Tower of the Watchful Eye

Chapter 33

The walls were brightly decorated with smiling animals watching over me. The animals made me feel safe. Safe was good. Safe meant I didn't have to go outside.

Short bookcases lined the wall so they didn't block the animals from watching over me. All the books I could ever want filled the bookcases.

I could spend forever here.

The door opened up and a pretty brown-haired lady walked into the room. She looked like she was in a hurry but seemed happy when she saw me.

"Here you are," she said. "I've searched your entire mind looking for you."

"Of course I'm here," I replied. "This is the safest place for me."

"No, it's not," she said, walking over to me. "You have to wake up. Morning is coming quickly and the Evenawks will be killed."

I looked at her confused. She wasn't making any sense. Perhaps she was talking about a book.

"What book is that? I would like to read it," I said.

"Yeah, we don't have time for this," she said.

My face started hurting after she hit it with her hand. I stumbled back and landed on my butt causing more hurt.

"Why did the pretty lady hurt me?" I asked as tears welled up in my eyes.

"Huh, usually that would've worked," she said. "The Binds really have a hold on your mind."

She still wasn't making sense but I didn't want to ask her what she meant. She would hit me again and I didn't want to be hit. I climbed to my feet and started to back away.

"I think... you should go," I said softly.

She walked over to me quickly and grabbed me. "This is serious. You need to wake up."

She started shaking me and everything went all blurry as my head started pounding.

"Stop that," I said as she stopped. "You're hurting me."

She looked at me as if she was sad. "I know, honey. I don't want to but you need to leave this place. You have to wake up."

"It's not safe out there," I said.

"It's safer than in here," she said.

"How so?" I asked.

"Because I'm in here and I'm going to keep hurting you until you wake up," she said as she shook me.

"Stop!" I exclaimed.

"Wake up!" she responded.

My face hurt again as she hit it.

***

I jolted awake and grabbed my face. It didn't hurt but the strange glowing gloves made me confused. The room too was different. Not safe and happy like before. Dark and different. Different wasn't good.

OK, here's what you need to do, my brain said.

"Where did the pretty lady go?" I asked.

Focus Andy! my brain exclaimed.

"Who's Andy?" I asked.

You are, it answered.

"Oh," I said softly.

Now focus, I want you to look at the shiny gloves, it continued.

I looked at the gloves. They were so strange with glowing lights. It was like they were a part of my skin but a different colour.