Escape From Reality

The Awakening

I can hardly believe my knight is here.

I don't dare to let go of the hug. I'm scared that if I do, Jacob might slip right from my grasp into nothingness, and I'm hugging him so tight that I don't notice when he chokes in which I quickly let go of him, my hands resting on his shoulders. He smiles up at me, something like happiness clouding his eyes.

"Chloe." Jacob breathes out. He looks at me as if he too can't believe I'm standing right here and I'm smiling so hard that it feels like my face might stretch into two.

"You came." I'm so dizzy with happiness at the sight of him that both of us start floating up and Jacob's beautiful green eyes light up with wonderment, his entire face a canvas of beautiful emotions. I stare into those beautiful green orbs of his, feeling the same allure I felt the first time I looked into those eyes.

"Of course I did." He looks around with a sort of dazed look in his eyes before he starts to frown slightly. He shakes his head, conflict evident in his eyes.

"Jacob?" We start to descend to the ground and I watch with concern as my knight frowns even harder.

"This is all so wonderful and magical all but I came here for a reason, Chloe. I-" He shakes his head vigorously as he tries to remember what brought him here.

Suddenly the thudding starts up again and Jacob starts.

"The monster. It was, it was circling the house outside." Jacob stutters, suddenly recalling what he must have seen before he came inside. Oh, so that's what all the thudding outside meant.

I feel like I should feel scared that the monsters are trying to break in but for some reason I don't. I had enough faith that this house was strong enough to protect us from whatever monsters lurked outside. Nothing could hurt me and my knight inside here.

The monsters won't be able to get in.

"Don't worry, nothing could hurt us here. We're completely safe in the house." I reassure Jacob and he sort of nods in a dumbfounded way.

"Yeah. I guess. But-"

"Come on !" I drag Jacob by the hand up the stairs, and we both run up to the hallway I was in earlier. He looks around the hallway in wonder, although I still notice a slight frown in his expression.

"These doors show memories." I tell him as he curiously turns the doorknob of one. Inside is the memory that I just watched which had Penny and Milan and he watches the memory play out until the end.

"Woah! That's so cool." He exclaims, his eyes lighting up at the sight of it.

"I know right."

"But Chloe, I still feel like-"

"The next one is yours." I make a movement to push open the next door but stop before I fully push it open. Maybe Jacob wouldn't want to see that memory considering past Jacob seemed pretty angry in that memory.

"Maybe we can watch the next one." I run up to the next door, and I spin around to gesture to Jacob to come join me over here, but he is still standing there motionless, distress upon his face.

"Jacob?" I ask nervously before I see that with a great effort, his expression clears.

"Chloe. We have to go home. It's dangerous here."

"What do you mean?"

"It's, it's"

"Jacob?" I ask again, suddenly feeling worried for him.

"You're not waking up in reality. They have you stripped to a hospital bed. We have to get out of here."

"What? What do you mean get out of here? No, I can't wake up. You won't be there." I mumble. I don't want Jacob to be gone. Not when he just got there. I can't lose Jacob. I want us to be happy together.