The Destined

Chapter Five: Melissa

    Melissa    

There's a cool breeze that gradually builds up into a gust of wind, blowing my hair into my face and forcing me to wake up.

Wake up.

My eyes flutter open, staring at something blue and wide and-

The sky. Am I outside? I groan, propping myself up on my elbows. My skin is tickled by grass. I am lying on a field. A field. My head is still full of sleep, rattling around my brain and forcing me to lie back down.

Where am I, I think to myself. The air is warm and humid, and tastes sweet, like spring. Clouds block the sun, setting the world into a shadow. I look around, startled by this place. This possible dream. Far on the horizon, there's a purple line of mountains, their tips white with snow. I turn around to find the other side civilized. But the small village is far away, and looks ancient, with stone houses and yellow straw tops.

My first though is that this really is a dream. It can't possibly be real. I look down to see I am not wearing my pajamas, but a silky material, like a dress. My hair is smooth and combed out. It falls straight rather than being its naturally frizzy and curly self. There's a flower behind my ear, a white rose.

I sit in a ball, with my hands hugging my knees, trying to think of a solution for this. It's too confusing. How did this happen?

And then I remember Meredith talking about Lybrethium. "Yes, in my dreams..." I go pale. This can't be happening. It isn't true because it simply can't be true. It's a dream. Yes, a dream. Nothing more than a figment of my imagination. There is nothing to worry about.

There's a loud sound, screeching, whistling, zooming through the air. I cover my ears and look up, a tiny shadow falling down towards the earth. Falling straight at me. I jump out of the way as the thing lands with a thump in the grass. The wind picks up, then slows down and fades. It takes me a while before I get the courage to approach it. I outstretch my hand, and it moves. Startled, I jump back.

Why would it fall here? Why in the world am I here?

I gulp as I let my body settle from the fear that is still raging in me. This is some crazy dream. The thing – now I see what it is, a pouch, made from a thick fabric and tied with a flimsy string – rises from the ground all by itself. I get up, legs trembling, and open my palm so that it falls in it, gently.

I stare at the small pouch in my hands. Reluctant to open it, I examine the fine detail on the sides. The writing is foreign, and nearly faded. The pouch looks full, tied off with a thin string at the top, but it is fairly light and seems to contain nothing but air. Still, I pull on the fancy knot until the string completely falls off, and the pouch flies out of my hands. It flies in the air crazily like a balloon, and then lands softly on the ground, right in front of my feet. I back up, afraid to touch it again. What is it?

I suddenly hear that sound again. Loud, whizzing in my ears even though it is coming from the sky. I look up. This time, the shadow is bigger, like the form of a man.

Oh no.

The body falls, hitting the ground, a grunt escaping the man's mouth. I am too startled, too scared to even speak. The man, he lies on the ground in dark, dirty robes and a gray beard.

Carefully, slowly, I approach him, afraid of broken limbs and spilled blood. But when I get closer, I don't see any of that. The man, I know him. He's –

"Headmaster Lotso?" I shriek. His eyes flutter open and he grins.

"Scared ya!" he shouts, then laughs, then coughs. I don't know whether to feel embarrassed, shocked, scared, or all three at the same time.