Crackerjack II

Chpt. 32: Voices

The next morning was no better regarding coherency. Someone might have been talking, but Kristen remained at least two-thirds asleep until noon. Even after she woke, her muscles were sore enough that instead of rising, she lay absorbed in the aching for another two hours. It took twenty minutes to navigate down the ladder. Once on the ground floor, Kristen turned her attention to Scorch, who seemed much more recovered than she. He was stretched half-on his cushion, yawning.

"I guess you're just having a day off, huh?"

He blinked slowly and rested his chin on his forelegs. Kristen settled in to read, knowing Spencer and Sylvia would be watching for her if she should leave. She dragged the journal over to her table and curled her shaking limbs into the chair. She couldn't hold the pencil to take notes, but she was hardly paying attention to the words, anyway. Her body was nearly as sore as her mind, which felt like her stomach when she'd eaten too much. If she tried too hard to focus her eyes on something, a hand squeezed her brain until she relaxed.

You have not turned the page for a long while.

Kristen blinked and glanced up at the door, but it was closed. She shook her head and shut the book. It was no use. Groaning, she dragged herself back to the bookshelf. She couldn't muster the strength to place the journal in its spot on the second shelf, but she carefully set it away from the edge.

She turned her attention to the ladder, but, even if she could have made it up, she didn't want to sleep anymore, though her body certainly wouldn't have been harmed by it. What she really wanted was someone to talk to.

"Scorch, when did you wake up this morning?"

She fell out of her chair when a voice rang in her mind.

Much earlier than you.

Gaping, Kristen raised on one elbow, unable to make coherent words. "Wh-guh, wha...!"

Scorch tilted his head. Are you injured?

His voice in her head. It was deep and elegant, a melodious lilt accenting his words that seemed almost familiar, as if from a dream.

"You're...talking."

Scorch blew smoke. As are you.

"You're talking...in my head." Kristen shifted until she was sitting on her knees. "Is this real?"

From all you have read, you must know of the cultivation stage.

Kristen's mouth flapped.

You are frustrating to get here, you know. Scorch snorted and lifted his head. I was not sure you would make it across that ridiculous rope of an entrance.

"Hey." Kristen frowned. "It was the first thing I thought of."

Why did you not think of a simple path? Scorch ruffled his wings. You make things very difficult for yourself.

"But I still made it." Kristen crossed her arms. "And I finished the tests, too."

An emotion skittered across the bond but dissipated too quickly for Kristen to name.

Yes, you did.

"And about those tests." Kristen ground her teeth. "You didn't have to make them so hard."

You make everything...hard. Scorch cocked his head.

Kristen narrowed her eyes.

I supplied the setting and the people, but you guided their actions.

"What does that mean?"

Scorch grunted as he stretched before getting to his feet. I only created the first tests. Your own fears were acted out in the later ones. He smacked his lips. I am hungry.