The Four Dimensions of Corey Emerson

Neon Roots

            There was commotion the next day, but I could barely sit up. I heard growls on the other side of the black diamond walls. I heard growls and whimpers…  I was laying down, my eyes fluttering, but they couldn’t stay open. This moment of relieve was forever ago, so I can’t remember it, really, but I remember when I saw the aquamarine sun, as the ceiling cracked and turned into dust. I didn’t know what was happening and I was too weak to care.            

            I glanced over at Emerson’s prison cell. My teacher was lying on the floor, sprawled like a starfish and hardly breathing. I smiled, lay down on my back and began making dirt-angels.

            Then I fell asleep.

***

            If I was breathing, I couldn’t feel it. My eyelids were fluttering and I couldn’t make out Emerson. I couldn’t make out anything.

            “-Awake?”

            “Barely. I don’t think she-.”

            “-Now sir, she’ll be well enough by nightfall tomorrow.”

            “-For thirty sunsets!”

            “Did you notice the sun?”

            “Yeah—blue.”

            “How are they still alive? I thought that-.”

            I widened my eyes; I saw Adophin, Bran, Knox, Juniper, Winter, and-.

            “Syve?” I mouthed.

            The Cat Woman nodded. “I wasn’t going to let you do this without me.”

            I tried to sit up. Bran flew towards me and perched on my chest.  “Down!” He cawed. I obeyed. “Don’t! You’re lucky to be alive…”

            I closed my eyes then opened them, gasped, and jumped up, looking around frantically.

            Bran fell to the floor and flew after me as I searched the apparent triage for Corey Emerson.

           

            I couldn’t find him. “BRAN!” I screamed, turning to the bird. He flew past me and softly landed on a glass box. It was crystalized, so I couldn’t exactly make it out until I was leaning right against it, peering in. It was Emerson. Small balls of light were circling his head. “Is… is head dead?” No tears fell and no feelings were felt. It was just a question.

            “Might as well be,” Bran said. “You know what happened to you when you were stuck in your head? Those Doppelgangers and Inuendoes and all that?”

            “How did you-?”

            “-We’re not sure, but we’re pretty positive that’s what we’re dealing with.”

            I didn’t bother fighting with Bran. “What are those light things for?”

            “Those are my girls,” Syve came up from behind and purred. Her yellow eyes spiked through the black mask covering up one of her cheeks.

            I blinked. “What, Felix and Mykah and-?”

            “Yeah,” Syve leaned into the box, breathing heavy fog onto the top. “They’re trying to get him out.