Astral (Ch. 10)

Sleep paralysis, it's been years since I've felt this cold stiffness encasing me. Embracing what comes next never came easy, but I try to remember the evenings doing sleep studies with Mrs. Glitz.

I take deep, slow breaths in an effort to steady my racing heart. I focus my mind on sending signals to my fingers and toes, willing them to move. If I could just feel them, I know I could pull myself out of this paralysis. I'm not alone though, Amaranth is here with me.

But as I try to move, I feel my wrists lock up and Amaranth's grip becomes tighter. My shallow breaths turn into heavy panting as I struggle to open my mouth to speak. "Amaranth, you're hurting me," I moan, but no words come out.

I scream her name, loud enough to startle my eyes open. But instead of Amaranth's face, I see the hands of a gardener binding me. "Where is Michael?" The voice sounds like Mr. May, but older and more drunken and angry.

"Who are you?" I manage to ask, but he cuts me off with anger.

"Don't play with me, boy," he growls.

I try to find some humor in the situation, thinking back to what Shaman taught me about self-control being the most important tool one has and how, when we lose it, our worlds begin to disintegrate.

But the humor is short-lived as I realize I don't recognize this man. I try to laugh, but I can barely breathe. It feels like I've been beaten.

He cuts me a glance and his bulging black bug eyes turn into soft brown human eyes. "I recognize you," I say, "From the photo near Amaranth's half of the stone."

But before I can finish, his eyes snap back to the black bug eyes and his body begins to shrink and change. Long black hair and no face.

"Where is she?!" I shout, fear rising in my chest that I've failed Amaranth.

He laughs with her voice and the knots in my stomach tighten. "What's wrong, Adrien? You don't recognize the girl of your dreams?"

"Your face," I stammer, "It's not hers."

"I couldn't picture her full Astral form properly. You very much have to see to envision," he says, and a third eye opens, but it's dry and non-functional.

"But I felt her, she's the girl," I say, trying to make sense of what's happening.

"Whose identity I stole to trick you. Truth is, Amaranth has never projected in her life. Well, until you showed up. And I'm so glad you did, because I finally got the face right," he says, smirking with her smile.

"Where is she?!" I demand again.

"She's in hell. Alive, but most certainly not well," he says, and I feel like I've failed everyone.

But before I can react, he morphs back into Pop Evans and disappears, leaving only his laugh and Amaranth's in the air.

Shaman, I've failed you, I think as I realize I'm holding something. The key. I had projected to the stone first to keep it from Dante, but now it's in his hands.

The knots in my stomach tighten as I realize what I've done. Dante will be free to achieve his dominion and I've failed to protect Amaranth.