sandwich and chips. I accepted the food because I was hungry. I thanked her and ate while I read through the pages filled with stories of her ancestors.
The book was filled with lore, history, love stories, tragedies and triumphs. I felt like an intruder sneaking around inside a sacred world of spirits. I expressed this sentiment, but she encouraged me to continue. After two full hours of being consumed in the pages, I found the story that she had wanted me to read all along.
Every word captivated my mind…
It was the beginning of true knowledge…
And nothing in my world would ever be the same again…
Ember Rising Light (Book One) Page 31
