Chapter One: Unsettling Dreams

As told by Kara Teaford

A chill cold ran down my spine. I tried to pull my blanket tighter around me, only to realize there was no blanket. I opened my eyes to find myself alone in an icy cavern. Where am I, the thought flew across my mind. I scrambled to my feet, taking care not to slip on the ice. Once I was steady on my feet, I looked around me. Mountains of treasure surrounded me. Gold, jewels, statues, and a million other things filled the icy cavern.

One object in particular caught my attention. It appeared to be nothing more then an ordinary mirror. I looked into it seeing the familiar image of myself in it. My straight black hair framed my small face and brought out my emerald green eyes. My skin was pale from lack of sunlight. Everything was normal, right down to my sweat pants and t-shirt. At least at first it was.

As I stared into the mirror, the features it reflected began to blur and change. Celestias, I heard in my head, the time has come to be reborn! My skin paled more until it was as white as the purest snow. My eyes changed from green to blue in a flash as my hair dissolved from my head. My mouth elongated and my skull began to change shape. Horror rose up from deep with in me.

No, I thought, make it stop. MAKE IT STOP! With that last thought the mirror shattered into a thousand pieces. As it did, the contents of the cave began to swirl around me, as if caught in a tornado. I curled up in the center of the maelstrom and begin sobbing as the many treasures slammed against the walls of the cave. I clutched my thighs to my chest and buried my head in my knees as the steady pounding continued for what seemed like hours.

"Kara, open up. We're going to be late!" My eyes snapped open at the sound of the voice. I was no longer in the cavern, but instead in my own dorm room. There was no swirling vortex of treasure. The only banging was from my friend Angela knocking on the door.

"I'm up," I called as I pushed the blanket off of me and got out of bed. I glanced at the clock on my microwave and sighed, just past seven. Another night haunted by nightmares. I flipped the lock and opened the door. There was Angela staring at her watch with an impatient look on her face.

"I'm not up for it today," I said, holding out my tape recorder, "can you take notes for me?"

Angela looked up at me for the first time and gasped. "Kara, you look right awful," she said with concern, "Long night at the pub?"

A faint smile crossed my face, "Not really, I just didn't sleep last night." It was mostly true. What sleep I had gotten had been disturbed by nightmares, a problem that was becoming all too frequent as of late.

"Alright Kara," Angela replied as she took the recorder, "Go take yourself a quick kip and be glad we don't have afternoon classes today. I'll see you later." With that she started down the hall and I closed the door. I leaned my head against it, feeling the cool metal on my forehead. Some sleep would be nice, but I doubted I'd be able to get any.

After a few minutes of leaning against the door, I decided to give a walk a try. I was usually either in class, at work, or studying, so I didn't get out much. Maybe a little exercise would help me clear my head. I grabbed my sneakers and jacket and then headed outside.

Once I was outside, I started walking. I wasn't going anywhere in particular, so I let my feet guide me while I thought about my dreams. After a few hours, my wandering had led me to Hyde Park. As I walked through the park, I felt almost like an outside force was guiding my movements. Finally, I took a seat on a park bench to rest. On the bench next to me was another woman. She had dark red hair and a slightly weathered appearance. Her glasses were slightly dirty around the edges and the jeans she wore had seen a fair amount of wear. The woman looked to be in her mid-to-late twenties.

I was fairly certain I had never met this woman before, but even still; I felt a strange familiarity from her. I couldn't help but to stare at her. She must have felt my stare, because as I did, she turned to look at me. Then our eyes met.

A thousand images flooded my head of a life that was not my own. A childhood with loving parents, a college graduation, and scenes of an unknown desert flashed through my mind. I saw the Pyramids, the Great Wall, and many other archeological sites from around the world, but through her eyes, not with my own. The visions faded as quickly as they had begun, leaving me with only a name, echoing through my mind: Illura.

"Seems I finally found you, Celestias," a look of pleasant surprise crossed the woman's face as she spoke.