Between Two Worlds
The Return

I shoot straight up, gasping for breath, struggling to live. I cough, hack, and then throw up water. Once I empty my stomach of its contents, breathing becomes a little easier, and I am able to start processing my surroundings. It’s dark except for the light of a few lanterns and the moonlight. Someone is kneeling close to me, and a few others stand a little way off. What happened? How am I soaking wet? Where am I? My mind has trouble focusing on anything, it’s like a thick white fog has settled down in my brain. I don’t remember anything but the subtle embrace of darkness. Panic grabs a hold of me and squeezes me, making my breathing rapid and shallow. Who am I? How do I not even know who I am? My head starts spinning and then I hear a familiar voice. It first brings both fear and warmth at the same time.

“Breathe, Rayanna. You are okay. You are safe.” Says the voice from right beside me.

Rayanna. That sounds familiar, it sounds right. I think I am Rayanna. “Who are you?” I ask confused. I turn in the direction of the voice and see a man on his knees beside me, a look of concern on his face.

“Who am I? What do you mean who am I?”

“I mean who are you? I don’t know you. I don’t know where I am.”

“You don’t remember anything? Who you are? Where you are? What happened to you?”

“No. There seems to be a thick wall of fog swirling around in my brain.”

“I am, Altair, your fiancé. You are currently laying on the bank of Lake Paridon. You and your friend were here, searching for clues for the scavenger hunt. I’m not quite sure what happened, but somehow you ended up in the lake. You got tangled up in the Asqar Sicine and nearly drowned. Luckily, I happened to be nearby, heard the commotion, and jumped in to rescue you. Does any of this sound familiar?”

I think back, willing the fog in my mind to dissipate. But the only thing that I can pull out of the fog is a little girl. Her dark hair and eyes seem familiar, but I can’t quite grasp why. A strange need to protect this girl fills my mind, but no explanation as to who she is. “No. I’m sorry but it doesn’t.” I say.

“Come on.” The man called Altair says. “I’m going to carry you to the medical building and get you examined.” He scoops me up and carries me off into the night.

I suddenly feel so exhausted that I just lean my head against his chest, where I can hear the steady beating of his heart. I feel so relaxed that I close my eyes for a few minutes, and when I open them again, I replace myself laying in a bed in an all-white room. What happened? I swear it was just dark two minutes ago. Did I seriously fall asleep for that long? Sunlight pours into the room from a window to my right. The room feels familiar. I think this is my room. I climb out of bed and walk to the closed door. I open it and can hear hushed whispers coming from my living room. An onslaught of memories hits me, and I have to stop or pass out as a wave of dizziness comes with it. I remember living here, going to classes, sitting on the couch, and talking with Altair. Altair my fiancé. Yes, I remember him now. Such a good man. As the memories slow down and then stop, I can make out a little of what the voices are saying. I just stand in the hall and listen to the two men talking.

“...have to get married.” A male’s voice asks.

“Because she is what I have been waiting for. It’s been ten years, and the odds of it happening again are slim to none. Besides, I’m not getting any younger, and I want to see if the children will be able to do the same thing. Can you imagine how amazing that would be? We would be unstoppable!” Altair says.

“And what if she won’t agree?” the other male asks.

“She doesn’t have much of a choice. She is already dependent on me, and once we marry, well let’s just say I plan on making her fully dependent on me.” Altair says.

Me? Is he talking about me? What does he mean by fully dependent on him?

“What do you mean by that?” the voice asks, almost as if he were reading my mind.

“I mean, if she were to fall pregnant right away, she would be cut off from anyone else’s opinions. She would have to stay in for the safety of the baby, and once cut off from everyone, bending her to my will, won’t be difficult.”

Bending me to HIS will? He’s using me? For what? Some kind of mindless follower? Someone, to bear him children? What an idiot I have been! I take a step closer, wanting to get a good look at whom Altair is talking to. The floor lets out a groan as soon as I step down. My heart starts hammering in my chest, and I quickly but quietly turn around, creep back to my room, shut the door, and dive into the bed, pulling the blankets up over my head. I hear my door creak open, and I close my eyes and take deep breaths as if I were asleep. If only my heart would quit pounding! After a few moments of silence, I hear my door shut back. My heart starts to slow back down and thoughts of how to escape Altair fill my mind. This seems familiar. Didn’t I try to get away from him before? Why do I feel as if that ended poorly? I try to penetrate the fog surrounding my mind as I drift back off to sleep.