Ice and Fire

Chapter 30

A vivid image started to form in my mind. A bright light blinds me for a mere second before my eyes adjust to the light. The light reflected off of the white walls and white tile floors. My eyes darted around the room seeing white pods formed in a perfect circle. Hundreds of them.  In the center of the circle was a blue light. No, not light. Something more complex than light. Almost like a blue glowing gas trapped in an invisible bubble, holding the gas in place. I see a Faceless creature walk in the room and pressed a button next to one of the pods. The pod began to open up, and the blue gas expanded and glowed even brighter. Once the pod was completely opened, I could see what was inside of it. Better yet what was on the other side of it. It was a bedroom, looked like a boys, covered with posters and clothed scatter across the floor. A few trophies sat on the drawers and a basketball sat in the small corner in between the bed and one of the drawers.

The Faceless creature morphed its face into I assume the boy that lives there. Brown hair, acne, hazel eyes, kind of tall, didn't quite have the body of a football player, but was definitely in shape. He stepped inside the pod just before it closed.

That must've been how they could travel from place to place. That will be how everyone escapes.

Suddenly, the room around me started to morph and change into another image. The familiar, soothing voice from before spoke to me. "How will you stop the Faceless from kidnapping the kids again?"

I jumped and looked around, seeing all around me was just white. Surprisingly, I wasn't scared that a strange voice was talking to me. I felt like I knew them, like an old friend.

"True, " I began. "But if I stay behind and destroy the pods after they go to the correct place, the Faceless can't get them. "

"Very good. " She replied lightly. "But, what will happen after you leave through your pod?"

I paused for a moment, trying to think just before an idea hit me. "Phoenix will destroy that one. "

The voice didn't speak, making me think I said the wrong answer. Like I was on a game show, the anticipation was killing me. "Hello? Miss?"

"Will you be able to step through your pod?" She finally spoke, as if she never paused in the first place. In the distance I hear footsteps coming towards me. I turned around and see the beautiful elegant woman from the stones. "Will you be able to leave your new friends behind?"

I blinked and suddenly I was in dimly lit room with two sofas next to a fire place. In between the sofas was a coffee table with two silver tea cups. The woman sat down then gestured me to have a seat. Hesitantly, I sat down then reached for the cup of hot tea in front of me. "Who are you?" I asked.

"I am someone of no importance right now. The real question is, who are you?"

"What? What do you mean? You're the one inside my head, shouldn't you already know?"

"Maybe I'm not in your mind. Maybe you are in mine. "

I stared at her for a long while, which she didn't even seemed phased. In fact, she stared at me back. Not with disgust or a feel of awkwardness, but of patience and love. Like a mother waiting for a child to finish a story.

"My name is Celeste Hart. My mom is Jennifer Hart and my father is deceased and I have- had a brother.. " My voice went soft and cracked slightly.

Then woman reached over and placed her hand over mine. It was soft and warm; it gave me some comfort. "That may be your name, but that's not who you are. "

I looked up from our hands met her eyes. "I... I'm not normal. I can see things that others don't see. I can hear things that others don't hear. I use my pain and sorrow to see what I need to see. I'm broken, but that's okay. I have powers that I don't know how to fully control yet. I am strong, not weak. I am smart, not foolish. My heart is strong, and with my friends by my side, I can do anything. "

The woman smiled softly then nodded. She stood up and walked over to the fire place, then waved her hand over the flames. The Red dancing flames turned blue and parted ways, like the Red Sea.

The brick fireplace morphed into the walls, allowing the flame to grow. "Step through there and you will find all the answers. "

"Please tell me who you are. " I pleaded as I stood up.

"Do you believe in Guardian Angels?"

Before I could answer, she was gone. Vanished before I could even blink. Left alone with nothing but the crinkling of the blue flames. Carefully, I stuck my hand through the flames and felt no heat. In fact they were cold. I braced myself and took a step through the flames. The world around me was consumed by the flames until everything was blue. Chills went down my spine, like roaches crawling down my back as the cold blue flames danced around me. In the distance was a light, so I ran towards it until the air became warm and I was away from the flames.

The room around me was filled with children crying, and screaming in agony. Kids from 12 to 18 were being treated as slaves. Could I be seen? Was I physically here? Was I awake? No, because I'd be with Phoenix and the others. I went up to a girl who was desperately trying to light a flame from her hands. Her brown hair was tangled and her skin was covered in dirt. I could smell the body oder, which was so unexpected, I almost gagged. Poor thing, she hadn't bathed in weeks, months? She had dark circles under her eyes from lack of sleep, and she was skin and bones.

"Excuse me. " I spoke softly to not startle her. "Miss?"

The preteen didn't seem to pay any attention. "Miss?" I asked again, but no response. I reached over to touch her shoulder, but my hand went straight through her. I gasped and stepped back, knowing my question was answered. The cries and the screams will haunt me for the rest of my days.

"Lift the rock!" a Faceless screamed at a boy, about 15. His hands were shaking and he was concentrating so hard, his noise started to bleed. The Faceless grew impatient and whipped the boy in the back with what looked like a bull whip, but as it touched his skin, spikes latched onto the boys skin and when the creature pulled back, it took the skin with it.  He screamed and cried, throwing his body on the ground. "I'm trying!!" he screamed. "I'm sorry!"

I couldn't take it anymore! We had to save them. We had to. I ran out of the room and memorized my surroundings. Long dark halls were all the same, but the paintings and the stone floor was always different. I took in the painting of a woman being beaten then the red squares on the floor had a very unique pattern. I soon came down a familiar hallway and followed along the cold walls, until I saw familiar faces. Phoenix, Hayden, and Daisy. Daisy and Hayden stood next to each other while Phoenix sat on the floor. He had my head on his lap, so my head wasn't on the cold hard floor. I smiled at the gentleman. "Phoenix, you're not a bad guy. I wish you thought a little higher of yourself. " I looked at my lifeless body then took a deep breath. "I'm ready. "