The Dreaming: Dark Star (Book 5)

Imorah -- Old Shalon & Blue Jay

         

Imorah waited for Liran to come back, and tried to fall asleep, but it was impossible—the sounds, the smells, all the strangers she could hear around her. She felt unsafe. She felt—alone. She felt like someone was outside waiting to pounce on her.

She clutched her bag with the book and crystal, her only belongings, to her body, terrified someone would try to steal them. That someone would come into the tent any second and... take advantage of her.

She prayed to the Guardian, whispering softly, "Please protect me, oh Great Guardian." Over and over. But it had lost it's power. The Guardian—what was she? An alien, an oppressor, like the desert people believed, or a the Great Protector, as she'd always been taught?

She felt so powerless and lost. She hated the fact that she was a woman in this culture of men. She had to be able to do something. "What can I do, Great Guardian. Protect me, guide me—please help me!" 

And suddenly, in the darkness, she heard a voice. "Find your grandmother." Was it her imagination? Was it the Guardian speaking to her? She used to have conversations with the Guardian when she was younger, but hadn't heard the Guardian's voice in so long. She thought she must be going crazy.

Despite this, she engaged: I'm trying to find her! What do you think I've been doing all this time, why I'm here. She spoke silently, in thoughtspeech.

The voice again, Find your grandmother.

It didn't make sense. And then suddenly it did. In the dreamrealm!

"I have to find her in the dreamrealm!" Imorah said out loud. Right—in the dream realm Imorah wasn't powerless—people were afraid of her in the dream realm. She could do whatever she wanted.

She closed her eyes and decided right then and there that she would find her grandmother tonight.

She fell asleep and had this dream:

* * *

I'm in the library, in the Shelter, reading a book. It's a book about the surface—my favourite book, A Children's Atlas of the World. I'm flipping through, looking at all the whales. The narwhale, and the Right whale. So many beautiful animals that I'll never get to see.

Suddenly a shadow falls across the page. I look up and see, or I think I see, my Grandmother, the Elder Liorah. But I'm not sure. Her face is... strange. It's like her face is gone. But her clothes are the same. And she's wearing the chunky orange bracelet that she's not supposed to wear because it arrogant and not supportive of The Family. It's her, but it's not her.

"Grandma!" I yell, and drop the book out of my lap onto the ground while standing up. I rush over to her, but she disappears behind a corner.

"Grandma?" I yell again, racing around the corner. I bump into someone.

It's Sister Nareve—she says, "Shhhh..." and puts her finger to her mouth. "You can't run and yell in the library, Imorah."

"My grandma—I saw her, where is she?"

Sister Nareve doesn't respond. She looks sad.

"What!? Where is she? I just saw her!" I run past Sister Nareve and chase after my Grandmother. I turn a corner in the stacks, and see a movement of red cloth, my Grandmother's colour—the colour of the Elders.

"Grandma," I yell.

But the woman doesn't stop and I can't seem to catch up to her, even though she's walking slowly, calmly. I can see only flashes of her through the stacks.