The Five Dimensions Part 1: Shadow World

Chapter 28

I'm falling again. Back into the blackness. But this time I can see glimpses of the things at the bottom. I can't see what it is exactly but it does not look good. It all looks like a big mass of black swirling smoke filled with things that are too horrible for my own imagination to come up with. Monsters, demons, men-like creatures. Occasionally a sweeping tail, or wing, or even a point of a weapon gleams above the smoke.

I try to grab something next to me ― a branch or rock, anything to hold on to and prevent me from falling into the dark mass underneath ― but there is nothing. Just emptiness and immense darkness, pressing painfully into me.

Somewhere from above me, figures start to appear. The figures are vague and ghost-like. Their mouths open and close and I know they are talking to me, but I can't hear them. It's Nolan and my dad, it's their figures in the sky ― a sky that was indistinguishable from the darkness except for the perception of height ― opening and closing their mouths.

They look like big clouds that can only be separated from the color of the sky because of their slightly greyish contrasts. Slowly their voices become louder and louder until they are yelling at me. The clouds begin to rain, but it isn't water that touches my face, it's their words splashing down.

"Betrayer!"

"Betrayer!"

"You betrayed us!"

"You betrayed your own father! Even your best friend!"

"You betrayed the people you can trust!"

"The people who love you!"

"You betrayed us for the enemy!"

"They will kill you!"

"You will die!"

"And all you did was let them!"

"You let them, and you hurt the people you love with it!"

"We will never forgive you!"

"Never!"

"You'll be alone in death!"

"Forever!"

The echoes of their voices ring around in my head over and over again.

Betrayer. Father. Best friend. Enemy. You will die. Hurt the people you love. Never. Death. Forever.

I scream and scream and scream and scream. Make the voices stop, make them stop. I scream again, not wanting to hear what the voices are saying. I'm even trying to push the sounds away by violently covering my hands over my ears. It doesn't work.

Then another form joins them. It is a woman's face. It takes me time to recognize her. But I do and I gasp. With a timid voice I name her: mom?

She is saying something very softly; it's growing louder to a pleasant volume, a stark contrast to the painful yells from the other figures above her. It takes a long time until I can hear what she's telling me. It takes even longer for my mind to comprehend. First comes a feeling of dread that is so strong it makes shivers run down my spine. And then I understand what she's saying, her tone reaching a deeper part of me than the angry yells did:

"Go away.

"Go home.

"LEAVE."

Then I look down, the voices from above still yelling, except my mother's voice is gone. The bottom is coming closer and closer and the smoke starts to back away. I see all the creatures swirling around. That's when the whirlpool below me suddenly becomes clearer. I can see the horrible creatures in all their glory. And I can see the faces of the people holding the weapons. It's the members of Team Beta.

Leonard, Phoenix, Zechariah, Brooke, Marlene, Ruben, and even ... Ashton. There are others too, faces I don't recognize.

I know I'm going to fall into their arms, their arms that are filled with gleaming, sharp weapons. And I will die. I will die a betrayer to my only family, my only friend. I will die and be alone, forever... forever... forever... forever...

And then I fall, my lungs pushing out the last bit of air in the form of an ear-piercing scream.

§

"Hailey! Hailey, wake up! Wake up!" a voice yelled. Hailey opened her eyes. She was sweaty, her fists were filled with balls of cropped-up sheets. Her knuckles were white with tension. People were standing around her bed. She saw their faces and shrieked. Ash's hands came towards her.

"No! NO! Don't touch me! Don't!" Her voice was shaky and rough. Then she saw the weapons the others were holding. Her breath caught and quickly began to fasten to an unnatural speed. Ash held up his hands, showing Hailey that he wasn't touching her.

"I won't ― I won't ― please calm down." His voice was soothing, but it didn't calm her ― not at all, the very opposite of it. Hailey's body began to shake, she had to get out of this place. She had to get away. She had to get home. She had to leave. Whatever the cost, she couldn't let these people take her!

"Hailey, what―" Leo began.

"No! Go away! Please..." Hailey jumped off the bed, to everyone's surprise, and ran out the door. Towards the hallway where the living room was, she had seen the front door at the end of.

When she turned the corner, she saw the door again. But before she could open it herself someone opened from the other side. Ruben's face appeared out of the dark behind the door. Hailey smashed the door open ― the sudden movement of the doorknob being snatched out of his hold seemed to shock Ruben ― and it crashed into the wall. She pushed Ruben aside roughly and ran.

As fast as she had ever run. She didn't even notice the cold wetness falling on her face, or the piercing cold of the wet stones under her bare feet, or the freezing night air that was cutting her face as if a hundred knives were thrown at her.

"Hailey, wait!" someone called after her.

Go away! Don't hurt me! she yelled in her mind. Hailey kept running and running, not seeing more than a short distance directly in front of her. She crossed a street and nearly got hit by a passing car. The driver honked, but she ignored it completely.

She kept on running, something hard cut her right foot and she felt pain shoot up her leg. Not even giving it a brief glance, she tried to bite the pain down. But then she fell.

Hailey's head hit something hard, and she could feel a thick and sticky liquid running down her face. Skin was peeling off her hands. There were scratches all over her body. On her arms, legs, on the places where her pajamas had been cut. Stumbling, she got up and tried to continue running, but it was over. Her whole body ached, screaming pain rushed through her nerves. That was what she wanted to do: scream. But her throat wouldn't allow it, she was breathing heavily with her eyes closed as if that would block out the world. However, even darkness wouldn't take her to a place where she couldn't feel the pain. It was like her body was punishing her by denying sweet unconsciousness.

All she could think was, Let it stop. Let me go. Let it all stop. But she wasn't so lucky.