Remembrance

Chapter 12: A Thousand Dreams

Chapter Twelve: A Thousand Dreams

"Mom? Where are you?" I called, looking around one of the forest clearings. The fire had been put out and a damp line of water led off into the trees. My limbs started to move before I looked back and saw Raine.

The brown and white paint looked at me before nickering. She looked around for the other horses before she came over to me, nudging my shoulder lightly.

"We should try finding them, shouldn't we?" I asked before a ringing started to go off in my head. I quietly groaned, grabbing at the side of my head.

I opened my eyes, my arms over my head as I was laying on my bed. A breath expelled itself from my chest as I looked outside. It was barely past midnight, the moon not even up past the trees... I sighed before laying back down, pulling the blanket over myself.

My head rolled towards the wall as I closed my eyes, trying to go back to sleep.

"Alaina~" A voice said in a sing song tone, my eyes still closed. I groaned softly, pulling myself up before I started to look around.

The trees were green, budding coming up from most of the branches. I looked around, seeing no one around. Except the river. A giggle rippled through the trees, not showing a source, almost like it came from everywhere around me. I frowned as I slowly started to walk towards the river. The sides were plateaued above the riverbank. My feet stopped as I recognized it.

The giggled came again from the trees. I bit my lip, turning around to see if anyone was there.

"Hello?" My voice echoed as I looked between the trees.

"Alaina!" A voice laughed, the giggle starting to get louder from my west side. I yelped, feeling as if someone squeezed my arm.

"Hey!" I shouted, looking around for anyone or anything, "Who's there!?"

The voice laughed again as my body moved backward. My breathing got heavy as I looked towards the trees, still seeing no one.

"Run!" The voice screeched, the leaves shaking at the volume.

I cried out, stepping back as I covered my ears. I felt nothing underneath my heel as my other foot lifted.

I gasped, my head snapping back as I saw the river underneath me. I tried to bring myself forward to not fall off. The ground started to crumble as I shifted, the dirt racing down to the water underneath.

A scream erupted from my throat as I tumbled down the bank, my body landing next to the river. My hair started to get pushed by the current as I glanced upward.

"You should have run, silly Alaina!" The voice laughed as a figure started to walk towards the bank. A red powder, just like the girl's back in Meteli, started to shift the sand underneath me.

I yelped as my body was dragged into the water, a feeling almost like hands dragging me down under by my hair.

I gasped, shouting as I flew upwards, my arm reaching out as the water dissipated from my eyes. I couldn't see around me aside from whatever light came through the door cracks. I bit my lip, realizing I was still in bed. I slumped back down, wiping the sweat from my face as I caught my breath. I looked over to the window, seeing the moon was just starting to go back down in the west.