PART ONE.[]
Chapter I: Despair and Hope[]
The darkness surrounds me. My staff went out long ago, and now the only light is the dim glow of the mosses on the cave walls. I simply lie there, tears trickling slowly down my face, because what am I to do? If we could-- no. Not we. I. If I could-- no. It's too late. Too late. But what am I doing, lying here, not accomplishing anything? I need to get back.
Right. Let's get out of here. I reach up and feel around for a moment, then take hold of a ledge above me and pull myself up. I begin groping around in the dark (the mosses aren't much use at all) to find Failara. My fingers brush against its smooth, worn wood, and I grab it. Finding my staff is a good first step. Now I'll be able to see. "Haldri an piren," I say, and light floods the cavern. I can see Ludern. This nearly sends me back into apathetic despair, but I remind myself that 1.) that would be stupid, and 2.) that there's a certain risk in being an adventurer. He knew this. For a moment, I consider attempting to take him with me, but I know that not only would he be too heavy for me to carry, but that doing so would upset the dungeon's ecosystem. So I do the only thing left to me. "Goodbye, Ludern. I'm sorry. For everything." I turn away and take a step toward the tunnels. As I do, I hear a slight sound from behind. Hhh. I whip around, expecting a monster. Maybe a basilisk? No, that wouldn't make sense down here. But instead, I hear, "I forgive you. For everything."
I drop to my knees, Surely that wasn't-- "Ludern?" I cry, grabbing his shoulder, perhaps a bit rougher than I should. "Ludern, can you hear me?" A pause. This time, I am sure that I see him move a little. Taking a breath. "Yes," he says. Barely a whisper. But there. "I can." I spring up, remember what was missing when I almost left. My knapsack. And in it, my spellbook, healer's kit, and emergency potions. Exactly what I need. "I thought you were dead!" I say, and see a trace of his old, familiar smile appear on his face. "So did I." That snaps me out of my momentary distraction, and I look around frantically for my bag. There! Barely five spans away, it lies abandoned on the ground. I snatch it up and crouch next to him.
I dump out the knapsack's entire contents and root through them until I find the pouch of bandages. I hope I have enough. The wound is a bad one, and the dragon's tooth marks are clearly visible. Before I do anything else, I need to cleanse it. Scratch that, I need to be able to see it properly first. Ludern's shirt is soaked with blood around the tooth marks, and it's stuck to his skin. Water . . . I locate the canteen among the disgorgement of my pack and unscrew the wooden lid, then pour a stream of water over the wound. He grits his teeth but makes no sound. This either means that it didn't hurt terribly (good, since it shouldn't be too painful to simply pour water on it), or that he's too weak to make any comment (bad). Next, I ease the unstuck fabric carefully away from his skin and cut it so that he looks like he's wearing a bad crop-top. Okay. Surgeon-mage time. I grab a bottle of alcohol from my healer's kit, which I lay out, ready to use. I dip a piece of boiled linen in the alcohol and prepare to inflict necessary pain.
Chapter II: Healer[]
After that unpleasant business, I bandage the newly clean wound (there were enough bandages, thankfully) and, with the absolute essentials done, I look for a healing spell so that we can get out of this accursed cavern once and for all. I find one, but if I'm to make it work on this scale, it'll take a lot of energy. And lavender. That too. Well, it's my best bet, and besides, Ludern will need some rest even if I don't. I rummage through the healing kit and find the jar of lavender. I remove the lid and reread the spell.
Sanis elra fina mirin
Filia sanis garol nurit
Halwen tainu berik minu
Yaleh garu lakis mirin.
It's a complicated one, no doubt. Well, I'd best get going, then. It says to take two fistfuls of lavender (I said it was a lot, didn't I?) and dump them over the area to be healed, then say the incantation while trailing your fingers over it all. While I do all this, Ludern has been watching me, which I must admit unnerves me a bit. I'm not sure how bad this will be, so I'm planning to knock him out for the duration, because in his present state, performing a major spell on him is risky, but I'm not sure how he'll take my intention. He might just flat-out refuse, which would mean that I'd have to do it without his consent, which would just be bad. I should tell him. So I do. And . . . he doesn't want me to. Predictable. "I need to! This spell could be dangerous," I say, not sure he'll believe me. But to my surprise, he finally does. "I could use . . . some rest," he manages. I sigh in relief. "Okay, here," I say, extracting yet another vial from the former contents of my knapsack. "Hang on, let me open this." I succeed, and say the words that will really jump-start Operation Surgeon-Mage. "Drink it."
Ludern drinks the potion, and it takes effect almost instantaneously. His eyes close, and when he looks properly asleep, I begin to unwind the bandages, careful not to jostle him too much. Then, I dump the requisite amount of lavender flowers over the punctures and surrounding bruising. This is when it occurs to me that if the dragon bit him, there's probably another set of tooth marks on his back. Darn your foolhardiness, Ludern. Well, I can take care of that later. One step at a time, Dariina. The spell. Yes. I take a deep breath, preparing my hand for its upcoming cameo as a jellyfish, and begin reading the spell. "Sanis elra fina mirin, filia sanis garol nurit." My fingers shimmer with the aquamarine that signals my magic usage. It seems to be working, but I can already feel the magic draining me. " Halwen tainu berik minu, yaleh garu lakis mirin." I have to repeat it all five times.
Jellyfish fingers . . . "Sanis elra fina mirin, filia sanis garol nurit. Halwen tainu berik minu, yaleh garu lakis mirin. Sanis elra fina mirin-- filia sanis garol nurit." This is a very costly spell. My fingers wobble a bit in their jellyfish wanderings, and I'm breathing hard. "Halwen tainu berik minu, yaleh garu lakis mirin!" How many times was that? Three? No, two. "Sanis elra fina mirin, filia san-sanis garol nurit. Halwen . . . " I continue saying the words, sweat dripping from my face, getting more and more exhausted. I assume the way this works is, it takes some of my life force and gives it to Ludern. With an injury of that magnitude, though? I might end up half dead. I begin the fourth repetition. "Sanis elra fina mirin . . . filia sanis garol nurit." Gasp. Continue. "Halwen tainu berik minu, yaleh garu lakis mirin." Just one more time. Black spots dance before me now, and I'm having trouble reading the words. Jellyfish fingers. "Sanis elra-- fina mirin, filia . . . sanis garol nurit! Halwen tainu berik minu, y-yaleh garu lakis mir-mirin!" I did it. I healed him. I collapse on the floor, gasping and shaking. I did it. I did it! We're safe . . . I drift into oblivion with that last thought still in my head.
Chapter III: Six Is A Party[]
"What happened?" "Are they even alive? " " Silaen! Go check on Ludern. I'll check on Dariina." I hear their voices, and at first, I don't recognize them, but as soon as I hear 'Silaen' I realize who it is. Our party! We must've been gone a lot longer than I thought, and they came looking for us. As this passes through my brain, I hear someone coming toward me. Alnor, by the sound of it. I open my eyes and immediately shut them again. Either Silaen used her new light spell, or I have a headache. Probably both. Yep, there's the headache. I shift onto my side, and immediately I hear Alnor make a startled noise. "Dariina's not dead!" he shouts. This is too much. "Of course I'm not," I say indignantly. "Ludern is the one who almost got bitten in half! I'm not even hurt." He snorts skeptically. "Have you seen yourself?" I have to admit, I haven't. For all I know, I might look nearly as beat-up as Ludern. Minus the teeth marks. I open my eyes, carefully this time, "No, I haven't seen myself. I was a little busy trying not to die, for both of us!" Alnor spreads his hands in a placating gesture. "I didn't mean that literally. Also, I think you might be in shock. You two just fought a dragon all by yourselves. That was . . . foolish." I sit up and consider his statement. "You're right," I decide. "That was foolish. But don't you think coming after us, all of you, like that, was also foolish?"
He shrugs. "We left Kell with our things. He's perfectly capable of not messing that up." I look over at Sil and Ludern. She's standing there, studying his face, as if afraid he'll disappear. I don't blame her. He is her brother, after all, and that was a close call. I'm surprised that she hasn't made any move to study his wounds closely to make sure I'm not a complete failure as a healer. It's true that she's our group's official healer, but I'm not terrible at it, either. Alnor follows my line of sight and cocks his head. "I'm not sure what she's doing. Oy, Sil! Why are you staring at him like that?" I give him a look. What are you doing? Silaen looks at him. Then she goes back to staring at Ludern. It's then that I notice that one of his horns is snapped off about halfway down. I don't know how I missed this before, but I think that may be part of the reason Silaen is staring at him. I wonder how he'll feel about that when he wakes up . . . speaking of which, that shouldn't be too far off. Meanwhile, I need to clean up the mess I made with my healer kit. I push myself to my feet, ignoring the pain in my head as my headache surges. Alnor gets up and moves toward Silaen. She glances at him, then at me. It looks like she's been crying. "I'm scared," she whispers. "Scared that next time, no one will be there, and- " She doesn't finish her sentence. We know full well what she means. There's an awkward silence. "Well," I say, "I'll pack up my things, then." And I do.
Sil plops herself down on a rock, and Alnor investigates the dragon. It's a small red dragon, juvenile by the looks of it, but it was terrifying. Right. I'm cleaning up. Not reliving that terrible moment. Focus, Dariina! Now is not the time. So, instead, my restless brain does what it does whenever it's bored. Notices small details. Or, in this case, one rather important detail. When Alnor and Silaen came into this cavern, there was someone else with them. Kumi. Where is he? I'm sure it was his voice. Besides, Kell is back at camp, so who could it be except Kumi? But when I opened my eyes . . . only Alnor and Sil were there. Weird. I put the last vial back in its spot and tie the healing pouch into place. There'll be time for pondering later.
CHAPTER IV: K2[]
Eventually, the sleeping potion I gave Ludern wears off, and, after some fussing by Silaen- I don't blame her- we're on our way back to the campsite. Alnor saws off a tooth from the dragon to either sell or keep as a memento. As we walk, I have a lot of questions, first and foremost where did Kumi go? I'm in sure I heard his voice, but neither Silaen nor Alnor mentions him. Finally, I decide that I need to ask. "Where did Kumi go? He went you two into that cavern, didn't he?" Silaen answers me. "Kumi? He wasn't there. He went to find firewood before we came looking for you. He should be at the camp by now." That's . . . odd, to say the least. I'll ask him when I see him, I suppose.
We reach the campsite, and sure enough, there are Kell and Kumi. This is getting odder by the minute. Kell looks up sharply, apparently taking guard duty overly seriously. "Whoa! What--" He points to Ludern's shirt. Which, coincidentally, still has blood on it. Ludern looks down, because apparently he needs reminding of how he almost died. "Oh. Dariina and I had a run-in with a dragon. It . . . did not go well." Kell's eyes widen. "Will it come after you? If it does, um," He shifts nervously. "Um," I have to stop this conversation before it spins wildly out of control. "No. It won't come after us, because Ludern killed it while nearly getting bitten in half." His eyes widen further. Maybe that wasn't the best choice of words. Thankfully, Kumi chooses that moment to reappear from wherever he'd gone, and overhears my awkward attempt at pacifying Kell. "But clearly, he didn't get bitten in half! And neither," He steps closer to Kell and points at him, speaking in a mock serious voice. "Will you. I think." For some reason, this works. "Well, since you're here, I think it's time to change guard shifts," he says, addressing me. My, but we've been gone a long time! "You're right." I say. "But since we're all here and no one's sleeping, I don't think we'll need a guard." He nods, and then just . . . stands there.
"That means you can relax," Ludern clarifies. "Oh. Okay," Kell says, and goes to his backpack and begins rummaging around. By this time, Alnor is taking off his armor and Silaen is sketching that cursed dragon in her notebook, presumably to analyse how its magic works. Ludern is still standing behind me. I set down my knapsack and find my own notebook. If I'm to add red dragons to my collection of creatures, I need to start somewhere. Ludern finally chooses a spot and sets his things down. He sits down beside it and stares at the floor. That's when I realize I've been staring at him. Stupid. Concentrate! I've been having to tell myself that a lot, lately. I look back to my notebook and pull the pencil from its loop. Disastrous as this past encounter was, dragons are fascinating creatures, and I've never seen one in person before.
CHAPTER V: Guard Duty[]
That night, I'm on first guard shift. I sit at the edge of our campsite as everyone else falls asleep. The campfire flickers and dims. I toss another piece of wood on it, knowing that eventually, I'll have to stop using the fire for illumination or we'll run out of wood. The fire embraces the lumber and its flames reach higher into the air. The flames . . . dragon flames. Its huge, orange eyes, watching. Calculating. I could've died in that cavern. If-- NO. Don't go down that path. I can think about this in the morning, when we walk somewhere else. Not now, alone, in the dark (mostly), with hours to myself. I will let myself think about the dragon, but only to record information about it, which I never did finish in the afternoon.
I write until my hand grows tired, then look back over my notes. I know that trying to document all the monsters down here is nigh impossible, but I plan to give it my best try. If I can provide a comprehensive guide to the dungeon to new adventurers (and experienced ones, too), the mortality rate will be that much lower and the people that much safer. This has been tried before, but only by dusty old scholars who gather information from first-hand sources, who, it must be admitted, have a habit of exaggerating their bravery, not to mention that memories fade over time. Altogether, not the best method. I think writing down our experiences firsthand will lead to higher accuracy. But it doesn't matter. I'll write my guidebook, and if it helps, it helps. I finish writing down everything I remember, then shut my notebook. By now, the fire has dwindled to mere embers, and I think my shift is almost over. I check the hourglass that Silaen enchanted to turn itself over every hour, and see that the top bulb is almost empty for the third time. I estimate that there are maybe fifteen minutes left until I go and wake Kumi.
End of part one.[]
PART TWO[]
CHAPTER VI: Unexpected Friendship[]
The next morning, we don't stay at our camp for very long, but pick up our things and move out as soon as we have breakfast, which is a couple of crackers and some slices of cheese, because we're running low on interesting food. Apparently, I'm not the only one thinking this, because as we walk, Silaen brings it up. "I know we're pretty far from civilization, but we really should restock." This is met by a chorus of agreements, and then we pause for a moment, considering. Is it better to keep going on low rations, or should we restock and try again? This always happens, as we are not very good at rationing our food. "How 'bout this," Kumi suggests. "We buy more food than we usually do, and then we ration it carefully." At the last part, he looks pointedly at Ludern. Ludern shrugs. "Also, we need to walk faster. At the speed we're going, we'll never get anywhere." Alnor nods. "That's true. I say we need to eat a bit less and walk a bit more." "Okay," I say. "We restock and then head back down. Everyone good with that?" Assent.
We turn around and begin walking in the other direction. We pass the campsite of the night before (if only we'd decided to turn back there), that dreadful cavern (everyone shudders visibly when we pass it, except for Kumi and Alnor), an underground lake we'd gone fishing at two days ago (and angered some kelpies, no fish), and several other landmarks. Because we're going straight and not exploring or taking detours, we walk a lot quicker, and by the time we stop for a rest, we've traversed as much distance as would normally cover in two days, which means we should arrive at the outpost in a couple more days. Although I like exploring these underground spaces, I can't say I won't be glad to see the sky and smell the outdoors again. And see animals that aren't out for blood. . . .
By now, we have spread out (Kell is sitting on his pack, because he says the floor is too dirty) doing various things; Alnor is giving Ludern some sparring practice, Kumi appears to be writing a song, and Kell is reading his Guide to Dungeons and Caverns (you know, the one written by dusty old scholars), and Silaen . . . I realize she's standing right behind me. "Um, Dariina?' she says, looking like she's highly uncomfortable. "Can I talk to you for a second?" I turn to face her. "About what?" I ask. "Yesterday . . . with the dragon . . . I wanted to say thank you. This is really awkward, but, um, thank you. So much." She's right. This is really awkward. "Well, I wasn't just going to sit and do nothing, was I?" Yes. I was. I shouldn't have lost hope so easily. I should have been quicker. Silaen gives a small laugh. "No, I suppose not." "That's what a party is for," I say. "To help each other." She nods. "Next time something happens . . . " She opens her hands, and I see that she's holding a small jar full of what looks like . . . nail clippings? She continues, offering me the jar. "Break this, and I'll know you're in trouble and come help." I accept the jar, and thank her. "I'm making one for all of you," Sil says, "but I thought I'd give you yours first." She retreats to the spot where she'd set her things down, and I try to figure out what to do with a jar of magic nail clippings.
CHAPTER VII: Into Town[]
The next day, we reach the village that lies a couple of miles away from the dungeon, which looks, on the surface, like an abandoned castle. Old Millbrook, on the other hand, has no such pretensions. Its largest building is the inn, which only has six rooms in all. The food there is good, though, so that's where we go first when we enter Old Millbrook. Not unexpectedly, Ludern is the first one through the door. The rest of us follow him, after setting our gear on the floor by the door, and find a table. "How much money do we have?" I ask. Silaen reaches into her pocket (the magical one, not the normal one) and pulls out our money pouch. I've wondered if it's wise to entrust it all to one person (What if something happens to her? What if the magic pocket malfunctions?) but so far, we haven't had any trouble. Silaen counts out the money and declares it to be enough, but says that we'll run out in a matter of days. "I wonder . . . " says Kumi, "Do they want music?"
As it turns out, they do, so (after we’ve eaten) Kumi grabs his recorder, walks to the small marked-off area that is designated as a stage in one corner, and begins to play. The twins are at the end of the table we claimed, talking quietly between themselves. Alnor appears to be explaining the finer points of not acting like a stood-up twig to Kell, and I . . . I am where I always seem to end up, sitting awkwardly on the edge. It’s not that I don’t like the others, I just find it easier this way. Still, I would rather be closer to them. It doesn’t do to be distanced from your adventuring party, even if we are closer when we’re on a mission. Kumi finishes the song he was playing and begins another. I realize I recognize this one, and apparently, some of the other patrons of the inn recognize it too, because there is a general murmur of interest and a few pause their conversations to sing along. It’s a well-known love song called In the Cool Shade of the Mount, which is about a girl’s lover going to war.
In the cool shade of the mount,
My love came a-calling to me (to me)
And I knew not when he’d return, so I held him forever that day.
Take me there through the ash and pine,
Take me there, to the desert or sea,
Wherever you go do not leave me here,
I will not be parted from thee.
Kumi pauses. This song, although short, is one that everyone knows and loves, as is evidenced by the copper that get dropped at his feet. After a moment, he begins another song. I may not have the greatest interpersonal skills, and Kell may be very new, but our party is a good one.
Credit to T.S. Pedramon for the song. It appears in his book, Nightshade Unicorn: Forerunner.
CHAPTER VIII: Chess[]
The Cheese House (for that is the name of the inn) has eight rooms, each with two large, questionable beds. We decide that no, we don't want bedbugs, thank you, and end up sleeping on the floor. Around sunset, we roll out our sleeping bags and start winding down for the night. Even though we're not using the beds, sleeping inside is much better than outside. For one thing, it's warmer, and also, more secure. I take out my notebook and begin a sketch of the room. This isn't particularly useful, but it's fun, and who says everything needs a clear purpose? Sil and Ludern are playing some game with intricately carved wooden pieces, and Kell is watching interestedly. Alnor is trying to convince Kumi that wings are better than fins, but isn't making much progress. Ludern loses to his sister, she laughs and resets the board. They play a couple more times, then it gets too dark to see without a light and they put the game away. We all go to bed shortly thereafter.
Midnight. I am awoken by the sound of whispered conversation, and a glow as of candlelight. Robbers? I stay still, listening, and try to look asleep. "It is progressing well, lord." Kumi. "That is well. What of the warlock?" Warlock?! Warlocks are illegal, have been for over two hundred years. The voice that has just spoken does not seem to belong to anyone in the room. "She is unsuspecting. When they return to the ruins, I will capture her." Capture— what? Kumi makes it sound as if there is a warlock in our party, and what's more, does not seem to consider himself one of us. This is a puzzle I cannot solve. Not on my own. At least it wasn't robbers, I think, but then I realize— what I have uncovered seems far worse than robbers.
Pronunciation guide[]
Alnor: Al-nohr
Dariina: Dahr-een-ah
Failara: Faey-lahr-ah
Kell: Kehl
Kumi: Koo-mee
Ludern: Loo-durn
Silaen: Sih-lain
Speltheres[]
Haldri an piren: Hahldree-ahn-pie-ren
Sanis elra fina mirin: Sa-nis ehl-rah fee-nah meer-in
Filia sanis garol nurit: Fill-ee-ah sa-nis geh-roll new-rit
Halwen tainu berik minu: Hal-when tai-new beh-rick me-new
Yaleh garu lakis mirin: Yah-leh ga-roo la-kiss meer-in
Scrapped feature: interludes
INTERLUDE: Moira's Minute
"This is one crazy session!" Dustin said. Balika laughed. "For a moment, I thought you'd forgotten I existed, Halley!" "Well," said Halley, "I kind of did. How're we going to explain that? . . . Or are you going to turn it into the next plot twist, huh, Moira?" "Wait and see. For now, though, let's end the session. We're out of time." Moira began putting things away behind her DM board. Leonardo sighed. "Kell is so awkward. I've got to have a talk with him about that," "Leo," Edward said, shaking his head, "He's your character! You don't need to have a talk with him." "Maybe," cut in shy Ming Yue, "It's like telling a story. You don't know exactly what's going to happen, and that's part of the magic." Moira finished tidying and folded up her board. "I have swim in fifteen minutes," she said. "I have to go, like, right now. Bye!" She hopped off her chair and everyone waved goodbye. Balika watched her go with half a smile. "I don't know why, but the end of a session always feels so . . . bittersweet. Like it'll never come back." Leonardo nodded. "That's because it never does. Each session is different." They sat there, contemplating these wise words, six teenagers whose only commonality was their love of Dungeons and Dragons. Then, one by one, they left the library.
---
Moira splashed into the water. She liked swimming practice, but not the swim meets themselves. It was too competitive, too high pressure. Too brusque. She shook her head slightly. Now was not the time to think about that. Now was the time to concentrate. To win. Moira took a breath, and in that instant (for she didn't wear earplugs like most people did) she heard the onlookers cheering. For her, or for someone else, she didn't know, but it gave her a new surge of determination. She swam faster, pausing ever so slightly now and then to breathe, and at last she reached the other side of the pool. Moira pulled herself out of the water, then looked back. She was the first. A grin spread across her face as this fact sunk in. She was the first! And that meant that her team was ahead.
---
Moira was in the car. Her parents were reliving her victory (for what must have been the twentieth time) in the front seat, but she had her mind on other things. The place they'd left the campaign at earlier was pretty much ideal, at least for the players. As for Moira, she didn't really know where to take it next. Maybe she could turn Halley's lapse of memory into a plot point. Maybe, Kumi really had been with Alnor and the tieflings, but then a döppelganger took him and impersonated him back at the camp, but they hadn't noticed, being too preoccupied with Dariina and Ludern . . . No, she'd have to talk to Balika for that, and then one of the players would know . . . She was well and truly lost in thought.
Notes[]
SPOILERS AHEAD! MAYBE.
ALNOR
Gender: M
Species: Human
Class: Fighter
Age: 34
Character traits:
Reasons for dungeon crawling: He's out to kill the monsters because they invaded his village and killed most everyone, but Dariina doesn't let him unless it's necessary.
Side notes:
DARIINA
Player: Halley
Gender: F
Species: Elf
Class: Druid (loosely)
Age: 25
Character traits:
Reasons for dungeon crawling: She wants to document ALL the monsters in the dungeon, and she just likes exploring.
Side notes:
LUDERN
Player: Dustin
Gender: M
Species: Tiefling
Class: Fighter
Age: 23
Character traits:
Reasons for dungeon crawling: He just wints to be an experienced dungeon crawler/adventurer. Though if he keeps almost dying at this rate, well . . . he better watch out.
Side notes:
KELL
Player: Leo
Gender: M
Species: Human
Class: Totally the awkwardest paladin on Ghelera.
Age: 19
Character traits: Overly serious, no sense of humor
Reasons for dungeon crawling: Kell is a noob. He needed an experienced party, and Dariina's party needed a new member (totally not 'cause the last one died), so he joined them. He often gets assigned the easiest and/or most boring tasks.
Side notes: Archetype: "\_0_/"
KUMI
Player: Balika
Species: Human
Class: Bard
Age: 27
Character traits: Easily distractable, relaxed
Reasons for dungeon crawling:
Side notes: Archetype: hippie
SILAEN (SIL/SAE)
Silaen near the (not-yet-written) end of the story.
Player: Ming Yue
Gender: F
Species: Tiefling
Age: 29
Class: Wizard/warlock
Character traits:
Reasons for dungeon crawling: She's Ludern's sister and is trying to keep him alive, (as we'll see later, he's a bit of a daredevil) and she's a mage trying to discover new forms of magic. In other words, she's a researcher.
Side notes: Archetype: Mother bird, nerd
CHAPTER ???: Muninn Myst[]
Everything is white. White like angel wings, I think. If this is what death feels like, it's very similar to being alive. Except for the whiteness. I can smell trees, and I can feel the grass I'm lying on, prickly against my skin. Wait-- that's not right. Wasn't I on a stone floor just a minute ago? Yes, I was. And I was dying . . . Nothing hurts. I'm convinced by now that I can't be dead, as I can hear the rustling of leaves in the wind, and something that sounds like voices. The white stuff around me seems to be a very dense mist or fog. I raise my hand and wave it through the air. Nothing hurts. I look down, and see that while there is a hole in my shirt, there's no wound to go with it. No blood. Nothing. It's as if someone has taken a pair of scissors to it.
The voices are getting closer. "Come on, Jax! We haven't found anyone in two months. Why should today be any different?" Someone else answers, "I don't know if it will be, but we have to check. Surely you remember what it was like getting here." "Well, yeah . . . " the other voice mutters. "But it's a feast day!" A third voice says, " Quit your whining. We're almost through, and then we can go home." I can see the owners of the three voices now, thick as the fog might be. Three men are making their way toward me, one of them throwing regretful glances backwards. In all this time, I still haven't moved an inch (unless you count waving my hand in the air like a fool), so it's no wonder they can't see me. What with my green skirt and my white shirt, I must be nearly invisible. I have no clue what's going on at this point, so I do what any rational person would do under these circumstances. I sit up.
"What-" My voice comes out a lot quieter than I'd intended. I try again. "What's going on?" The middle one, Jax, turns to the one who had been whining and says. "You see? This is why we patrol." Then he turns to me. "Hello there! You must be rather confused." He pauses, seemingly thinking what to say. "Yes, I am. Are you ghosts? Am I a ghost? Where is this? If you're not ghosts, then why am I not dead?" The words burst out of my mouth before I can stop them. Well, that's done it, I think. If they didn't think I was crazy before, they do now.