La Façade des Plumes

Chapter XXII - Mirages

4:30 am

Faint laughter filled the peaceful silence. While her wife rested beside her, Talva lay sleeping in the recliner, wrapped in the thin hospital blanket. The glow of the TV softly illuminated her face. Isley stood at the foot of Anna's bed, staring solemnly at Talva's face while the laughter from the TV taunted her. For a moment, she heard her laughter, along with Talva's within the laughter of the audience on TV. The burning in their chest, the tears running down their warm cheeks. All three of them, together again. Why couldn't that be?

Anna's face seemed peaceful. For once she wasn't scared or in pain. It was refreshing for everyone to see her come alive again. The bright, warm aura of her smile had returned. It felt like running through the fields on a sunny day. The taste of fruit juice to quench your thirst on a hot day. The rainbow that shines in the sky after a hurricane. The warm embrace of home after a long day in the cold winter storm...The warm embrace of home...

Long-forgotten memories resurfaced in Isley's mind. After every bad day at school, every argument at home, after every bad day she'd run to her big sister and all the troubles would wash away. She longed to have it all back. Her old life. However, despite her longing needs, it was impossible.

Isley shifted her gaze to Talva. She watched as she shivered in her sleep, clinging to a thin blanket. Isley reached out her hand, hesitant to touch her. She closed her eyes, letting the tears fall from her cheeks. Slowly, Isley tangled her finger into Talva's hair and in the blink of an eye, the hospital fell away. Isley looked around to find herself on a beach. She shuffled her feet through the white sand before she saw them up ahead. Talva and Anna watching the sunset on the horizon. It's their honeymoon in Cancun they had just a year ago.

Isley stepped closer, watching the peaceful scene in front of her. Talva had her arms wrapped around Anna, watching the sky grow darker the lower the sun descended. The scene was the same every other time she'd dreamed of this breath-taking memory, but she knew it was different. Turning her head, she met Isley's sorrowful gaze. "What's wrong, Chica?" Talva asked. Isley shook her head, kneeling beside her, "You two deserve the best lives. Whether exotic or plain, you deserve nothing but peace." Talva watched Isley's hands come near her face, "What are you doing?"

"I'm sorry," Isley whispered. "No, wait-..."

Isley locked her fingers in her hair as their eyes turned white, "Serena Lawrence is dead. The last time you saw her was at her funeral. You thought you recognized me, but I'm just Dr. Isley Swann. I treated your wife and now you two can go home and this never happened." Talva shed a tear as Isley released her from her grasp. They stared at each other for a moment. Isley held her breath at Talva's confused stare. "Dr. Swann? What are you doing here?" Talva asked. Isley shook her head, "Don't worry about it. Go back to watching the sunset."

Talva turned her head back toward the ocean before Anna pressed a kiss on her cheek. When she turned back they were alone again. Isley looked back at the two sleeping. She wanted to turn around and un-do what she had done, but that wasn't an option. Closing her eyes, Isley sighed, closing the door behind her and never opening it again.

It's 10:00 am

He's sitting on the floor, surrounded by torn paper and empty boxes while gripping new toys in his hands. His eyes watched the lights wrapped around the Christmas tree. The sparkling of each light gave the illusion that the room was dancing. Swift and smooth, matching the faint music playing from the radio. Everything is fine.

Everything is fine.

Everything is fine.

Everything is fine.

His racing mind came to a halt when he felt her warm fingertips running through his hair. Her familiar perfume teased at his nose. He closed his eyes, enjoying the smell and the sensation of her nails against his scalp. The woman placed a gentle kiss on his cheek, making him pout as he tried to wipe away any trace of her lipstick. Then there was the knock on the door.

Her footsteps disappeared behind him. He couldn't move, for his body felt like cement. "Don't," he whispered. The doorknob clicked, making his heart race. "Don't!" he yelled, breaking free from his invisible chains. He rose to his feet and the room fell away. Alone in the dark abyss...with her. James tilted his head, confused. That's not the woman he was with, but he knew her. Her back was to him. She stood frozen still, almost like she wasn't real. Cautiously, he stepped forward, reaching out his talon-like hand. He hesitated touching her. Is this a new dream? A new nightmare? He questioned before the dripping noises became more prominent.

He whipped her around, meeting her sad, cold face. Isley's chest was torn open and her heart was gone. She whimpered, staring at him with tearful eyes. She began mumbling under her breath. "What?" he asked. Isley continued rambling incoherently making him shake his head. He cupped her cheeks with his hands, "Please, I don't understand." Her tears turned to blood as her expression turned into a smile. "You'll never win," she stated except her voice was not her's. The deep, familiar voice replayed the phrase over and over, echoing in his mind.

Isley's body turned to blood, disappearing into the infinite pool that surrounded him. Frantically, he searched around, scanning his area, but it was pointless. Nothing, but the infinite and the blood he stood in. Miles and miles, he walked endlessly. No destination or journey set. Just the hope to find anything. His body ached from exhaustion, but still, he continued trudging through the blood until his knees gave out.

James stared at his red reflection. There was nothing to think about anymore. He sighed, looking away from his reflection while struggling to rise to his feet. The faint sound of swishing appeared, but when he turned around, he was met with the same result; nothing. James shook his head in disappointment. He closed his eyes, pondering what this was. Was this hell? Was this the end of the line? "I'm sorry," he whispered, accepting what fate had bestowed upon him until he opened his eyes and met her eyes.

Backing away, he fell into the blood. Frantically he crawled away, but she only came closer. It wasn't Isley, but the woman from that Christmas morning. The woman knelt down, shushing him. It wasn't a dream. He could see feel her, smell her, but more importantly, he could see her face. It wasn't foggy from memory or frozen like a photograph, she was here in the flesh. The woman grasped his face, laying him down on his back, "Not yet," she whispered.

Slowly, he fell deeper into the blood. He was numb, cold, yet thoughtless. Though his lungs begged for air, he felt at peace, drifting away into the abyss, and then in blood, he was born again. He woke up, staring at the stars through the trees. He felt the sticks and rocks poking into his back while the sounds of the cicadas sang their nightly song. He rose from the dirt, feeling his head throbbing in pain. Pausing, he hissed in pain. His hand reached to his neck, but the wound from the dead scout's teeth was healed.

The pain of exhaustion burned throughout his body, but still, he carried himself onward. Tripping over a rock, his body tumbled down a hill, and in the blink of an eye, a door appeared before him. It wasn't his or Isley's. Looking beside him on the ground, the mail came into view. "Jeffrey A. Nelson," he read. His eyes closed again and awoke in his own mind. The human subconscious, dark and empty. Before him, a reflection of himself. Dressed in his uniform. The reflection of himself was hunched over, blood dripping from his claws. The reflection stood straight, meeting James' eyes. It wasn't a reflection and it wasn't James, but a more sinister soul. Corvus.