Episode 63: Failed Plans and Rerouted Dreams

Aubrey Lance, S.S. (Supernatural Sleuth) -- Season 1, Episode 63: Failed Plans & Rerouted Dreams

Once all the elementals were awake, I gave them the nutshell version of the dream trap and why they were still locked in their cells. 

To my dismay, though, unhooking them hadn’t broken Emery from the orb, or woken her. The orb was still intact. 

I stepped back and looked at the five of them. “I have no idea what to do next.” 

“What?” the dark-skinned guy said. “I thought you were masterminding this escape plan!” 

“I am not a mastermind,” I said, glancing back at the orb. “But I know someone who is…”

I ran toward my dad’s briefcase and yanked it open. Sure enough, there inside it was the device my dad had used to knock me out when I went into the dream to talk to Emery the first time—or the dream within a dream. It was hard to keep this all straight. 

I looked at the elementals. “I just need to ask her a question. I’ll be back in a minute.” I plopped down on the floor.

“Wait, what—” one of them said.

But I’d already raised the disc to my head, and their words vanished as I tumbled into a new place. 

I tried to aim for Emery, picturing her in my mind on the beach like I had before, but I felt something else—another consciousness—brush my mind and my course glanced off, rerouted in a new direction. 

I nearly panicked, but then I heard waves. I was at the beach, after all. 

But these waves sounded different. There was a harsh breeze, and cold water shin-deep. I blinked to focus. The beach was in front of me… far off in front of me. I looked down. I was standing on a sand-bar off shore. 

Based on the section of beach I was looking at, I was right around where we’d set off the whirlpool. 

I glanced to the side, relieved to see that the shimmering rift that represented my exit was still wide open next to me.

I turned around to take in the rest of my surroundings—and froze. 

A man was standing a few feet behind me, bare-chested and wearing wet jeans. He couldn’t be much older than his early twenties, but his chest was covered in scars and welts and circular burns, like he’d been beaten, sliced open, and branded. His hair was dark, and so were his eyes… which were staring at me. 

I gaped at him. “Who are—” 

“Are you Emery?” he asked with a hopeful look. ‘I waited and waited, but—” 

It suddenly hit me who he must be. “You’re the guy Emery was supposed to meet that night at the beach, aren’t you?”  

His expression turned guarded. “Who are you?” He stepped back. 

“I’m her sister,” I said. “Aubrey.” 

He paused. “She spoke of you.” He studied me for a moment. “I was supposed to meet Emery here, not you.” He narrowed his eyes on me. “Wait. I’ve seen you before…” His gaze went unfocused, deep in thought. “I yelled at you.” He squinted, looking confused. “Why did I yell at you? Did we argue?” 

I stared at him. “You’ve never yelled at me. I’ve never met you before.” 

He stepped closer. “No, I’m sure I—” He swayed and stumbled. 

By instinct, I reached to steady him, and the moment my hands touched him, I had a flash. 

Us, on the shore, the hulking elemental raging. Trenchcoat Man saying, “Girls, run interference,” and the cheer hawks circling above—

But it was all from off-shore, from a distance, everything but the hawks, who were up. 

It was all from his perspective. 

I gasped and jerked my hands back. “You—you’re—” I hurried backward, but the water resisted, my steps slow and stumbling. 

He steadied himself. “No, wait!” He looked up at me. “I don’t want to hurt you. I didn’t want to hurt you, I—” He stared at me pleadingly. “I’m sorry. It’s what they did to me, I just—especially when I first wake, when I’m disoriented, I can’t—” 

“You can’t control it,” I said, filling in the blanks from what Emery had said. “They tortured you. They did something to your magic.” 

“They tried to make me a monster,” he said, now with a fury beneath his tone. “But I broke loose. I will not be their Hulk, their Hyde, their monster. I don’t belong to them.” 

I stared at him. “How long have you been out here?” 

“I…” He halted. “I don’t know. I came to meet Emery, to tell her what they’d done to me. She wanted to stop Vorcos. I wanted to help.” 

“That was two years ago,” I said as gently as I could. “We found you a few days ago, but you were in a deep sleep and then hidden with an illusion. We woke you up by accident and we weren’t sure why the spells were on you, so we just… put you back.” I winced apologetically.

“Two years?” He shouted, then drew a long breath to calm himself. “Forgive me. I—I’m just shocked. How can it possibly have been that long?” His shock turned to concern. “Emery. Did they—” 

“They captured her,” I said. “That’s why I’m here. Vorcos is trying to use her, too, for something terrible. We’re trying to stop them. We’re trying to set her free.” 

He looked at me. “Vorcos must have captured me, too. I remember… I remember hearing someone coming, but when I turned—” He huffed. “That’s it, that’s all I remember. I was standing in the water, like we are now, and then… it’s like I couldn’t leave it. The more I walked toward shore, the farther away from it I seemed to be.” 

“You’ve been stuck in a dream,” I said. “Maybe Vorcos is the one who put that on you, at first, and the illusion.”  

“I’m shocked Vorcos didn’t just kill me,” he said.  

I stepped toward him. “Maybe you’ve grown too powerful. Or maybe they planned to force you to help them, or thought you could guard what they were doing out here… You’re right above their bunker. At first, I thought you were here on purpose, protecting it.” 

He stared at me. “I’ve been standing on top of their secret lair this whole time?” 

“In the real world, yes,” I said, “but here… I’m afraid you won’t be able to reach it, even if you try.” I glanced back at the rift. “Can I try something? Maybe I can wake you.” 

He nodded, and I gestured for him to follow. When I reached the rift, I offered him my hand. “I’m going to step through. See if you can follow me.” 

I stepped through. 

The moment I took two more steps, my arm yanked back, just as it had with Emery. 

I returned to his side of the rift. “I’m sorry. I don’t know why it doesn’t work—it must have to do with you being asleep against your will, rather than naturally. The same thing happened with Emery.” 

He looked at me for a moment. “You woke me before, outside of here. How?” 

I looked up at him. “I used a dampening hourglass to disrupt the illusion, and the sleep-spell broke automatically. They must’ve been tied together.”

“And then you put me back to sleep?” 

“A friend had someone do it, but yes. They put you back to sleep and placed an illusion back over you, so you wouldn’t be disturbed.” I stared at him. “I’m sorry. If I’d known you were Vorcos’ prisoner…” 

He shook his head. “Don’t be. How could you have known?”

I looked at him. “When I get back to the real world, I’ll wake you again. When we get free, I mean. Right now, I’m Vorcos’ prisoner, too.” 

His eyes widened in concern. “They have you, too? I thought you were here to rescue Emery!” 

“Yeah, well, the rescue isn’t going so well,” I said, looking down. 

He gently touched my arm, prompting me to look up at him. “Get yourself and Emery to safety, and then—only then—come back and wake me. Don’t risk your lives trying to save mine. If you have a chance to get free, take it. If you’re able to come back for me, fine. If not…” He glanced around, then forced a smile. “At least in here, I can’t hurt anyone.” 

My heart broke for him. “If I get free, I’m coming back for you. I won’t leave you stuck here.” 

His smile softened. “That’s kind of you, but please—only if it’s safe. I’ve caused enough harm. I have to know I won’t cause more.” 

I drew a long breath, then nodded. “Okay.” 

I’d find a way to make sure we came back for him. 

I glanced at the rift. It was slowly shrinking. I looked at him. “I’m sorry—I have to go.” 

“If there’s any way I can help you, when you’re back in the real world—” His expression hardened. “I have no love for Vorcos. I’m willing to be the monster, if you need it.” After a long moment, the hardness in his expression faded—with some effort on his part, it seemed. “I can still control myself, when it has a purpose, but I’ll be disoriented when I first wake. My name is Ryan. Call me that—it helps. Just wake me, and I’m yours to command.” His eyes locked on mine. “But only if it’s safe for you to come for me.” 

I nodded. “Don’t worry, Ryan. I’ll see you soon.” I dove back through the rift.

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AUTHOR NOTE:

I hope you’re enjoying Season 1 of Aubrey Lance! Get ready for the finale… just four more episodes to go! 

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The next episode is coming right up! Check this blog post for the official posting schedule. 

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