Welcome to Valerian Night, where the story comes to you in snippets and snatches, snapshots and slivers of 300 words every week. Your input is valued and needed, for what you say may drive the story into a totally different direction. Follow the meandering coils of story that take Alyxa Fairchild onto a direct collision course with Nightmares, Dreams, Old Deities and New Heroes as her world collides with that of Réveille, the land of Waking Dreams and Dead Gods. Trail after Morpheus as he discovers the foibles and confusions of the human world and finds himself strangely enamoured thereof all the while trying to keep his Dreamer safe and ensure the continued peace of the Real World. Let the young Jazzy open your eyes and show you that the world you see is not necessarily the world you know...

Tuesday, March 1, 2011

LVI: Swimming

There is a lake. A deep lake. So deep that it rivals any ocean. She can see a girl swimming in the water. It’s the little girl from the living room. She’s wearing a rather pink frilly dress.


Jessica can feel nothing save for Medea’s claw, wrapped around her throat in a somehow gentle grip.

Then...

The water is freezing. She sees through the child’s eyes.

Down, down. I mustn’t be afraid. Alyxa is down there. I’m the only one can go get her. The pretty girl said so. I have to rescue Alyxa and Mr. Morpheus, and Bast. I’m the only one. I can hold my breath forever! The scary witch lady told me so. I shouldn’t call her that, but she’s mean! Though she did let me have pasta for dinner. That was nice.

The stream of consciousness is punctuated here and there by spikes of suppressed terror at being unable to reach the bottom before she runs out of breath. If there even is a bottom to this vastness. Then, there it is, a brilliant glimmer of light, like a whirlpool deep beneath the waters.

Jessica blinked as the vision cleared itself from her eyes, restoring the chaos of colours.

“Well?”

“There’s a lake,” Jazzy said into the room, feeling Medea’s hand slip away, “and a whirlpool beneath it. The little Dreamer has to swim into it. She’s the only one who can bring them back.”

“Me?” the child’s voice squeaked, sounding for the first time.

“Yes, that’s what I Saw. Don’t be scared, you’ll be alright. Medea here will cast a spell on you so you won’t need to breath underwater or something. Can you swim?”

The girl nodded – relayed by Michael.

“What then?” Medea demanded.

“No idea.”

“Pit a child against the Devil?” Achilles suggested.

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