Chapter Three
"Slyiah?” I hear faintly, whispered into my ear.
It sounded like someone was talking - but I was unable to understand what was being said. The word sounded foreign, lisped like maybe French or Italian, yet familiar at the same time.
For some reason it felt like the strange word was directed at me. Addressed like an alternative name for myself that plunged deep into my subconscious. I didn't know what it meant but my body felt strange hearing it said out loud. Almost as if the word itself scratched my skin, I stirred in my sleep.
"Huh-wha?" I questioned to no one in particular. I was still groggy, and wasn't trying to fully wake up yet. It felt like I only slept for like ten minutes. I wanted those eight hours of sleep.
"Finally I can reach you," a voice said speaking as if I knew who was talking. "Why were you resisting me for so long?"
"What's happening?" I asked dazed, followed by a huge yawn. The voice sounded smooth - all the words were spoken with velvet like ease that hinted the speaker was friendly but condescending at same time, if that made sense? For a moment a feeling vertigo pasted through me, because when I opened my eyes I couldn't focus on anything clearly. My eyes and ears felt fuzzy. The only thing I could tell was that I was somehow no longer in my bedroom nor could I pinpoint the source of the voice that so rudely woke me up. "Where's my brother?" I asked, again to no one blindly. All drowsiness left my body once I finally took into account that he was missing too. Okay do not panic, this may just be a dream. Though, my heart beat accelerated.
"Wo-o-ow," the voice drags out the three letter word sarcastically, ruining the velvety smoothness of its voice. "I go out of my way to contact you and all you say is 'where's my brother?' "
“Oh, well pardon me for thinking that my missing brother was something of importance." I snapped back, and then remembered what else was nagging my mind. "And who the hell are you anyways?" I asked as stubbornly as I could manage though I was terribly confused. Assuming this is a guy I was talking to – it sounded masculine - I abandoned my good manners. I know that's sexist but, I'm cranky when I don't get my sleep. Jer knew that first hand.
"Now, that was rude." The voice said. There was a chilling undercurrent hinted in the tone. Note to self: add mysterious to sound of this voice as well. I shivered then hugged myself for warmth; I hadn't realized I was so cold. Maybe I hurt its feelings or something? I thought, instantly regretting my impoliteness towards a complete stranger. My mother had taught me better than that. This person was speaking so familiar with me so I couldn’t help but wonder if I had met him before. If he hoped I knew who he was, then he was severely out of luck, at the moment I was drawing a huge blank.
"But I'll let it slide. Oh and you and your brother are still a sleep." The voice said as if to clear things up, it did sooth over my concern over my brother’s whereabouts, as it at the same time increased my confusion.
"I am still sleeping?" I asked to verify though he already told me the answer. Somewhere deep inside myself, I was aware that I was indeed still sleeping. If concentrated hard enough I could vaguely feel the pointy springs of my mattress. But I was still frustratingly blind. I kept squinting, grunting, and rubbing my eyes but it accomplished nothing.
"If you are having trouble with the darkness," the voice said as if he could see me struggling. "Then envision any place you want to be - and go there."
Yeah because that made so much sense. I thought sarcastically. But what else was I supposed to do? I was at a complete loss at to what was happening and I didn't take kindly to that fact that some unseen person was telling me what to do. And how could I go anywhere I wanted if I was confided to my bed? I was still sleeping, right? Ugh! My brain hurt. I couldn't see any other option then to reluctantly do what I was told. If there was any place I wanted to go right now it would be to stay right where I was. And slowly looking around I could see the dark city of Toronto beneath me, and gleaming stars to my right.
"Okay uhm," I breathed taking it all in. A light breeze sent curls blowing into my face. My feet were suspended in the air. "Next question: why am I floating?" I never been afraid of heights per se, but there's something about soaring in the night over pointy buildings and rocks that could make a girl feel like she was about to plummet to her untimely death.
"I don't know this is your dream," he says impatiently. Like I'm stalling something important, or just wasting his time.
"So I am dreaming?" I asked another stupid question, rubbing my hair out of my eyes. Even though I was somehow airborne, I felt very wide awake. I could even see the CN tower. It was breathtaking from my vantage point. It's blinking lights a blaze in the dark sky, standing high above all other buildings in its vicinity. The weightlessness was disorienting, but this did not feel like a dream, this felt very real, and very normal. It was as if the possibility of feeling stars between my toes and being within reaching distance to the tip of one of the world’s tallest buildings was something I could do on a daily basis.
Was this weird? Yes. Very. But oh so exhilarating!
"Why do you keep repeating everything I say?" The voice asked clearly getting more and more annoyed, pulling me out of my bafflement.
"Why do I keep what - wait a minute!" I demanded waving my fist in the air; Trying to fit pieces together. "How come I can't see you, whoever you are?" It just occurred to me; if I am somehow sleeping, dreaming, and soaring through the night sky, how the heck is this stranger hidden from my sight? Why couldn't I just 'envision' him up right in front of me? There isn't any place to hide in midair. The situation kept getting stranger and stranger the more I stopped to think things through.
"Easy. That's because I not using all of my power to manifest myself in your dreams." The voice replied casually. As if appearing in some else's dreams is just a simple matter of physics. "So you can only hear me right now."
"Yeah, uhm, you lost me at 'not using a lot of my power.' “I said, dismissively shaking my head. This felt so awkward not being to see the person you are talking to. Like some twisted broken telephone. And what the heck did he mean by that? I shuddered not trying to press the thought any further. It was creepy enough interacting with this unseen voice even though I am supposedly 'sleeping'.
"Good God, you're hopeless," the voice sighed exasperated.
"Well I wouldn't be so frigging hopeless if you started making some damn sense." I snapped again. My patience was wearing thin. How dare he get mad at me, this was my wicked-awesome-bad-ass dream he was interrupting. I call the shots.
Waiting for a response I felt the presence of someone coming up from behind me. It literally, came out of nowhere. Unable to have a quick reaction from in the air I aimed for the highest random rooftop I could find, and whirled around to face whatever else interrupted my dreams. Only to come face-to-face with nothing. Absolutely nothing! I felt like a crazy person.
My heart once again increased its pace. My high spirits fizzled as I shuddered remembering the horrible pain that radiated my skull just a few hours earlier, before I had finally fallen asleep. Fear trickled down my spine. So much for calling the shots - the gun just fell out of my hands.
“Whoever you are? Show yourself." I demanded the vast emptiness of the rooftop balling my hands into fists. If something was going to hurt me again, I am so not going down without a fight. Well, not this time. The rooftop was quiet, eerily quiet. The only sound came from my shallow breathing.
Scanning the emptiness, I weighed my possibilities of dying in my sleep. Considering this was going to take a turn for the worst.
Maybe dying while dreaming is the best way to go? I thought. Then my knees buckled. Dammit! I haven't even started fighting and I'd already lost my nerve. This would be simple, compared to all the other painful and gruesome ways people die now a day. Compared to your brain being cooked. I should be grateful, Right?
"Can someone please tell me what's happening?" I pleaded on into the emptiness again, edging into panic. I swear there was an ominous voice speaking to me a few seconds ago. Or was I actually going crazy?
I flinched as I felt the presence again, only closer this time. "You don't have to be scared," it was the voice again but quietly in my ear. His whispered breath slowly swept across my face as if he was right beside me; furthering my 'going crazy' theory. My skin prickled with his next response. "If I was going to harm you, I would've done so in the beginning of your dream."
Great to know. That makes me feel a whole lot better! I thought sarcastically as my heart thumped loud in my ears. "What do you want?" I demanded breathlessly, getting straight to the point. This was no longer fun.
"I don't necessarily want anything, I need to tell you something." the voice stressed the difference urgently. Another cold tingle tumbled across my skin with each spoken word.
"And what pray tell may that be?" I said; my voice laced with icy sarcasm. This was really starting to piss me off.
"This is of up most importance." the voice said with a rush. "You must listen to me, Slyiah."
That foreign word made my skin twitch for a second time, this time it was the skin around my hips. My mind fought to say something snarky in response - to show whoever this person was that this situation didn't bother me. But the raw undisguised urgency of the voice that made me bite back whatever sarcastic remark which bubbled to the surface of my mouth. Keeping my lips shut, I waited for the weirdness to continue.
"Okay," the voice breathed. His tone lightened slightly. It was clear he was glad that I was willing to hear him out; minus any sarcasm. "Shall I start from the beginning?"
"I don't know. Why are you asking me - this is your... whatever you need to tell me." I replied rolling my eyes. Sarcasm can't stay out of my system for too long.
The voice sighed again, but began talking. "Well most importantly, I feel that contacting you in your dreams is the best way to warn you -”
"What?" I interrupted impatiently.
"I wasn't done talking, please hold all comments until I've finished. This is very important." The voice said. His words were clipped with anger.
"Then get to the point already."
"Fine." Then after a pause. "You must know - your life is in grave danger."
Another cold chill ran down my spine.
Maybe this will explain what happened earlier.
"In danger of what exactly?" I asked, barely containing my impatience. I'm only fifteen! What have I done that could put my life in jeopardy? Well besides improper eating and sleeping habits.
"Well, of many things really. There are um... how you say... beings out there, they’re hunting for your life. But that was to be expected. We've known for a long time, that you -”
"Wait, what so called beings?" I cut him off. "And who's we? And why is that just assumed?" I was being hunted - like some sort of turkey?
"All of us," the voice replied not specifying whether he was a 'being' or 'us'. "Including your father, that's why he sent me to--"
"Wait, my f-father?" I sputtered, cutting him off again.
Whoa. Whoa. Whoa. Whoa. Whoa:
Back it up!
In all my fifteen years, I have never seen nor heard from my father. My mother had only told me they separated after I was born. That had meant - though we hardly talk about it- that Jeremiah was adopted. But I always wondered what he looked like. Why was there not a single picture of him around the house? What kind of person was he? Was he white or black? Why aren't he and my mother still together? Did they separate because of me? And now, most importantly, why the hell did this guy know him and I didn't? Life was so not fair.
"Yes," the voice replied quickly, wanting to get to the more important topic. “That is why he had sent me. To find and protect you. He fears that--"
"To 'find and protect' me!" I practically screeched not bothering to wait for him to finish his sentence. My voice raised a few octaves. My frustration and impatience had reached there boiling points. "What kind of father is he? Sending some freak to haunt my dreams! Isn't that supposed to be his job, to protect me from weirdoes like you! From people like that man who attacked me earlier! I bet that was you, you freak! --."
It was the voice's turn to cut me off. "You were attacked already!" the voice snarled, sounding as if it were outraged by that. "You haven't even bloomed yet!"
I was on the brink of tears; I always cried whenever I was very frustrated or overwhelmed. It was habit I've been trying to break for years. My chest was heaving. It felt like I was hyperventilating. "What the heck does my blooming," I spat the word. "Have to do with anything, especially with my father?" The last part came out choked. Tears escaped my eyes and drowned my cheeks, turning everything blurred shades of violet and dark blue. My knees suddenly decided they didn't want to support my body anymore and I crumbled on the rooftop.
Another cold tingle caressed my face. Only this time it felt nice against my flushed face.
"Slyiah," the voice whispered softly; like a lullaby. My skin twitched again, but I was getting used to the feeling. Slowly, I began to feel sleepy again. Sleeping after crying always felt so nice. My body started to feel heavy as drowsiness crept its way back into my system.
"I swore to your father, to myself, and to someone else very important to me, that I would protect you. And I am going keep that promise to the very end. No matter what. "
I didn't know what to think or say about that. When was I ever going to have this dream again? The subject of my father has always been a touchy spot for me, and my mother. Laying back in the roof the dark sky started fading. It felt as if it was going it was going to be morning soon.
"Name," I sighed letting different parts of my body drift back asleep. My breathing slowed back to normal. I was starting to feel more of my mattress again.
"I beg your pardon?" the voice asked. I had to strain my ears to hear. It sounded as if he was speaking through a tunnel.
"I should at least know your name since you're so determined to protect me," I mumbled then giggled, almost completely asleep. Who says, 'I beg your pardon' now a day. I wanted to get this guy’s name for future information about my father. No matter how weird he seemed to be it's nice to know that there's somebody in your corner.
Before the voice could reply, I could feel I was entirely back into my room; snoozing on my squeaky and springy mattress. The strange dreamland I was in was closed off. I wasn't sure I'd ever want to go there again. No matter how awesome the CN tower looked from up there.
Keeping my eyes shut I rested some more, while trying to comprehend what had just happened. Before I drifted into my usual dreams of nonsense, I felt a now familiar tingle caress my face, run down my body and rest on my achy and bruised side. The sensation was scary but, yet refreshing.
Behind my eyelids there was a faint silver lining. It looked like magic marker. It didn't hurt my eyes to look at it, but it wasn't comfortable either. After a few attempts to make sense of it, I finally took in that the silver lining were letters. And together they must've spelt my request.
The name I asked for,
Ezekiel.