Dreams are the greatest power of mankind. In our waking hours, we dream of more, imagining our futures as they teeter on hopes, hard work, and a little luck. But when we sleep, our subconscious mind takes over, and it is a beast that cannot always b...
The roar attracted Faella's attention, and with a delicate flip of her hand, she materialized a campsite out of thin air. A fire lit surrounded by stones to sit on, and my eyes boggled as she stirred a cauldron that hung over the flames. I snuck closer, lured by the scent of meat, and thankfully Lexington was too focused on helping Faella with bowls to harass me. For such a menace, he was certainly loyal, and I envied Faella as I sat with them.
"There's no people in this, right?" I asked as she deposited a steaming bowl of stew in front of my legs. As starving as I was, I'd prefer not to eat Lexington's leftovers.
"Chicken, vegetables, and some herbs and roots for energy that work while you sleep." Faella listed off ingredients with an honest smile before she took a bite and shivered with delight.
Chunks of green and brown bobbed in thick golden broth like ducks after a fish, and my first bite spread warmth all the way down to my fingertips. Though it was greasier than Elvis Presley's hair, it was free of slug fruit and crunchy bugs, and the savory flavor gave my stomach satisfying weight. My audible groan had Lexington laughing in a throaty rumble that almost made me spit my food back into my bowl, and I shoveled in more stew to distract myself from his flawless male attractiveness.
For the first time since I'd dumped out a cup of centipedes, I was content—full off food, off my feet, and unafraid of any watchers. The adrenaline drained from my body as the tension in my muscles relaxed, and my mind drifted to my cramped one bedroom apartment on the fourth floor. A home was a home, good or not, and my heart yearned for the comfort of familiarity.
Normal set a bar for expectations, and in a world full of miracles, experiencing Faella's magic was more of a slap to the face than anything. Here she could conjure up perfect food, shelter, and a decent man, while all I got was self-awareness. Such a gift formed a perfect double-edged sword with freedom, yet offered no real weapon.
Being alone with my mind was always a trap, and Lexington feeding Faella fruits by hand didn't do much for my depression. Slices of thin-cut mango disappeared between her dark lips, and Lexington watched her chew so intently that I was ready to toss myself to mind control just to scrub that image. Juice dribbled from her mouth as Lexington held the fruit closer, he wiped it away with a thumb that lingered, and like that wasn't enough, he licked the juice from his fingers with a tongue meant for horror movies.
Get a room.
Safe to say, I left them for my sleep space thoroughly traumatized, even more so when Lexington suddenly appeared in my path. With my crowbar left by the ledge, I was defenseless to fight him, but he merely dropped several folded blue blanket into my arms. No smirk or taunt accompanied them. Just a small, respectful incline of his head, and he turned on his heels to rejoin Faella.
The kindness had my eyes watering as I collapsed on the ground under the ridge. Though they had their quirks, Faella and Lexington had good hearts and caring instincts that gnawed on my conscience. If the three of us saved the world together, we would make it to the other side with only two.
That thought kept sleep far from my mind, but my body screamed for it. My normal physical activity amounted to casual strolls on flat sidewalk. Tripping over brambles, running from vampires, and knocking it out of the park used muscles I didn't even know I had. They sung a beautiful chorus of pain as I wrapped myself like a soft shelled taco.
Nothing beat the comfort of a weighted blanket gifted from a vampire that I was on a mission to inadvertently kill. The heaviness of my future sins and the stuffing brought me to the brink of sleep, but I pried my eyes open each time I got too close. This deep sleep would be nothing like the catnap I'd taken in that bunker.
What if left my mind open for the watchers to sneak inside?
Would this be the last time I closed my eyes free?
If that was possible, it was only eventuality, so I gave myself over to the shadows.
Fear made for fitful sleep, but I stole what I could get. Dreams fluttered like falling leaves wings, twisting, swaying, and turning with no predictability as I woke and fell back into the sweet abyss. In my dreams, I reached for a hand that constantly slipped away or chased the shadows of those I loved until my legs gave out under me. By the tenth or so time I woke, I wished for monsters, things with fangs, claws, or a million legs, anything simpler to fight than loneliness.
My final dream before sleep claimed me was of gentle fingers gliding across my cheek, warm and present despite how alone I was. Tears filled my closed eyes as I reached for that hand and feared it would slip away like all the rest, but this time, it didn't. My fingers threaded with those larger and warmer than my own, and I clutched them against my cheek for all the comfort I could glean before they faded.
"Sleep, Heidi." Gentle words eased a single stream of tears down my face as the darkness spun and pulled me further into the land of dreams. "I'm here. I've always been here." My jaw trembled as I fought to respond, but my body was no longer under my control as I faded.
That voice. It wasn't fair that it could be so close only when I was unable to reach it.
Kearo. My Guardian.
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Word Count: 1679
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