Wet Fire

The Pillars (E11)

Adair

"Choose." Cass said as she stood there in the darkness. She looked beautiful standing there, wearing a flowing brown silk dress with white lace around the hem and collar. Her brown eyes were like pools of darkness, drawing his attention away from the roundness of her face and the glow of her tan skin. In her short-cropped brown hair was a white magnolia flower.

Adair did not understand.

"Choose," she said again, holding out her hands, with palms facing up.

The air shimmered around him and four more copies of the girl appeared, surrounding him on all sides. "Choose." all five said at once, their voices. rang like the hum of bees in a spring field.

How am I supposed to choose between them--they all look the same! Adair said nothing, unsure of what to say.

"Make your decision, Adair. Decide. Choose."

Adair took a step forward and hesitantly placed his hands onto the hands of the original version of Cass. Her eyes flashed and she gripped Adair viciously, digging her fingernails into his skin. "What are you doing!" Adair squeaked.

"You are mine now.." she told him. His hands now began to burn with a searing pain, as if they were engulfed in fire. "Now and forever...and ever.....and ever..." The pain rippled up though his arms and onto his chest, until it covered the entirety of his body. Adair screamed. It felt like his bones were meling from the inside, and his breath was turning to searing fire. His vision of her became a blur and her voice was muffled. The last words she spoke were so quiet they sounded softer than a whisper. "We are the reve-"

...

Adair's eyes jerked open and he gasped for breath. He was covered in a layer cold sweat, and breathing heavily.

He was back in the canyon, where they had been traveling for the past few days. The canyon was narrow, but its walls were smooth and beautiful, covered in ripples of orange and brown stone. During the day the sun would cast rays on to the sandy canyon floor, lighting their path.

"What is wrong?" It was Cass's voice, the real Cass. She put a delicate hand on his shoulder. Adair twitched. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"I...nothing really." Relax. It was just a dream.

"It was a dream, wasn't it?" She sighed and leaned up against the canyon wall. "I have been having nightmares as well. When bad things happen to you, sometimes, it takes a while for your mind to forget. In dreams, we are the most vulnerable to our memories--that is why we re-live them while we sleep."

"Something is wrong, though, Cass. Something is wrong." Adair glanced around their camp nervously and shook his head. Where is my uncle? "This doesn't feel right. When I washed ashore...I had this feeling--this odd feeling that I didn't belong here. Gosh, I don't remember anything!"

"Adair. I know I will never understand what you are going through. I will never understand..." She bent over and wrapped her arms around his broad shoulders. "You do remember some things. You told me that you knew our fleet was at your command, and you recognized your uncle. That has to count for something."

She was trying to comfort him, but it only made it worse. "It's like trying to scoop out the last bit of porridge. You keep scraping at the bowl, but when you bring the spoon up to your mouth, there is nothing on it."

Cass nodded and rubbed Adair's neck. "I cannot tell you that this will get easier. It will not. I fear that the worst and most dangerous part of the journey is yet to come. All you can do now is stay alive--we can work on your memory when we get back to Cyclonus."