Chapter 14
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With that, he walked out of the Sphinx and went in search of Kiriana. He stepped out into the warm afternoon air and immediately heard a soft voice singing quietly, the beautiful yet unfamiliar melody drifting towards him on the breeze itself.
*Dreams to dream*
*In the dark of the night*
*When the world goes wrong*
*I can still make it right*
*I can see so far with my dreams*
*Somewhere in my dreams*
*Your dreams will come true...*
Presley looked up and sure enough, he saw her perched there upon the Sphinx's back. Her knees were drawn up to her chest, her slender arms wrapped around her long legs. Completely oblivious to the breeze that tore at her skirt and hair, and to the fact that she was being watched, she continued chanting her haunting song.
*There is a star*
*Waiting to guide us*
*Shining inside us*
*When we close our eyes...*
Spotting a ladder attached to the side of the building, he quickly scrambled up the ladder, pausing for a few moments at the top to listen to Kiriana's song.
*Come with me,*
*You will see what I mean*
*There's a world inside*
*No one else ever sees*
*You will go so far in my dreams*
*Somewhere in my dreams*
*Your dreams will come true...*
"Hi, Kiriana," Presley called out to her as he stepped up onto the roof.
Startled, she jumped, letting out a gasp as she turned and saw him slowly approaching her. She clutched her chest, her heart pounding so loudly that she was certain that Presley could hear it.
"Oh, it's just you," she muttered half-heartedly as Presley sat down beside her.
"Well, thank you, I think," he replied, giving her a wounded look.
"What did you expect? You nearly gave me a heart attack, sneaking up on me that way," she shot back with a laugh.
Then she moved closer to him until her slender body was pressed right up against Presley's side. She lay her head on his shoulder and sighed, feeling totally safe with Presley and utterly contented with the world, despite all the weirdness and the danger that she had witnessed earlier today.
"Kiriana?" Presley said quietly.
"Yes, Rapses?" she asked, reaching up with her right hand to block the bright sunlight from her eyes as she looked up at him. She chuckled a little in spite of herself at the surprised look that he favored her with.
"I have something for you. But you have to close your eyes first. It's a surprise," he answered.
"Okay," she said and closed her eyes.
As soon as she did so, Presley removed the small package from his pocket that he had meant to give her earlier that day. He opened it and took out the pendant, unlatching the clasp and slipping it around her neck. Then he let the clasp latch itself closed again and drew back, an expression of anticipation on his slightly tanned features.
"Okay, you can open your eyes now," Presley said.
Kiriana opened her eyes and glanced down, letting out a startled gasp when she saw the emerald pendant that now dangled next to her amulet. She reached up, fingering it gently for a moment, then let it drop back down next to her talisman again, looking up at Presley with tears shimmering in her sapphire blue eyes.
"Oh my God, Presley. It's so beautiful! I love it!" she whispered when she was able to speak again.
Presley grinned and reached over, clasping Kiriana's hand gently in his, wiping away her tears with his other hand.
"I'm glad you like it. Happy birthday, Kiriana," he replied.
She threw herself into his arms, and Presley returned her embrace, feeling strangely protective of her all of a sudden as he held her close. They might have stayed like that for the rest of the day, if it hadn't been for the fact that a few moments later, they heard someone calling their names.
Reluctantly, the pair pulled away from each other and stood up. Climbing up to the Sphinx's head, they looked down and saw Lakira standing directly below them, her hands resting lightly on her hips as she scanned the surrounding area for the two friends.
"Presley! Kiriana! Where are you?" Lakira called out.
"We're up here, Lakira! We'll be right down!" Presley called back.
Lakira glanced in the direction from which Presley's voice had come and saw him and Kiriana perched there atop the Sphinx's head. They smiled down at her and waved, then they disappeared from view as they climbed down the ladder on the side of the Sphinx.
Moments later, they stood in front of Lakira, Presley clasping Kiriana's hand gently in his. Lakira noted this gesture with slight amusement.
"Hey, what's going on?" Kiriana asked.
"Your father has awakened. He is going to be all right," Lakira answered, much to Kiriana's relief.
"Thank God!" she said, slipping past them, and raced inside with Presley and Lakira following right behind her.
TBC...Mwa ha ha!! Let me know what you think! Kudos!
******************
With that, he walked out of the Sphinx and went in search of Kiriana. He stepped out into the warm afternoon air and immediately heard a soft voice singing quietly, the beautiful yet unfamiliar melody drifting towards him on the breeze itself.
*Dreams to dream*
*In the dark of the night*
*When the world goes wrong*
*I can still make it right*
*I can see so far with my dreams*
*Somewhere in my dreams*
*Your dreams will come true...*
Presley looked up and sure enough, he saw her perched there upon the Sphinx's back. Her knees were drawn up to her chest, her slender arms wrapped around her long legs. Completely oblivious to the breeze that tore at her skirt and hair, and to the fact that she was being watched, she continued chanting her haunting song.
*There is a star*
*Waiting to guide us*
*Shining inside us*
*When we close our eyes...*
Spotting a ladder attached to the side of the building, he quickly scrambled up the ladder, pausing for a few moments at the top to listen to Kiriana's song.
*Come with me,*
*You will see what I mean*
*There's a world inside*
*No one else ever sees*
*You will go so far in my dreams*
*Somewhere in my dreams*
*Your dreams will come true...*
"Hi, Kiriana," Presley called out to her as he stepped up onto the roof.
Startled, she jumped, letting out a gasp as she turned and saw him slowly approaching her. She clutched her chest, her heart pounding so loudly that she was certain that Presley could hear it.
"Oh, it's just you," she muttered half-heartedly as Presley sat down beside her.
"Well, thank you, I think," he replied, giving her a wounded look.
"What did you expect? You nearly gave me a heart attack, sneaking up on me that way," she shot back with a laugh.
Then she moved closer to him until her slender body was pressed right up against Presley's side. She lay her head on his shoulder and sighed, feeling totally safe with Presley and utterly contented with the world, despite all the weirdness and the danger that she had witnessed earlier today.
"Kiriana?" Presley said quietly.
"Yes, Rapses?" she asked, reaching up with her right hand to block the bright sunlight from her eyes as she looked up at him. She chuckled a little in spite of herself at the surprised look that he favored her with.
"I have something for you. But you have to close your eyes first. It's a surprise," he answered.
"Okay," she said and closed her eyes.
As soon as she did so, Presley removed the small package from his pocket that he had meant to give her earlier that day. He opened it and took out the pendant, unlatching the clasp and slipping it around her neck. Then he let the clasp latch itself closed again and drew back, an expression of anticipation on his slightly tanned features.
"Okay, you can open your eyes now," Presley said.
Kiriana opened her eyes and glanced down, letting out a startled gasp when she saw the emerald pendant that now dangled next to her amulet. She reached up, fingering it gently for a moment, then let it drop back down next to her talisman again, looking up at Presley with tears shimmering in her sapphire blue eyes.
"Oh my God, Presley. It's so beautiful! I love it!" she whispered when she was able to speak again.
Presley grinned and reached over, clasping Kiriana's hand gently in his, wiping away her tears with his other hand.
"I'm glad you like it. Happy birthday, Kiriana," he replied.
She threw herself into his arms, and Presley returned her embrace, feeling strangely protective of her all of a sudden as he held her close. They might have stayed like that for the rest of the day, if it hadn't been for the fact that a few moments later, they heard someone calling their names.
Reluctantly, the pair pulled away from each other and stood up. Climbing up to the Sphinx's head, they looked down and saw Lakira standing directly below them, her hands resting lightly on her hips as she scanned the surrounding area for the two friends.
"Presley! Kiriana! Where are you?" Lakira called out.
"We're up here, Lakira! We'll be right down!" Presley called back.
Lakira glanced in the direction from which Presley's voice had come and saw him and Kiriana perched there atop the Sphinx's head. They smiled down at her and waved, then they disappeared from view as they climbed down the ladder on the side of the Sphinx.
Moments later, they stood in front of Lakira, Presley clasping Kiriana's hand gently in his. Lakira noted this gesture with slight amusement.
"Hey, what's going on?" Kiriana asked.
"Your father has awakened. He is going to be all right," Lakira answered, much to Kiriana's relief.
"Thank God!" she said, slipping past them, and raced inside with Presley and Lakira following right behind her.
TBC...Mwa ha ha!! Let me know what you think! Kudos!
