Solstice

Chapter Five

I sat on my bed, twirling my hair round my finger. So much was going on. Too much. When I first saw this place I thought to myself Wow I'm going to be deserted, lonely and bored. Oh wow, now I wish I was right. Out of all people I thought I would be the least likely to be fretting over a boy. Let alone a boy I have never even met or talked to. All I know about him is that he is tall, dark, handsome, dreamy, perfe... No!! Bad Aimee !! Don't be thinking those naughty thoughts.

I shook my head furiously. Agh stupid mind never shuts up. You would have thought that after the ...accident that would be in hospital but no, here I am being bored, lying on my bed with a throbbing headache.

I looked around the room for something to occupy my time, something to get my mind off....him. I could play on my computer, or practice my archery in the garden or read a book or....A BOOK. I shot off my bed and looked under it and sure enough, sitting under my bed acting innocent, covered in dust was the mysterious book. I was convinced that it was just a dream, just a hallucination, a trick of the eye. But was it really?? I eyed the book cautiously.

"Only one way to find out."

I announced, lying on the floor and reaching under my bed. I retrieved the book and brought it to my study table. Stroking the cover gently, I blew out a big puff of air, blowing some dust off the cover.

I looked down at the purple cover I sighed.

"Here goes nothing."

I muttered, closing my eyes and opening the book on a random page. I opened my eyes carefully and stared down at the page. A gorgeous pair of wolves decorated it. Their wad a snow white wolf running down the side of the page and a pure black one just behind it nipping its tail. The image was so lifelike, so real. You could see every line, every brushstroke. Moving my hand over the page I looked at the text.

Arkitel glancieno

Solaripio quenzeyra

As soon as the words left my lips I covered them. I wasn't meant to repeat them out loud. What was going to happen?? Nothing happened. Then my vision went blurry then I had no vision at all.

I was looking down on myself again although this time I wasn't lying on grey concrete. Instead I was lying on the forest floor, bathed in multicoloured autumn leaves. Like in the last dream I woke up and scanned my surroundings. But unlike the last dream I could sense everything around me. I smelt the trees and felt the leaves crunching beneath my feet. I heard the swallows singing in the sky and tasted the crisp autumn air. I cautiously started walking. I didn't know where I was going but it felt like my destination was this way. I walked for a few more minutes, passing young deer, drowsy hedgehogs and squirrels desperate to find the last few acorns for their hoard. I stopped walking. Something told me to. A voice??

My mouth hung in an 'O' shape. In front of me stood the most beautiful sight I had ever seen. A clearing in the woods. Skirting the perimeter was little stones that glimmered and shimmered in the sun. Quartz it had to be. I looked up to see hundreds of trees arching over the clearing , leaving only one gap. Through this gap poured a single ray of sunshine. I followed the beam with my eyes, gasping at where it ended.

There at the end of the golden beam was a huge rock formation bearing a thin turquoise ribbon of water pouring from the top. It created a silver mist as it hit the azure pool below it. The ray of sunshine collided with the mist, projecting hundreds of rainbows all around the clearing. I took a step towards the beam. There was something odd about it, almost....magical. I lifted my hand up reaching to grasp the light. My fingers were just about to brush off it when I collapsed, unconscious.

"Not now."

The voice from before said softly.

___________________________________

I jolted up, eyes wide with fright. What was happening to me?? Looked down. I was in my bed and I was drenched in sweat. I looked at the alarm clock. 7:04 the neon red digits said. I exhaled deeply and got out of bed slowly and carefully, scared of what could happen.

I got dressed in casual clothes and went to walk out of my bedroom. But something caught my eye. A Purple flash caught my eye. I twisted around and faced it. Sitting on my desk like nothing had happened was the book. How had it even got there.

I turned on my heel and sprinted down the stairs, shaking my head as I went. I skid to a halt when I saw my brother down the hall. Maybe he could help me. It was worth a try.

"Alex"

He turned to face me. He looked deep in thought, his eyebrows furrowed and eyes steely but he instantly broke into a smile when he saw me.

"What's wrong?"

He asked as I walked up to him.

"Is it that obvious ??"

I asked scratching my head in embarrassment. He cast me a look of sympathy before pulling me in for a hug. I took his hug and buried my head in his shoulder.

My brother and I had a special bond. We just understood each other. We knew what the other was feeling and when they were feeling it. After mom disappeared Alex fell into depression. He didn't eat, didn't drink and didn't come out of his room. Then one day he came out of his room and acted like nothing had ever happened.

I on the other hand was just to shocked to speak. I wouldn't talk to anybody. I wouldn't react to anybody and sometimes I'd just dissapear from the world into my own little universe, full of hopes, dreams and wishes.

After a while I begun to nod or shake my head. I began to react to what people were saying and eventually I started giving one word answers.

I pulled away from my twins shoulder only to see a wet patch had formed where my head once was. I sent him a weak smile before trying to brush away my tears.

"What's wrong with me??"

I asked. Alex looked at me and tilted my head up to look at him.

"Your perfect Aims, there's nothing wrong with you."

I loved my brother I really did but I didn't have the guts to tell him that's not what I meant.

"..I've been having weird dreams, hearing weird voices and seeing weird things. I'm a psycho Alex. I belong in a mental hospital. I have this voice in the back of my head that actually talks to me. It tells me what to do. And I do it."

Alex looked at me blankly, trying to conceal his emotions. But I knew him too well. Hidden, masked behind his glassy eyes grief, anger, surprise and....excitement swam around. He blinked several times. Then he stiffened, standing at his proper height he muttered a:

"I have to do something..."

Before striding away his steps thundering through the house,.sending vibrations through the walls when he slammed the door behind him.

I collapsed to the ground, my head in between my knees, sobbing loudly. My brother. My very own brother thought I was a delusional freak !!!!