Dreamscape: Saving Alex (9 page)

The last, lingering
moments of sleep were my favorites.

When I was trapped
in that ethereal place between wakefulness and sleep, my biggest dreams of
adventure came true. For a few blissful moments, I thought that Dreamscape was nothing
more than a dream. Befriending armed jugglers, narrowly escaping murderous
thugs, and finding glittery money boxes made sense. Dreaming of a video game
was normal.

Being stuck in it
wasn’t.

I made a new wish
in the last tendrils of sleep. Not for another adventure, but to be home, in my
own bed. I could almost imagine being there, if I ignored the sharp rocks
digging into my ribs, the quick breeze that froze my damp clothes, and the pain
pulsing through my body.

Nope, I couldn’t
even pretend that I was home.

I flipped onto my side and swore as the gravel
found new spaces between my ribs to poke. Sleep didn’t offer me a reprieve from
pain. The longer I rested, the more my body protested. Sharp spasms ran through
me at the slightest of movements. Breathing hurt, pushing myself up onto my
elbows burned, and when I sat up and hunched over, every muscle screamed at me.

I leaned forward
and brushed a few small rocks off my cheek. Small puckers covered my face where
the gravel had dimpled my skin. I hung my head in my hands. I wasn’t ready to
deal with another day here.

Even with my eyes
closed, the theme song nagged me. That infuriating tune bore its way into my
head until even my inner thoughts sung on cue. I despised it. I pulled the
cloak up over my head, but it was no use. The melody infiltrated everything,
from the water lapping up on the shore to the birds’ song. It didn’t matter
where I looked, I saw and heard the programming of the game.

It felt like
a subliminal message, like my mom’s snide remarks; always giving me a gentle
reminder about who was in charge. I discounted the messages at home, or at
least I tried to, but could I afford to ignore them here? It seemed pretty
clear this place had a plan, even if I didn’t know it.

Wait!
I was the Golden Hero.

I picked up a larger chunk of gravel, tossed it
into the river, and watched miniature waves appear, altering the rhythm and
sound of the water rolling up onto the shore. I picked up a handful of pebbles
and tossed them all in, forgetting about the pain, and smiled as the underlying
rhythm faltered.

My eyes widened with a new idea. I could make my
own choices here! If I tried hard enough, I could alter the underlying
programming and maybe return home. Trying certainly couldn’t hurt anything.

But where would I
go? Taking control meant actually knowing what I was doing. And I had no clue.

I plunked more
rocks into the river, along the shoreline. As the water settled back to normal,
the song recalibrated itself in the background. Maybe the key wasn’t in fighting
the inevitable, but in working with it. Fumbling through the levels hadn’t
gotten me anything but pain. Maybe if I crafted a plan, I might actually stand
a chance.

I took the leather
bag I had used as my pillow and dragged it across the ground in front of me,
smoothing out the pebbles. With my blank canvas in front of me, I took out the
jeweled dagger and dragged the blade through the rough ground. The rocks didn’t
move as smoothly as I would have liked, but this wasn’t an art project. It was
a strategy. Visual clarity helped me. I had to get all these little pieces of
information out of my head to really see the big picture. What I knew from
memory seemed small in comparison to the forest and marketplace I had already
gone through.

I scribbled triangles
around all four sides of the makeshift map to represent the woods. Dreamscape’s
great forests were filled with giants, colossal trees, cacti, and sand traps.
There was no telling what I would find in each section. Passing through the
dark forest had proved difficult enough. And the shortcuts I relied on back at
home…well, I didn’t even know if they existed here.

After the forests,
I drew a jagged line across the middle. A mountain range I only knew as the ice
world split Dreamscape in half. In the other direction, the river that swept me
away from the marketplace divided the terrain.

I sat back and
appraised the map. Dreamscape seemed so undeveloped in comparison to the maps I
knew from school. Exotic and diverse, but simple in construction. In the most basic
sense, it was forests transected by a mountain range and river, with a few
towns, castles, and manors thrown in.

I placed the dagger
tip on the edge of the western forest and drew a straight line east, mimicking
my route with Deakon and Pipes. I stabbed the knife in deep and leaned behind
me to grab a couple of larger rocks. I placed the biggest rock next to the
blade. That was Lindle, the capital. And from what Pipes had said, I knew
Berkos’ castle wasn’t much further north.

I wrapped my hands
around my knees and stared. Could it be that simple? Even though there wasn’t
much to the world, I knew my path would be so much more difficult than just
walking up to the castle. No one skipped straight to the end of the game, even
with shortcuts. I was missing some key points, I knew, but none came to mind.
I’d have to fill in the blanks as I went.

As I went…the
thought lingered in my mind. How long could I stay on the shore? I tucked the
box into my leather bag.

As if reading my
mind, a bright red bird swooped low, dragging its feet in a line across the
river’s surface as it approached. Then the rest of the flock arrived, lining
the river’s edge like an out-of-bounds warning. It was time to go.

I grabbed the bag
and threw it over my shoulder, flinching as the edge of the wooden box slammed
into my back. Since sleep hadn’t healed me the way I expected, I needed
something more, like a healing potion.

If only I knew how
to get one. The game simplified everything—collect coins, get food, collect
more coins, buy a potion, get healed. Survival was secondary to the
adventure
.

I doubted that a
medicine hut or the red liquid of a healing potion
would
materialize out of thin air. The possibility of
making one flashed through my mind, but I quickly dismissed it after glancing
back at the dragon weeds on the shore. Red petals and berries spotted the
forest bushes, but I wasn’t sure which to use. There were too many
variables
to consider. The red liquid I needed could be made
from anything.

There was only one thing to do. Keep moving and keep
my eyes open. I had no doubts that something would happen soon. Something
always happened.

I hobbled over to the trees that lined the
entrance to the forest and
stumbled forward from
tree to tree until I found one with a low-hanging branch. A rattling sensation
grew in my chest as I sawed through the thick wood, fashioning a walking stick.

With the new
support, I moved
a bit
more quickly and
entered the forest, careful to keep my breaths shallow and even. I couldn’t be
distracted today. Not when I had no idea where the river had deposited me. I
could be anywhere, and worse, I had no clue what hid in these woods. I glanced
around at the towering trees, waiting for the overwhelming dread from yesterday
to return. It didn’t. These trees seemed arbitrary. Nothing stood out to
pinpoint me at a location or specific level.

Light flickered
down
through the forest canopy, teasing me with warmth. I
stretched out my arms, hoping it might dry the last bit of dampness from my
clothes. A steady stream of leaves fluttered from above as animals skittered
through the branches. The tree bark broke into thick vertical fissures, covered
by varying shades of green moss. Vines spiraled from the top of the canopy
where yellow birds sang.

Hardly any branches
swooped to the ground, meaning I wouldn’t be able to climb here. Not that I
could have climbed anyway.

I wandered for what
seemed like hours. Except for the noise I made tripping over the occasional
puff bird or horned rabbit, everything seemed quiet.

And then a slow
rumble, like a distant storm, sounded ahead. It grew until the raging thunder
turned to wild thrashing. Along the path ahead of me, something crushed the
bushes and sent the puff birds scrambling. A flock of bright birds squawked
above me as they took to the air. Twirling feathers fell with the leaves, and
the vines swayed ominously behind them.

“What now?”

I
threw myself
down
behind the closest bush. The branches stuck in my
hair, but I hardly noticed. The thundering mass rolling towards me had my attention.
What was this new challenge?
My mind spun with Dreamscape’s dangers:
magical creatures, dragon weeds, puff birds, monsters,
thieves, armored knights, and giants. And those were just the ones I knew
about.

The noise rose in crescendo as underbrush and
vines fell onto the trail, trampled by the incoming threat. The moment the
beast broke into view, I knew my hiding spot would not protect me.

Giants.

Why did it have to be giants?

I didn’t have time to wonder. Hiding wouldn’t save
me from two steamrolling giants. Even if they didn’t roll over me, they’d track
me down with their heightened sense of smell. I’d have to fight. My heart
hammered in my chest, and the dagger slipped in my grip.

I cursed and jumped
out from behind the bushes.
A lone man running in front of the oncoming
giants sped past me, sliding to a stop as soon as he caught sight of me.

“It’s you!” he
cried, doubling back and grabbing my arms.
“I
found you!” His voice softened, and he disarmed me with his smile. He hunched
over to catch his breath, then glanced back up at me. “You have no idea how
relieved I am to see you. Hide your hair and get behind me.” He turned back to
the giants. His intense eyes, half-hidden beneath his dark hair, distracted me
as they darted between the path and me.

It took a moment to
comprehend what he’d said.

“What?” I asked, my
hands flying to my hair in confusion. What a strange request.

“Hide your hair,
Goldy, and move away,” he said before turning back towards the rumbling forest,
brandishing his sword. “Things are
about
to get dangerous.”

“Hide my hair?” He
was concerned with my hair when his stuck out in
all
directions? I ran my fingers through my tangles and
threw one of the broken branches at his feet. My lips curled up in defiance,
and he stared at me in disbelief. Then his mouth dropped as I limped forward
next to him, gripping the dagger.

“Yes, your hair.”
He raised his eyebrows. “Don’t tell me you’re
really
going to fight.”

“Don’t
underestimate me. I can take care of myself,” I retorted, ignoring him to focus
on the giants tromping closer at a deceptively slow pace. The ground shook with
every movement. I looked over at his smug grin and tightened my grip on the
dagger. It was too late to back out now.

“Goldy,” he
whispered. “I don’t think you know what you’ve gotten yourself into.”

“I could say the
same for you,” I said, refusing to take my eyes off the giant, although he may
have had a point.

“Suit yourself.” He chuckled. “Have you ever
fought a giant before?”

“What?” I asked, barely able to hear him over my
heartbeat. “No, I’ve never fought a giant.” I wanted to add that we didn’t have
unicorns or dragons either in the real world, but I bit my tongue. While we
didn’t have mythological creatures, arrogant teenage boys seemed universal.

He gave a slow whistle. “This will be fun then.
Watch me if you can. Their weak spot is on the side of their head: aim right
above the ears. And be careful when they turn around. They move quicker than
you’d think, and one strike from their fist will knock you out cold
. Trust me, I know.” He rubbed his cheek.

I swallowed hard
and nodded.

“And if you get too
tired or it looks like he’s going to win, just play dead. I’ll come by to save
you.” He laughed as if he’d told a joke.

I couldn’t tell if
he was laughing at me, the situation, or just staving off his own anxiety. “Oh,
I won’t need saving,” I said. “But remember your own advice, you might need
it.”

“Oh, Goldy, this
is
going to be fun.”

I tightened my jaw.
“Stop calling me that.”

“What?” he asked
with an arched brow.

“Goldy. It’s not my
name.”

“Sorry, my lady. I
didn’t mean anything by it. Just seemed fitting.”

“Why, because of my
hair?” I snapped, refusing to be swayed by his softened tone. He lowered his
sword.

“No, my lady,” he
said in a grave tone. “Because you’re a treasure.”

What? My annoyance
melted. Was he serious? I couldn’t focus on it. There were giants coming at us.
Giants! I turned away from him and pointed my dagger towards the trail.

“They’re almost
here,” I said.

“This is your last chance to leave. Seriously, just
move to the side. I’ll take care of them.”

“No way.” No one was going to tell me what to do
anymore, especially when I was supposed to be the hero. “Just stand back and
watch me. You might learn something,” I said, twisting my left arm around one
of the long vines at my side. After double-checking that it would hold, I ran
and jumped, kicking off the tree. I arched through the air, racing towards one
of the giants.

I had never been in a fight before. I’d fantasized
about it, of course, but had never followed through. I channeled that energy
into art or climbing. As I swung through the air, none of that inexperience
bothered me. Pride had a way of silencing everything else, especially sound
judgment.

My feet connected with the side of the giant’s
head, knocking him to the ground. Just like in the game, a quick kick to the
head, and he was done. My moment of relief was short-lived. By the time I
landed and unwound the vine from my arm, the giant had regained his balance.
And he was mad.

Now what? I thought about running away, but
couldn’t. Even though I couldn’t see him, I knew the mysterious man was
watching.

I ran to one side and then lunged to the other,
ducking under a fallen log. The giant followed. His thick steps slowed in the
brush, but when he cleared it, leaving a trampled mess behind him, he grinned
at me. Pointed teeth gleamed under his wide mouth as he licked his lips. A
shudder ran through me.

I looked back and saw the man leaning against a
tree, a wry expression on his face. No. I wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of
watching me fail. I ran back towards the giant, dove beneath his legs, barely
avoiding his swinging fist, and darted around him once more. My chest burned. I
couldn’t keep this up much longer.

Nothing I knew from the game seemed applicable.
All I had to do there was jump on top of their heads. I had already done that,
and it didn’t work.

I ducked, skimming past his fist a second time.
The whoosh of air sent my heart racing. I ducked again, and sidestepped to the
left. He swung, but I dodged it again. When he stepped towards me, I moved
back. Then the familiar routine struck me. A smile grew on my face, and I
winked at the giant. Perhaps I could win after all.

The rest of the ridiculous moves from the
Dreamscape dance sequence flooded my mind.

“Hey Giant!” I called. “It’s time to dance.”

My feet moved to the rhythm. Confused, the giant
struggled to grab me, and after a moment, he fell, tripping over his own feet.
I jumped on top of his back, straddling his neck with my legs.

“It looks like you missed a step,” I said,
squeezing my thighs until his face turned red.

He sputtered and stirred, coughing up chunks of
blood, giving me a split second to decide. How far was I willing to go? I
squeezed my legs tighter until his head fell to the side and a drop of blood
slid down his cheek.

My legs trembled when I tumbled off him. I took a
closer look at his features, noticing a surprising softness to his bumpy face.
His pointy teeth didn’t look as menacing with his tongue slipping out the side
of his mouth. I felt his shallow breath and the quick pulses of his heart. The
longer I looked, the less convinced I became. Which one of us was the monster?

I wiped dirt over my leggings, trying to cover the
blood, but it seeped deeper. I felt sick. How much of myself was I giving up
here? First killing the bird, and now this. It seemed I couldn’t survive
without sacrificing my integrity.

I looked away. Maybe if I ignored it, I could
pretend it didn’t happen. Doubtful...I knew the guilt would stick with me. It usually
did. A quick yelp broke through my thoughts. When I looked up, the mysterious
man ran into view, battling it out with the other giant.

He ran up the trunk of a leaning tree and flipped
through the air, striking the giant on his back before landing in a crouched
position. His sword followed the giant’s awkward attempts to spin around. When
they faced each other, the man dove beneath the giant’s gangly arms. Dark
stains covered his knees as he rose on the opposite side. His tan pants hugged
his muscular legs, hinting at impressive strength.

I couldn’t look away. Unfortunately, he noticed me
watching him before re-engaging the giant. My heart skipped a beat when he
grinned in that annoyingly hypnotic way.
Stop staring
! I commanded
myself, but my eyes wouldn’t obey.

He glistened with exertion, and each swing of his
sword accentuated the muscles rippling along his arms. Vibrant feathers hung
from buckles on his vest. They fluttered against him, revealing an arsenal of
weapons tied to his chest and strapped to his side.

With that many weapons, why was he taking his
time? As he spun around the giant and ducked beneath his flailing arms, poking
into his side again, I realized he wasn’t fighting. He was playing. What had
taken all my strength was mere child’s play for him. When he had enough, he
silenced the giant’s outcries with a swift kick to the back of his knee,
knocking out his legs. The giant fell with a mighty crash, taking out a few
saplings with him. The mystery man knocked his sword hilt across the giant’s
head, then turned and smiled at me.

I noticed every detail about him.

He swaggered with a measured and deliberate pace,
re-sheathing his sword at his side. At ease in the forest, he leapt the fallen
logs without hesitation. His unruly hair fell in short waves across his
forehead. The intensity of his dark eyes still hit me, but behind the initial
curiosity, something else stirred. Respect, maybe?

That look left me weak; thankfully, I was already
sitting down. I didn’t trust my legs anymore. I was powerless over them and the
silly smile that stretched my face.

He dropped to a knee in front of me and took my
hand in his. My fingers trembled as he moved them closer to his lips. A faint
twinge of spice swirled around me.

“Ah…there’s nothing quite like slapping around a
giant child to get your blood moving. Nice moves, by the way.” He winked, then
kissed the top of my hand.
“I’m sorry for the
rough introduction. I didn’t mean to startle you.”

I stared at him as the top of my hand warmed with
his gentle touch. “You didn’t startle me,” I whispered in a weak, stilted
voice. “What do you mean, giant child? Those weren’t full grown?”

“No,” he laughed, lowering my hand. “I thought you
knew that. Isn’t that why you didn’t kill him?”

I didn’t kill him?

He cocked his head to the side before continuing.
“They escape from the north all the time, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen them
this far west. Something must be happening up there.” He paused in thought.

I didn’t press him. Truth was, I didn’t know what
to say, and even if I did, the words seemed to twist together on my tongue.
Silence was fine with me.

He shrugged, handing me back my dagger, which I’d
dropped by the giant’s side. “You know, that was pretty impressive back there,”
he said. “I’ve never seen anyone use the vines that way.”

“Thanks.” I grinned. It was pretty impressive,
considering I had never done something like that before. Pushing some buttons
on a controller and actually swinging through the air were quite different. I
looked back at him, and another whiff of spice hit me.

I was in trouble, there was no denying it—he
smelled like cinnamon.

“This isn’t going like I planned,” he said with a
rueful smile. “I had envisioned our first meeting differently. I hope you can
see that I mean you no harm. It was blind luck finding you here, but I’m glad I
did.” He rubbed his forehead and then held out his hand. “My name’s Arrow.”

“Arrow, like the weapon?” My momentary weakness
disappeared. With a name like that, I couldn’t pretend he was anything more
than a character in the game.

“Yes.” He winked at me with a little grin. “I hit
all my targets.”

My heart jumped and the weakness returned to my
knees. Was he flirting with me? I didn’t know how to deal with that. The photo
of Brian and me came to mind as I cleared my throat. No matter what, I refused
to be that pathetic, fawning girl again.

“I’m Alexis, or Alex, whichever,” I said, trying
to appear calm as I reached forward to shake his hand.

“What are you doing this far west?” he asked,
brushing his hair out of his eyes once more. It didn’t hold and flopped back
down onto his forehead.

“I, uh, must’ve taken a wrong turn somewhere. I
left the market in a hurry, and now I don’t really know where I am,” I said,
feeling warmth rise to my face.

His smile returned. “I’m glad I came along then. I
can’t allow a beautiful lady to wander these woods alone. Dangers lurk
everywhere.”

“Yeah,” I laughed. “I figured that out the hard
way.”

“Lucky for you, I’m an expert in these woods, and
I know exactly where I’m going to take you.”

Warning bells sounded in my mind. Cute or not, I
was not going off with a guy I had just met. I hadn’t lost my senses.