The Heart of Shadow and Gold

chapter 22

Ashley's POV:

I found myself in the dream forest, with the weird lady.

But this time she just stood there watching me. I looked at her, "hello?" I start.

She walked over to me, it was still dark so I couldn't see her features. "rest, my child. Heal, breath." She said quietly.

"what?"

"you are in distress, you need to breath." She repeated.

"I am breathing." I respond.

"no, no you aren't, wake up, you need to breath." She said urgently.

"wake up."

She put her hands on my shoulders. "breath!"

I awoke to darkness, I clawed at my throat as the lack of oxygen got to me. I struggled to the surface, I flailed my arms around, grasping at anything I could, I could see light peeking above me and I reached as fast as I could.

My arm managed to break the surface but I couldnt get any higher, I grasped onto a root on the side of the river and held on for dear life.

The waves rushed past me like a storm, except I've never experienced a storm and will never want to.

I clawed up the root until my head peeked up. "Help!" I screamed. I gasped for breath as another wave slammed into me making me lose the grip I had on the root, thankfully though, a hand grabbed onto mine. climb! they screamed in my ear. I tugged at anything and everything to get me out of that wretched river. I hauled myself up and I collapsed, coughing and gasping for air once out.

Once I regained my air, I rolled over on my back and stared up at the sky, it was a beautiful blue with white fluffy clouds dancing across the skies, it was so clear, it wasnt like you were seeing the sky through mist.

I took another gasp of much needed air as I sat up, coughing slightly.

Ajax helped me stand and asked, "are you okay?"

"holy crap, I almost drowned.: I said in shock, the sounds of the river not helping me relax.

"key word: almost. "

I looked at him," you said it was safe!"

"I also said that the waves make the rocks, well, rock." He counteracted.

I take a deep breath, this time to get me to relax. "Lets keep moving. Sooner we get to wherever, the better."

"yeah, theyll love to meet you." he said.

"well I didnt turn on my family and almost drown for them to hate me." I said crossing my arms. "besides, if they do hate me I can always go back, same for if you try to do anything funny." I threaten, and the more I walk out here, the more I sincerely regret leaving the walls, even if my original intent was just to gather information.

"I swear, this place will be much better then anything you can get there."

"but Ill never get friendships and the relationships I had back there.". I said thinking of Leyla, hoping she will forgive me. and clutching my locket.

He looked at me, "I'm sorry, I truly am."

"no, its okay, its not your fault. I guess I was just caught up in a series of unfortunate events." I said hugging myself for warmth, my hair was drenched, and my elastic was holding on like me to that root.

I re-did my ponytail as we continued to walk through the anxiety forest.

It was getting dark and the sun was setting.

Ajax suddenly pulled me to a ladder that was attached to a tree, I know Ive never actually been in nature before but Im pretty sure that trees didnt grow ladders, he climbed up telling me to follow him, and I did. I climbed the tree and when I reached the top I hauled myself onto the wooden platform built in the tree.

"welcome to my treehouse, I usually take the children up here to play during the day but I figured you would want to see a real sunset." He said, and I walked over to him and sat down next to him.

It was absolutely unlike anything I have ever seen.

The sun was setting over the canopy of trees we were sitting above, there were hills and mountains in the far distance to our right, and on our left, you could see endless amounts of trees. The sun was casting a beautiful array of colors over it. In one of the dips to our right you could see lights. "what's that?" I ask to ajax.

He smiled fondly.

"that's home."

A/N 765 words