Chapter 41: It's Real

8 2 6

by CandyAtkins

by CandyAtkins

"Agatha, wake up," someone whispers. I wasn't sleeping. I was leaning on Qince. We were talking.

"Agatha, wake up," the muffled voice insists.

I look at Qince to see if he's sleeping. He tilts his head to look at me closer. "You okay?" he asks.

"Yeah, I'm awake." I turn my head to the source of the voice and find an Eurynomon guard squatting next to me. I jump in surprise, but once I'm on my feet, I'm taller than the warrior. He's wearing elfish clothing.

Five-fingered hands pull the faceplate away revealing Carfron. "Did I scare you?"

"Yes, why are you wearing that?"

"What's going on?" Qince asks, but I can't see him.

"Did you hear that?" I ask.

"Hear what?" Carfron asks back.

"She's hallucinating again," a voice says. It sounds familiar, but I don't know why.

"I think I'm sleepwalking," I say to Carfron.

"How can you be sleepwalking if you're awake?"

He makes a good point. "I'm hearing voices."

"Ignore them," Carfron says.

"I hate when I hallucinate. I can't determine what's real or not real."

"You're talking to me, so I'm obviously real."

"I have a test I can do to see if you're a figment of my imagination, but I forgot it."

"Why did you quit?" Carfron asks.

"Stop asking me that. I don't know what I've quit. I stare at the Orb. I stare at the plaque. What do you want?"

"Maybe we should wake her," the voice says. I spin around, but no one is there. "Make him tell you what you've quit," the voice demands.

"Yeah. It's not right what you're doing. I'm trying, but you're not helping me. Why would you burn me?"

"Because you quit."

"But if you tell me what I quit, I'll do it. I swear. Whatever it is."

Carfron hands me a book.

"This is the book I was reading when I left Earth." I flip to the back. It has the library's name and security seal. "You want me to read a book?"

I turn it over and read the cover. "You've got to be kidding me. It's real?" I'm so upset I snap out of the dream and see everyone standing around me.

"Are you awake?" Jonah asks.

"Yeah, I was talking to Carfron."

"What did the book say?" Solara asks.

"It said Journeymen of Atlantis."

To be continued...