Welcome to Strangely

“Maybe we can include the girls when we make these plans,” Jason suggests.

Agatha pulls her face in a grimace and turns to look at Vaughn. “Do you mind fetching them? Be quick.”

The voice asks, “What are you hiding from, Zara? Is it the pain of your past or the uncertainty of your future?”

“I’m not hiding,” Zara replies, looking around trying to find the source of the voice. “Unlike you.”

“I don't hide from anything, Zara. If only you believe, you will see. You will see me in everything around you, hear me in every sound you hear, feel me in every breath you take.”

Emily shakes Zara lightly. “Hey, you zoned out again.”

Jenny jokes, “Are we that boring?”

“You were going to tell us about your dream?” Emily reminds her.

“I'm here,” Zara says with a yawn.

“Your dream?” Emily asks.

“Is it your power?” Jenny asks. “Are you a Dream Walker?”

Zara sits up straight. “What do you mean Dream Walker?”

“I saw something in the Book of Eudemon,” Jenny explains. “It’s the ability to enter into a state of consciousness between being awake and dreaming. The main reason people journey to this dream world is to heal themselves, their friends, their family, their community, or the earth in general.”

“You mean I am dreaming, but still awake? I’m scared,” Zara says frightened.

“I know, we’re scared too.” Emily says, leaning closer to Zara, wanting to comfort her.

“What do we do?” Zara asks.

A voice asking the same question echoes around Zara. She is standing in a dark room so large she cannot see if it has walls or not. Above and below, there is nothing but darkness.

Don't let her give up, a female voice says. The voice sounds vaguely familiar.

You must fight, Zara, someone cries.

Don't leave us.

You can do it, Zara.

We need you.

Come back to us, someone begs.

“Hey, Zara.” Emily chuckles. “You did it again, you need to maintain control over the ability to just shift into an alternative reality.”

“I’m trying, but it’s just happening,” Zara mumbles confused.

“Zara? So, are you a Dream Walker?” Jenny asks, wanting clarification.

“I don’t know. I just had the weirdest dream or experience or whatever you want to call it.”

“You know you can tell us anything, don’t you?” Emily asserts.

“At first, I was in this beautiful garden and there was a voice talking to me, but I couldn’t see anyone. Then I saw the Southern Cross in the sky above me, even though it wasn’t night time, which reminded me of the inscription on the Book of Eudemon, of the crux nestled in a rose. Just now, though, I was in a place of darkness, and all these different voices were calling out to me. It was kind of scary.”

Just then there is a knock on the door, and Jenny jumps up quickly, taking a defensive stance.

“It’s Vaughn. Agatha wants to see you in her office,” he calls from the other side of the closed door.

Emily cannot help laughing at Jenny’s reaction.

Jenny looks at Emily, feeling insulted. “It’s not funny, Emily.”

“It is a little,” Zara says with a small smile.

“We’ll be there in five minutes, Vaughn,” Emily calls.

Five minutes later, Emily knocks softly on the closed office door in The Chambers.

Agatha opens the door and with her pallid face pulled in a scowl, she says, “Come in, we don’t have time to waste.”

Emily, Jenny, and Zara walk into the room, not exactly sure what is expected of them.

Jason stands up from his seat, and motions with his head for Jenny to sit down on the chair he just left vacant.

She moves closer and as she passes him to take his seat, he speaks to her for the first time since the unpleasantness on the lawn the night before. “Hi,” he says as Jenny glances up at him. “I am sorry about last night.”

“Yeah, me too,” Jenny mutters.

“Please sit where you can find a seat or stand. This situation is particularly important, and time is running out for us,” Agatha says, irritated.

Zara sits down on the chair left vacant by Agatha, who is now pacing the room as she starts to tell them what needs to be done to stop Gorgon and save Abby.

Then Zara finds herself in a place with tall structures on both sides of her. She has to crane her neck all the way back to see a slither of the sky above. Standing in front of her, there is a man and a woman she has never met before.

“You can see me?” She asks, taking a hesitant step away from them.

“Of course, we can see you,” the woman says, a little bemused.

With an impatient rudeness, the man clears his throat, getting Zara’s attention. She notices his amazing blue eyes and the way the sun creates a red hue in his auburn hair.

The woman says, taking a step closer to Zara, “You are our last chance.”

“Zara, what are you doing? Pay attention,” Agatha says in a shrill voice.

Zara moves in her seat to sit up straight.

“You're the only ones who can help us now,” the woman says as Zara again enters the DreamWorld.

“Who are you?” Zara asks.

“We need your help,” she pleads.

“You’ve said, but who are you?”

“Please, we don't have much time.” the woman begs. “Soon the gates of Hell will open.”

“The gates of Hell? I don't understand.” Zara says, fear tainting her voice as she takes a couple of steps away from them both.

“If the Gatekeeper captures our souls before our bodies are properly buried, he'll take us to Hell.”

“Forever,” the man adds in an agitated voice.

“What do you mean properly buried? You’re not dead… Are you?”

“Unlike you, we were murdered,” the man says with an angry tone.

“What do you mean? Unlike me.”

“Has no one told you the truth?” The woman shakes her head as she mutters to herself, “Nothing has changed, still so many secrets.” She turns to face Zara, reaching to take her hand, but Zara takes another step away from her, reluctant to let the woman touch her. “We are all dead, Zara.”