Was It Just A Dream

Chapter 29

The next morning, I was the first one up. The sun was still very low in the sky, casting golden rays that danced through the grass that grew wildly about the ruins. All was quiet, and all I could hear was the faint sounds of my friends breathing. I sat there for a second, taking in the silence and watching them. They all slept restlessly, especially Jimmy. I suppose I slept like that too, scared to wake up and find something awful waiting for me. Being in Ebony had mad me anxious. I tried to hide it, with all my jokes and unfaltering positivity. But fear is the hardest emotion to bottle up, a very close second to sadness. And, I had to admit, I was starting to tire of always suppressing everything I felt. I remembered what Lincoln had told me, about how I should try and learn how to open up. I wanted it, with all my heart. 

Jimmy then snorted in his sleep, and I was swept out of my thoughts. We had to start moving. These ruins of Aylas had been our safe haven for far too long, and we were on a time limit. Soon the clock would run out, but the scariest thing about that was how we didn't know how much time we had. Would we suddenly be swept away by some unknown force, taken to Ebony's Heart to be stuck here forever?

No, I thought to myself, Stop it, Mira. You have to keep going. Everything will be okay.

"Wake up, sleepyheads!" I shouted suddenly, surprising even myself. My voice sounded so different than it did in my head. It had happiness, excitement, and hope. The little voice in my head, in contrast, was filled with dejection and dolor.

"Argh, Mira. Five more minutes?" Jimmy groaned, rolling over. Lincoln sat up, rubbing his eyes.

"Get moving, Banana Boy, or you won't get breakfast." Cali's voice rang out. She actually sounded cheerful today, which was a first. Jimmy didn't move. It seemed that after their little incident he planned on not even acknowledging her presence. 

Eventually, after dragging Jimmy up onto his feet and giving everyone something small to eat, we were ready to leave. Jimmy used his "expert" Boy Scout knowledge to determine which way was west by using the sun's placement in the sky. Then Lincoln proceeded to tell him he was all wrong, and that if we went the way he was pointing, we would be heading north. In the end, we followed Lincoln, not that was a surprise.

It was strange to leave the ruins behind, which I had started to grow fond of. I still wondered what could have created them, but it seemed that we would never know.

Or so, I thought.

~

We started our trek west, entering the thick forests of the Upper Clandestine. Unlike it's namesake to the south, it wasn't dark or gloomy. It was very shaded still but had a peaceful and calm environment. Calls of different birds could be heard from tree to tree, and blue and purple flowers perked up from grass every now and then. It was a beautiful forest, and it seemed to put us all in a good mood, even Jimmy. 

"So guys," He started, looking from Lincoln to me. He was still treating Cali as if she was invisible, despite his cheery demeanor. "Guess what?"

"What?" I grinned at him, happy to see him acting like his old self.

"You shouldn't have answered, M. You just walked your way into a trap," Lincoln called over his shoulder, a few feet ahead of us.

"If you say chicken butt, I swear to God, I won't hesitate to punch you." Cali rolled her eyes, a small smile playing on her lips. 

"Nevermind, I shouldn't have said anything." Jimmy stuffed his hands in his pockets, his face suddenly dark. I couldn't help but roll my eyes up to the sky. I don't usually get mad, but at this point, Jimmy was really starting to piss me off. He had to ruin the mood whenever possible, just to make Cali feel bad.

"You know what," Cali's voice was sharp, and I could tell she was trying to keep her cool. She stopped walking, and we all turned back to look at her, except Jimmy. He just stood still, staring at the ground. "I'm done. I'm done fighting with you, Jimmy. I can't take it. I'm trying to be a better person, to be more positive and fun to be around. But I guess you can't do that yourself." She sighed. For the first time when confronting Jimmy, Cali didn't look mad at all. Instead, she looked defeated, and so, so very tired.

"Fun?" Jimmy mumbled to the ground, smashing a flower with his sneaker. "I'm fun. You're not. I make everyone laugh. You make people scared."

"I wouldn't say that. At least not anymore." Lincoln shook his head. "Man, you've been through a lot. You're not the same guy you were when we all came here. And Cali's different too."

"I miss my old self." Jimmy's voice was even smaller now, and I wanted to hug him. But I didn't because I wasn't sure how he'd react. "I want to be me again, but I still feel like I'm wearing that mask, and I can't get free."

I walked up to him slowly, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Jimmy, it's okay. Don't push yourself to recover. It will happen slowly, over time. And we'll all be here for you throughout it."

He looked up slowly, meeting me with his sad dark eyes. He then nodded slowly, breathing in deeply. Jimmy then turned and walked up to Cali, to face her.

"I'm sorry Cali. I'm sorry for everything I've put you through. I don't know what I was thinking- I don't think I was thinking. Please, let's just be friends. For real this time." He held his hand out to her, for her to shake.

"I'd like that. I've been cruel to you too. To all of you, actually. I've never really had friends before. It's always just been all work and no play for me. But this, this is nice." She took his hand, and they shook.

Lincoln walked up behind me, putting his arm around his shoulder. I felt a sudden rush of warmth and took a deep breath. We were a family in that moment. We were together in a beautiful forest, with no immediate danger or harm trying to take us down. We were safe in each other, and we would find a way out of Ebony. 

My fear was gone for the time being. Together, side by side, we continued our journey west, over wooded hills and creeks, basking in the warm sun. No one fought, and we all laughed together.