The Lucid Effect

Chapter Seven

They entered one of the houses that bordered the courtyard. Apparently, Alice had the best sense of direction when running for her life, because not only did she end up in the familiar courtyard with her friend, but a woman called "The Knower" lived there.

When they entered the house, it was apparent why she had that moniker. There were piles and piles of books, stacked all the way to the ceiling in places. Bookcases were overflowing, and Alice wondered how the shelves weren't falling apart under the weight. Old dusty tomes lined the shelves closest to the ceiling, and many of the titles were in a language she didn't understand. She wanted to read them all.

Pav closed the door behind them while Arin shouted, "Hey, Raz! You'll never guess who we found outside!"

"No need to shout! I'm right here."

In the middle of the room there was a sitting area—also covered in a plethora of books—and a small woman sat in the middle of it all. Alice missed her when she first walked in because of the books stacked high on the arm rest, hiding the slight lady from view.

When Alice heard the title "The Knower," she imagined an old lady oracle-type. Lots of wrinkles. She did not picture a woman who looked to be the same age that she was, with braided hair and a cool vibe. She didn't look like much, as her arms were skinny and her eyes a little sunken in, but she had an air of intelligence that electrified the room.

"You must be Alice."

The woman craned her neck over her stack of books to get a better look at her. Her eyes were something fierce.

"I'm Raz. We haven't met before, I'm sure you'll feel a little relieved to know. I'm not another forgotten face."

"Raz, we found Alice outside. Which shouldn't be possible—"

"Because she was stabbed by a Nightmare Dagger, I know. This is most peculiar... Alice my dear, could you come closer?"

Alice nodded, taking a step forward. Raz got up from her seat, looking Alice square in the face. Her eyes bore into hers. She made a humming sound and Alice looked over at Arin, who just shrugged.

"You see, Alice, no one gets stabbed by a Nightmare Dagger and comes back from it. You do remember being stabbed, correct?"

"Uh. Yes?"

"And they stabbed you in the heart?"

"I think so. It felt that way."

Raz nodded, still looking into Alice's eyes. "Can I see?"

Nodding, Alice grabbed her shirt collar and pulled, revealing her chest. She gasped.

When she looked in the marketplace, there wasn't any evidence of her injury. Her skin had been stab-wound free. But now, there was a small mark, as if someone drew a line in pencil near her heart.

"That wasn't there before," Alice whispered.

Raz stared at the mark for a few seconds more before a look of certainty crossed her features. "Okay, thank you Alice, you can stop doing that to your shirt now—it's going to get stretched out otherwise."

As Raz sat back down, Alice couldn't help but ask, "What was that? It wasn't there before."

"The Dagger missed your heart. Just barely. Nightmares never miss their target, but this one did. That's why you're still with us, I believe."

Nodding, Alice looked back down at her now covered chest. Now that she knew that the wound was there, despite it being so small, she could feel a dull pain that wasn't there before. She vaguely wondered if it was just her imagining things, like a phantom pain, but the fact it wasn't there earlier that day knitted her brows together. Sensing her distress, Arin stepped forward and placed his hand on her shoulder.