The Winter Born [COMPLETED]

Chapter 5 - Dreams and Deals

Where am I?

Am I dead?

There is no more water and I can breathe easily now. 

Everything around me seems dark as if I'm closing my eyes, sleeping. I can't see anything. It's all pitch black. I cautiously walk around but it feels as if I'm not moving at all. It's not cold but it's not warm either. But it's suffocating. I don't like this. The feeling when you don't know where to go. Lost.

Then I see a single spark, the kind of spark you would see when lighting a fire. The spark then grows to a flame. The fIame engulfs the blackness and it burns, like burning paper. I expect the heat when it comes around me but the flame barely touches my pale skin. And from the patches that the flame has gone through, I can see something.

 When the fire burns all the darkness away, I find myself in the forest. There's no water, no waves coming to kill me. Just the forest with its' earthy scent. I slowly move through the trees. I'm not wearing any shoes, allowing me to feel the soft, cool blades of grass that touch my soles. The warm wind brushes my free hair and I look up to the blue sky. From here I can see a single maple tree on the small hill, the place where I and my father used to hunt.

Somehow the other trees part as I trudge through it but I don't question this. At this moment, my mind seems blank as if I was just waking up. The only thing that keeping me going is the maple tree. I can almost feel it calling me. When I finally reach on top of the hill, I see them. My family, Father, mother, and Laila. Sitting on a simple stretched out blanket under the tree with a basket in the middle.

What are they doing here?

How did they get here?

I don't know.

I don't care.

They're here. They're safe.

Father is the first one that notices me. He smiles and waves his hand to me. Then Laila comes to me with her usual smirk and takes my hand to the blanket. I follow wordlessly. She sits on the blanket, leaning on the tree and motions me to sit next to her.

Father and mother join us and they start to talk to us but the only thing I can hear is the sound of the warm summer wind. But even without their voices, everything feels.. right. Our family is finally one again. Suddenly tears start to pool my eyes.

I close my eyes and the tears wet my cheek. Father notices this and takes out a handkerchief. He wipes my tears away and ruffles my hair like he always does. I let out a small laugh to cover the tears. He brings his strong arms around me, hugging me and I can hear the steady heart beat of his. The familiar scent of the earth comes to me and I smile. He always smelled like the forest.

"I missed you, " I whisper.

I  circle him with my arms and tighten the hug and suddenly he doesn't move.

" Father? "

My hand pushes him away and I look him in the face but it's not him. It's a wooden doll in the size of him, wearing the same clothes. I shriek and push it away. The doll stumbles and drops to the blanket. What is happening? He was there. Father was there! My heart starts to beat faster.

I look to mother and Laila and they too are wooden dolls. I place my hand on the tree to find support as my breath quickens but suddenly the maple starts to burn away into a wisp of smoke and the ground starts to rumble. Cracks suddenly appear on the ground and I stand up instantly. My heart starts to beat faster and tears water my eyes.

"No, no, please don't take this away from me! " I cry.

And as soon as I stood the crack spreads like breaking glass and everything fell into what seems like infinite darkness.