Dreamcatcher (ONC 2020)

10

The ground materializes underneath me and the crushing feel of my weight shoves me back. Vera clings onto me—she's awfully close. So close that I can smell her flowery perfume and see the roots of blonde hair on the top of her head.

I push her away and stumble back, disoriented. My head is spinning, and it takes me a while to process my surroundings. I think I'm in some sort of room; I can't be sure. The walls blur in and out of focus, as if my eyesight has just recovered from a sand orb.

Vera, who is highly distinguishable by her hair, straightens up and starts to walk toward my right. I shake my head once more and my vision slides in, making everything around me crystal clear. I'm in a small dark room. The walls are plainly decorated, there are no windows, and the only furniture is a few couches, a table surrounded by chairs, and a refrigerator. Papers scrawled with unintelligible handwriting lie scattered on the table.

Hyacinth is there again, looking as feeble as she did yesterday in my shop. Vera is in mid conversation with her. Her words float back to me.

"That was sloppy, Hyacinth." Vera hisses. Her voice is a low whisper, but it still manages to carry a few feet to where I am.

"I—" Hyacinth stammers, then adds, in an equally low tone, "You know I can't control what the Divine One—"

"The Divine One!" Vera barks out a laugh. "A psychic's fairy tale." Vera takes a few steps toward Hyacinth and puts a hand on her waist. Hyacinth's cheeks take on a pink tone. Vera leans in and moves her mouth closer to Hyacinth's ear, whispering something that I'm too far away to hear. Hyacinth gives a single nod, and Vera lets go of her and turns toward me.

Suddenly, static rings out in my head, so loud and startling that it takes all my willpower to not flinch. It's gone almost immediately, replaced with Liam's panicked voice.

"Dakota? Are you there? Where are you—we can't hear anything!"

"Oh. I almost forgot about you," Vera says, waving nonchalantly in my direction. "You can drop the act now."

"Wait—is that Vera?" Liam asks. "What the hell is she talking about?"

"Huh?" I say, trying to ignore Liam's persistent voice in my head. If my cover is blown because I accidentally respond to him instead of Vera, I swear I'll—

"The act," Vera repeats, "drop it."

"I... I don't know what you're talking about," I say defensively. My neck is starting to feel sweaty and my throat feels like it's closing up.

"Really." Vera raises an eyebrow and turns toward Hyacinth. "Where's our new friend?"

"I, uh, I could bring her here if you want," Hyacinth stammers.

Vera nods, and Hyacinth scampers off. I suck in a panicked breath as her footsteps echo off the smooth tiled floor. Shortly, they're joined by another set.

"Layla?" Liam says nervously. "I think Vera knows. I don't know how she knows, but she knows."

The two pairs of footsteps start to sound closer and closer as Hyacinth and her "friend" walk toward us. Then the two of them turn the corner, and when I catch sight of the person next to Hyacinth, my heart almost stops.

The newcomer is wearing a dress. She has messy ivory hair and pale, pale lavender eyes. Her face is pinched together with guilt. I can't stop staring at her in shock.

"Florence," I whisper.

"Florence?" Liam asks in my head. "What about her?"

"Florence called in sick today," Layla calls out, sounding considerably farther away than Liam's loud voice. "She woke up with a killer headache. She really wanted to come in and help us, of course, but I told her to just stay home instead."