Running the Gauntlet

Back from the brink.

Garden

As soon as my eyes closed I fell asleep and a dream or memory started. The only difference is that it was through someone else's eyes.

The moon was out and the sun just started to crest on the horizon, it was snowing and it was bitter cold. I was in a forest with someone accompanying me, I couldn't tell anything due to the big snow jacket covering them and with the hood up I couldn't see their face.

I felt a weight in my hand as my feet crunched in the snow. I didn't look down, I knew what it was, a basket.

I don't know how I knew but I was right, I looked down and it was a basket. This felt familiar like I had done it a thousand times before and like I'd do it another thousand times.

"How much farther?  The sun will come up soon."

"Not much farther, we'll be there shortly." I responded. 

This wasn't my voice.

I didn't think about the words, they just left my mouth.

"We should hurry, the sun may not affect you, but it affects me." The person responded with a huff.

I knew where we were now. I kept marching forward, the basket feeling a lot heavier now.

My heart began to pound as I broke through the tree line and stopped. "Stay here." I ordered and they obeyed.

I understand now.

I walked forward the snow crunching under my feet falling deaf because of my heart pounding in my ears, as I walked up the house's steps to the porch. 

The wooden steps creaked as I went up them. I walked up to the door and set the basket down. I took the bangles that were in my pocket and set them in the basket.

"Can't forget these, you won them fair and square after all." I hummed.

I took one look at the tiny being in the basket, his red hair, and his bright blue eyes with specks of yellow. I smiled at him.

"I know this is what you wanted. I'll never understand it though, you refused to tell me why." I spoke just above a whisper. The words were still not my own.

It felt like I was just watching as this person went about.

"I know you'll forget everything but know that I'll always be with you." I said putting a stem of forget-me-nots in the crib.

With a sad smile I stood up and knocked four times on the door. I quickly walked away from the doorstep and back towards the treeline.

"Are we done?" The person accompanying me asked.

I swallowed the lump in my throat. "Yes."

And with a flash I was awake to a burning hot feeling.

My eyes shot open and I was staring at Zoë. I turned over and emptied my stomach, it was black. I'll have to think about the dream later.

"What did you do?" I looked at her as I tasted smoke in my mouth.

"That's not good, thy body is rejecting the ambrosia." She said looking more confused than concerned.

Wallet was sitting like a dog next to Zoë, her head cocked to the side like she was also trying to figure out what was going on. 

"So, what should we do?" I asked as I felt pain throughout my body. I also noticed that my gauntlets were still on.

"Do thou hast an idea why it would'st be rejected." She asked with a weird accent.

"I'm like a vampire, I think." I explained confused.