Episode 60: Strange Visions and a Hard Shove
- Crystal Crawford
- 5 days ago
- 4 min read
Updated: 3 days ago
I grabbed Emery’s hand. “Come on. We’ve got to find a way to get you through that rift. We’ve got to wake you up and get out of—”
“Wait,” she said, pulling back. “I see…” Her gaze went distant for a moment, then snapped back into focus on me. She suddenly looked excited. “You said there was an extra water elemental down there, right?”
I nodded. “When we found the room, there were five of them in the cells—one of each type of elemental, plus an extra water elemental. Trenchcoat Man said maybe you were still needing more of that element transferred into you.”
Emery slid her hand from mine. “No, Aubrey. I think the first four elementals’ magic was being used to ward me, and the extra water elemental was being used to stop him.”
“To stop who? The Vorcos guy?” I asked, confused. “Why would he use an elemental to stop himself?”
“Not to stop Vorcos,” she said.
I squinted at her. “I don’t understand.”
She took a step backward. “I need to tell you something. I didn’t go to the gulf that night alone.”
I blinked. “Then who was with you?”
“There was a guy; I found him on the dark web… He’d been tortured by the same company I suspected was taking supernaturals—by Vorcos. He said they’d captured him, then did horrible experiments on him before he managed to escape. He’d been helping me with research, and he promised to meet me that night on the beach to reveal his true identity to me, but he never showed up.”
“Emery,” I said, gaping at her. “You went in the middle of the night to meet up with a stranger you met on the dark web? Are you crazy?”
“Not as crazy as you might think,” she said calmly. “I may not have known him, but I’d seen him in a vision. Or sort of, at least. I could see his hurt… and his intentions. He was tortured by them, Aubrey. They did something horrible to him, something that left him disfigured, I’m pretty sure. And I know he’s an elemental, and that he’s angry… so very angry. But he really does want to help.” She looked at me. “I was worried, when he didn’t show up. I thought maybe they’d recaptured him, but I never felt him nearby.”
“Are you saying he is the extra water elemental?” I asked.
“No, that wasn’t him,” she said. “None of the elementals Vorcos was holding near me were him. But I think that extra elemental was there for him…” She trailed off, looking puzzled. “I think I’ve had this conversation before.”
“What, like déjà vu?” I asked.
She shook her head. “No. I saw this. I thought it was just another dream…” She stared off, deep in thought.
I put a hand on her shoulder. “It’s horrible what you say Vorcos did to that guy, Em,” I said, feeling a bit sick, “but I haven’t seen him, and right now, we need to worry about you. You’re the one stuck in the orb, and we’re running out of time.”
She looked at me, suddenly smiling. “Probably,” she said cheerfully. “Vorcos probably has a remote detonator or something, and now that the wards are off, there’s a good chance they plan to blow me up as soon as they’re back in range, before any of you can ruin their gateway.”
I gaped at her. “Why are you smiling about—”
“Because Vorcos didn’t factor in you.”
“What?” I said, staring at her. “What am I supposed to—”
She squeezed my hand. “You’re going to stop this whole thing, Aubrey. I saw it. You’re going to go back, figure it out, and set me free.”
“How?” I asked her.
She shrugged. “You’ll figure it out.”
“I’ve been trying to,” I shouted, “but you’re not making sense!”
A screaming beep shattered my thoughts.
The world around me rocked violently.
“Aubrey!” I heard my mom yelling, but it had a hollow sound, like it was echoing through a tunnel. “Aubrey, wake up!”
Emery grabbed my arm. “What’s happening?”
I spun around to look at the rift. Through the split, I could see my parents, shaking my shoulders, trying to wake me—but I wasn’t waking up. “Mom and Dad promised not to wake me until I came back with you!” I said.
“They’re trying to wake you right now?” she asked. “Why? What’s happening?”
“The orb, I can hear it shrieking—” I looked closer into the rift, then jerked back. “Oh, no.”
The rift was growing thinner, its edges weaving out and connecting with the torn web-threads at the rift’s edges, building new strands to repair the web—my exit was rapidly closing.
I spun back to face Emery. “The rift in the web, it’s shrinking.”
“What?” Emery asked, confused.
I looked at her in horror. “I think we’re out of time.”
“Right,” Emery said. She drew a breath, then put her hands on my shoulders and looked me right in the eyes. “I love you, Aubrey.”
“I love you, too,” I said, my throat tightening. “I have to go and see what’s happening. But I promise, I’ll come right back for you—”
“I won’t explode until he detonates me,” she said quickly, “but you may not have much time. Don’t come back. Just think about our conversation,” she said quickly. “You’ll know what to do.”
“What?” I asked. “How would I—”
“I trust you,” she said, then she shoved my shoulders, hard.
I stumbled backwards into the rift… and woke, staring up into my parents’ panicked faces.
***
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