Shadow of Time (a YA Paranormal Romance novel)

Chapter 6

Clouds of smoke billowed above the primitive hoghans of the small settlement. Hannah panted. She was on the run from a group of Mexican-looking soldiers. Even though she'd never seen soldiers dressed like them in her life, she instinctively knew they were from Mexico, and they didn't mean well.

"Run!" she cried out to the people she met on her way through the village. In front of her, she saw burning hoghans and Navajo people trying to put out the fire with buckets of water. Hannah knew she was looking for someone. Someone who meant a lot to her. She bumped into fleeing villagers and tripped over her own feet, scraping her knees when she fell down. Frantically, she tried to stay out of sight of the Mexicans on the village square by hiding underneath some thorny bushes.

And then, her eyes focused on a figure running across the square. He came closer and spotted her, but he averted his eyes so he wouldn't alert the soldiers to her presence. Hannah stared up in utter confusion. That man who was trying to protect her was the man she'd been looking for. And it was Josh.

He looked older, about thirty years old, but it was definitely him. He was wearing traditional clothes and carrying a bow, which he presently raised to draw the string and release an arrow at the approaching soldiers.

Behind him, a hoghan collapsed under its own weight, spitting up flames and smoke toward the sky. Hannah coughed, her eyes beginning to tear.

And then, she jolted awake, startled by the sound of her phone. Someone must have charged it. Hannah opened her eyes and wildly flailed her left arm to grab it from the bedside table.

"Hey, Nick," she answered in a groggy voice after glancing at the display. "How's life?"

"Wonderful. You don't sound very alive yourself, though."

"You woke me up," Hannah groaned. "Sorry. I was supposed to text you yesterday, but I forgot."

"What time are we meeting up?"

"Josh and Emily will be here around five. So if you want to talk to them about your thesis..."

"Great! I'll be there. What's the name of your street?"

"It doesn't have one. Once you get to St. Mary's Port, just follow the signs saying 'Log Cabin Park' and you'll end up here."

"Okay, see you later then. Sorry I woke you up."

"No problem. Bye."

Hannah threw her phone back on the bedside table and stretched her arms and legs, staring at the ceiling. That dream. It had been so bizarre, and yet so life-like. She could still smell the burning wood and hear the villagers scream. She'd never dreamed in Spanish before. She'd been able to understand those soldiers, even though they'd had a strange accent. In a flash, she remembered the Josh from her dream. Older, with a more worn and muscular body and an alert attitude that made him look like a born warrior. And yet, his eyes had been the same when he looked at her. So intense and gentle.

Hannah shivered despite the heat. Dreaming about Josh wasn't that strange – after all, she'd been thinking about him a lot lately – but dreaming like this was. It had felt like a blast from the past.

"Hey," Ben called out from the other side of the door. "You awake?"

"No, I was on the phone in my sleep."

Ben opened the door with a cheeky grin. "Snarky as ever. So, how are you feeling, Sleeping Beauty?"

Hannah yawned. "I slept well. Sorry for skipping dinner." She conveniently forgot to mention her strange dream. She was so not about to fess up to Ben and say she'd dreamed about his best friend playing her protector in some pre-Civil War setting. He'd probably think she was losing it. If she ever had it, to start with. She groaned and got out of bed.