Bright Eyes

21. Trust Me

Yet even that lasted no longer than ten seconds.

    AND OUT OF THE SEAS ROSE DRY LAND, AND OUT OF THE LAND ROSE HILLS AND MOUNTAINS, AND THE PLAINS AND VALLEYS BETWEEN. RIVERS WOUND THEIR PATHS WITHIN THE CRACKS OF THE GROUND, LIKE VEINS AND THE LIFEBLOOD THAT COURSES THROUGH THEM; WATERS FILLED THE DEPTHS OF LAKES. PLANTS SPRUNG FORTH FROM THE DIRT FLOOR, PAINTING THE LAND VERDANT, BLOTCHES OF COLOR, ABUNDANT AND VARYING, SCATTERED ABOUT THE FACE OF THE WORLD.

    Sander was lying flat on his back, eyes closed. The palm of his hand slowly caressed the grass beneath his skin, as he regained consciousness.

    Grass.

    Grass?

    He opened his eyes, and quickly sat up. He remembered the powerful toss of the waves, the force of the current pulling him to the unknown. He was pretty much drowning in the middle of the ocean only a few seconds ago.

    Yet here he was now, sitting up on grass-strewn ground, dry as if he had never been touched by the sea. His friends had woken up as well. (Although Damien still lay flat on the floor, waving his arms and legs up and sideways like an overweight eight-year-old boy making snow angels, whining, "Mister Brighteyes, give us a break." His stomach growled. "And maybe your homemade iced tea and sandwiches, too. I'm hungry.")

    Jack, Sander, Max, and Lyn stood up and looked around. Wherever they were was nowhere close to what anyone would call an ocean. Heck, they doubted they were even near one. They stood in the middle of a meadow, surrounded by huge towering trees and snow-capped mountains in the distance.

    "Where are we?" asked Sander, to no one in particular.

    Damien sat up and glanced around. "I'm thinking New Zealand," he said, and pushed himself off the ground, to his feet. "Went there last December with Mom and my sister. Looks a lot like it."

Sander felt for his glasses, and let out a sigh of relief. Good, they had managed to stay on.

    FROM THE DUST, the voice continued, startling them, ELOHIM FORMED THE CREATURES OF THE LAND, THE SEA, AND THE AIR, AND HE BREATHED LIFE INTO THEM.

    Silence. Everyone stood unmoving.

    "So," Jack whistled out, "what happens next?"

    There was the sudden rhythm of hooves striking the ground relentlessly. A screech resonated in the air, followed by several others in response.

    Damien glanced at his friends, his eyes wide in fear. They exchanged nervous looks, and huddled together in the middle of the meadow.

    Then Max said, "Is he seriously going to do a Jumanji on us?"

    The cacophony of sounds was louder now, more chaotic.

    "Guess so," muttered Lyn.

    "Be still," said Mr. Brighteyes's disembodied voice, "and trust me."

    "Remember, guys," said Sander, "this is just some sort of simulation. I don't think anything's going to hurt—"

    A herd of horses rushed out of the trees, heading straight in their direction. The creatures each had a horn jutting out the middle of their foreheads.

Jack swallowed the lump in his throat. "Bruh, are those—"

"Yep," said Damien. "Unicorns."

    "I'm seeing shiny, pointy horns," said Jack, unable to tear his eyes away from the incoming stampede. "Ain't looking good for us."

    "But we can't outrun them," said Lyn, looking from side to side, searching for a way out. "There's too many of them. They're everywhere."