From the Cosmos. [gxg]

xxxiii. the cosmos.

The conference table shuddered as Marisol slammed her hands down. She stood, palms on the table, staring at the laptop with wide eyes. The Cosmos.

Marisol had no doubt that the dream she had just a night prior was the Cosmos. She had fallen asleep after eating dinner, missing Colette. When she dreamed, she had seen Colette. Their kiss felt real. Colette's palms wandering over her face felt real. Just like the diary's author, she had woken up sweaty and hot.

She turned towards Mr. Schultz, who looked at her quizzically. She turned her computer so that he could read what was on her screen. "The Cosmos," she said, "I've been there before, with Colette."

Mr. Schultz's eyes scanned over the document before sparking with recognition. "I once read this long ago," he said, "But I wasn't sure of the validity of it, since I've never seen the Cosmos mentioned in any other texts. I haven't ever even experienced it myself." He glanced towards the projector, where Talia was. She had overheard.

"I can see your computer screen from here," she said, "I just skimmed over the document. I've never heard of the Cosmos."

Marisol looked at Talia's image. "A couple nights ago, when Colette left, I had a dream," she said, "We were in a never ending sea of clouds and I saw her. She looked and sounded just like she does in real life. I could feel her when we hugged. I thought it was just a really realistic dream but...."

Talia nodded. "Say no more," she said, "I believe you. That's our only lead so far. I'll have the researchers on my end look further into it. For now, you're our biggest chance."

Marisol swallowed nervously. Her hands had become sweaty. She slipped them off the table and sat down, wiping them on her pants.

"Mr. Schultz, you will help her get into the Cosmos," said Thalia.

Mr. Schultz frowned. "If all she needs to do is fall asleep, then I'm not sure how much help I can be. That's not something I can make her do."

"I know you can, Mr. Schultz. You're a powerful witch."

Mr. Schultz shook his head. "I'm not going to force her to sleep with magic," he said, "I'm not going to force her to do anything. Magic shouldn't invade the minds of others."

"It's not an invasion if Ms. Reyes agrees to it." Talia's face was stern.

Mr. Schultz looked at Marisol.

"I want to do it," she said, "I wouldn't be able to fall asleep normally anyway. There's too much going on." She looked at the screen, eyes fixated on the messy handwriting. She wanted Colette to be safe, and diving into the Cosmos was the least that she could do.

A pleased smile made its way onto Talia's face. She leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms. "Fantastic, now it's time for a game plan."

Marisol didn't talk as Talia spoke to agents around her. Talia must have been a good strategist, because it took no time for a plan to be fleshed out. The commanding witch had dominated the conversation. The final plan was determined in less than 10 minutes and ended up being rather simple.

Marisol was to be put to sleep by a spell performed by Mr. Schultz. If she didn't wake up within an hour, someone would wake her up. This was to verify whether or not she had made it to the Cosmos. If she did, she would no longer have to go in. Meanwhile, the researchers on Talia's end would continue searching for different strategies to find Colette, in case this one didn't work.

If Marisol managed to contact Colette, she'd have to explain several things. First, Marisol would briefly explain the Cosmos. Next, she'd have to ask Colette where she's being held. If she doesn't know, then she'd tell Colette to use magic to create a huge flare as a signal. The government would be told to look out for it all over the country, via drones and satellites. As soon as the flare was seen, a SWAT team would be sent to her location.

There were a lot of flaws in the plan. What if they missed the flare? What if Colette couldn't make a flare? What if she couldn't fight off her captors? What if the SWAT team didn't make it in time? What if the Cosmos weren't even real?

Marisol took a deep breath. This was the only thing she could do. If this didn't work, then she would have to find another way. She was guided into a nearby room. It was an office space, but a couch was in the corner, near the door. A clean set of blankets and pillows were neatly stacked on top.

The couch sunk a little as she sat, worn cushions taking her weight. She unfolded a blanket and threw it over her legs and laid down. The pillow wasn't exactly comfortable, but it didn't need to be.

Mr. Schultz pulled up a chair next to her, a hard look on his face. It was obvious that he didn't want to use magic on her, but Marisol could see the resolve in his eyes. The man would do what was necessary to get Colette back, even if it was uncomfortable. He sat down, holding out a hand. Marisol took it with hers.

"Are you sure that you still want to do this?" he asked, "We can find another way."

"I'm sure," she responded, "I trust you. If I wake up and decide it was horrible, I won't do it again."

Mr. Schultz only nodded. Marisol shut her eyes.

"It's going to feel sudden," he said, "Are you ready?"

Marisol nodded. "Yes." She closed her eyes, hearing the distant sounds of the night plunged military base behind her. She waited, the world around her feeling still, and then a force latched onto her mind, and plunged her into darkness.

Someone shook her shoulder. A gentle voice entered her ears. "Marisol, wake up."

Marisol's eyes snapped open and she shot upright, looking around. The white fluorescent lighting above stung her eyes. She blinked a few times, her surroundings coming into view. She was still in the office, on the couch. Next to her was Mr. Schultz, sitting in the same chair. He hadn't moved.

"It's been an hour," he said.

She took a deep breath. It felt like no time had passed at all. When she slept normally, she woke up feeling that time had passed. Sometimes, she even remembered a few dreams that had kept her mind occupied during the night. This time, she felt as if she was dunked underwater, only to be yanked out a few seconds later.

"Are you okay?" he asked, leaning forward.

"Yes."

"Marisol, I've been a father for over two decades now," he said, "I can tell when something isn't okay."

She sighed. Marisol's own father, while not very vocal, always knew when something was wrong with her. Mr. Schultz's fatherly presence pushed the tension from her shoulders.

"I'm alright," she responded, "the feeling just wasn't what I expected."

"Although I've never experienced magic induced sleep myself, I've heard it described as nothingness."

Marisol agreed with that description. She sighed. "In case you were still wondering, I didn't reach the Cosmos."

"That's alright," he said. "Would you like to try again?"

She nodded and laid back down. She closed her eyes, and just like an hour before, she was yanked down into the darkness.