The Psychic Legacy

Chapter 17: Deliver

I don't remember what happened next. I just remember waking up, still suspended in darkness. Only now I was alone. Lillian had disappeared. My head felt heavy and it was hard to focus—like someone had slipped me a sleeping pill and I was fighting off a dream.

I tried to turn my head to look for my 'guest' only my head wouldn't respond to my commands... I attempted the same with my arm but again my limb refused to move. As panic began to brew in my chest, I frantically tried to move various parts of my body—my tongue, finger, toe, eye—but each time I was denied. I tried to get myself to move, to wake up, to break free.

I was trapped inside, screaming at my own body to move, to wake up, to break free.

But nothing I did worked.

And then it was like my dream had shifted—I was outside myself, helpless, as my own body floated beside me in darkness.

Then, as I watched, my own head turned, looking up to meet my gaze. Me staring back at me. Only there was something wrong about this version of myself. Instead of my familiar brown eyes, they were now a bright, shining blue.

A realization started to creep up on me. It felt like my air was coming in short gasps, only I had no lungs to fill. I wanted to scream, but she had control of my mouth.

"It's just for a moment," Lillian said, her voice moving through my lips.

Before I could object—if I could object—we were moving.

It was like gravity had been suddenly introduced to the darkness. Floating turned into falling.

We dropped further into nothing and the blue-cloaked crowd above was quickly out of sight, smothered by the depth. I could see nothing, feel nothing, but I still knew that we were still falling. Falling and falling and falling. The landing was not going to be soft—how could it be? I tried to brace myself for the inevitable, even though I knew my body would not respond.

And then, just like this really was all a dream, we jolted to a stop before impact. There was light again, now shining up from below us, a blurry but bright mix of blue and green.

Gravity shifted again; above was now below and the light was now coming from overhead. It would've been nauseating if I still had a body.

We were back to stillness on this other side. I watched myself, waiting for them—me—to say something. Instead, they began to ascend, floating up towards the light—towards the way out.

Only I wasn't going with them.

I was being left behind.

I tried to chase after them, attempting to swim upwards but it was no use. I made no progress in the emptiness. I was just flailing in place. I could only watch as they broke through the surface and stepped into the real world—

And just like that, I was standing outside. I blinked in the sudden brightness and breathed a sigh of relief that my eyelids closed when I told them to.

What? A voice—her voice—echoed inside my head. Did you think I was going to leave you in there and go on a spree with your meat suit?

"No," I muttered, but it was a weak lie.

If you're taking it this well, she said with a sigh, then I can't wait to see what Polly is gonna say...

"Polly?" I said, glancing around. Did that mean she was nearby? She must be worried sick...

But Polly was nowhere in immediate sight. We were standing in some unfamiliar garden that looked like it had once been quite grand; it had a full pond and waterfall but now the pond was green with scum and the clogged-up waterfall had been reduced to a weak trickle. The towering hedges were lumpy and unkempt, and weeds broke through the seams of all the stone fixtures.