Sunset Valley

Chapter 13.

I nervously took Torrance's hand, as if it might be radioactive, and shook it. I glanced and saw Jem and Freya were staring, probably woken up by my startled noise.

"This is Kaya," he said, gesturing to the shy girl. She brushed a peice of her dark hair out of her face, slapped on a fake smile and waved. My lips twitched into a smile.

"Again, sorry to wake you," continued Torrance, "but you were getting upset, so we decided it might be better if you were not in a nightmare."

I felt my face and found it was tear stained. Shoot, I thought smearing them away. That was embarrassing.

"Is Kaya your girlfriend?" Freya spoke up. It was a bit curt of her, but I was thankful she was taking the attention off me.

Kaya's face was shocked, but Torrance just bursted out laughing.

"No," he chuckled once he was done. "There's an interesting story behind this little girl, but no, she's just a tag along." Kaya looked at least fourteen, but she seemed like she didn't care being called little. She just focused on her eyes on Jem, laughing smally at his hair, which was twisted up at strange angles. Jem smiled back and made a weird face. I rolled my eyes and looked away while the two continued at their telepathic conversation.

Meanwhile, I overheard Freya trying to convince Torrance to take us with him; to hide us from society. Everyone was busy talking except for me. I was alone.

~

I must've fallen asleep, because for a while all I see are bright colors and hear blurred noises. Loud, blurred noises. Like shouting, almost, but it sounds too brilliant to be shouting. It's like everything's pure, but not sharp. If it was sharp you could see its flaws. But here, in my bright little world, everything is perfect and pure, just the way things should be,

But then I woke up.

Well, more specifically, everything came into focus, starting with my hearing.

"I thought you said this would help!"

"It will! Just give it a second, and shut up for a moment, will ya?"

Those two voices I couldn't decipher, but the next one was clear.

"Wait a minute, guys.." Freya, for sure.

Then my vision came back to me, at first blurry, but then the spots of color rearranged themselves to form Jem, Kaya, Torrance, and Freya standing over me. It almost scared me.

"SPACE!" I screamed. "GIVE ME SPACE!!"

They all backed away and I breathed. "What the heck guys?" I asked.

"You passed out," Freya replied.

"From the berries we ate for dinner, so I'm told," Jem continued. "You ate the bad ones."

"Thankfully," Torrance butted in, "I had the.. Antidote, if you will."

"How long was I out?" I persisted.

"Doesn't matter," Freya smiled. "I got us a tour guide that knows the place like the back of his hand!" I was about to ask who, but when Torrance gushed, "Oh, stop it, you," I know we were in for it now.