Mirror

The Dimensional Flip

One month I had agreed to stay in Strauk and, though I was often restless, I had little doubt that it was the right choice. In Strauk we were safe, safer at least than we would have been anywhere else. Only Danny seemed displeased with the arrangements, but that was to be expected. For one, he couldn't drink the water, or wouldn't risk trying. For that reason we left the shelter of the city every morning to drink from the glacial stream. For two, he was adamant that I not take the risk of entering the Dimensional flip, but his pleas often fell on deaf ears. He was a shadow after all. The last thing he wanted was the restoration of the river Life.

I kept in regular contact with both Shimi and Geera to make plans for a future in which places like Strauk were the norm. Steadily, my Navah improved and Geera and I relied less and less on the translations from La'ar. Kylee never responded to my calls. Not once.

Earthly life was, oddly enough, much more chaotic. Even in the safety of the city, May was plagued by nightmares. Twice I heard her scream while I found myself frustratingly stuck on Earth and requiring the same help from Tyreek I had the first time. The second time he had been hesitant. The bruise on my jaw was still a livid purple and despite my assurance that I was handy with make-up he was incredibly dubious. The third time he refused flat out until I was on my hands and knees begging for his help. I didn't think it was fair to ask him again after that so I never let myself fall asleep in Mirror until I was certain May was sleeping soundly and took regular naps at school just to check in on her. Then, nights when she didn't sleep soundly, we didn't sleep at all.

For obvious reasons, I found myself with little enough time and willpower to finish homework and pay attention in class. I would have put a hold on practicing with Tyreek if not for his unending insistence. He seemed to believe that now more than ever, I was in grave danger. He wasn't wrong exactly. I hadn't told him about Kylee's prediction, but he knew about the shadow assassin and about Danny.

"Four more days," I muttered quietly into Terr's stomach. He was stretched out on his back in Epitome fields and I had curled up on top of him. He stroked my hair gently.

"You and Danny have not come to an agreement," Terr said. It wasn't really a question.

I answered anyway. "No, we won't. We can't. This isn't something that love can build a bridge for."

"I think you will find yourself surprised at the kinds of bridges love can build, but you are more than likely right. Danny is not going to change his mind and neither are you. He is what he is and you are you."

I blew out air heavily and then, sitting up in a sudden panic, sucked it back it. "Terr! The river Life won't kill him will it?"

Terr pulled my head back down. "No," he said firmly. The river Life won't kill Danny or any of the original shadows. The ones that feed on emotion cannot be killed by the river Life. They simply won't be able to sustain themselves inside the orbs' boundaries."

"So they'll have to sustain themselves on people who live outside the boundaries?"

"Yes, though we hope even that doesn't last long."

I nodded. "But how possible is that anyway? The orbs are small relative to the size of the world. Will we be able to get everyone inside? It seems almost impossible."