Insight

Chapter Seven

"Do you see that guy over by the Dogwood tree?"

Landen followed my gaze. "What do you see?" he asked.

"A man preparing to give a speech to a tree."

He erupted into laughter.

"What? Trees can be intimidating. That or he's out of place just like I said he would be," I thought as I raised my chin to drive home my point.

"Is the tree making him nervous?"

"Something is," I thought.

"Your sure he's an image?" Landen asked as he continued searching the people on the streets.

"If I get closer to him then I'll know for sure. The pull will be stronger," I thought pulling him toward the man.

"What do you mean, 'pull?'"

"The images pull me to them, then after I help them, they push me back to where I began."

We began to walk closer to the young man. As we did, he stopped his pacing again, then stood in place and pulled a little box out of his pocket. I knew then what he was nervous about. I started to walk faster. I could tell he was losing his nerve.

"Okay, you hold onto me. I'll let go of him when it's over," I told him.

Landen held my hand tightly. The memory that I was going to use would be so powerful that this young man would have enough courage to last him for a lifetime. As I reached for his arm, the day shifted to evening, and the air had a gentle breeze. He was standing outside a quaint apartment building. I let the memory of seeing Landen outside my dreams for the first time come to me. The tension then left, and the young man took a deep breath and ran forward. I lost my touch.

Landen and I were back. I don't think I've ever felt as happy for one of my images before.

I smiled up at Landen. "Well, how was that?" I thought, proud of myself.

Landen looked around to see if anyone had seen us come or go. Finding no one paying attention to us, he thought, "I think you have me beat."

"What? There's no way—there was no wave or beautiful light."

"Yes, there was. You just didn't see it," he thought, smiling.

What did he mean by that?

"You just crossed the string and made your own light. The pull you feel is the energy of the string," he continued. "Look at where he was, remember the way you felt...do you see it?"

I could see. It was a wave, where one did not exist before. I took Landen's hand and stepped through, not knowing if we'd be with the young man or back in the string. When I heard the hum and felt the current, though, I knew we were in the string.

"Look, do you see the green in the wall?" Landen asked. I looked to the right and could see a light green haze, the same size as me. Landen walked to the left side of the string and pointed out the twin image on the other side of the string. As I realized what he was saying, a grin came across my face.

Without warning, the hum of the string grew louder. The current was moving faster. Landen pulled me down to the ground and wrapped his arms and body around me. The energy filling the string was so powerful, it vibrated every part of me. Just when I thought I couldn't stand another moment, everything was still again. I rose in a daze, and a numbing feeling came over me. The walls of the string had changed, and my green haze was no longer there. We had moved.