• Chapter 6: Awakening and The Journey Continues

    I stretch and roll over as I feel the renewed energy pulsing inside me. I notice that the son has already arised and left the room allowing me to sleep. How thoughtful. I quickly dress and head towards the sitting room where I find most of the family and we greet each other.

    “Goodmorning Escaray.” Adela calls out to me. Her face was very bright and waited intently for my reply.

    “Goodmorning Adela. Did Salena sleep well last night?”

    “Her sleep was very restless. I tried to ease her but her nightmares were too strong. She grew still for some time then began thrashing around in the bed. I didn’t know what to do. I called mother and we watched her to see if she would try to hurt herself. After quite some time she finally settled. She is sleeping still as for when I last checked which was but a few moments ago.

    . . .

    *THUMP*

    “Ow, Dammit!” I pull myself up from the floor and try to untangle myself from the clinging sheets. I hear the door open.

    “Salena?” Escaray called for me.

    “Escaray? Can you…” I struggled a bit more letting him know that I was on the floor. “…help me?” I laughed. He walked around the bed and saw me trapped in my cocoon of sheets and let out a good laugh.

    “Now how did you get into this predicament my Lady?” He asked as he bent down and started to unravel the sheets from my body.

    “I have no idea.” I laughed some more. It felt good to laugh. It felt good to laugh with him.

    He hoisted me up from the floor and I sat on the bed. I had torn it up. The sheets all twisted, the blankets on the floor, the pillow was somewhere. That dream was horrible but wonderful all at once. I wonder if I should tell him. Later. I won’t tell him now. I’ll wait till we are alone and have no reason to whisper.

    “Salena are you hungry?” I looked up at him from my place on the bed and then my stomach growled.

    “Is that a good enough answer?” I said laughing.

    “Absolutely. Follow me.”

    He led me to the dining room where everyone was sitting. Many greeted me and the girl whose room I had resided with in asked me how I was. They said I gave them quite a scare last night with my thrashing about and all. If only they really knew. I answered all questions politely but I was eager to leave so that I could talk with Escaray.

    “We shall have to be going soon.” Escaray said. I gave him a sharp look. Had he read my mind again?

    “Yes we really must. I am eager to meet this shadow lady.”

    “Lady Shadow.” They all seemed to say in chorus and practice. As if they knew that I was going to make that mistake. Ok…creepy.

    I headed back to the room and found the bed that was so terribly a skew had already been remade and my suitcase sat upon the bed. I opened it and pulled new clothes and replace my silk nightgown that I had exhaustedly slipped into before I hit the bed.

    I met Escaray at the door.

    “You aren’t going to darken on me again are you Lady. Although you were no burden, you had me worried. There is daylight outside this door.” He looked at me with true concern. It was heart touching.

    “Open the door slowly so that I can aquaint myself with the sun.” Escaray grabbed the handle and pulled it open very slowly while I stood next to it and felt the light hit me.

    It felt like the opposite of the moon’s precious rays. The sun made the hairs on my arm stand on end as if I were cold. Instead of the caressing rays of moon I got the painful rays of the sun. It seemed already too hot and that I was slowly burning up. I headed to the car and quickly got inside. Escaray was right behind me the whole way.

    “Glad that’s over.” I said as he settled into his seat.

    “Why is that?”

    “It was horrible!” I looked at my skin and saw red splotches in some places. “Look!” I held out my arm that was covered in them for him to see. He reached to touch my arm but I pulled away. He looked hurt. Its not that I was disgusted in him touching me. It’s just I didn’t know how I would react to his touch. I turned away from his look.

    “Here.” His voice was flat and you could hear the rejection in it. I looked and once again he was holding out a glass of blood for me to drink. I took it with a shaking hand and slowly brought it to my lips. I sipped at it and watched as the red splotches dissolved from my skin. He held out his hand for the glass and I handed it to him feeling ashamed for some reason.

    “I need to talk to you about something.” We both said at the same time.

    “You first.” I said.

    “Forgive me, you first my Lady.” He motioned to me.

    “Well, I’m sure Adela told you of my sleeping adventure last night.”

    “Yes, she explained that you gave them quite a scare for a few moments.”

    “Yeah, about that. I had a very strange dream and I would like to tell you about it. That is, if it’s not too much of a bother.”

    “No my Lady, do tell if it comforts you concience.”

    My breath caught at first as I told him of my dream but it became easier to talk about it even though it was dreadful to remember.

    “I understand how you describe it but I do not understand the wings. I must ask you a question.”

    “Yes?”

    “Will you allow me to see it? The dream only, I promise.”

    I thought for a moment. Pondering weather I should allow him back into my head to see the dream. Maybe he could interpret it. Maybe he knew who this Ember was that the wings speak of.

    “Alright.”

    He touched my arm and I thought about the dream as he watched it all. After he had seen it all he removed his hand slowly and snapped his fingers. His driver rolled down the window.

    “Yes sir?”

    “We shall take no more stops. We must get to Lady Shadow’s residence immediately. Drive swiftly my good man.”

    “Yes, sir!” Instantly there was a surge of speed from the car. I looked at Escaray with question.

    “What’s wrong?”

    “I can not speak of it now my Lady. But soon you shall know the truth of who you really are.”

    . . .

    Her name is Salena Marie Jolin. Well, I should say that it will be for only a short time longer. A long lost sister has been found and her true name will be revealed as the spirit within her slowly becomes more apart of her.