The Swords of Memory: Second Chances

Chapter19

Zara let out a scream of pain as she woke up and quickly stifled it. The pain was gone, left in the portal game. She threw off her covers and pulled her huge t-shirt down as she went to the window. "Warren? What is it? I was in the portal game and you almost got me killed."

"Are you alright? You just screamed." He asked.

"Yeah. My back just got hit by some in the portal. Now that I think about it my back does hurt." She pulled the collar of her shirt to the side and found that her right shoulder was covered in burns. She showed them to Warren.

"Shit Zara, are you telling me that if you get hurt in the portal game the injury will appear when you wake up?"

"That's how it seems. My power there is healing so it never really mattered. This is the first time I got hurt right before I disappeared." Eli climbed in the window and went to the bathroom down the hall for the first aid supplies. He cleaned the burn with water and then used gauze to wrap the burn. "Thanks Warren." She punched his arm good naturedly. "Now what did you come here for? What time is it?" She looked at the clock on her bed stand. It was five in the morning.

"Oh yeah. My parents were fighting. I just had to get out of the house. I know you have the whole portal game thing going on, but we said that we could always go to each other's house if we need to get away.

"Of course, Warren. That offer always stands. Was your dad...?"

"Yeah. He was out drinking again. He hasn't done it in weeks. I thought he was done. Then I woke up to my mom and him yelling across the house at each other."

"I'm sorry. Do you want something to eat? I could make ramen." Warren loved ramen to an unreasonable level. He would eat it for every meal if his mom would let him.

"No thanks. You can go back to sleep. Sounds like you were in an intense place in the portal game. Have you gotten that sword yet?"

"No. The people we thought had it didn't. We know where it is but its far away so we are trying to get another one now. It's not going well. They attacked on sight."

"Is it safe to go back then? Maybe you should wait for them to lower their guard."

"I would if there wasn't someone there I had to protect. This guy Halcyon, he's a bubble person. His life is dependent on this stone called an energy crystal. If the lava people destroy it he will die and right now, he isn't able to be solid so he can't defend himself."

"What about you Zara? Those people burned you. What if they kill you?"

"They won't. Once I'm there again I will heal. Then I can negotiate."

"Fine. But if burns start appearing on you while you sleep I'm waking you up. Have them burn your right hand if you need to escape right away." Zara nodded and climbed back into bed. Warren pulled over the chair from Zara's desk and sat down next to the bed. She put her right arm outside the covers and started to drift towards sleep.