Remember

Chapter Seven (edited)

She was falling, the wind shrieking around her as she plummeted towards the hard ground. The ground that no one could decide if it was real or non existent. Well, there it stood, as real as it could be and a few hundred feet below her. The wind was doing nothing to keep her body from slamming into the tall grass. Her protector was going to let her die.

Or so she thought.

She screamed and screamed for the wind to spare her, apologizing for not being able to do what she was supposed to. She prayed that today would not be her last. As she neared the ground, only a couple feet from her body breaking into a million pieces, she stopped. The air was still and silent and Colette was suspended just above the tall grass, it's ends tickling her skin through her thin clothing. Slowly she was set down, and that's when the realization hit.

She was in the prairie. For what seemed like hours of falling off of the Earth's End, Colette had finally found the source of all her nightmares. The darkness was gone or perhaps it was hiding from the wind and waiting for the perfect moment to seduce Colette back into its grasp so it could keep her from what she was supposed to do.

The barrier. That was the only thing she cared about right now. She needed answers.

"I only have so long before they find me."

The voice was familiar, seemingly coming to her from all directions. It was not the voice of the wind this time, no, It was something else. Someone, else.

"Colette." This time the voice came from behind her and she whirled around to see just who it was.

"Madie?" The blonde girl stood only a few feet away from her, unaffected from the strong wind that blew throughout the entire prairie. Somehow she stood completely still, not a strand of hair out of place. "How did you get here?" Had she fallen like Colette did? Was the wind protecting her too?

"That's not important right now." Madie's voice seemed to waver and disorient before coming back clear again. Her eyes were frantic as she searched the prairie, as if she was waiting for the darkness to pop out of the grass and attack her. "You have to save us Colette. You have to break the barrier in your mind. You must become aware." Madie wavered once again. This time her entire figure fizzled out of sight before returning.

There was more shrieking, evidence that the darkness had found out they were there. Colette could only assume it would not be long before it found them.

"None of this is real. It's all in your mind. Wake up Colette." Madie was screaming over the darkness which was now racing towards them. Its shrieking only become louder as it got closer. The darkness did not seem as welcoming this time as it stopped at nothing to reach them. Its soft caress was replaced by a cold that was burning to the touch. As it ripped by Colette and straight towards Madie, they screamed.

It felt like her skin was on fire, every inch of it tingling. She fell to the floor and her knees hit the rough ground. She barely felt the impact compared to the fire of the darkness. Colette was lucky the darkness did nothing but brush by her to get to her friend. Though Madie looked scared she did not seem to be affected by the darkness' touch as it surrounded her entire body.

"Go, Colette! Save us!" Colette barely caught the words as Madie fizzled in and out repeatedly, screaming more things at her that she could no longer comprehend. Colette pushed herself up off her kness, barely able to support her own weight on her shaking legs. She did not have to for long as the wind came to help and started to carry her back to the top of the cliff.

"You are the wind Colette. You can save us." and like that Madie was gone. Her figure no longer stood in the middle of the field. Colette could do nothing, but hope she was okay. That she was alive and well and sitting in her bed at home.

The darkness stilled, as if surprised that Madeline had somehow up and disappeared into thin air. As if its existence was any less of an oddity than Madie's magic act. The tendrils suddenly turned their attention towards Colette as she was lifted back to the top of the cliff. They raced after her, but the wind no match to the darkness' incredulous speed. The darkness would surely catch up to her.

Colette braced herself for the ice cold touch of the tendrils as they licked up at her skin like flames. She squeezed her eyes shut, hoping that if she could not see the darkness it could not see her and she would not have to endure the pain it would inflict.

The ice cold darkness slowly brushed against her fingertips and made its way up her arms and her chest. Tears poured down her cheeks like waterfalls. She slowly opened her eyes, barely able to see through the salty mess on her face. Her body was on fire in every place the darkness touched her skin and she did not think she could survive the pain much longer.

She could see the edge of the cliff just right above her but the darkness was consuming her too fast. Even if she did reach the top, who was to say the darkness would not follow her and end her anyways? Who was to say that the pain that scorched her entire body would not kill her before the wind could get her to safety?

After all, the wind was doing a pretty poor job of protecting her now.

Madeline's words began to swirl around in Colette's head. What Madeline had said did not make sense. You are the wind. How could Colette be the wind? It was too late for Colette to get the answer to that question. Madie had disappeared and Colette was about to meet her untimely death. She watched as the top of Earth's End began to near but the darkness had nearly consumed Colette's entire body. Finally, she passed the edge of the cliff and her body barely even registered the fact that the darkness had seemed to hit a wall as soon as the cliff hit and left her body.

She could still feel the cold grip of the darkness as she was set down on the warm grass. It almost stung in contrast to her ice cold skin. It was like the darkness had sucked all the warmth from her body and left her feeling lifeless. The pain made her wish she was.

As soon as her body was set onto the grass the wind disappeared and in its absence there was another note.

Only you can save us Colette. Free your mind. Break the barrier. The wind is your key.

And then Colette passed out.