Was It Just A Dream

Chapter 33

Running away from problems is never the answer. Doing so will only cause the predicament you face to fester and eat away at your insides.

But, of course, in that moment I chose to run anyway, away from my friends and away from the reality that we faced in Ebony. I didn't want to think about the small chance we had of getting home, or how at any moment, we could be cursed to the tragic fate that Cotton lived. Life forever more in Ebony's Heart may not be dangerous or dark, but it wasn't freedom.It was a curse to stay in one place for eternity, only to see other humans cursed into Ebony once in a blue moon.

So I was sprinting away. I was suppressing my emotions, suppressing my reality. Not a good look, trust me. My friends were yelling at me, and someone was sprinting behind me, quickly picking up speed. I glanced quickly over my shoulder, my arms and legs still moving as fast as they could and tears still pouring out of my eyes. It was Lincoln. His long legs and knack for running were helping him quickly catch up to me. I turned away, a sob escaping out of me, and tried to sprint faster to no avail. He grabbed my hand, pulling me to a stop.

"Mira," Lincoln said softly, spinning me around to face him. I didn't meet his eyes and instead stared at the logo on his t-shirt. Once, in a strange white room on a mysterious beach, the logo was comprehendible. Now it was worn away, covered in dirt. "It's going to be okay."

It was ironic how I, the most positive, lighthearted person in our group was having a meltdown due to our situation. But I was sick of always being positive. In that moment, I decided once and for all: I was never going to suppress my feelings again. I was going to tell people how I felt about things, no matter how negative or dark my thoughts might be. I was no longer going to trap the things that danced in my mind. They would be free, and so would I.

And so, to start off my new and improved life as Mira 2.0, I looked up at Lincoln. The smart, kind, and brave boy who had stolen my heart oh so long ago. 

And I kissed him. 

In a moment, my thoughts of dark blues and grays turned golden, and I almost forgot the world of Ebony entirely. When it was over, I stepped back, wiping any stray tears from my cheeks. He stood there for a second, watching me. Then Lincoln gave me a small, sad smile. His cheeks were faintly scarlet, and his eyes glistened as he spoke to me. 

"C'mon, M. Let's go home."

~

When we finally got back to Shoe, Cali, and Jimmy, everyone seemed to be shocked. Well, maybe not Shoe. Some of his sloths had surrounded him, and they were doing everything from climbing his back to playing with his hair. Shoe seemed to be perfectly calm even after telling us of how horribly our situation was. On the other hand, Cali was having a breakdown of her own. She was sobbing, and Jimmy was patting her back with a sober look on his face. I sat down next to Cali, my eyes finally dry. Lincoln sat next to me, closer than I expected. He hadn't told me how he felt about our kiss. It didn't seem like he hated it, but I wasn't sure if his feelings were the same as mine. I brushed those thoughts away, knowing I had to focus on the problem at hand.

"Guys," My voice came out shaky, much to my displeasure. I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself. "I'm scared."

The words cut through the air, and they felt so foreign on my tongue. I wasn't used to exposing myself like this. I was always the comforter, not the one being comforted. Cali looked at me, her eyes filled with tears. She then started to sob louder than before, as if my hopelessness was only another knife to the heart.

"But-" I started again, my voice now getting stronger. I noticed tears welling in Jimmy's eyes. Lincoln took my hand, holding it firmly. Shoe watched from afar, his eyebrows high as if he almost thought all of this was amusing. "But, I believe in us. We've come so far. We're not going to quit and give up just because the odds are against us. The kids in the movies never do that. No, they fight to the end, and everything works out." 

"You're right, as usual, Mira," Cali whispered through her tears. She stopped for a moment, trying to stop her sobs. Then she continued, her voice firm even with tears dripping from her chin. "And if you still believe we can get home, then I will too. I'm going to hope for the best."

"Well, that's a first." Jimmy grinned, even as quite tears rolled down his face. "Damn, I must look like such a wimp right now. Guess Lincoln's the only real man here after all."

"Maybe," Lincoln said. Then he looked down at me, his eyes soft and full of warmth. I looked back at him, brushing a piece of my messy hair behind my ear. "But Mira's the hero."

The four of us got up together, still will tears in our eyes and fear in our minds. But hope was in our hearts. We were going to escape Ebony together. We weren't going to falter, and we would defeat the Brother that had taken us here. At least, that was the plan.

~

"Good luck, children." Shoe grinned widely at us, and I watched as his left eye twitched and a sloth climbed over his head. "Cross this field, and you'll come to the desert. Be warned, however: The castle is hard to find, and wandering in the desert for too long doesn't do any good for any man."

"Thanks. And thank you for everything you've told us." Lincoln nodded his head to Shoe, reaching out to shake his hand. Instead, a sloth who was clinging onto Shoe's waist held his hand out, and they shook. I would have made a joke about it if I had been in a better mood. We had decided to leave as soon as possible, for we all were on edge now that we knew we had a timed fate. If we didn't hurry, we'd never make it out of Ebony. The sloths lined up to watch us leave, their little eyes following our every mood. 

I stopped in front of Shoe, giving him a smile. "Thank you. You're a wise guy. I hope the Brothers never hurt you, or you're... sloths."

"Oh ho, do not worry!" Shoe's smile seemed to spread even wider, and he let out a laugh. "The Brothers cannot catch me." I nodded, walking away from Shoe. I didn't really think much of his words. He was just another creature of Ebony, one I couldn't possibly understand.

And so, we left Shoe and his sloths of Alyas behind, to continue on our journey. But now, the line was drawn in the sand. We knew what we were fighting, and we knew what might happen if we failed.