Lances and Daggers

21. Reunion

I had a strange dream. I was sinking in black grime. I splashed, gasped, and struggled; but it stuck to my body and pulled me down. The bottom of the sea—a graveyard for ships and sunken sailors. The loneliness—a trick to pass the time or a consolation prize. The darkness—a veil that hid the victim from the closest eyes. But then I raised my left hand, and it began to absorb the treacherous waters. No one helped me reach the surface, so I drained the seas to breathe the fresh air and watch the blue sky.

I woke up.

I opened my eyes and blinked several times until my blurred surroundings took shape. I was sitting on the ground. The air was slightly foggy. My back was resting against a tree, and my hands were tied behind me. Am I still Faust's prisoner? The possibility remained, but it was slim. Faust wouldn't gain anything by keeping my body. It was in his best interests to dispose of it. After all, destroying it would sentence me to an eternity in the Maida.

But who tied me up like this if it's not him?

I looked around me and found a girl standing a few steps away. I saw her small shoes, then her simple dress, and finally her red hair. It was Marie. Although she gave me her back, I could tell that it was her. She held a wooden stick and seemed as vigilant as a town guard.

I got up slowly and called, "Marie..."

She turned around. A sad look appeared on her face for a moment before she turned cold. She bit her lower lip and tightened her grip on the stick and then attacked me without warning.

"What's wrong? Calm down!" I avoided the stick but almost lost my balance. "Marie, what are you doing? It's me!"

"Your cheap tricks won't deceive me, demon." She waved the stick again. "Go back to sleep!"

"No, no, it's me." I teetered away.

"Stop running! You took Lance away. I'll never forgive you!"

Suddenly, I found my back against a tree.

"Marie, we met on the road, remember? You were being chased by three peasants. I saved you and found out that you had lost your memory."

She hesitated a little.

"I know, I know!" I said frantically. "Do you remember Arthur's cat? You were so scared of it, and I said to myself, 'How's a cute girl like you afraid of cats?' "

Marie dropped the stick and stared at me.

"I thought it was weird. You know, cats are adorable, and many people like to have them as pets. Dogs are nice too. But I heard they bite if you don't train them well. Rick once..."

I continued my nervous ramble until I suddenly felt Marie's embrace. She hugged me so tightly that I almost suffocated. Did Archidox send me to heaven by mistake? The hug lasted for a full two minutes. On the count of 120, she let go of me and said, "We thought you were gone forever. A demon was controlling your body, so we had to keep you unconscious."

"I won't ask how many times I got smacked on the head."

"Demetrius said you'd never come back, but I didn't believe him. I knew he was wrong." She turned me around and untied my hands. The rope fell to the ground, and I was free.

" 'Now, I'll steal your body too!' " I raised my arms like an attacking bear. "So said the demon inside me."

"Yeah, it's really you, Lance," Marie smiled.

"You should tremble in fear!"

"No, not at all," she smiled again, but her eyes were tearful. "I'm glad you're back. It gives me hope that father and mother..."