SILVER EYES (GXG)

Chapter 63: See You On The Other Side

Heather was tossing and turning, clearly agitated in her sleep when I decided to wake her up. She had kicked me not just once or twice, but three times during the night. I felt bad for disturbing her because I knew she was exhausted and needed rest after our long journey, but come on, I couldn't stand to see her suffer like that. Whatever she was dreaming about, it was quite far from a peaceful morning by the lake, that was for sure. I gently placed my hand on her shoulder, gave her a soft shake, and then leaned in to kiss her cheek.

It had been a couple of days since we reached the mountain pass, the point where we would part ways. She would follow the wall north to meet with Laura and sneak in undercover, while I would head south to the border, claiming I had escaped from the Phoenix Group. So far, everything was going according to plan. Now, we just had to wait one more day for Michael to give us the green light to move forward. Heather turned over and slowly opened her eyes, smiling.

"Hey." She said.

"Hey." I replied, leaning in to brush my lips against hers.

She glanced at the opening of our makeshift tent. A sliver of moonlight was streaming in.

"It's still late. Sorry I woke you, but you looked really stressed." I explained.

"It's okay," she sighed. "I wasn't having a good dream."

"What was it about, if I can ask?"

She remained silent for a moment. "I was dreaming about my mother."

"Really?"

She nodded. "You know, ever since I was little, I've had these nightmares about a woman screaming... someone holding me... and... I'm starting to wonder if they weren't just dreams. Maybe there's a part of me that remembers something."

I stretched out beside her, propping my head up with my hand, and watched her while reflecting on what she had said. She reached out and gently touched the scar on my cheek, the one Ryan had given me on the day of the attack. It was almost healed by now. I felt her soft fingers tenderly caress each fold of skin left by the mark.

"You may remember things," I said. "Your memories are still there, in the implant. Maybe fragments slip into your dreams. However, I believe that no matter how advanced the technology is, you can't completely forget the people that truly matter. That's why I believe Erik hasn't forgotten Michael, even with that implant."

Heather stared at the ceiling, her eyes lost in thought. I adored her reflective expression; she seemed distant, her eyes shimmering with a peaceful spark.

"You know," she said with a tender smile, "amidst all this stress, I'm actually looking forward to meeting Erik."

"I'm glad to hear that. He's the kindest soul I know," I replied. "I just worry about what he'll be like after all this time."

Heather's smile faded. "Because of the mental control implant, you mean?" She asked.

I nodded, knowing I looked really worried, but I couldn't hide it.

"If everything goes well, we'll help him get it removed." Heather said.

I took a deep breath, not really convinced. "Yeah, I hope so."

Thinking of Erik was always bittersweet. Guilt consumed me whenever I thought about what they did to him. I could only hope that when Heather met him, she could still see a piece of his light and lovely spirit.

"What do you think will happen once we get to The Orb?" She asked.

I pondered for a moment. "I don't really know."

Suddenly, my pager vibrated, and I pulled it out. It was a message from Michael: "All clear. At the first light of dawn, go."

"Tomorrow is the day." I said showing the message to Heather.