woke. | II

danny

She gave a small shake of her head and a wry smile that back home, I would have construed as dreamy. But here, it was the beginnings of a recognised truth, "You don't need me, Danny." With that, she pulled her hand away and gestured around us. Without saying another word, I knew what she meant. She felt needed here because I was pushing her away.

"D, please. No. You can't do that to mother, she's been worried sick and I don't mean figuratively."

There was a pained look in her eyes and I know my expression mirrored hers. Mine was from the guilt of trying to dissuade her from what she wants and hers from the understanding that our mother has always been frail.

"How is she?" Dana asked quietly.

"She doesn't eat or sleep much. She's started a fanpage of sorts for you, by taking over your old accounts." I hesitated, recalling Alex's words, "It might seem odd, but I feel it's a coping mechanism. It's her only way of pretending you'll wake up one day and her nightmare will end."

The anguish on Dana's face was heartbreaking, but I made my father a promise. How could I leave my sister here in this evil and twisted world? She has a family that loves her, a world that adores her. She has to come back, she just had to.

"But the people here, Danny... They are fighting for us. How could we let them fight alone?"

"What do you mean?"

"You don't remember," She exclaimed to herself, "I told you about them all. The Kyhait, the Penhara." Her eyes searched for some recognition in my face, but seeing none, she added softly, "Penhara's the reason I'm here."

She regaled her story to me, about how the Penhara took her in the way they almost convinced us, had it not been for Alex's outburst. They wanted her only as a spy, to bring others into everlore, but they didn't want her. Refusing to be their bait, they threatened her with death. If not for Kyhait's involvement, she would have been killed.

The rebels took Penhara by surprise and freed Dana along with other potential recruits which were hidden around their base. In a bid to save her from the grasps of the enemy, Kyhait rebels stabbed her with the cure to hide her amongst themselves. But were horribly overrun by Penhara.

No one noticed Dana sliding into the lake.

That was why she woke, because the cure had not taken into effect. And that was why she was drenched from head to toe. The only problem was, her physical body was tethered to earth and unable to materialize in everlore.

"Now, do you understand? I pleaded, please. Let me go." Her blue eyes gazed beseechingly into mine and I had no choice but to nod.

"I understand. But can't you understand that I can't?"

We talked some more about what was to be and what has come to pass.

"Your friend, the pretty Asian girl," Dana had said with a lilt, "She was meant for everlore."

"What do you mean?" I had asked.

I didn't like the answer because I knew, Alex wouldn't have wanted to hear it either.

At that point, the two girls broke into the woods and we halted our conversation. Now, looking at Alex, I was wondering if I should tell her. At least I knew she would appreciate the honesty.

Before I could say anything, they broke off from one another and told me about another human being they found with the most peculiar name. Emiliam, they had said, something about a boy who's met Hady before.

"Do you think he could be one of the Penhara?" Alex asked earnestly. I pushed my sister's words out of my mind, trying to block the words out. She couldn't have been right. She must have been mistaken. Yes. There was no way what she knew what she was talking about.

"He might be..." I said absentmindedly, trying to figure out multiple things at once. "He could have been trying to entice you and then turn you," I said seriously to Hady who nodded along, "But he might also be just another innocent in this world."

Although I was fascinated with Alex and the way she carried herself, it was Hady who shared the same stream of thought as I.

"I say we hold everyone else we meet from now on at an arm's length - they are all guilty until proven otherwise." The challenge in Alex's voice had both Hady and I nodding in acquiesce. It stood to reason, after all.

In turn, I told them what Dana's told me in regards to the two everling factions. I withheld all other information, deciding that a 'need to know' basis was better.

"So the Penhara were lying, then? The Kyhait are actually the good guys." Hady said, which earned a scoff from Alex. We both turned to her, Hady with disguised disdain that was met with determination.

"From every standpoint, the ones who believe in a certain cause almost always believe themselves to be right and therefore, the 'good guys'," she said, "no one ever did anything knowing that what they believed in was wrong."

Hady sighed and answered, "I meant it from our standpoint. It wasn't a philosophical question. By the way, I do agree with you."

Just like that, the tension was gone. Girls are complicated creatures.

"Yes," I said tentatively, "what Dana meant was... The Kyhait saved her, where the Penhara wanted to end her."

"That's good enough for me." Alex said cheerfully with a smile. Once again, my sister's words stole through my mind and I chased them away. Instead, I returned a smile of my own.

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