To Lemuria

EVENTUAL

I struggled with my breath as I grapple for my senses.

It felt like I have been grasping for air in the verge of drowning. My eyes opened wide as my arms flayed about.

"Jo? Jo?"

It was Mira, her head was ogling above me. Her eyes were brimming with tears.

I tried to sit up but my body felt heavy.

"Stay still," Kim's voice was soft and concerned. He was at my other side.

I closed my eyes again then opened them to clear out my sight. We were in some kind of a room.

"Where are we? What happened?" I tried again to sit up.

Kim fumbled behind me as Mira held me, then they guided and pushed me to some very soft pillows. Kim stood up and put another behind my head.

I relaxed.

"We were in a hotel," Mira answered me. "You passed out."

She sounded really worried.

"I'm fine now."

Kim went to the window, as he looked out, he glanced at me.

"Thank you," I said as louder as I can so he can hear.

He didn't show any reaction and looked out again holding on to the curtain. From where I lay, I saw that we were quite up high. There were a few distant buildings in view and the sky was an orange hue.

I was suddenly in panic.

"What time is it?" I tried once again to straighten up. "How long have I?" my voice trailed low.

Mira pushed me back. "Just a couple of hours. Please Jo, just stay still for a while."

"I have stayed still long enough," I began to stretch my legs to put them down.

Kim was at the foot of the bed in an instant.

"We have to go now," I pulled myself up. "It was almost dark."

"Please sit down," Kim requested. "Let's talk first."

Mira helped me again, her hands were gentle on my arms.

I realized that the Varsity jacket was gone, I was suddenly cold in Ulysses' University sweatshirt.

I looked around. I need to see something.

Kim gave me the map. He seemed to know what I was thinking. Has he learned to See too?

I unfolded it and heard the familiar crunches. I turned it over and saw her ethereal face. It was her. I recognized her before but couldn't remember.

"It was Meia," I started to raise it to show them.

Both of them looked away.

"We can't see her," Mira said. "Please keep it."

"But why?"

"There was some strange magic in the map," Kim answered. "When I held it this morning, it had put some power over me."

I looked at him.

"The map can show me where to drift, but her image clouded my vision," he gulped. "There were some instances that I get disoriented."

I realized what he meant.

"It's not that I refuse to See with the map's help, Jo," it was Mira. She knew what I have been thinking about her. "I read it in Kim's mind and stayed away from it as I can, even if I was dreaming of seeing it, since forever."