The Child Dreamer: A Dead Dreamer Prequel

Chapter Eight: False Truths

When I returned to the tribe, my arms were tired from carrying the meat that Jeremiah had given to me. I even persuaded him to part with a small leather necklace with a small piece of amber tied at the bottom of it. As soon as I mentioned it was for Catori, he was more than willing to part with it. Although married, he still carried warm feelings for my mother figure.

Catori sighed in relief when I walked through the forest carrying my burdens. She was sitting by a fire on the edge of the forest as if she were waiting for me. Or waiting for the smoke to bellow from the other side. As I approached her, she stood to greet me with a smile. My hands fumbled to move the bags of meat to one side so I could fish out the necklace from my pocket. As I pulled it out, her eyes beamed.

"What is this?" she asked.

I held my hand out toward her. "A gift. It can't make up for everything, but to say thank you for taking care of me as if I were one of your own all these years."

She took a moment to fully process what I was saying before her hands reached for the necklace. Taking it, she held it up to get a better look at the rock, laced into the bottom of it.

"It is beautiful. Like your light," she murmured before slipping the necklace around her neck.

She had no more questions for me as we made our way back to the rest of the tribe. The fact that I had returned with my trade items was enough for them to stay calm. The necklace had also brought the distraction I was hoping for.

That man. Lorcan. He promised to show me how they handled demons. Although I didn't trust him, he was the first person who had ever praised me for the work I did. He seemed to be the only one who understood that what I was doing was a good thing. If anything, I wanted to find out if he was telling the truth.

Though distracted by the task at hand with their meal, both Catori and the Medicine Man watched as my soul emerged from the longhouse where my body slept. I greeted them with a soft smile and nod and walked slowly in their direction. Seeing my approached, they returned with their own warm grins before turning back to the tribe.

It was that moment, I took my opportunity. There was a trick within the Land of the Dead that neither Catori nor the Medicine Man ever knew about: the Veil. Whenever we were in the Land of the Dead, lost spirits found Catori and followed her frequently, but they avoided me like the plague. I was a soul they feared. But I watched as they vanished from sight and I wanted to know how.

Little time went by before I realized how they did it. There was another section of this world hidden away even from the tribe. A Veil separated the two planes completely. You wouldn't know about it unless you were looking for it deliberately. It wasn't long before I found myself crossing through the billowy Veil and discovering where the spirits truly resided. 

As Shades, they hid from even the beasts and beauties of the Land of the Dead. No longer holding their human form, the shades skirted across the lands, always searching for what they'd never find: redemption and freedom from this limbo.

Through the blurred vision of the Veil, Catori was with the Medicine Man as they were watching the food be prepared. Against her neck laid the piece of amber. Her fingers twisted as she continued to fiddle with it. Tempted as I may have been with their conversation, there were more pressing matters for this night.

Just as he had promised, Lorcan and Kieran stood only a mile from the village, waiting for me. Lorcan was scolding the boy for something, but I couldn't hear it. The moment I stepped through the Veil and back into the Land of the Dead, they became aware of my approach. Quickly their expressions softened, shifting to false smiles and comfort as the forest rang silent. Kieran glanced towards me with a false smile, while Lorcan beamed.