themselves, never trying to direct their outcomes, but this one time she had tried, tried so very hard and yet she could not control the ending. She was certain Little Red had actually seen her. Never before had anyone seemed aware of her watchful presence. Overwhelming sadness filled her entire being.
A soft meow and a wet lick at her hand brought a measure of relief. “Sneakers.” She reached for the animal and stroked his soft fur. Sneakers meowed again and rubbed his head against her hand. His strong purr calmed her, brought her thoughts back into focus. “I…I’m okay,” she said to the tabby, and releasing him, snuggled back under her comforter The clock on her nightstand read 3:00 am.
Jessica tossed and turned. Sleep came in snatches that were measured in minutes by the bedside clock…3:15…3:25…3:42. Even her comfortable bed felt hard and uninviting, as if she were lying on a concrete floor. “This is ridiculous.” She rolled over to peek, for the fourth time, at the glowing readout, but it was obscured.
Smoke? Smoke! Smoke so thick it obscured everything. Her heart jumped and she instinctively scrambled to her feet. “Dad!” She took three steps toward the door before realizing it was not there. Nothing was there. For the second time that night, her room had vanished. She waved her hand through the white, enveloping cloud. No, this wasn’t smoke. Thin, moisture-less vapor swirled in every direction, shrouding the world around her. The air held no humidity, which should have been present with a watery mist. There were no choking fumes that would have come with fire. This odd haze held neither cold nor warmth. No smell. No taste. So light and gentle, if she closed her eyes her other senses would detect nothing.
The only illumination came from her very person, a weak glow, giving a few feet of visibility. This phenomenon did not surprise her. After all, she reasoned, dreams have many odd elements and certainly, for a second time that night, she was dreaming. Slowly, she turned a full circle, trying to peer through the fog, but nothing opened to her view. Even her feet and the firmness on which she stood evaded scrutiny . Once again, she passed her hand through the mist.
With the sensation of being in a sealed tomb, Jessica stood in the pervasive silence. Unsure of the passage of time and with no change in her environment, she finally decided to move. Unable to see the ground through the fog, her first step was tentative. When nothing happened, she took a second step and inched herself forward. She did not travel very far before catching the low vibration of voices. Turning toward the sounds, she carefully continued on.
A strange urgency to hear the conversation propelled her. However, with each step that brought her nearer, the haze thickened. It became oppressive. Sadness swept over her. As if in slow motion, she pushed her way through the sorrow-laden fog. She trudged onward, fighting back grief. The effort was exhausting. With three more strenuous steps she could finally make out their words and she fell to her knees.
“They are dead sir, every one of them,” a gravel-voiced man moaned. “Even the boys were murdered. I arrived too late with my warning. I watched the soldiers drag each body to the kitchen well and throw it in. From my hiding place I recognized all four.” A sob escaped him. “All is lost now…lost. It’s only a matter of time before he searches for you. He will destroy everything and everyone who dares oppose him.” Despair filled the man’s voice and Jessica felt pity pierce through her own heartache.
“No, Quirt.” the other man corrected. “All is not lost.” Deep and resonating, this voice inspired trust.
“But, with Haesom’s death, and his family, there’s no one left.”
“We have one chance.”
“Wh…What?”
“Not all the
A soft meow and a wet lick at her hand brought a measure of relief. “Sneakers.” She reached for the animal and stroked his soft fur. Sneakers meowed again and rubbed his head against her hand. His strong purr calmed her, brought her thoughts back into focus. “I…I’m okay,” she said to the tabby, and releasing him, snuggled back under her comforter The clock on her nightstand read 3:00 am.
Jessica tossed and turned. Sleep came in snatches that were measured in minutes by the bedside clock…3:15…3:25…3:42. Even her comfortable bed felt hard and uninviting, as if she were lying on a concrete floor. “This is ridiculous.” She rolled over to peek, for the fourth time, at the glowing readout, but it was obscured.
Smoke? Smoke! Smoke so thick it obscured everything. Her heart jumped and she instinctively scrambled to her feet. “Dad!” She took three steps toward the door before realizing it was not there. Nothing was there. For the second time that night, her room had vanished. She waved her hand through the white, enveloping cloud. No, this wasn’t smoke. Thin, moisture-less vapor swirled in every direction, shrouding the world around her. The air held no humidity, which should have been present with a watery mist. There were no choking fumes that would have come with fire. This odd haze held neither cold nor warmth. No smell. No taste. So light and gentle, if she closed her eyes her other senses would detect nothing.
The only illumination came from her very person, a weak glow, giving a few feet of visibility. This phenomenon did not surprise her. After all, she reasoned, dreams have many odd elements and certainly, for a second time that night, she was dreaming. Slowly, she turned a full circle, trying to peer through the fog, but nothing opened to her view. Even her feet and the firmness on which she stood evaded scrutiny . Once again, she passed her hand through the mist.
With the sensation of being in a sealed tomb, Jessica stood in the pervasive silence. Unsure of the passage of time and with no change in her environment, she finally decided to move. Unable to see the ground through the fog, her first step was tentative. When nothing happened, she took a second step and inched herself forward. She did not travel very far before catching the low vibration of voices. Turning toward the sounds, she carefully continued on.
A strange urgency to hear the conversation propelled her. However, with each step that brought her nearer, the haze thickened. It became oppressive. Sadness swept over her. As if in slow motion, she pushed her way through the sorrow-laden fog. She trudged onward, fighting back grief. The effort was exhausting. With three more strenuous steps she could finally make out their words and she fell to her knees.
“They are dead sir, every one of them,” a gravel-voiced man moaned. “Even the boys were murdered. I arrived too late with my warning. I watched the soldiers drag each body to the kitchen well and throw it in. From my hiding place I recognized all four.” A sob escaped him. “All is lost now…lost. It’s only a matter of time before he searches for you. He will destroy everything and everyone who dares oppose him.” Despair filled the man’s voice and Jessica felt pity pierce through her own heartache.
“No, Quirt.” the other man corrected. “All is not lost.” Deep and resonating, this voice inspired trust.
“But, with Haesom’s death, and his family, there’s no one left.”
“We have one chance.”
“Wh…What?”
“Not all the
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