Chapter Five

When the nightmare started, an all consuming terror came with it. Death. Dead men. Dead women. Dead children. Bodies. Bodies everywhere. Piles of them. Flames surrounded me. Above me, the void. Empty of stars. I was still filled with terror, when the nightmare changed.

I was back to that terrible day, three years ago. Back in the courtyard of the ruined tower fortress. It stood before me, the thing. That horrible thing. It shouldn't exist. It shouldn't be in our world. It wasn't a tree, but no other description fit. The Never-Tree. I screamed.

"Ahhhhhhhh," I shrieked as I awoke. I was sweating, still afraid. There was a shadowy figure looming beside my bed, and my fear turned back into terror. I began drawing in power.

"Hey its okay Liz stop," Malia said quickly, holding out her hands in a pacifying gesture. "Its just me. I was trying to wake you. It looked like you were having a really bad dream."

I sat up in bed, leaning back against the headboard. I took in my surroundings as my eyes adjusted to the darkness filling the women's dormitory. The room was large, with bunk beds along three walls. More bunks lined its center. I was in the middle of the room, in the bottom bunk I had collapsed into last night. Soft dim moonlight faintly illuminated the darkness. My breathing was ragged, my head pounding. Even as my eyes adjusted, the darkness was still pervasive around me. It was too much, like it wanted to enter me, keep me for its own. I quickly used the power I had gathered, muttering a nonsensical word to create a small orb of light to float in front of me. I hadn't managed to gather much energy, the light less steady than intended.

"I'm okay. Thanks. It was just a nightma—" but I cut off. The light had entered the room, but it did not fill it. It was blocked by parts of the top bunks frame, splitting it to cast many long shadows. They reached across the high ceiling of the room all around me, stretching like long crooked fingers in the unsteady light. Or like dark twisting branch— The Memory hit me again, and I blacked out.

When I regained consciousness, the room around me was bustling with activity. People moved about, and I could hear worried voices. When I opened my eyes it was still dark outside, but now the dorm was bathed in a warm flickering light. Malia was still sitting beside my bed, and to my surprise so was Chase. He was resting his head in my lap, a warm and reassuring presence. My head was still pounding—a steady throbbing pain—and dark images kept squirming through my mind. The Memory filled my mind, and it took all my mental effort to shove it back before it could incapacitate me once more.

"Are you… Are you going to be alright, Liz?" Malia asked. Her face was a mask of calm, but her fear and worry leaked through it.

"I th-think so," I said, but my voice betrayed me. Why had that nightmare hit me so hard? I've never had such a bad dream that it woke me up, screaming. And to trigger that Memory—

When I woke the third time, It was to the feeling of soft dampness as it ran across the back of my hand. I looked over to see Chase, giving my hand slow doggy kisses. There was something soft and wet on my forehead as well. Reaching up, I removed a cold damp cloth. I sat up in bed, looking around. Malia, Chase and I were now alone. I used the cloth to wipe my face, and the terror induced sweat that still remained there.

"Whats going on?" I asked in an unsteady voice. "Why was everyone awake? Did my scream wake everyone up?"

"No, it wasn't you Liz. Though you did make us worry," Malia said with a weak smile, then shared a glance with Chase. He had stopped licking my hand to rest his head on my lap again. "You weren't the only person who woke up screaming tonight. I think everyone with even a small talent for magic had a similar experience to yours."

"What do you mean?" I asked, not understanding. If only my head would stop thumping. "I just had a nightmare, that's all. Even if it was a bad one. Since when are nightmares contagious?"

"I'm not sure, I don't have any answers for you yet. I didn't want to leave your side, not until we were sure you would be alright. But the Headmaster stopped by earlier, and he was worried. He came in just after you passed out the first time and left before you woke. Went to see what he could find out. He did tell us a lot of people shared a similar nightmare though. One of terror, and death…" Malia said in a hushed tone.

The nightmare tried to return to the fore of my mind, but I was ready for it this time. I shoved it down. "Are you alright? You said anyone with magic was affected right?" I asked.

"I woke up right before it happened. I… well… I used to have really bad dreams." Malia answered, her voice becoming unsteady. "Dreams about my life, before the Headmaster found me. I try not to think of those days…" her voice steadied. "When I first arrived at Strong Roots, I told the Headmaster about them. He told me to go to Professor Doris, who taught me some tips on controlling my dreams. I always prepare myself before sleep, just in case. I could feel this one coming, and I knew it was going to be a bad one. I woke myself, but when I got up I saw you were twitching and thrashing in your sleep. I tried you wake you, but you were in too deep. I'm sorry. Nothing I did was any help."

That made sense. Granny Doris was our Mind Master at Strong Roots. She taught us how to defend our minds from other practitioners, as well as from supernatural invasion. Dreams and meditation—along with other areas of mental control and strengthening—we're also under her purview. I made a mental note to ask her about some private lessons on dream protection. I obviously needed it.

"I'm sure you did everything you could. You stayed with me when I blacked out, what more could I ask?" I reassured my friend. Her hand was resting on my bed, and I placed mine on top of it, squeezing gently to show her my thanks. My pale skin contrasting her dark brown. "And I'm really, really glad you didn't have to experience—" I cut off and quickly shoved the memory down again. "I'm really glad your here," I finished, a little lamely. I meant it though. I'd always found her presence soothing to my negative or turbulent emotions. She has an aura of balance and understanding. That was the only way I could think to describe it. I certainly wasn't going to complain as the steady warmth from her hand spread into mine. I needed human contact more than breathing at the moment. Anything to remind me there was still warmth and life in the world. "What time is it?" I asked. I was still exhausted. I felt more tired now than I had before I'd fallen asleep.

"It's pretty late, or, well early. Depending on how you look at it. Dawn should be here in another couple hours," she said looking at me with concern. "You should try to get some more sleep."

I sat up straight in bed, my eyes going wide. The last thing in the world I wanted at that moment was to fall back into that horrible place. Malia gave me a soft reassuring smile. She turned the hand I had been squeezing around so she could clasp it with mine, placing her other hand atop it.

"Its okay, I think I can help. Let me try to guide you into a sweet, dreamless sleep. With what I learned from Professor Doris, it shouldn't be too hard. I've been practicing my chi balancing as well, so I'm confident I can help." I nodded, still scared, but less so now.

"Dreamless sleep does sound sweet," I said, closing my eyes. I could hardly keep them open in any case.

"Okay then. First, clear your mind," she instructed. I began mental exercises I learned long ago to help ease the process. "Good. Now breath in deeply," I did. She began to trace her finger along the back of my hand. It felt as if she were drawing runes, or geometric shapes. The smooth touch felt comforting, and some tension I hadn't even noticed started to unwind around my neck and shoulders. I felt the pleasant sensation of relaxing muscles as Malia's soothing voice continued. "Exhale slowly. That's right. And inhale. Good. Feel the rhythm of your breathing. Keep that pace." I focused on my breathing, Malia's measured tone helping to keep it deep and steady. "Perfect. Now focus on an image. Maybe someone you love. Hold it in your mind." At Malia's words, images of my friends and family began to drift through my mind. But they passed by, and the image that remained was of something I had never seen before. An enormous tree, unlike any I had ever seen or believed possible. It was a wondrous, beautiful thing. It radiated with a soft light, and with the light came a feeling of eager tenderness. It was a hard feeling to discern. Its like it wanted me to mature. To grow and thrive. To Live. Then a new image came into my mind. A memory I had forgotten. How I had forgotten it I don't know. It must have been buried deep, like most of the memories I have from that day. My arm was held in front of me, and in my hand I was holding a star. Light shown from it, bright as the sun, yet soft as the moon. Its light was less than that of the tree I had just seen; yet it was full of an incredible potential, as if it knew it could one day reach such heights. If it was only given the chance, and some love to nurture it. I stared directly at it, not fearing its light. It would not—could not harm me. I divined its heart, filled with affection. It loved me, cherished my life as if it was its own. Nothing could make it happier than for me to live on an on, forever growing. To never stop learning, to build myself to my fullest potential. I was aware that all around me, beyond that light, was an equally terrible darkness. But it was inconsequential when compared to what I was holding. That darkness could not penetrate the light—and the love for life it symbolized—though it hated it more than all else. I bathed in the light of the star, dismissing the darkness. Surrounded in light, I drifted peacefully into deep, dreamless sleep.

The instant before I went too deep for thoughts to reach, I thought I saw a persons face… But I was asleep before my mind could match it to a name.