The Magic Pawn Series: The Discovery (Volume 1)

Chapter 3: Dream or reality?

I was caught in this magical place which attracted me terribly. The only thing I cared about then was the constantly growing desire. All my senses merged into one. Should I get close to it? Should I run my fingers through the veil and feel how the specks of light gently rub my skin? All other things meant nothing compared to this irresistible desire.

It is not as if everything was perfect in this state of reverie. Deep down there was a voice that bugged me. It tried to pull me back into reality begging me to get as far away from this place as possible. As if I was stupid to listen to it. The temptation and the desire were much too strong. I ignored the voice which went on shouting louder and louder, beckoning me not to touch the veil.

One last sound and then I abandoned myself to temptation, to the magic.

When I touched the veil my fingers did not run through. It was like some sort of a barrier. What was it hiding?

The shine of the colours got stronger and stronger until it became too shiny for my eyes. Damn it...I could not pull my hand away from there. The voice inside me had warned me but I was too cowardice to try to fight the desire to touch that veil.

My senses were now fully alerted. I was paralysed with fear. Or was it more than that? It was something beyond my will. It seemed as though there was something or someone who was trying to control me. All of a sudden, tens of white lightning bolts flashed from my palm extending towards the veil and making deep cracks in it. I felt how every bolt was sucking all energy out of me little by little. Although the amount of energy each bolt took from me was minuscule, there were just too many lightning bolts. I wasn't going to be able to bare it for long. They slowly drew all energy out of me and this was as painful as it was frustrating. I could do nothing. I watched where they were heading and that's when they came together as one. I heard a powerful noise after that, like an explosion. I howled and slowly managed to pull my hand away from that shattering veil whose dazzling beauty was just a mask hiding its true nature.

'Monsters with a lovely face – yet there are still monsters nonetheless.'

I continued to scream until I woke up in my bed. Tears were running down my cheeks. I was sweating and shaking. The pain in my palm was still pulsating.

There was someone in the room with me. This person was holding me. A worried voice implored me to calm down.

'And last but not least, there is hatred, revenge', I added.

I got hiccups from all that crying and I could not control the shivering.

'I...I...'

What should I have said? That I am sorry? Would this have made any difference?

The one who was holding me was Christine. Maggie and Eric were also there. His face did not look like someone's who was about to wish me anything good.

'All of this because of a stupid nightmare? Do you have any idea how you scared us? You are not five years old. And next time before you start screaming like a crazy person in the middle of the night please try to remember that you are not at your home. Some of us have important things they need to do the next day. That is to say that they need sleep!!!!'

I startled at the tone of his rough voice. I was such a naive to think that Eric liked me. But he was right. Did it even matter that I felt as though it had all been more than a nightmare? No matter how impossible it must seem to be, the stinging in my hand and my weakened body confirm what I suspected. And this is just the beginning of consequences.

I was pulled away from my thoughts by Maggie who was defending me.

'You don't have to be a jerk about it.' She looked at me and seemed worried. She was also aware of the fact that this had been more than a nightmare. I gave her a meaningful look. She and I had to talk. Urgently!