Spectrum of Sleep

CHAPTER XVII | Just Keep Moving.

I directed Fiercey back into the cave and to the spot where Grandma fell. We rushed to her to see if what happened, but then another boulder came flying in and crashed in front us. It startled Fiercey.

"ELLIOT! GET OUT OF HERE!" Mom yelled from across the cave. She was already being overwhelmed by many men, so was Brandon. Dad was already down and they tranquilize him. Everything was falling apart. I had no choice but to flee.

I directed Fiercey back to running towards the entrance of the cave Fiercey leaped and we were going through the waterfall. Before we completely exited the cave, someone grabbed me by my hair.

I lost grip on Fiercey's back and let go. She jumped out the cave herself. Yurian held the back of my head and looked at me. "You're not going anywhere, not anymore!" He said raising his fist at me.

I looked at him directly into his eyes, and his also met mine. We looked into each other's eyes. "Yurian... please..." I whispered to him.

His fist was shaking and he let out a cry. He pushed me into the waterfall and was dragged down by it. My body hit the surface of the river and I was pulled into its current. My body ached and I blacked out.

My consciousness awakened and I opened my eyes. I was still being dragged by the river current. The waterfall and cave was nowhere in sight

I swam as hard as I could to the ground at the side. Finally, I grabbed hold of solid ground and pulled myself out of the river. I panted laid there for a couple of minutes, catching my breath. After some time, I sat up and shook my head. I got back on my feet and started to run. Run to the opposite direction of where the river flowed to. I ran, and ran, and ran as fast as I could. After what it seemed to be and hour, I could see the waterfalls and cave. There was no sign of Yurian's men or my family. I climbed up the side and ran towards the entrance of the cave. The cave was left with blood, dead bodies and weapons.

"Hello!" I cried out. "Brandon? Mom? Dad!"

"Elliot!" A weak cry came from deeper inside the cave. It sounded like Grandma's voice.

I immediately ran and rushed towards where the voice came from. There I saw Grandma leaning against the wall. Her wing on her chest. She seemed to be having a hard time breathe.

"Grandma!" I cried when I got close. I immediately saw the long spear still attached on her chest. "No, no, no, no. Jesus, you're losing a lot of blood Grandma." I said ripping out a strip of cloth from mine and putting it on the wound.

Grandma groaned in pain as I tried to pull out the spear from her chest. "No, no, no! Just... Just leave it there" she said catching her breath." She waved her hand for me to sit down beside her, so I did. "I'm not going anywhere anymore, I'm sorry sweetie." She apologized weakly. "This next part you'll have to handle on your own. They took Brandon, your mother and your father. It's okay, I know your strong enough to overcome it. You've always have been."

I started to cry as Grandma began to say her final words to me.

"You were able to juggle every family burden and pain. And you made managed to make it this far. That's really strong of you." She reached out her wing to me, and I grabbed ahold of it.

"Promise me, that no matter how hard it gets, you will always be good. Be better than you were before, and be as strong as you've always been. I'm sorry I couldn't be there for you when you needed me in real life. You had no one to talk to anymore that you had to repress what you felt to try not to breakdown. These past few days has been blessing for me, that I could see the change you have made for yourself." Stopped for a moment and coughed out blood.

I tried to help her, but she rubbed me off. Then, she continued. "I'm proud of you Elliot, remember that. If you ever need someone to talk to again, I'll always be with you in your dreams." She said gripping tighter. "I... love... you." She pointed at me weakly. "Just keep moving, Elliot. Keep moving." She muttered weakly as she exhaled her last breath.

I cried and yelled out as loud as I can. I yelled out the pain that's been aching in my chest, the burden that was added on my shoulders, and the conscience that I had on my Grandmother's death.

I gripped on her hand, but sadly, she wasn't gripping back anymore. Her hand fell out of mine, and I just knelt there with my head down. I punched my anger into the ground and stood up.

I took a deep breath and let it out. I channeled my anger into adrenaline to start moving again. I turned and slowly walked away. As I stepped over the bodies and weapons on the ground, I came over a familiar one; Brandon's flaming sword. I took it and raised it straight in front of me, I ignited it and its flaming blade emerged in front of my face. I swung it, left, to right, and then back. I turned it off and carried it with me as I exited the cave.

I climbed down the side of steep and Fiercey met me. I walked towards her and touched her face. She embraced me and purred as I continued to caress her head. We stopped, and I got on her back. "Let's go Fiercey, but before that, we're going to need reinforcements." I patted her back and she began to move towards the direction I directed her.

We moved as fast as we can through the woods. Leaping, turning, sliding. After 30 minutes, we were already back on the original path we were on. I directed Fiercey to travel back to the spot where she snatched me from Brandon and Grandma days ago. When we got there, we continued to the direction Grandma pointed at where there were villages and people.

Not long after, we got there. There were no sign of people and so we moved on. I remembered that they said there were three towns here. We searched for a town where there were people for a long time.

After what seemed to be almost an hour, we reached a town that seemed like a refuge for people. It was full of people, victims actually of the destruction and abuse of the Queen.

When we got there, people looked at us and were confronted with hostility. "Who are you!? What do you want with us!?" One man asked raising a blade at us.

"My name is Elliot Mirage! And I have some a long way, seeking for your help." I explained. I was at the center of the crowd, all looking at me confused and scared.

"Why do you need our help? And with what exactly?" The man questioned again.

"I need your help, your power. I need reinforcements to overthrow the Queen from her reign of terror!" I answered.

People started to gasp and cower in fear. The man raised his weapon once again, "You're crazy! We'll all be dead if we ever do that!" He shouted.

"I know. I know that this might be suicide, and that we won't be enough. But If it means that we could have the freedom we longed for, the freedom to be better, then I'm willing to bet my life on it. We have suffered enough, oppressed at, and tormented. It's time we take a stand, fight back and take back what's rightfully ours." I cried out.

The people around me started to murmur and whisper.

"But I can't do this alone." I continued, "I need your help, all of you. If we all do this together, then we have much larger fighting chance. I know I'm not the only who has this... feeling. So stand with me, and fight!" I brought out my flaming sword as Fiercey roared in pride.

The crowd was silent was for a couple of minutes. "You can have me. I... will stand with you." A man said as he walked through the crowd then to me.

"I will fight too!"

"So will I!"

"We will stand with you."

People started to join in with me. They cheered and yelled in courage as one by one, we were growing. After a few more cries, we were all together, shouting in a chorus of courage and unity.

"Grab your weapons, anything that can kill and protect you from getting killed. Follow me, and let's end this reign of terror!"

We all shouted in chorus.