Relive

Awakened

Sophie burst into Silveny's cage with Keefe and Biana right on her heels. Keefe had the messenger bag slung over his shoulder, but he was still gripping the bag across his chest like he feared he would lose it. 

Sophie! Silveny flew down beside her. Even though she had gone to Sophie, it was clear all Silveny wanted was Keefe.

Hey, girl. Sophie transmitted. We need to see Mr. Forkle. Can you help us out?

In response, Silveny bent her front hooves into the ground, lowering herself so that the trio could climb on top. Keefe used his hands as a step and boosted Biana up onto Silveny. He did the same for Sophie before placing himself on the very back of the alicorn. Biana gripped Silveny's mane while Silveny began to stand back up.

Hurry! Sophie transmitted to the alicorn as Silveny launched herself into the air. Sophie felt keep slide his arms around her waist, her face growing hot. Now was not the time to be thinking about cute boys she reminded herself. 

As Silveny reached a higher altitude, Sophie began to feel lightheaded. She thought it was just from how high they were off the ground. Within a few seconds, Sophie had passed out onto Keefe.

"Foster?"

---

A dim light filled the area. Sophie could barely keep one eye open as she scanned the room. Her eyes began to adjust to the blue hues, but there was nothing she could recognize in front of her. She tried to move before she realized her wrists were bound to the table, as well as her ankles.

"Can't say this is the first time this has happened," she murmured. "But where am I? Wasn't I just with Biana and Keefe-"

Her eyes stopped on the blonde boy next to her, also bound to a makeshift bed with a mattress so thin that Sophie would have considered it a table. His eyes remained closed and while his hair was always unkempt, Sophie could tell he had not touched it in a while. She did not want to see the state of her own hair.

She squinted her eyes, trying to see him better. One major thing stuck out to her.

He was not 13!

---

Sophie felt herself being ripped back to reality. They were no longer flying, in fact, she was not even on the alicorn. She had awoken in a chair in an unknown room. Across from her was the desk that Silveny had projected into her mind. They must have made it to Mr. Forkle's hideaway. Keefe was kneeling beside her and Biana and Mr. Forkle stood there full of worry.

"Are you okay, Foster? You really scared me. I was scared something was really wrong." Keefe's anxiety was leaking from his words. He reached for her hand to do a reading. "Your emotions feel okay." He noted.

Sophie's eyes bore into Mr. Forkle. She was not sure if she trusted him. 

"Would you guys have any reason to... I don't know... tie Keefe and me to a table?" 

"Miss Foster!" Mr. Forkle was taken aback. A second Mr. Forkle entered the room.

Keefe's jaw went slack.

Before anyone else could speak, Sophie filled them in on her "dream" or "lack of consciousness" experience. All of them patiently listened and by the end of it, Keefe's face had paled.

"I was there?" He questioned.

Sophie nodded her head slowly, trying to relive the details again. She wished she had more time. More time to observe. Was Biana there too? Did she just miss her?

The Forkles shared a knowing glance, one that Sophie did not approve of. "What?"

"We found Neverseen members on your property a few days ago. Now that you've said this..." He paused and looked at his twin. The other Forkle nodded, giving approval. "I wonder..."

"You wonder?" Sophie was trying to cox the words out of him.

"I wonder if this means-" He was cut off by loud humming noise. Within a few seconds, that Forkle had disappeared. 

Keefe jumped to his feet. "What the-" Now he was cut off by that same Forkle returning. 

"I wonder if you are delusional, Sophie Foster." That Forkle concluded. The air around him rippled and buzzed as if he was a hologram.

"What are you?" Sophie demanded and got out of the chair. Fear was beginning to freeze her body. She could not comprehend what she was seeing.

The Forkle's smiled, neither answering her question.

"Sophie, I think we need to go," Biana began to back up towards the door. Sophie could not have agreed more as she snatched the Brant journal and jumped over a coffee table.

Her vision went out again.

---

With a loud gasp, Sophie had awoken in that room again. Keefe was still passed out beside her and this time she could confirm that there was no Biana in this room. She focused on Keefe, trying to take in the scene so that she would have something to report in the real world. 

The real world. She thought. Was that even the real world? 

Tears welled in her eyes when she looked at Keefe's face. What was she supposed to do? What does any of this mean? And how on earth did Forkle disappear and return?

She let herself cry. She cried for the unknown and she cried for everything she had to lose. She did not know her next steps, let alone where she was.

Sophie Foster was lost.

When her eyes cleared, she rested them on Keefe once again. His familiarity calmed her and she had never wanted him to annoy her more in her entire life. She noticed how long his hair had grown and she began to fear for how long she had been tied there.

Voices entered the room. A boy and a woman. The boy was complaining, Sophie would tell by his tone.

"Did you administer the fluid today?" The woman said harshly.

"Of course, ma'am," The boy responded. Even Sophie could detect the hesitation in his words.

"Do not fail me," The woman noted as she walked away.

Shortly after, Sophie could hear the boy's voice as he approached the room. She shut her eyes tight when he had entered the room. He rummaged around in some of the cabinets before he finally settled on what he wanted.

Sophie felt the syringe enter her arm, the liquid cold and foreign. She could feel the drowsiness set in.

"I fear the consequences if I betray them now," the boy remarked. "You can not awake yet, but I will not fail you, Sophie Foster."

The darkness settled in.