Only a dream

Chapter 16

I wake in a state of panic. My mind is in a frenzy, a blur of colours and shapes. I can't think straight. Everything is backwards; up is down and down is up. I'm in a tornado of confusion. But I still have my senses.

Underneath me is cold and wet. I'm on my back, laying down. My neck and arms prickle as is something is touching me. And something is. It feels thin, like paper and has the texture of wet...well, wet paper. Grass. I'm outside.

A crisp wind rustles my hair and sweeps across my body. It's cold and sends a shiver down my spine.

I can sense someone to my left, I can also hear them breathing heavily. They rustle around anxiously, crinkling fallen leaves, messing up the grass.

But there is another sound. A scratching sound. It's coming from he person.

Scrit-Scrit-Scraaaatch!

Suddenly, I'm warm. Really warm. Like I'm on fire.

The sensation pours through my body, washing over me like a flaming-hot wave. My hands begin to tingle; the cold getting kicked out by the warm. My face is getting hotter too. I'm almost sweating.

Then it hits me. Smoke.

I shoot my eyes open an vault up off the grass. All around me are trees. In every direction. Pine trees, birch trees, oak trees, every kind of tree. The leaves are turning different colours; orange, yellow, red, brown. Some have already fallen to the ground.

The sky above is a deep, deep blue. It's almost black. Tiny pinpricks of stars sparkle above as well, dotting their navy canvas with bright, white light.

The moon sits full among the little stars. It's full and huge. It's also red. Blood red.

A fire blazes in front of me, the smoke creating a thin, grey screen around us. Us.

James sits cross-legged on he opposite of the cracking fire. He's got a stick in his hand, a mysterious meat on the end. He stares at me with amusement.




"Heya, muffin! Didn't think you'd be up at the hour." He says almost mockingly.




I scowl at him. "Where are we?"




"Oh, darlin' we are in the forest! And what a lovely forest it is!"




"I'm serious! Where are we and how did I get here?" Something was gnawing away at my stomach. Not hunger. Fear.




"If you must know, we sit in the forest about five miles from the ol' hospital!" James makes a gesture behind me, pointing his finger beyond the towering trees.




I stare at him. Anger. Anger destroys my fear. It grabs the fear and snaps it's puny, shaking neck. The anger takes over my body. "How the hell did we get here?" I snap.




James smiles, "I, of course, walked, little girlie. You were carried."




"Carried?" I growl, "By who?"




James chuckles lightly, "You were carried by a little woodland elephant, the size of a pony. He picked 'ya up with his trunk and sat you on his back while singing old show tunes."




I stare at James, annoyance and confusion mingling with my anger. "What?"