Imagination

Seventh Encounter

Aviva and Navin were walking in the woods toward home, since dusk was falling. Navin was walking slowly, wanting to prolong the expedition. Aviva walked contentedly beside him, until she noticed something shifting in the trees.

"Did you see that?" Navin asked, grabbing her hand.

Aviva didn't respond.

"Aviva? Are there monsters?"

"No, don't think about monsters. Think about happy things." Aviva told him. The thing in the trees must be from his imagination. It might be a bad Figment. A Nightmare.

"Think of the horses, and your fairy friend. Or your pet dragon. Anything else."

"I can only think of monsters." Navin whispered. "I'm scared of the shadows."

"Now, don't say that!" Aviva was alarmed.
Did the shadows move closer? "Walk faster and keep thinking good thoughts."

Aviva was getting more frightened. If she could perceive Dreams, could Nightmares also touch her? Could they attack?

Just then, she felt something grasp her ankle.

She screamed.

"Navin, think of something happy!"
Navin stared in horror at the thing looming behind her. His mind was racing, automatically going to the worst-case scenario.

"Aviva!" he screamed. "Aviva, run!"

He saw a blue monster with multiple arms and eyes move further onto the path to cut off any escape from the forest.

Aviva's hands scrabbled weakly on the ground, trying to find a handhold. She looked back to see a scaly multi-headed beast grasping her ankle. A sword in my hand, she thought desperately. I have a sword in my left hand, the metal is gleaming, the edge is keen, silver, sharp, sword......

"Navin.....think....happy...." she gasped.

Navin screwed his eyes shut and tried to think happy thoughts. Butterflies. The horses. Fairies. He opened his eyes. My dragon.

Frantically, he closed his eyes again and started imagining his dragon flying above the forest, scanning for Navin and his sister. He imagined the dragon swooping down, wings tucked tight against his body. As the dragon came down, he let out a defiant roar and landed on the ground in front of the monster.

The monster let go of Aviva to focus on its newest enemy. Navin imagined a short battle ensued, with the dragon winning.

He opened his eyes.

And there was Aviva, looking tired, not badly injured, with a blurry sword in her hand. And there was his dragon.

"Oh, dragon!" Navin cried, and rushed forward to embrace the beast.

"Dragon?" Aviva asked. "You named her Dragon?"

Navin embraced her. "No. Her name is Corda."