From The Other Side

Chapter Eighteen

In the seconds after I emerged from my trance, things escalated at an extreme pace. It was almost as time itself had slowed around me, to make room in its agenda for my escapades. After all, having one's fate in your hands is one of the world's hardest tasks. Especially when one was an entire kingdom full of mindless servants who had no clue they lived under anarchy. That was especially difficult. 

All I can remember was the feeling of cold rock and wood underneath my feet, adrenaline pumping, a horrible headache in between my eyes and up my forehead, like someone was trying to break my skull open, and a sudden urge to communicate with Rae.

I can feel the black spots closing in on me now, muscles aching, enraged with pain. Why did the grove have to be so damned large?

Rae hears my panting now, they can tell something happened. I can hardly see their face anymore. It's blurred.

I'm blind now. All I can feel is the air around me, which is dense and cool. It feels like I'm floating. I know I'm not.

If this is what death feels like, I'll be damned...

The light in the dark returns. First, it's a small speck, but it gives me hope. Slowly and gradually, it grows to the size of a dime. 

I have more hope now. 

I can hear a congregation of voices calling to me. I can hear someone sobbing. I'm either dead, or close to it.

The light is bigger now. The size of yoga ball. It's growing and growing, expanding more and more. 

Then I shoot up, covered head to toe in flop sweat, looking up at the ceiling in the infirmary.

"Kiddo?"

It's Rae. Their eyes are red rimmed a bit, face is wet. 

"What happened?" I ask, adjusting to the light of the room.

"I don't know, but my only guess is a vision of some kind..."

Rae trails into their thoughts.

"I saw someone..." I'm shaking. Just remembering the scene scares me, since the adrenaline wore off.

I've gotten Rae's attention. They're staring me down now.

"Rae, you're not gonna like this." Every bit of me is shaking, including my voice. "I saw the courtroom, Rae. That courtroom."

Rae sighs at me, clutching my hand in hers.

"Oh gods..." I can tell Rae isn't exactly the best right now, considering I just brought up the court they nearly were sentenced to death in. Exile may be better than death, but leaving home because of someone else's choices is a fate nobody should ever have to go through, especially via vote of a biased jury.

Rae wipes away what looks to be the tears from their eyes. "Don't worry, kiddo. I'll be fine.

"You don't look fine, Rae. The story gets worse, you know..." 

The poor thing is radiating sadness, anger, and general melancholy.

"I saw Ashley's head, Rae. I saw a blonde woman. I saw more and more heads. Completely off the bodies, guillotine style."

Rae can't wipe their tears any longer. The whites of their eyes are tinted red by blood vessels, cheeks stained pink from the rubbing.

"I've got you, Rae"

By now, the fierce warrior in front of me is crying in their lap.

"The last person you saw... it was my mother, wasn't it?"