Escaping Crux [SoL Entry - Elim]

No. This isn't real.

He shook his head at the unfamiliarity of the place. From his small dimmed bed room, he found himself standing in the middle of God-knows-where and had no idea what was going on. All he knew before being transported in that place was simply trying to capture the lightning bug gracefully lingering around his room.

And then this.

He felt light-headed as he scanned the area, the cold floor he was standing on earlier became a warm silver ground, the air smelled like mint with a hint of lemongrass and the surrounding was so bright he started to think he was now in Heaven. He started to walk, trying to find his way out. Now that he adjusted his eyes to the brightness of the place, he could see the tiniest hint of bluish dots and dusk, scattered at the far end of the horizon. He noticed the sky above, a mixed of rainbow color overlapping each other. It looked like he could reach it yet it felt so far that it was beginning to puzzle him.

He felt small all of a sudden, like the emptiness was starting to suffocate him.

"This isn't good," he whispered to himself, shaking his head. "Hello? Anyone -"

"Why did you follow me?" a sharp whisper bloomed at his side, almost giving him a heart-attack.

"Holy- "

"Shush!" the lady said in panic. "You shouldn't be here. You'll be in trouble."

She turned behind her, checking, a frown on her forehead. Obviously, they were in a bad situation. And the good-looking guy standing in front of her was oblivious to it all.

"Come on, follow me, Aziz," she commanded and started to walk, leading him to the right side where a huge silver gate stood alone.

But he just stood there. He knew he was ruined, big time. Aziz wasn't mesmerized at the galaxy-like place he was in as of the moment. He was more transfixed at the girl who was currently showing him the way out. While the area looked like Heaven, the girl could pass up as an angel. She looked like a porcelain doll, has wavy white ash hair, with round eyes that matches her inhuman beauty. She also smelled like mint and her blue silky dress glittered making her looked like she was floating.

"What are you doing just standing there?" she asked, shaking him off of his stupor.

His brows furrowed. "Wait, how did you know my name?"

"Can you please follow me first? You have to go."

Aziz raised an eyebrow but followed her anyway. "Where am I?" he asked.

She didn't answer.

"Who are you? How did you know my name?"

Again, no answer.

Aziz stopped walking. The girl inhaled deeply, her face unreadable. "You're in a constellation. That's what humans called our home." She motioned her head to the silver gate. "Can we talk while walking?"

"Only if you'll answer my questions."

"Start walking and I'll answer your questions."

"Good."

"You're here in Crux. That's the name of this constellation."

"This is just a dream, right? I always see this place in my dream but it feels real this time."

"This isn't a dream. Not this time, though."

They passed the clearing, almost half-way the silver gate.

"It can't be real."

"This is real," she argued. "Just because it looks like a dream doesn't mean it truly is."

"I have no idea what that means," Aziz replied. "And what's your name, by the way?"

She looked worried, he could tell. "My name is Acrux."

The twelfth brightest star in the sky.

"I was just trying to catch a lightning-bug in my room, then all of a sudden, I found myself here."

"That is not a lightning bug," Acrux said without looking at him. "That's me."

"You are that lightning bug?"

"I'm not a lightning bug," she repeated, casting him a stern look.

More questions invaded him. But he couldn't form the right words to ask, or even how to digest the things he was experiencing at the moment. But before he could say anything, Acrux halted for a brief moment, and suddenly grabbed his arm.

"Run," she ordered and strode towards the gate, pulling him with her as they make a quick escape.

Aziz felt the cold wind in his face, as well as the hard pump of his heart when she leapt from one distance to another, like quick flashes of light.

A narrow tunnel appeared in front of them, the road heading straight to the gate. A ball of light ignited before them, and with a blink the light formed a centaur.

"Go with him," she said as she tried to catch her breath. "Climb on his back. Go!"

Aziz looked puzzled again, trying to make sense of what was happening. "What's going on?"

"Trust me, you don't want to know," Acrux said, a sadness reflecting on her eyes. "Go, now!"

Aziz climb on the centaur's back, adrenaline rushing through his veins. He turned to at his back to take one last look at Acrux and saw explosion of lights igniting from where she stood.

"What's going on?" he asked again, anxiety creeping its way up his gut.

"They found out about you," the centaur replied. "They found out who you are."

His heart pounded. "And who am I?"

They were almost at the end of the tunnel when a loud ringing sound echoed throughout the area, a sign of a fallen star. The centaur stopped as they reached the bottom of the gate. Acrux appeared between them, bits of glimmering dusk swirled around her.

"You are one of us, Aziz," she answered.

Then everything went black.

****

No, this isn't real.

Aziz found himself in his bed room, the only difference was there was no more lightning bug flying around. He adjusted his blurry vision and noticed bits of blue dusk lingering at his side.

No. Just because it looks like a dream doesn't mean it truly is.

LCBrasil

04.30.16

Prompt A