Children of Morpheus

Chapter 14

    My hands were still glowing when my sight came into the dark. The lullaby of the crickets that gave in and sung to the pale smiling moon, with the splashing flow of the stream nearby. The silhouette of tall and thin trees stood still in front.

    “Do you want me to come with you to Silver Keyshade?” Dranvi asked then snapped his fingers in the dead leaves and twigs that Vifen gathered.  

    “No need.” I shook my head and stared down at the spark as it grew into a flame. “I'll just bum a ride. I forgot to ask. . . how long was I out?”

    “Almost three days in the realm.” Dranvi replied.

    What! I was out for 3 days! My uncle Dean won't like that, I'm definitely screwed. This thought came abode to my mind like a parasite. He's pretty worried about me, even when I visited him on his dreams. I think he will ground me. I have a feeling that he will ground me. 

    The fiery dance of the flame fluttered on the cold wind. Huge gray smoke came floating in above as a fast twinkling light came out of my back. An air sprite came with us and landed on my head. We all looked at the sprite as it glowed white above me like an antenna. 

    The sprite mumbled a noise that sounded like a bee buzzing in my ear. Dranvi looked at the sprite and chuckled with Vifen as it makes gestures with its tiny hands and head on top of me. 

    “What's the sprite talking about?” I asked, wanting to know what it wants to say. “What's so funny?”

    “He wants to go with you.” Vifen replied laughing. ”He wants to protect you from 'danger', his words, not mine.” 

    The sprite flew from my head into my eyes. My sight adjusted to the little guy, only wearing a rusty leather satchel and silk pantaloon. I raised my hand towards him and landed with his foot. He fisted his hand and knocked on his chest with a serious face. 

    I smiled, forcing my laugh out of my system. “How can I say no to that? You’re so adorable.” Then he bowed and flew to Dranvi's hand. 

The two of them walked away deep into the woods, leaving me and Vifen alone. She sat down, staring at me and pointed the ground. I step and sat beside her glancing blankly in the burning flames. She then smiled and the wind howled as the leaves rolled right into us. I shut my eyes as I can hear leaves crunches like it was molding into something.

    “I made a new dress, Rafael.” Vifen said standing beside my sitting body. “Is it okay?” She asked as I opened my eyes. 

“It's nice. It's far better than you wore before.” I replied as I gazed at her, smiling. The leaves crumpled in each other like it was weaved into a tube dress that captures her curves. "Not that I hate it, but you are too exposed."

She smiled and slid closer beside me. “Did you know that faes are not allowed to help mortals, especially someone like you?” 

    I nodded. 

    “What did you think why Dranvi helped you?” She inquired with a weird smile. 

    “He said, I was a nice person.”

    She mumbled and rolled her eyes and shook. She breathes in and let out a hard sigh. “He didn't tell you.” 

    “Tell me what?” I asked.

    “That you're—” She jolted her head and gulped.

    “His name is Gali, Rafael.” Dranvi pinched in as I turned my head and looked at him. He smiled with Gali, standing at his palm.

    Gali drifted into the wind and sat on Vifen's knee while looking at the fire. I followed my gaze at Vifen as she shook her head and smiled back at me. I stood and walked towards Dranvi.

    “Vifen said something about why did you help me back in your world.” I said, calmly.

    “As I said, you are willing to risk your life just save your friends.” He answered and smiled. “Nothing else.” He then sat down.

    I lie down on the ground, gazed upon the stars that have a limit view from the leafy arms of the trees that locked us. Then a siren came and passed by that killed the whispering voice of the night. As the flashes of red and blue light whirled came in the road.

    What did Vifen meant, when she said he didn't tell me? Tell me what? I think he is not telling the whole truth about why he helped me.. What is he hiding from me? My mind, again, was being filled with questions. With answers that they kept hiding from me. 

    “I'm gonna stay here for a while, Dranvi.” Vifen said in a low calming voice. “It's been years since I got out of that realm.” She smiled and stood. She started walking into a tree and slowly fades in thin air. “See you next time.” Her voice came out like a wind whispering in our ears.

    The sun was rising as I imagined a rooster yelling in my ears to wake me up. My eyelids were still dropping shut, like it was a heavy door that kept pushing back. I can see Gali floating between my eyes as I kept trying to open them. 

    Then a scream of a rooster burst out beside my ear that made me snapped from my heavy sleep. The rooster slowly fades as it looked me in the eyes straight. My hands were slowly dimming its gleam as I stood.

    “God! That was annoying!” I said in a high and angered voice. I stood and looked for Dranvi. I can still hear a high pitch scream of the chicken screeching inside my ears and clawing my brain.

    Gali flew into a huge tree near the creek. I followed him and saw Dranvi's satchel hanging on a stem, with a note written in moss on a tree that said, "Read me" in the trunk. I grabbed the satchel and wore it.

I said what was written in the wood. As it changed every time I read. I read it like it was a movie with a subtitle. It said:

    I already left. You looked so tired since we don't have time to sleep when we traveled back here. I leave my satchel and apples for you, and Gali will protect you as long as you protect him. See you next time.

    I put on the cloak and Gali flew inside the hood. I followed the stream and saw a huge gap in broken trees and a huge footprint. Then I remembered the treant that attacked Alexander. I ran and came after the prints leading to the main road.     

    Then far from what I can see, a red rusting truck was running on the way back to town. I raised my arm and did a thumbs up, trying to get the driver's attention. The car slowed down and a married couple opened up. I jumped in and the old man drove with Gali hiding inside my cloak.

    I looked at the man and reminded me of Dean. He must have been worried sick, waiting for me to come home. I was out for 3 days, what will happen? Especially when I brought sprite into the house. I'm not sure what will happen but I feel it will all be okay.

    I opened the door while thinking of what to say to him. Heavy footsteps came running down as I saw Dean pacing himself to me straight. He then hugged me tightly, with a pool of tears on his eyes. 

    He gazed at me from foot to head, then smiled. “What are you wearing? You look so handsome and brave in that armor.” He said laughing.

    Then Gali flew off from behind my head and landed on my shoulders. Dean jerked his body in shock and knock over to the floor.  

    “I'll explain everything, Dean.” I quickly said to his shuddering body on the floor as he looks at Gali. "Just calm down and sit.”

    After explaining what happened to me in the Realm of the Faes, he stood and looked at Gali. He warned me again on what can fairies do, they can manipulate and all other things. I ended the conversation with these words, “I trust him.” At the edge of the conversation, he just nodded and smiled.

    See? He's okay.

    He stood and paced into the kitchen while I tasked Gali to fly around to familiarize himself. He took off on the open window as I followed Dean in the kitchen. I dug deep into the satchel to grabbed some apples, then looked in, in amazement on what it can do. It's like an eternal bag that can hold anything. I wonder if an elephant can fit inside?

    “What's new when I was gone for almost four days?” I asked and took a bite in the apple that always gave a crunch. 

    “What are you saying?” Dean replied while he blended the coffee and sugar. “You were gone for almost two weeks.” 

    “What!” I'm screamed as I put down the apple in the kitchen counter. 

    “Time runs slower in the Realm of the Faes.” He clarified and grabbed my apple and took a bite on the other side. “This apple is good.”     

    He sat down and continue munching on the apple. I grabbed another one in the satchel and sliced it and spread it on the plate. 

    “I know where the Key of Air, Dean.” I started again.

    “Do you really need to risk your life for those keys?” He asked in a soft tone with concern. “I know that your mom told you to get the keys, but do you really need to risk your own life? Your father wouldn't like that.”  

    “Yes!” I replied as the pain starts to boil my blood. “It's hard for me seeing her in my dreams suffering all the time. I mean she's your sister and my mother!” I yelled with water hosing down from my eyes. I felt the ache in my heart, the misery that I'm feeling right now. "And dad―"

    “When you told me about your father in the cemetery, I know you'll spend your time in finding these stupid keys!” He yelled back and stood. “I love your mother. And I know seeing everything is hard for you, but you don't need to risk your life.” His voice starts to calm down, then I sat back.

    “I know, I don't mind risking my life. This is my last shot to do something for mom, I want it.” I'm starting to calm down. He sat back and closed his eyes.     

    “So where is it?” He asked looking at me straight. “But this time, I will go with you and help you to find it.” 

    “It's in the Dream Realm.” I replied and took a sliced apple. “I've been there once, but I don't know how we can get there.”     

    “I know how,” he said as he took an apple slice and bit it. “And as badly as I want to come with you, but you're the only one who can go into that place.” He smiled.

    I already jumped into my normal clothing and hopped in bed. The moon was shining pale silver while it gave a dim light into my room. The wind howled as the curtains flowed from the open windows. The huge wooden dollhouse for Gali, overlaid the color of the moon like a corpse.

    Dean with Gali in his shoulders entered the room with a tray of a steaming cup of yellow fluid. Gali flew over my bed like he was a shooting star flying over and acroos my room.

    “This is Valerian tea.” Uncle Dean said as he sat down beside my bed and gave the hot cup. “This was used on soul searching in some region of the world.”

    I took the cup and blew some hotness out, and drank it fast. Dean tried to slow me down but it's too late. He stood in front of my bed and nodded slowly.  

    I looked at Gali as my sight began to blur. My head was spinning and I can't stop it. Everything is like a picture out of focus as my head fell down on the pillow and Gali flew on top of me. Darkness swallowed my sight in numbing heart. It felt nice. . .