The Dreamer: The Book of Godspells

CHAPTER TWELVE

I woke up suddenly, my body curled up and being carried by someone. My eyes hadn't opened yet, but I could feel it—the change in aura, the change in the world around me. I felt the strong, lean arms under me as I slowly opened my eyes.

"Blah!" The noise came out of my mouth before I could stop it, despite the pit in my stomach telling me who was carrying me. Colik jumped, dropping one arm, and my legs hit the ground hard, caught off guard that I was awake.

"Piper!"

"What?"

"You are..."

"Alive? Awake? Why, do you wish otherwise?"

"Do you not remember what happened to you?" Colik asked slowly.

"I fell asleep and am back here, am I wrong?" He moved his head to see my shoulder.

"Turn around." He spoke. I did what he said, hesitantly.

"What?"

"You had a pain here, a stabbing sensation. Piper, it was like you were... being tortured." He said, his eyes wide, unsure what was happening.

"I was... why would I not remember that?" I started, my eyes wide now. How did I not remember that?

"We really need to get you to the Citadel." He said quickly. I looked around.

"How long was I gone for?" I asked, suddenly confused how I seemed to be only moments from where I was before. It had been a week in my world...

"Only a few moments, why?"

"Colik, I don't understand... Tell me what is happening to me? How could I not remember that?" I asked, my heart starting to race.

"Calm down." He demanded.

"Excuse me?"

"Piper, you need to calm down. I think that is what is causing you to go back to your world. Heightened emotions. It just hit me, this world heightens everything, but since you are human, I think it has heightened your feelings even more than any normal dreamer." He rushed his words. I winced at his need to add the word normal as if I wasn't. I wanted to argue, but he put up two hands slowly, started taking deep breaths and looked at me as if to follow. I watched him closely to see if he was telling the truth or just trying to make me look stupid, but his demeanor seemed serious, so I mimicked his actions.

"Okay." I took a deep breath in, then another and nodded slowly, understanding.

"A lot of how you are feeling can affect how long you stay in this world, and what you do to this world."

"What I do? What do you mean?"

"Fire is forbidden in the Broken Woods. It is more sacred than you or I—"

"How does fire have anything to do with me?" I interrupted.

"—Your heightened emotions create friction, that being your human dust against the Broken Woods unpredictable frequency. Your feelings are not known here, not expected, and so the woods will repel it, creating a heat of dust that sparks a fire against the silver trees."

"My emotions can cause a fire? What is this place!" I exclaimed and laughed out loud.

"I didn't make this world up."

"I would love to know who did." I joked. Still, I took another deep breath in, trying to calm myself even more, taking note to be more cognizant of my own feelings. Colik started walking ahead of me, as if suddenly I was okay, that it was unnecessary for him to carry me. I only didn't say anything because I already found it uncomfortable him carrying me in the first place. A boy carrying me... that was not who I was.