Rise Of The Nephilim
Chapter 23

Soft lights illuminated the infirmary.

Maxine lay asleep on a bed much like the one she had in her room. She struggled to see Mathias materializing out of the blinding light.

Again, he came to her in a dream.

“Mathias.” Maxine smiled as he neared her bed.

He took her hand gently into his and smiled, asking, “What were you thinking? You could have been killed.”

“I had to try to save Zeda. She didn’t deserve to die like that.”

“But she’s not dead.”

“What? But . . .”

“She’s on the bed right next to you, breathing, healing.”

Maxine turned her head to verify what Mathias had said. However, the only thing she could see was a field of wildflowers in a large meadow.

“Where the hell am I?”

“So brash,” Mathias said with a slight grin. “You are here with me. I’ve come to see that you are well. After all, that was a stupid thing you did, though I do approve of your selfless act.”

“You approve, yet you disapprove?”

Mathias traced his thumb over the back of her hand gently. “Oh, Max,” he said, hauling in a deep breath and releasing it slowly. “What am I to do with you?”

“Why do you keep calling me Max?” she asked.

“That’s your name, isn’t it? Maxine Lauren?”

“That’s what you keep telling me.”

Mathias ran his hand over her face slowly without touching it. “See who you really are,” he said.

At first, she felt a strange energy wash over her, a warmth as if the sun was beating down on her. Then she saw nothing but an undulating blur of undefined shapes in shades of white and gray. She heard laughter echoing in the distance as faces began to emerge.

She recognized herself—her former self before her transformation sat around a small table eating and laughing happily with Maybie and Shane.

Varying emotions engulfed her as she watched and listened to Shane’s mouth smacking while he shoved mashed potatoes into his mouth, leaving white mush smeared on his lips. She called him mash mouth.

Accepting his sister’s teasing, he went for a bigger portion of mashed potatoes, opening wider than before. Maybie grabbed his hand, forcing him to release the fork. Maxine jeered him even further in an outburst of laughter before she made pig-snarling sounds.

“Maxine Lauren!” Maybie yelled. “Stop teasing your brother!”

Sudden silence surrounded them. Maxine stuck her tongue out at Shane. Shane returned the insult, revealing the sheet of white on his tongue. Maxine twisted her mouth in disgust.

Maxine laughed; and her vision transitioned quickly to her being in her bedroom, sitting on her bed, her back against her headboard. She’d been crying―Maybie was sitting next to her at the edge, consoling her.

With a hand on Maxine’s leg, she said, “Don’t you ever doubt yourself, baby-girl. You are strong. Don’t you ever forget it.”

The visions disappeared. However, no memory of what had transpired surfaced. But one thing was clear; she had a family who’d loved her. And they’d called her Maxine.

Mathias ran his hand once more over her face. “Sleep now,” he said. And she fell into a deep sleep.