Lucid (18 page)

“Looks like they figured out we're also going downstream
,
” Mitch commented.

“Duh,” Kyle said, rolling his eyes. I studied my brother's face. He wore the same expression he had when solving a basic math problem, like he was making a tough decision.

“Why the sudden change of heart?” I asked. Kyle looked at the fire again.

“I just can't imagine someone like Viv being captured,” h
e said, refusing to look at either of us. “So we should rescue her.” He stood up. “And Sophia, too, if we can. The old man did a lot for us.”

“Thanks, Kyle.” Mitch looked at my brother gratefully. Kyle looked as if he wanted to smile. Instead he smirked
.

“Hmph, you ain't the only hero on this ship
,
” h
e said, climbing to where the dummy was steering. “But I guess we'll find out who's the bigger hero in an hour or so when we catch up to the Nightmares. They're moving fast.”

****

During our Nightmare chase I managed to fall asleep. I'm not sure how I did it, so don't ask me. My muscles were sore from running, hiding, and climbing, and my little swim in the river left me feeling like a bedraggled, drowned kitten. Kyle's fire warmed me up nicely, and it wasn't long until I was dozing off
.

I know what you're probably thinking
; what happens when you fall asleep in a dream world? No, it doesn't transport you into another layer of dreams, like the movies insist. If your consciousness slips from one world, you simply wander off to the only other remaining world
.

In short, I ended up going back to my neighborhood.

I didn't go to my room like I'd wanted though. Instead, I found myself hovering around in Tiff's room. This wasn't like my lucid dream experiences; in fact, this was more like a normal dream. I could see what was happening around me, but I had no control over my own body. After trying to slip into lucid mode for a couple of minutes, I gave up and resorted to looking at my surroundings.

Tiff's room was empty for the time being, but her computers were buzzing with light. It seemed her laptop was fixed; there wasn't a lion on the screen anymore. I hoped Leona was incapacitated for the time being, or she at least had enough sense to leave Tiff alone. The screen, instead, flashed with stories about what people did in order to become lucid in dreams
.

No, Tiff, I thought helplessly. I didn't want her to enter the dream world again. Things were getting too out of control; the problem was much bigger than we thought. As it was, I didn't want to stay in the dream world anymore. I scanned Tiff's room for any sign of a ball of light. Naturally, there wasn't any. Why would there be? This was the waking world; it was already full of light
.

I turned my attention to the door as Tiff swung it open
.

“…what I've found, okay
?” s
he was saying as she entered the room. Moments later, another person entered. Andy frowned at the mismatched color scheme before sitting down in the black leather chair next to Tiff. I had told Tiff about Andy's conversations with me about the dream world, but I still didn't know why she'd bring him into the mix. The two were never really friends. Sure, we all went to the same middle school for a bit, but Andy's two grades younger than us. Tiff never went to summer camp, so she lost touch with a lot of our middle school friends
.

Plus, there wasn't much Andy could do; he couldn't lucid dream. Even if he got into the world, I was certain Leona or the Nightmares would capture him. He might even see his sister at the resort. I felt a pang of guilt as I remembered Melissa trapped behind the reception desk. I never had the chance to go back and save her, like I'd promised.

“And you're sure you dreamt about the place two nights ago?” Andy asked, watching as Tiff fired away on her laptop. Tiff hesitated for a moment, her fingers poised above the keyboard. Even from my little dream corner I saw the fear and concern on her face
.

“Yes,” Tiff finally said
. “I'm sure. It was horrible.”

They fell into thick silence for a few moments. I wish I could've spoken out to Tiff
and told her I was all right. Well, I hadn't been captured by Nightmares or Leona yet, anyway. Instead, I frustratingly waited for one of them to speak up.

“And you saw him?” Andy broke the silence first.

“Saw whom?” Tiff asked, opening up some more w
eb p
ages on lucid dreaming.

“Saw Devon
.
” Andy said my name tentatively, like he didn't want to upset Tiff. I found myself studying her face for a response. What had happened to me, Kyle, and Mitch? Were we all asleep in hospitals? I felt a little guilty as I wondered what my mom must've been going through
.

“Yeah,” Tiff said after clearing her throat. “I saw him. He was fighting Leo — the people who captured your sister and everyone else.” Tiff stopped herself from saying Leona. I wondered why. Perhaps she didn't want to pique Andy's curiosity any more. Tiff also didn't open up to many people, and I knew she didn't know Andy as well as she knew me, Kyle, or even Mitch
.

“Well, he can't be doing much, can he?” Andy asked a little sharply. Both Tiff and I frowned (though she couldn't see me.) “I mean, he and his brother disappeared after all.”

“That doesn't mean anything!” Tiff practically shouted, taking Andy by surprise. I forgot that Tiff could actually be loud when she wanted to. Her shouts were shrill, like it took a lot out of her to speak above a whisper
.

“It means they woke up and ran away from the problem.” Andy stared at Tiff defiantly. “You've seen the news haven't you? Reporters say the house showed no signs of a break
-
in, and their mom didn't hear anything during the night. They probably snuck out to escape
—
”

“From a place that doesn't exist for most people
?
” Tiff rolled her eyes. “Listen to what you're saying. Look, I've been there; it's not some place you can choose to visit. You don't know what it's like to be captured. You just sort of trudge along, half-asleep without free will. It's like being a prisoner within yourself, and there's nothing you can do about it! Devon and Kyle are special. They — they can do things in the dream world that others can't. I don't know how or why Devon and Kyle disappeared, but it has to be related. Devon's doing all he can, I'm sure
—
”

Tiff was interrupted by a knock on her door
.

“
Entrez
!” Tiff said irritably. Her dad poked his shaggy, auburn-haired head through the door. I thought he looked a little worn around the eyes, like something was bothering him
.

Maybe he was upset about my disappearance, I thought vaguely. He always said he liked me
.

“Andy's mom is here,” h
e announced
, sounding a little disappointed. “Sorry, kiddo, guess you won't be able to get that Moroccan food with us.” He descended the stairs, humming a tune under his breath.

“It's okay
.” Andy looked relieved if anything. He stood up. “Thanks, Tiff. See you around I guess?”

Tiff nodded from her cross-legged position on her chair. Her blue eyes followed him to the door. Before Andy left, she blurted out, “Mark my words, Devon will wake those people up!”

“He better,” Andy said, his hand still resting on the
doorknob. “He made a promise.”

My last vision was of Andy descending the stairs, Tiff looking worriedly after him
.

****

“Wake up, lazy!”

I opened my eyes to find Kyle violently shaking me awake. He looked a little scared, like I might slip away any moment. Mitch was behind him, rubbing his e
yes. Had he fallen asleep, too?

“What's wrong?” I asked, shaking my head a little.

“Oh, nothing, just making sure you weren't getting put into a dream coma
,
” m
y brother said with half irritation and half relief
.

“I'm all right,” I said. “But I saw some really strange stuff back home that I gotta tell you about
—
”

“Later.” Kyle cut me off, peering over the edge of his ship. “For now, let's worry about rescuing our friends. They're really close by, and all three of our ugly
Nightmares are guarding them.”

Rescue Attempt (Take 2)

I lost my balance as Kyle changed his pirate ship into a smaller vessel. After a few moments, we suddenly stood on a sleek, black speedboat. Kyle added his flare by making the interior lime green.

“Subtle
,
” Mitch commented, though he didn't look too surprised. I had a feeling Mitch's family had a few speedboats they used for fun.

“Not my fault I'm so fashionable
.
” Kyle smirked as he sat in the driver's seat. He took the boat at a slow pace, nestling it on the river bank between two trees. As he and Mitch tied the boat to the nearest tree, I tried peering through the forest. It was much darker now, which probably meant daylight was a few hours away. I couldn't see anyth
ing in the forest. For all I kne
w, it could have been empty or full of Nightmares waiting to ambush us
.

“You sure they're around here?” I asked Kyle, though not taking my eyes from the forest.

“Positive
,
” Kyle said overconfidently. “Keep your voice down! I think they may be sleeping
.
” He checked his GPS again. “They're definitely here though.”

“
Okay
, how are we going to get to them in this darkness?” Mitch asked, frowning at the trees. “I don't wanna accidentally stumble on Salik or the others.”

“Too bad your little ba
ll of light hasn't shown up yet,
” Kyle commented, looking at me. Great, I thought. Now it's my fault we weren't able to rescue Viv and Sophia. I didn't say anything in reply and instead watched my brother and Mitch think about ways to slip in unnoticed without being completely blind
.

“Maybe I could make my sword light up
,
” Mitch suggested. He took Reverie from the scabbard attached to his jeans and frowned in concentration for a few moments. Nothing happened. Kyle even snickered a little as Mitch hit the hilt of the sword like he was trying to jiggle some batteries inside a flashlight.

“Worth a shot.” Mitch shrugged, giving up after a few moments. “Guess we'll have to barrel on in
—
” I stopped paying attention as something on the ground caught my eye
.

“Or we could follow that trail
,
” I suggested, pointing to a patch in the grass below the trees. Maybe I just thought pink grass was really cool, but I found myself looking at the soft stuff every now and then. I thanked my strange obsession as I watched a few tips of the blades glow faintly. They seemed to create a path further into the forest, like small, dim LED lights
.

“Viv?” Kyle asked
, noticing the lights
.

“Or Sophia.” Mitch smiled. “Great! Let's go in!”

“Without a plan?” I asked hesitantly
.

“Haven't you learned by now, Devon?” Mitch looked at me and shook his head disapprovingly. “We're definitely improvisers.”

“Now
that's something I can agree with!” Kyle grinned.

****

Mitch and I silently climbed out of the speedboat and crept toward the little grass lights. We tried to avoid splashing around as we waded in calf-deep water to the muddy banks. Kyle thought it best to stay behind so we'd have a quick getaway, but I think he also stayed on his boat, because he didn't want to lose his powers again. I didn't blame him. As it was, I'd be pretty useless if we accidently woke up the Nightmares.
If they were asleep, that is
.

“I think they're up ahead,
” Mitch whispered as he stopped advancing. I peered ahead; the light coming from a small clearing was a little brighter than our path. The trees were so thick here that we'd never spot the Nightmares' camp from our speedboat
.

“Hopefully that's Baz's nightlight, and they're all asleep
,
” I whispered back, letting Mitch lead the way. Call it an act of cowardice, but he did have the sword.

Lucky for us, the Nightmares were asleep. Aille and Salik were lying on the ground, wrapped up in what looked like black leather sleeping bags. Baz was slumped against a tree, his club in his lap. He was probably supposed to keep watch. I sort of felt sorry for him as I imagined the look on Salik's face when he saw that the Dreamers escaped. That was if Mitch and I succeeded in our rescue attempt, of course
.

“Finally,” s
omeone whispered directly above me
.

I almost shouted in surprised, but I caught my voice in my throat. I made a half whisper, half choking sound as I looked up at Viv. The Nightmares had her tied to a tree, her arms bound to her sides and her legs tied tightly together. She looked more annoyed than scared
.

“I kept trying to slip out of the knots when I was on the ground,” Viv explained, looking at our confused faces. “So Aille got fed up and tied me to this tree. I don't think she likes me very much.”

“Wonder why.” Mitch smiled. Despite being deathly afraid that the Nightmares would wake up, I also found myself smiling. Viv was acting so nonchalant about the situation, it was almost comical
.

“We can ponder that later; just get me out of here!” Viv wiggled a little on the tree. “I almost got my left wrist free, if you could just cut it. My dagger is in my belt pouch.”

Mitch reached up and rifled through Viv's pouch. I smiled to myself as I imagined Kyle jealously watching this scene. In moments, Mitch found the dagger and handed it to me
.

“Do they have Sophia?” Mitch asked, as I started sawing the thick ropes that held Viv to the tree
.

“Yes
.
” Viv frowned for the first time. “He's unconscious. I think they gave him a sleeping tonic. I can revive him if you rescue him and fre
e me, though. We must be quick; dawn is approaching, and the Nightmares will soon wake to take us to their territory before the daylight becomes too bright.” Mitch nodded and snuck around the perimeter of the camp
.

Freeing Viv took more energy than I'd originally thought. I hacked away at the ropes for several minutes, but I only managed to free Viv's right arm. Thankfully, she slipped out of the rest once I'd freed her a little bit and landed lightly on the grass next to me.

“Thank you, Devon,” Viv said as she stretched her arms and legs
.

“No problem, sorry I couldn't work faster.” I shrugged.

“No, thank you for coming back to rescue me.” Viv turned her bright eyes on mine. “I acted foolishly in the forest earlier and ended up captured, when I was supposed to be your guide. Had I thought before I acted, you and the others would have been safe in Woodinville
.”

“You wanted to rescue Sophia
.
” I stated the obvious. “Of course you were angry.”

“Yes, but your safety is more important than anyone else right now.” Viv gave me a knowing look before darting away to help Mitch cut Sophia's body from his bondage
.

I stared at Viv as she dexterously loosened Sophia's knots. What good was I without my little ball of light? Even Kyle regained his power in the river and helped us out. All I was good for right now was cutting rope, and I didn't even do a very good job at that.

I put my low self-esteem on hold, however, as I helped Mitch lift Sophia and carried him to the other side of the clearing. The old man was a lot heavier than I'd originally thought. It was also tricky keeping his beard from tickling Salik's nose. We miraculously passed through the center of the clearing, when I almost had a heart attack.

Aille flung her eyes open and stared directly at me
.

What caused her to wake up? I had a feeling she hadn't been asleep while we freed Viv and Sophia. Why didn't she stop us before now? I thought these questions after my brain started working again. Aille
's eyes locked mine, and I found myself paralyzed with fear
.

The Nightmare first looked reproachful, but then she looked like she did back at the resort when Mitch and I were disguised as Nightmares. It was almost as if she pitied my situation. My friends also noticed; Mitch stopped in his tracks while still holding Sophia and Viv slowly drew one of her knives
.

“One minute, human
,
” Aille half muttered before closing her eyes again. She said it so softly and without moving her lips that I don't even know if she actually said anything
.

I shakily breathed a sigh of relief, and after a few wary moments, Mitch continued to help me carry Sophia safely from the clearing. We led the way back to the boat as Viv followed, keeping her knives drawn. I wondered if Aille was only dreaming. Could we have been that lucky? I figured it was best to not think of these things, so I focused on making it back to the boat
.

“Hey, Devon,” Mitch commented, breaking the silence when we were far enough away. “Did you see how Aille looked at you?”

“Yeah,” I admitted. “Like I was still that little lost Nightmare being bull
ied by Serpentine. Weird, huh?”

“Kinda. And
did she say something to you?”

“I don't know,” I admitted. “It sounded like she said, ‘One minute, human,' but that doesn't make any sense.”

“Sounds like she was giving us a head start. Think that's true?”

As if on cue, we heard Salik roar from the campsite
.

“Oh, I think it's very true
.
” Viv pulled us along
. “Hurry!”

.

Have you ever run from giant soldier-monsters while carrying a heavy old man? Chances are you haven't, and I don't recommend it as your daily exercise. If it weren't for Viv, Mitch and I would've been toast within a minute of our escape. Thankfully, our Dreamer friend was a quick-thinker and pushed us ahead as she darted to another, larger path through the thick trees.

“Go!”
s
he hissed, handing Mitch a wooden rod before he could protest. “Do not follow me! I'm just leading them down another path. I'll meet you at the river!”

“
J
us
t follow this path to Kyle's—”

“I know!” Viv cut Mitch off. “He is using the Lucid River. I can sense his powers because
—
” She stopped and ducked as an arrow sailed over her head. With one final look at us, she darted off toward the Nightmares. I heard a few shouts, Viv's shrill voice, and then the pounding of footsteps leading down the other path. It seemed like her distraction was working for now.

“Well, come on.” Mitch hoisted up Sophia's shoulders. “Might as well try ou
r best to get back.”

That was easier said than done. We tried walking as fast as we could, but we couldn't seem to step in time. I felt like I was in some bizarre variation of a three-legged race. Viv got rid of her light-up grass to keep the Nightmares away from us, but we quickly realized that her wooden rod acted like a primitive flashlight. The same magical LED lights were in the device, but they were very dim. Mitch held the flashlight between his teeth as he led the way out, so we didn't talk on our journey back to the river
.

If struggling with Sophia wasn't difficult enough, the fear that Viv would get caught again or that a Nightmare would pop up between the trees made the journey feel twice as long and a million times scarier. Every step we took sounded like a resounding crash as we squeezed through the small path. I occasionally heard muffled shouts and even the sound of a club hitting bark, but I couldn't tell how far away they were coming
.

Come on, Viv, I found myself thinking between steps.
You can't get caught again!

Thankfully, Mitch and I finally made it to the river bank. Kyle jumped with surprise as he saw us emerge from the trees. He put his video game down (were we gone for that long?) and hastened to help us load Sophia into the boat.

“What happened to him?” Kyle asked, sounding a little more worried than I thought he would
.

“We don't know
,
” I said as Mitch removed the flashlight from his mouth. “We only just made it. Aille woke up as we snuck out of their camp.”

“Close one.” Kyle grinned nervously. He looked back to the trees. “Was Viv with them?”

“Yeah, but she had to distract the Nightmares,” Mitch explained, frowning at the trees. “We're supposed to wait for her.”

“Which will be a very long time!” A deep voice called from the forest. Kyle shouted in surprise and Mitch drew Reverie as Salik emerged from behind the trees. I couldn't make out his features in the dark, but I saw the glint of his shark teeth as he smiled
, and his one red, glowing eye
.

“You tried
, humans
,
” Salik said in a softer voice, which didn't make him sound less scary. “But I'm afraid you weren't quick enough.” He stepped toward the boat but stopped just at the river's edge
.

“How do you know
?
” Kyle asked defiantly, his voice shaking a little. I sensed his movement as he untied the speedboat from the nearest tree
.

“Really, I don't have time to explain simple principles to you,” Salik said impatiently. “As it is, your friend scattered into the forest, completely terrified by our strength. You really should be worrying about her. And I'd stop untying your boat if I were you
,
” h
e added
, causing Kyle to freeze
. “I have orders to keep you alive, but there's nothing against mortally wounding you.”

“Same goes to you.” Mitch
grimaced
, raising Reverie a little higher. Salik eyed the sword warily for a moment before regaining his composure
.

“I think you're forgetting your place, human!” h
e snarled, drawing a curved knife from his belt. “You may be destined to wield that atrocious sword, but you do not know how to use it! You are powerless!”

“Not true, Salik!” a voice called from the treetops. I looked up as a light radiated from the top of the forest and felt a huge wave of relief. Not only was dawn approaching, but Viv also managed to escape the other Nightmares
.

“You!” Salik cried, looking up at Viv with pure hatred. The light from the weak sun descended onto Salik and highlighted the Nightmare's features (which wasn't a good thing, trust me.) It was clear he hated Viv more than he hated us. “Haven't you learned y
our lesson to keep away from us
?”

“I think it's the other way around.” Viv drew her knives. “Try as you might, you will never contain me!” She jumped from her spot in the trees, twisting to avoid Salik's swipe. With her own slash, she cut the remaining ropes that kept the speedboat in place and landed next to me. Before we could congratulate her, Salik threw his knife straight at Viv. The move was so sudden, that despite our shouts of warning, Viv didn't have time to dodge it. Her grey eyes glowed with fear as the blade aimed for her face.

“Not in
my river!” Kyle, the slowest of us all, jumped in front of Viv. For a split second, I thought the knife hit him, but my brother showed some more quick thinking as he created a shield, deflecting the blade. Salik roared in anger and drew his crossbow
.

“Time to go?” I asked Kyle
.

“Yep
.
” Kyle handed me the shield and jumped into the drivers' seat
.

Viv, Mitch, and I ducked under the shield as Salik shot arrows, and we braced ourselves as Kyle sped away
.

I kept the shield up for a few minutes to make sure we were out of the line of fire. After it was apparent the Nightmares couldn't keep up with us — or that they were no longer pursuing us — I lowered the shield. Mitch and Viv emerged first, stretching their cramped limbs
.

“Why did they stop chasing us downstream?” Kyle asked Viv
.