UNSPOKEN: Undone Realms Book 3

Ch. 29: Clarity

Clara is at the bottom of a pool. Dazzling light shines from above, but the light's warmth does not reach her. It is dark and cold where Clara is. Darkness Clara knows about, but cold-cold she's never experienced before.

This is a strange pool. Its edges are uncertain and when Clara pushes herself off of its bottom trying to breach its surface, that surface never gets any closer. Still, there is a calmness here, just like when she's in the pool at the hotel. After a while, Clara settles back down to lay on the cement bottom. The cold becomes familiar, if not comfortable.

Perhaps the pool does have a surface, but Clara is done trying to find it.

#

Avie isn't surprised when she discovers that the Dry Dock is a near replica of the apple orchard she met Oliver in all those years ago. Of course Marcella would recreate this world for him. Avie's eyes water. She hadn't fully realized how much Marcella cared for him. She's created, not one, but two universes just trying to keep him safe.

Her brow furrowed, Avie trails behind two Vitalists doctors who carry Clara's unconscious body on a stretcher. They travel from the Fold down a narrow row between trees baring shiny ripe fruit until they come to a small cabin. At the door's threshold stands Marcella, the worry on her face a reflection of Avie's. Avie throws herself into her stepmother's arms.

"Mom, you're here!" she sobs. "Please... please help her."

After they have both composed themselves, they peak inside the cabin where the doctors are attaching Clara to monitors. One of them injects a large vial of a translucent substance into her arm. Avie cringes even though Clara never stirs. She stares at the equipment thinking about how the doctors were right there at the opening of the Fold, stretcher ready.

Her focus switches to her stepmother. Even with the responsibilities Marcella must have, it's clear the Vitalist life has been good for her. The air of authority she'd always held has grown a thousand fold. "You knew this might happen, that the transition might be too hard for her to bare."

"I knew that she was strong. That she has energy matter from two worlds, and that she would certainly die if she stayed where she was." Marcella leads Avie away from the doorway and motions for her to sit on the stoop. "We must allow the doctors to do their job, Avie."

There is so much to tell Marcella-Troi, Hiram, the increasingly dismal state of Cascadia-but Avie has no desire to go into all of that now. "Is the pocket realm...?"

Marcella nods. "The Vitalists have a way of tracking the energy output of all the known realms, including Clara's. Nolan and I had agreed very specifically on a time for you to arrive here, as well as a time for the dismantling of that realm to take place. Everything is in motion now. Vira is keeping an eye on the project's final stages so that I can be here with you and Clara."

She goes on to describe in detail everything that had happened to get them out of the pocket realm, then to remove that realm from existence. It had been a tedious as well as a tenuis process, given that Clara's and Oliver's realms had become increasingly entwined as the Fold surrounding them degraded.

"Several Vitalist agents who had been stationed in Oliver's realm reported an increase in seismic activity. I'm sad to say that this caused damage as well as a number of fatalities around the world. This was obviously preferable to a full-on collapse, however."

"A full-on collapse doesn't sound good."

"All of life in that universe ceasing to exist in the blink of an eye?" Marcella laughs gravely. "No, not good at all."

Avie looks out at the field, rays of autumn sunlight flicker through the swaying limbs of trees. It had been a day just like this one when she'd first met Oliver. "You saved him didn't you?"

"Nolan did." She smiles. "But I might have had a hand in it."

"That's the reason you went with Vira, before the Ban started, isn't it? For Oliver."

Marcella pats Avie's knee and Avie leans in towards her. "I couldn't tell you then, Avie, but yes, yes it was. I knew you'd want me to go if there was even the remotest chance of getting him back."

Avie closes her eyes, letting the sun's warmth calm her. "You were right."

Marcella laughs, and this time, it's filled with humor. "Can you say that again on record?"

#

If he was able to, he would run. Instead, he must content himself with being dragged by Nolan from the edge of the Fold towards his cabin; a woman with long dark hair sits on his porch with her head resting on Marcella's shoulder. Her eyes must be closed. He's too far away to tell, but they must be, because otherwise she'd come running towards him, wouldn't she?

He falters, and in doing so nearly pushes Nolan into a tree. "This is the Dry Dock orchard, not the orchard orchard, right Nolan?"

His chest tightens, he takes shallow breaths. That must be her up there. Nolan wouldn't bring him back to the time of his childhood, would he? He's not planning on abandoning Oliver in the past-that can't be! He imagines Marylou dashing out from a row of trees, too carefree to be bothered with her burden of apples.

Closing his eyes, he wishes the guilt and confusion away. He had missed his sister's life-Nolan had checked for him to be sure. Marylou died almost a decade before Oliver had returned to his home realm to seek out his daughter. As much as he regrets disappearing from his family's life, there's no going back. He doesn't want to go back.

There's only one thing he wants now.

Nolan shakes him a bit. "It's the Dry Dock, Oliver. She's waiting for you, just like I said she'd be."

He opens his eyes, his head lifts upward.

Sky, peerless blue.

Clarity.

A hand gently tilts his chin back down. His mind takes a moment to accept what he's seeing. Avie glides her fingers to the back of his neck. He is suddenly aware of his unkempt state, but she doesn't seem to care. She presses herself into him.

"All this time, Oliver... I thought you were dead."

He buries his face in her hair. "I thought I was too."

A/N: This is one of those chapters where, at least for me, the feels come out full-force. Clara is unconscious, her survival uncertain. And then we have Avie. First she's reunited with Marcella, then, at long, long last... Oliver. Seriously, pass me a tissue!

The biggest question remaining... Will Clara live? What do you think? Two more updates (last chapter and an epilogue) remain! Thanks for making it to the home-stretch with me.

A note on chapter 30's image: Yes, this is Oliver. Well, Oliver cleaned up a bit, that is! This is how Avie sees him in her heart, and how he may look again someday, if the Dry Dock can work its magic.