Lost

Chapter 9

Ava took a few steps back and got a running start, she braced her body with her shoulder as she phased. Her eyes screwed shut. The world warped around her,  flowing around her. The muscles in her body tensed as she felt the Halo begin to run out of power. She pushed through fatigue and kept her mind focused on where she was phasing to. When she reached the other side, she was faced with the golden statue. Reya was already there. She gasped for air as the breath left her lungs and she keeled over as the Halo drain completely. Her legs gave out and her knees collapsed into the sand. Strong hands weaved into the sand wet with her sweat. Traveling through the space time continuum was like running a marathon. When she realized where she was her exhaustion was over taken by excitement and almost, disbelief.

"I made it?" Ava huffed out. "I made it!" She exclaimed, stumbling to her feet. Reya's smile formed gently across her face, an amused look on her face at Ava's excitement.

"That you did, Ava." Ava jumped to her feet as her excitement charged the Halo up. She bounced on the balls of her feet. "I'm ready to go again." Ava was high on her accomplishment and she was ready to push her self a little more, see if she could do it again. Reya nodded slightly and pressed her finger in between Ava's brows. The image of a lake was painted across the insides of her eyelids. Cold blue water, thin blade of grass, birds flying through the air, a tiger drinking from the small lake. The image, held in her kind like stone, she opened her eyes. With a deep inhale she phased. Every molecule of her body changing form, she pushed through the pain in her stomach that was bringing to spread like a wildfire. Phasing through space time was different than phasing through solids. It was more like swimming, it was easy to move through, fluid. The world rippled around her, however focused she was on her destination the more the fabric condensed around her, making the trip through the tunnel like body, much quicker. Her strength began to drain the longer she was in there, while it was only a few seconds, it felt like eternity. The beats of her heart pounded against her chest, all she tried to focus on was the water, the deep blue water of the lake in the place Reya showed her. Cold, placid water. But the thought was no longer a thought anymore as she phased through the other side and was immersed in water. Darkness clouded her vision, the only thing that could be seen was the light at the surface of the water, the rays of light taking a physical looking form as they passed through the water. Ava realized that all her thinking about that lake, sent her in the lake. Panic set in as she became more aware of her surroundings and how deep into the lake she really was. Swimming as fast as she could, Ava fought against the water, clawing her way back up to the surface. But the distance was long and the air in her lungs was depleting. She tried to phase out of the water, hopefully making it back onto land. But the Halo only flickered, the panic overwhelming her mind. As she swam to the surface it felt as though she was not getting much closer, she swam, and she swam, fighting for her life, fighting for that final delicious breath of air as she breached the surface. But it never came. Was this how it ended? She survived death twice and saved the world only to suffocate in a lake trying to get back to the world she saved? No. That was bullshit. She was the goddamn Warrior Nun, her death needs to mean more than that. With every last bit of strength she pulled herself up through the water. Hope began to fester in her chest as the small spot of light at the surface for bigger and bigger. She was approaching the surface. The sides of her vision slowly started to fade into black. Finally, just as her lungs felt like they were going to explode, she breached the surface. Sputtering and Gasping for air she splashed like an idiot, trying to make it to the shore, where she pulled herself up half way onto it like a beached whale. She laid there for several moments catching her breath, legs still floating in the water, fighting off the pain in her lungs. Reya's feet appeared before her face and she gazed up at the woman who was standing above her.

"I would say that was a mild success." Ava weakly scoffed at Reya's insensitive comment. "If you consider me almost drowning a success, then yeah, it is." Slowly she climbed to her feet. Her entire body felt weak and the Halo was still recovering with her. Ava felt her excitement from the last phase die down due to the failure of this one. She was tired, and wanted to go sit and lay in bed, no longer fueled by her excitement "Let's go again." Ava shook her head.

"No, I'm done for today."

"Ava we must continue if you are to ever make it back to your realm."

"We've been at this for 6 years, we can stop a little bit early today. All we have is time."

"You mustn't let your physical limitations confine you Ava. That is why many of your phases have been unsuccessful." The mention of Ava's shortcomings struck a nerve in her chest. "Reya. I'm done. We aren't talking about this anymore."

"Ava you-"

"Stop! Why are you pushing me so hard? I need to take a break. I'm human. I may have the Halo but I'm not like you!" Anger began to boil in her belly. Ava was stubborn, and nothing was going to stop her from doing what she wanted in this moment. Frustration contorted on Reya's face. "I push you because you need to do this Ava. There are more powerful things at play in this realm."

"Stop I don't care, I-" Ava was cut off as Reya touched Ava's arm. It was almost like she could feel Reya reaching into the back of her mind, pulling out her deepest most sacred memories.
You need to remember who you are fighting for Ava. Reya's voice echoed in her mind. Images of her life before flashed in her mind. Camilla, Mother, Yasmin, Lilith. Cat's Cradle. Mary. Spain. The Cathedral. Switzerland. Bea. As Ava's eyes took in the image of Bea so clear in her mind, her anger forcefully pushed Reya out of her mind. "Get out of my head!" She screamed at the God. "You have no right to reach into my mind! Abuse my thoughts like that! We're done!"