The final rays of the sun glinted off the still waters of an enormous lake. No wind blew, no ripple disturbed the surface; all was calm. It was almost eerie how quiet the world was being. After everything I had been through, everything I had seen, this still beauty was as unfamiliar and foreign as the powers I now held…
What was this place?
I glowered down at the small patch of rock visible through the dirt. The whole thing was stupid. It was ridiculous. Even more ridiculous was the fact that I was crying. I never cried, not over stupid things like this. Little quarrels and constant high school drama shouldn't have any effect on me. I shouldn't care.
I felt his approach before I heard it, but I didn't turn. He didn't hesitate before gently wrapping his arms around my shoulders. I leaned back slightly and blinked in an effort to ease the burning sensation pressing against my eyes.
"You know," he stated lightly, "it's ok to be human once in a while."
"Only when there's an actual reason for it. Arguing with someone about something so silly doesn't count."
"Maybe," he agreed, "but if that someone is your best friend, I think it does. Particularly if that best friend called you a-"
"Shut up, Jake. She didn't mean it."
I could feel him grinning as he let go of me. "I know she didn't. She knows she didn't. You know she didn't. So what are you upset about?"
"I don't know. The whole damn thing is…"
"Stupid?"
"Yeah, stupid."
Jake moved around to face me. I avoided his gaze but he brushed a hand lightly under my eyes. "Come on, why don't we go talk to Jessica?"
I took a quick breath and turned, a half formed word hanging useless in the air as I saw what was behind me. It should have been the school. I had been standing by the gym. Why would a forest be by the gym? I turned around to ask Jake, but both he and the gym were gone.
"Jake?" The call echoed eerily through the trees, startling a couple of strange looking birds from their roosts.
I began walking, searching for my school. It shouldn't be far. I had just been there. But was there really such a thick forest near it? How strange.
Rain began falling. It was odd rain. It glowed a faint blue. It looked familiar. Where had I seen this rain before?
Flames suddenly erupted around me, turning the lush trees to ash in an instant. Gun shots came from every direction, screaming, cries of pain. What was going on? Why wasn't the rain putting out the fire?
I was uncomfortably warm under the thick blanket covering me. Perhaps it was because the room I was in glowed the color the flames. Was there actually a fire?
I sat up so fast my head spun and I toppled over sideways. The floor was covered by soft, lush carpet which cushioned my fall. Still dizzy and slightly disoriented, I looked around, holding my head. A minute passed before I realized where I was.
'Faye?' Dawn's gentle squeak came from behind me. I turned and saw her frowning at me. 'Are you all right?'
Mixed emotions churned inside me. Relief, puzzlement, regret, disappointment. Confusion.
'Faye?' Dawn said again, hopping lightly off the bed and staring at me.
"Do you see…what I dream?" My voice was hoarse from sleep.
'I can if I'm awake. But I don't share your dreams. Dreams are from memories and I don't share your memories.'
I nodded. "Ok."
Dawn's frown deepened. 'Why? Was there something troubling in your dream?'
"Not really. Just…the usual. Fire and rain." The rest of my dream was already fading. I could remember an argument with Jessica. That had been silly high school drama from the distant past. Already I had forgotten what we'd been fighting about. I knew Jake had been there too. Within a couple of hours the whole thing would be forgotten. I felt that was best for the time being.
'Why don't we go exploring? You haven't gotten to see much of this house. Not unimpaired, anyway.'
I felt my face grow warm. "Thanks for reminding me." I said this in a sarcastic tone but I meant it. I had completely forgotten that I would soon be learning everything I needed to know about this journey. Suddenly I was eager to find Seles. Would it be rude to wake her if it was very early? Probably. Would it be any less rude to poke through her home while she was asleep? Probably not. Well, that was too bad.
----
The room I had slept in was one of three on the left side of the staircase on the second floor. A small balcony overlooked a quaint sitting room filled with the sun's first light. The white carpet and soft blue walls held the light well, making it appear well lit and inviting.
Turning from there I moved towards the right side of the staircase and found two more doors I did not try to open. Instead I turned back and ascended the second set of stairs to the third floor.
This floor was more of a large room than anything else. Paintings hung on the walls in between the many doors. I counted six. Each had an odd symbol carved elegantly into the wood and inlaid with either gold or silver. The effect was interesting. I couldn't decide if it was mysterious in a way that made me want to explore the rooms beyond or turn around and leave.
A noise behind me made me jump. I suddenly became aware of Dawn's absence. How had I not noticed she was missing? I spun around and saw Seles smiling at me from the stairs.
"Doing a bit of early morning exploration?"
Her face was kind and her intense eyes sparkled brightly with amusement.
I swallowed and nodded, trying to look apologetic. "I…I'm sorry. I was just…curious."
She gave a gentle laugh and motioned for me to follow her back down the stairs. "Don't worry. It's natural to be curious when you're in a strange place. I advise, however, that you not open any unknown doors. They can be dangerous, you see."
I nodded again, glancing back at the assortment of doors. Only one door was within eyesight. The golden symbol gazed back innocently, and for a moment, seemed to glow. Then the stairs turned and I turned my gaze to the back of Seles's head.
"You need to wash," she said, glancing back at me as we reached the second floor.
I blushed, realizing she was right. How long had it been since I had had a shower or a change of clothes?
Dawn greeted me at the top of the stairs that led to the first floor. She grinned, her whiskers twitching.
"Where have you been?"
'I was talking with Seles. Did you not notice her coming into the sitting room below the balcony?'
I had to admit I hadn't. "No. I was focusing on other things."
Before Dawn could answer, Seles directed me to one of the doors on the right side. "That's the bathroom. There are towels in there already. I'll see if I can find you some clean clothes that'll fit while I wash yours."
I smiled gratefully at her and turned the knob of the indicated door. The bathroom was large and beautiful. The floor and walls were composed of shining white tiles and the light overhead was bright and cheerful. The sink stood opposite the door with a large mirror and a second set of lights on the wall behind it. I grimaced slightly as I stared at my reflection.
My face was smudged with dirt and my hair was limp, dull, and tangled from tossing and turning in my sleep. My clothes were dirtier than I was, though it wasn't as obvious thanks to the dark colors. I also noticed that my hat was gone. When had I lost it? I couldn't remember if I'd had it or not back at the motel.
I quickly removed my clothes, desperate to be out of them now that I realized how dirty they were. Savior or not, a girl's got her limits. I wasn't the type to squeal at dirt or feel the need to avoid any and all situations in which I could get mud on me, but I was also used to being able to take a shower every night.
Back at the motel I hadn't really paid too much attention to my physical appearance because I was concerned about my injuries. A glance in the mirror told me that the cut on my head was now only a faint scar. The wound on my thigh faired no worse. I had never healed faster than anyone else before coming to this world. Maybe it was the climate. That sounded ridiculous but I'd stick with it until I got a better answer.
'I'm glad your leg healed as quickly as it did. Does it hurt at all?'
I glanced down and caught Dawn staring at me. I blushed, though there was no real reason for it, and scolded her. "No, and quit staring."
She rolled her eyes and turned her back to me, twitching her tail in either irritation or amusement. 'Honestly, Faye, I'm a part of you.'
"So? Maybe I'm self-conscious."
'Somehow I doubt that.'
Choosing to ignore her rather than answer, I pulled open the glass door of the shower and stepped in.
----
Now so clean I felt I'd need a few days to re-grow the layer of skin I'd rubbed off and wrapped in a fluffy white towel, I set to sorting out my hair with the brush the Interregional Alliance had given me. I'd been grateful for it thus far but it was kind of cheap. A couple of bristles had already snapped off. Clearly it wasn't made for getting twigs and tough snarls out of hair and that was what I had been using it for.
A knock on the door allowed me to pause my battle with my hair. "Come in."
Seles entered with a bundle of clothes in her arms. On top of the bundle was a small variety of brushes and combs and a small pouch that would be used to hold make-up. It was the sight of these small comfort items that made my eyes sting. No one else had given much consideration to the teenage girl side of me. They only saw the Chosen One, nothing more. Seles, however, knew that I was still human and that I longed, though I would never admit it, for a small portion of the comforts I had enjoyed before coming here.
She caught my expression and smiled. "You name a sixteen year old girl who will willing leave the house with tangled hair and no make-up and I'll give you my right hand."
I laughed. "Well, I'm fifteen but I still couldn't. Well…but I don't want your hand."
Seles laughed too and placed the bundle on the counter. "You might as well call yourself sixteen. It's only, what, a week, two?"
I stared at her. Now this was unforgivable on my part. My birthday, I had forgotten it. What was this journey doing to me?
A gentle hand found my shoulder. "Don't fret. It's very easy to loose track of time on a regular day. In your situation it's a requirement."
I nodded and she left, stopping to gather up my dirty clothes as she went.
I looked down at the bundle then began sorting through it. I had a nice selection, though a small one. I chose a new pair of faded jeans, a red spaghetti strap top, and a black jacket. I considered myself in the mirror before going to work on my hair and make-up.
Once brushed and parted satisfactorily, I tied my hair back, leaving some bangs on both side of my face. I then skimmed through the make-up and chose black eyeliner, red/brown eye shadow, and an interestingly dark shade of lipstick. It felt great to look like this again. It felt like ages since I last had.
Dawn nodded in approval when I looked at her. 'Very nice.'
"Yeah. Kind of a shame I won't be able to wear it again for a while." I picked up my backpack and turned to leave.
Seles smiled at me from the doorway. "Take the kit. You may not get time to use it, but it'll be nice to have it if you do."
I smiled back and placed the kit and brushes into my backpack.
"You look very nice, by the way," Seles added as I walked towards her. "I'm glad the clothes fit. I'm sorry I don't have any regular shoes for you. All of mine have a heel of some kind. Yours are regulation trainer shoes. Built very well, made for running and extended periods of walking, as well as rough terrain and weather. As I'm not a trainer I can't offer you anything like them."
"That's all right. I can stand not wearing shoes for a while until mine are clean." It would be a relief, actually.
"Yes, well," she smiled slightly, "you may need a pair when you go to see Alyssa. If they're not clean by the time we finish our conversation I hope you won't be bothered by something a little more fashionable."
I felt my heart leap at the mention of our discussion about the war and my powers. Finally! It also jerked a little when I thought about seeing members of the Interregional Alliance again. Seles had not asked me why I was not with Soren. Perhaps she didn't know about my escort. That was all very well, but Alyssa Clear did. What would she say? Would I be forced to rejoin him?
I would have to think about that later. I wasn't about to let Soren ruin my good mood again. Not now, anyways. That could wait until later. Right now I had questions that were about to be answered.