Hey guys! Soooo, this is a very long chapter, I mean like 3500 words long. I tried to cut it down, but like I've said in a past chapter, there is only so much I can take away before it starts to take away from the story. I'd like to mention, I WILL BE UPDATING ANOTHER CHAPTER TONIGHT. A lot of people might get upset when they see this isn't the chapter with the storm, but rather the suspense building chapter that leads to the storm, and fills in some plot holes. But another chapter will be put up tonight, and is the chapter you all have been waiting for. I am very proud of this chapter, so I really hope you all will read it and enjoy it :). So enough rambling, let chapter 23 begin!
-A
In my dream, I was underwater. At least, I think I was. Though I could feel the coolness hugging my body in a feathery embrace, and my limbs were suspended weightlessly at my sides, I could somehow breath. I took in deep breaths, and it felt as easy as breathing in the air on land. I glanced around myself in all directions, but the only place I saw any light was from above; everywhere else around me faded into darkness. Feeling as though I was getting nowhere, I started kicking my legs to try and get back to the surface, where the light was radiating brilliantly. I pushed as hard as I could, but it didn't matter how much I tried, my body remained just as deep in the water. A frustrated grunt escaped my lips, only to be swallowed up by the void around me.
I brought my hand up to fiddle with my necklace, desperately seeking comfort so that I could find a way out of the situation I found myself in. Except, when I touched my neck, nothing was there. Panic went through my body as I circled around in the water, desperately trying to find the small piece of jewellery. After a minute of frantically searching, I froze in place.
Why do I even care so much about that damn thing anyways? It can easily be replaced at a pawn shop anywhere in Hawaii.
Even as I thought that, I felt the slightest twinge of sadness shoot through my chest. Something that just told me that the necklace wasn't as irreplaceable as I was trying to make myself believe.
Just as I was about to try and swim up to the surface again, the light that had been glowing brightly only a moment before, began to dim like a setting sun. The spark that had been illuminating the water a brilliant, cerulean blue shade, began to turn it a deep amber whilst it faded away. That wasn't the bigger problem though, the biggest issue, was that as it lost its gleaming luster, the water around me began to feel heavier and heavier in my lungs. It felt like when you have the flu, and you break out into an uncontrollable coughing fit to the point you barely have time to take in a breath, before the coughs jolt through your shaking body once more.
The pressure was becoming more and more painful, and yet, I still couldn't get my body to move an inch closer to the rapidly dimming surface. Soon, the amber light dyed the water a raging crimson color, rivaling any stain that could be left behind by blood. By now, it was so impossibly hard to breath that I clenched my eyes shut tightly, before the last of the light left, and I was doused in pitch black nothingness. If I was to be swallowed up by the void of darkness, it would be when I decided.
Just as I could no longer take in another breath, a warm glow heated my skin, and illuminated behind my lids. I inhaled deeply, satisfied to feel air inflating my lungs once more, and wind whipping my hair along my cheeks, leaving behind a faint tickle. Finally, I allowed my eyes to slip open again. All around my reserved form, was the breathtaking scenery of a beach at dusk, but not just any beach, the beach I had grown up on. I could recognize the line of houses in the distance, and the old, worn out dock where I used to go fishing.
I tilted my head back, taking in a deep breath and finding comfort in the scent from my memories; salty, with the slightest musky undertones, but at the same time sweet, and heavy with tropical heat. My toes curled in the soft sand beneath me, making me relish in the satisfying feeling of the grains and crushed shell fragments, that scratched an itch I didn't know I had. The wind that raged past my face, coupled with the fizzy crashing sound of the waves, made it difficult to hear much else. However, through it all I could faintly make out the high-pitched squeal of a child's laughter. I opened my eyes again to search out the source of that sound, only to be shocked into taking a step back as the small form of a kid ran right past me. My eyes squinted in curiosity while I watched the, achingly familiar, child push his body against the current. He pushed deeper and deeper, until the water was just barely lapping at the base of his thin neck. He twisted left and right in the gently curving waves, appearing like he was searching for something. The tide swelled up higher, dampening the ends of his chocolaty-colored hair. His beautiful, green eyes darkened with disappointment when he couldn't find the object of his interest. He looked as though he was about to give up his search, when another voice filled the air.
"Looking for something?" the other child's highly accented voice asked curiously.
I had no idea where the kid came from, his presence seeming to have been absent one minute, only to appear out of thin air the next. And that voice... though it was clearly that of a child's, its heavy accent and graceful elegance caused the words to roll off the boy's tongue smoothly. It made him sound mature beyond his years.
A sudden pounding wracked through my head, causing me to grip onto my hair in an attempt to fend off the pain. It was like a bass drum against my skull, moving in a constant and agonizing rhythm.
The child that had been searching around in the water beamed at the voice, turning around to face the direction it came from. Only when he turned to face the other boy in the water, could I make out his features myself. Jet-black hair, jaw length and a brilliant shade of midnight which was so deep, that if not for the sunshine creating a halo on his head, one would think it was a hole in space itself. Some of the hair was pulled back and pinned behind his head, while other bits were free, coupled with thin, dangling braids on either side. His skin was pale and creamy, deeply contrasting to the darkness of the wet, wavy strands that stuck to his face. As other worldly as those features may have seemed, they were nothing when compared to everything else. His eyes were a shocking, almost electric, shade of purple, with a slight downward slant to them like you'd see on a fox; hard and predatory. His face, though clearly still young, held a sharpness to it that made his cheekbones appear higher, and his jaw taut and masculine. From what could be seen of his body, he held more muscle than any kid I'd ever seen, and was riddled with tattoos of a tribal origin. While the brunette child in the water with him had to struggle to keep his head above each wave, the raven haired boy barely batted an eye. In fact, it barely even looked like he was moving, his actions being slow and as fluid as the water itself.
"I thought I told you to stay away from here. Your useless apendages and idiotic mind are going to lead to your early death." The raven snarled, his features growing dark and terrifying, as his pupils seemed to become less rounded, and more like the slits you'd see in a snake's eyes.
The smile dropped a little on the other boy's face, though it didn't disappear completely, just became a bit sadder.
"I-I just wanted to see you again... No one saw me come outside, I promise. So... so please, don't make me go home." The brunette pleaded softly, his words lisping like you'd expect of a child his age, as his eyes welled with tears. The innocence of his words tore at my own heartstrings.
The other boy seemed to regard his visitor's plea with contemplation, those eyes that had been fierce just moments before, finally softening again. He opened his mouth, revealing four ridiculously sharp incisors past his thin lips, two on each side with the one in the back longer than the one closer to the front; Teeth made for tearing flesh. But instead of attacking the child with his agape mouth, he just let out a tired sigh.
"What are you called, idiot?" The raven asked, something akin to annoyance, mixed with interest making its way into his voice.
The boy sniffled, and rubbed his eyes with a small fist before he replied.
"Not idiot, my name is Dylan" he mumbled out past pouting lips.
The other boy's face contorted into a grimace as he processed the name.
"Dylan..." He struggled over the word, trying to get used to the way it felt on his tongue. "You are titled something weird, I am called Kailahn (Kie(said like the word tie with a k instead of a t)-lon(said kinda like the word lawn, but sharper) Kie-lon)."
"Kai...lahn" The brunette strained to say the foreign name, having to put a pause between the two halves.
Kailahn laughed at the look of concentration on his new friend's face, shocking his counterpart, as it was the first time he'd heard the boy laugh.
"You might actually be an idiot. No matter, just call me Kai then." He offered, one side of his mouth tilted up in a cocky smirk.
I froze as the memory faded, suddenly realizing why the brunette child looked so familiar to me. This was me when I was little, and this boy was the imaginary friend I had spent my childhood with.
After the memory faded away completely, the sky overhead began to move rapidly. Sun's rose and fell in a matter of seconds, as day and night flickered back and forth like they were fighting one another for dominance. Finally, it settled on night, the beach around me being shrouded in only the slightest white glow from the moon.
I looked back down to the water, seeing my child self and Kailahn again, about a few years older. I was sitting in the shallows, my legs kicking and playing with the water, and Kailahn was a little distance away, bobbing up and down in the water the same way he had been when we first met.
"Hey Kai?" I had asked, my lisp having disappeared with my maturing tongue.
"Hm?" The raven acknowledged, letting me know to go ahead and ask whatever was on my mind.
"We'll be friends forever, right?" I questioned, nerves clearly making their way to the forefront of my high-pitched voice.
Kailahn looked shocked by the question, a splash sounding out in the darkness as he struggled to right his faltering body in the water. His face went from shocked, to sad, before settling on angry. A "tsk" fell past his lips and his eyes narrowed.
"Impossible. The sea is my home, and the land is yours. I am not permitted up there, just as you are not permitted down here. One day, you will move away, and forget all about me." Kai's voice grew softer towards the end, as if he didn't want to acknowledge something he knew to be a fact.
I shook my tiny head, my hair swishing back and forth violently.
"I would never forget you! I want to be your friend forever, even if I have to leave the land behind. Would you ever forget me?" I asked, my voice going from fierce and determined, to worried.
"I couldn't forget you even if I wanted to, Dylan, but you will. Maybe not today, or tomorrow, but you will forget me. Our memories do not work the same, mine is stronger, based on instinct, yours is not yet matured, and fueled with luxurious innocence." Kai instructed.
"But I don't want to forget you, I want to be able to see you, always." I sniffled, my eyes welling up with tears.
Kai paused, regarding me with a pained look, as if he couldn't bear the sight of me crying. Suddenly, another look flashed across his face, a look of realization. He swam a little closer to me, careful not to get too close for one reason or another, but close enough where he could grab my frail ankle reassuringly.
"You cry too easily Dyl... But what if I told you there was a way that you could see me again, that we could be closer than best friends, for the rest of our lives." Kai asked, desperation and excitement making its way into his words.
My young eyes bulged, and I smiled so brightly that my cheeks appeared to be pained.
"Can we?" I asked, innocence sparkling in my watery, green eyes.
Kai nodded, pulling on a leathery, gray strap of sorts that was crossed over his chest. The strap held all sorts of small pouches, as well as an encased dagger. But his focus was on none of these, instead, all of his attention was fueled into untying a pendant of sorts from around the strap. The pendant looked precious to him, considering how tightly it had been secured. He gave one last tug, pulling the chain free and holding up a necklace before me.
"My people go through four levels of maturity, our first, when we turn five. At this age, we make our first weapon for hunting. The next, when we turn 10, and we make one of these. This is a symbol of love amongst my people, who we are free to pass on to whomever we choose. Whoever we give our gift to, is meant to be with us forever, no matter if we are of the same world, or completely opposite ones." Kai explained the necklace and its meaning.
My small finger's made to reach for the pendant, eyes transfixed on the way the moonlight reflected its shining surface. Just before I could touch it though, Kai pulled it back, and flashed me a look of warning that said he wasn't done speaking.
"You must try your best to understand the importance of this gift, Dylan. I have one to give my whole life, if you accept this from me, it means that we will be bound to each other for the rest of our lives. There will be no going back, and no running away. The third stage of our maturity happens when we turn twenty, and we become sexually mature. The fourth, and last stage happens when we choose it to. When my people think we are ready, and able to protect the person who holds this pendant, we pursue them. If you accept this pendant, when I am fully matured, I will search for you. When I find you, you will come with me, and you will become mine. Forever. Whether you have forgotten me or not is of no importance, if you choose to fight me, it will leave me no other option than to pursue you by force. If you accept this gift, there will be nowhere in the ocean, or on land you can hide from me. You will always feel a call to the water, to me, no matter where you go. As you grow older and mature yourself, the ocean will begin to feel more like home than the land. So much so that you would do anything, betray anyone, just to be near it, because the pain of being away for too long will become too much to bear. So if you understand all of this, and you understand how hard things might get for you in the future, then I would love nothing more than for you to accept my gift. I cannot force you, and I will not lie to you. This has to be your choice. If you choose to decline, then I will stay with you for as long as I can, but eventually our paths will lead away from each other. When that happens, you will not see me again. So you must choose, either become mine, or accept reality and walk your own path, and let me go." Kai finished, and stared at me with an intensity that, even at my young age, shook me to my core.
He moved the necklace closer, presenting it before me once more, and eyed me carefully to see what I would decide.
"I don't want to never be able to see you..." I sniffled again, knowing that this was a very serious decision, that I wasn't sure I was old enough to make. I didn't understand it fully, I just knew that it was one that would change my life.
"If that is the truth, then accept my gift." Kai spoke softly, his voice promoting a sense of comfort in me which rivaled even that of my mother.
I stared at the pendant as it rocked gently back and forth with the breeze. As the wind hit its glittering surface, it created a jingling sound that beckoned me closer. It was as if this simple piece of jewellery was calling out to me, singing me a song to let me know everything would be okay, if I just accepted it. Though I didn't fully understand the consequences Kai spoke of, my young brain was sure of one thing. It would be much easier for me to accept this necklace that rang with comfort, than for me to accept never seeing Kai again.
Hesitantly, I reached my hand out for the second time, allowing my index finger to just barely graze the smooth piece. Kai's eyes flickered dangerously, as he became seemingly more and more anxious. The pendant was cold, and sent a jolt through my frame that caused me to shiver. I removed the finger that had touched it out of shock, but soon realized that not touching it felt worse. As soon as I had broken the contact, I was overcome with a sense of loneliness that threatened to choke me on my own shuddering breaths. It was painful, and heart wrenching. So after a few seconds, I made up my mind, now sure of what I wanted.
I opened my palm, and lifted my hand up so that the weight of the pendant rested against my skin. I glanced up at Kai, searching his eyes and seeing a warmth swimming behind the cool purple. As if Kai understood everything that had just gone through my mind, he smiled softly at me. It was a gentle smile, smooth and kind, with the slightest tinge of sadness hidden deep down. And just as that smile appeared across his face, he finally let go of the chain, and the pendant appeared to move in slow motion as it fell completely in my hand.
Kai brought the hand that had been holding the chain up to trace my cheek. And I noticed for the first time that the skin on his palm was much rougher than mine; textured, and feeling almost like the surface of a brick building. Yet even though it was rougher, it was still soft like you'd expect skin to be, as it fit perfectly with the curve of my jaw. It felt nice, like someone scratching your back for you when you felt unwell.
He used his hand to guide my head closer to him, and I could feel the cool smoothness of something, that wasn't human legs, pressing against my own. Kai used his newfound leverage to plant a gentle kiss to my forehead, being careful as he touched me like I was a piece of fine china that might break.
"You're mine now, Dylan." My name on his tongue echoed over and over in my head, and the adult me, who had been watching the whole thing from the sand, was suddenly wracked with pain again. I clenched my head, feeling the pulsing drum roar back to life. Each bang paired with each echo of my name, until I fell to my knees, and onto the cushioning grains below.
"Dylan. Bang. Dylan. bang..." Over and over again, intensity never wavering.
"Dylan!" I jolted awake in bed, feeling the boat moving all around me.
I looked up and realized it was Perry that was calling out to me, her face looking panicked as she held tightly onto a metal shelf.
"W-what's going on?" I asked, still confused after the dream I had just had.
Dream, or memory? My own mind offered.
"You need to get up, the boat was pulled of course and we're in the middle of a nasty storm! We need all the help we can get up here!" She shouted above the sounds of the raging winds outside, before making her way back up to the deck.
I reached up to my neck, feeling the pendant hanging there and my heart rate pick up under my skin.
Dream, or memory?