The Paradox Corridor

Chapter 43: The Trumpets of War

As soon as Amber woke up, her heart immediately jumped into her throat. She began breathing rapidly, feeling like she was being choked. Her vision went in and out of focus as she tried to recover from her fear. Like a dark presence it cloaked her, every thought and horrifying outcome of the day flowing through her head incoherently. Her brain tried to grasp at her current situation, but it couldn't. Thoughts of disaster and destruction filled her head, and she didn't know if she was seeing the future or if she was imagining things. Images of James and Andrew falling at the hands of the robot, getting stabbed through the heart by the Chosen, and being cut down by a rain of arrows flashed before her eyes, a little piece of her dying with each new image of horror. The presence, the ever-helpful, kind presence, jumped in to combat the darkness in her mind, calming her down and removing the images from her head, helping her get in control of herself. Finally, it seemed, the waking nightmare ended, and she sat on the floor, gasping for breath.

"Presence...what was that?" she asked, worry coating her normally calm voice. The presence replied:

"Battle jitters, Amber. That's all that was. No premonitions. No clairvoyance. Just nerves." Amber's eyes widened a bit. She sat there a while more, catching her breath. Finally, she stood up.

"Well, if those were the battle jitters, I'd hate to see the battle."she mumbled under her breath, walking over to the entrance of her tent, not really expecting a response.

"Sarcasm?" asked the presence, surprising Amber, "I can totally see Andrew saying something sarcastic when stressed, but...you? That's...that's not like you, Amber. Not at all. I agree with Andrew and James: I don't know what, how, or why, but you're...different, now."

"And how would you know?" asked Amber, "You didn't even know me before we went into the Paradox Corridor."

"Amber? You do realize I'm literally in your head, right?" asked the presence, "I can see your memories. Well, most of them, anyway. I can infer from all of your memories up until you entered the Paradox Corridor that you were...sorry, there's no nicer way to put this, a goody-goody. A teacher's pet. The perfect little girl. You almost never let your emotions get in your way, and you did everything that your parents wanted to do well. You liked to talk...but not too much. You could do no wrong. The only time that any other part of you surfaced is when you argued with Andrew. I honestly have no idea what happened, but you seem a lot more...well, I don't know.", it said. Amber sighed.

"I know..." she said, finally, "I wish I knew. But I feel more alive now. Not that I was dead before, but that I was...you know..."

"Holding back?" asked the presence. Amber nodded. "Well, you don't have to hold back any longer. Old Amber won't be of much use today, anyway." Amber sighed and nodded her head. The presence continued; "Well, sunrise is in an hour. You should wake up Andrew and James, and head off. You have to pretend to be Chosen, remember? I will provide you with a more suitable color cloak, and will provide a more suitable suit of armor for James and Andrew." Amber nodded, sighing, put her cloak over her modern clothes lightning quick, and walked over to Andrew and James' tent. 

"Wake up, knuckleheads," she said, hitting them with an ice-cold water spell, "We have to go."

Andrew woke up with a sputter and a start, frigid water pouring all over his body. He hissed and shook himself off like a dog. James stood next to him, quite clearly in the same boat. Amber stood at their tent flap, smirking. "Wake up, knuckleheads," she said, "We have to go." Andrew and James sighed in unison, and put their shoes on. As James struggled to tie his left shoe (it was hard tying shoes with wet hands!), Andrew thought of something.