Chapter Eight: Questions

Melanie followed the voice. She wasn't sure how she knew which direction it wanted her to go in, she just did. The Voice didn't say anything and Melanie didn't either. Time just seemed to stop, or maybe there just wasn't any time here. She couldn't tell. She just kept moving.

A child ran out of the darkness. He looked around seven years old. Other than that, she couldn't tell. His features weren't defined, it was as though Melanie was as seeing him from a great distance even though he was right in front of her.

"Who is he?" she asked the Voice.

Watch.

Melanie watched. As she watched, another figure followed him. Melanie could see that she was laughing, but that was all she could tell. Then, for the first time, she heard one of the dream-figures speak.

"Come back!" she shouted.

He laughed at her. "Catch me!"

She ran towards him, fast as lightning. He was just as fast. Melanie could only watch, following their circular progress with her eyes. She was too slow to even try to follow, she thought.

You aren't physical here. If you want to follow, you can.

Melanie followed. It felt like she was flying, and she almost lost herself in the exhilaration of the experience. It felt purely beautiful to be following the two laughing children at the speed of light.

But suddenly their progress slowed, they were approaching a structure that Melanie couldn't quite take in. It seemed to be made of many dimensions at once so that Melanie couldn't quite grasp it. She decided to just let it go though and follow the children.

At that moment, a woman came out of the building. And her features, although blurred like the rest of them, were the most beautiful that Melanie had ever seen. The boy ran over to her, wrapped his arms around her waist.

"Mother!" he said. He turned back to the girl. "I won! I got here first!"

"Bet you're too scared to let go of her," the girl taunted back. "I wouldn't hang onto my mother like that! I wouldn't be scared of you." She stuck her tongue out in return, then stuck her fingers into her ears and wiggled them.

"You two!" the woman said, laughing. She led them into the structure that Melanie could only assume was a house.

It's time to go now, Melanie.

"But why?!" Melanie said in alarm. This wasn't the end of this story, she knew.

But you have seen enough of the story for now. Come and walk with me.

"That's hard to do, seeing as your not really here." Melanie muttered.

The voice ignored her comment and the next thing Melanie knew, a figure was taking shape out of the very place it's self. It wasn't that it was approaching, like the woman and the two children. It was as though it was condensing out of its very substance.

When the processes was finished, Melanie was looking at an elderly gentleman. He looked kindly. So is that better? His voice wasn't spoken, like hers was. It was sensed. Like the feel of him touching her, guiding her.

Melanie bit her lip in embarrassment and chose comment. She knew the man could see that she was sorry for her cheek. "Why am I being shown this?" she asked instead.

There are many things in the world that Wizards don't know about, said the Man. And many that they would be unprepared to handle. What you are being shown here was a mistake. A Bond. A Problem. Something that needs to be repaired.

Melanie stomped her foot, more out of desperation than anything else. "Can you tell me any more than that?!" she asked.

Later. You have experiences to feel before you are shown the next chapter of this tragedy. But Melanie, there are things that have been concealed from Wizards since the Beginning of Time. Things that have been concealed from everyone. From the Powers, even. But we will talk of that later. For now, you must return to your world in time for no one to miss you. We will talk again soon.

When Melanie awoke, it was Dawn.