Dream Catcher (working title)
an excerpt

Chapter Four

Ellen stood quietly, still holding tight to Nathan’s arm, taking in as much as she could. This world was dark, shrouded in an eternal mist. There was no visible light source, no sun or moon to give the place the eerie glow it had. In front of the pair was a vast lake, with a small dock loaded with boats bobbing up and down in the water. The lake was immense, and seemed to go on forever. Just on the edge of her vision, Ellen could make out two large mountains, where a river ran into the lake. The river was moving very quickly, but didn’t seem to affect the lake it emptied into. The river disappeared between the two mountains, winding off into some unknown.
Ellen turned her attention back to where they stood. They were on a grassy beach, the water lapping lazily towards them, yet never reaching them. The place was barren: there were no trees, no visible land markers, just a few patches of grass, the lake, and the dock. Ellen turned around, finally letting go of Nathan’s arm, and surveyed the land behind her. The beach extended further up, until it ended in a tall, rocky cliff. Ellen craned her neck up, looking for the top of the cliff, but found nothing. The top disappeared in the swirling mist. As Ellen turned back around, her eyes were drawn to the dock. She had seen no one other than herself and Nathan, yet as she watched, a man appeared out of no where and walked to the dock. He was tall and strong, yet hunched over as if in pain. Nathan made a small noise, and the man turned to look for the source. When he turned, Ellen let out a small gasp. In his stomach was a long knife, the handle still sticking out. His shirt had a large stain from the blood, and his face was empty of emotion. His entire being seemed more gray than Ellen and Nathan’s, his clothes dulled and his skin pale. Nathan gave the man a curt nod, and he turned back around, continuing his journey toward the dock. He walked slowly, climbing up the three steps with difficulty. He untied one of the boats, and slid himself into it. He grabbed the two oars and began slowly paddling his way across the lake.
Ellen watched the mysterious man paddle for a time, then turned to face Nathan. “That man,” she started.
“Was dead.” Nathan looked at her horror, a knowing smile spreading across his features. “I was shocked my first time, too.”
“How does that not disgust you?” she asked him, still shaken by her encounter with the dead man.
“I’ve seen much worse, Ellen. And you will too, in years to come.”
As they stood talking, a large crowd of people suddenly appeared, bustling and confused. One had seaweed in his hair, and another was covered in sand. One of them got the idea to walk to the dock, and the rest followed. The man that had first noticed the docks separated the group into smaller groups that would fit in the small boats, and began loading them. Once they were all situated in the boats, the leader got into a boat with one other person in it, and began paddling quickly. The others followed suite, and soon the noise of oars hitting water filled the air, the water splashing back down an undertone to the melodious noises.
It didn’t take the group long to overtake the other man they had seen, still paddling slowly along. None seemed to notice him, and they rowed past without a thought. Once they were almost too far to hear, and only just visible along the horizon, Ellen noticed a small girl huddled on the grass. She had a small strand of seaweed draped across her shoulders, and her feet and legs were coated in a soft white sand. It was clear she was from the same group as the others, but she had been left here alone. Ellen stepped away from Nathan towards the girl, intending to comfort her, but Nathan grabbed her hand to stop her. She turned to look at him, and saw fire in his eyes. Ellen was momentarily stunned by the change in his appearance from the trusting, comfortable Nathan into one she almost feared. She pulled away from him though, and kept walking towards the girl.
“Hello there,” she said when she was only a few feet away. “I’m Ellen.”
The girl looked up, fear in her eyes, still crouched in a small tight ball on the ground.
“Why did they leave you here?” Ellen asked the little girl.
The girl started shaking, from cold or fear Ellen wasn’t sure.
“I’m not going to hurt you,” Ellen told the girl. She crouched down beside the girl, tempted to put her arm around her until she remembered the girl was dead.
The girl whispered something softly, too quiet for Ellen to hear.
“What was that?” Ellen asked her. She leaned in closer to the girl, listening closely.
“Are they gone?” the girl repeated, her voice dripping with fear.
“The men who were with you?” Ellen asked. The little girl nodded her head once.
“Yes, they are gone. It’s okay, sweetie.” Ellen felt bad for the child. Whatever had happened in her life, death had to be better. Ellen imagined the men that had appeared with the child beating her in life, possibly other worse things.
“They were gonna give me to the evil man,” the girl said softly.
“It’s okay. They can’t hurt you anymore. Do you know what happened? Do you know why you are here?” Ellen wanted to know if the girl remembered dying at all.
“There was lots a water,” the girl explained. “And then I couldn’t breathe. Wh- where am I?”
Ellen wasn’t sure what to tell the child. She thought it would be too harsh to just tell her she was dead. Her eyes were less dull than the adults had been, and had more emotion in them. Ellen looked back towards where Nathan had been, unsure what to say, but Nathan was gone. Ellen stood up, fear at being stuck here clutching her like an iron fist. The girl let out a sharp cry at Ellen’s abrupt movement, and Ellen looked back down at the child. Nathan would return, she was certain. She stooped back down to talk to the child.
“What’s your name?” she asked, avoiding the question.
“Severine,” the child answered. “Who was that man standing by you?” the child asked in return.
“He is a friend of mine,” Ellen answered, simplifying their relationship for the child. Suddenly, the child’s eyes turned milky white, and her tightened muscles relaxed, causing the child to lay flat on her back. Then she sat up, strong and determined, and looked Ellen straight in the eye.
“Your heart is split between two men,
You know not whom to trust.
One will lead you to the light,
The other only lust.
One of the men will aid you in
Fulfilling destiny
The other will destroy you and
Destroy the prophecy.
Neither man is perfect,
Neither one is right
But you must have a tutor
Or lose th’eternal fight.”
The child started shaking furiously then, writhing before Ellen’s eyes. Ellen watched in horror, unsure what to do. She wondered if the child could die again. Finally the child was still, and lay motionless for a time. Then she sat up, her eyes returned to normal, the fear still clutching them.
Ellen wasn’t sure exactly what had just happened. She looked at the child, wondering what she was.
“Are the men gone?” Severine asked Ellen.
Ellen stood up, thoroughly confused. The child clearly didn’t remember anything that had just happened. She looked back down at the girl, wishing she could help her.
“She must cross the lake.” Nathan’s voice startled Ellen, and she spun around to face him.
“If she doesn’t cross the lake, she will never have peace, and she will relive her death for eternity.”
Ellen looked back at Severine. She crouched down next to her again. “Severine?” The child looked at her, trusting, but still full of fear. “Severine, you have to go to the boats over there, and you have to paddle it across the lake. Can you do that for me?”
The girl nodded her head, and slowly, cautiously stood up. She walked over to the dock, untied a boat, and got in. She looked back at Ellen for approval, and Ellen nodded and smiled encouragingly. The girl picked up the oars and began paddling with surprising strength for her size. Ellen continued to watch the child. She looked back several times for more assurance, but after three looks back, she grew sure of herself. Ellen walked back towards Nathan, unsure whether to tell him of what the child had said, and unsure if she should ask him why he had disappeared. When she reached Nathan, he put his fingers to his lips, and pointed back at the lake.
Severine was just reaching the first man they had seen. She slowed down as she drew level with him, and they both stopped paddling for a time. They were too far to hear, but Ellen continued to watch. As she did, the girl carefully stepped from her own boat to the old mans, and picked up the oars he had been holding. She began paddling, leaving her own boat behind, greatly increasing the speed the old man had been traveling at.
“True service,” Nathan said as he turned from the lake to Ellen.

*****
“Where have you been?”
It was David. Ellen had spent the last week with Nathan, learning more about the world of the dead, and increasing her ability to cast spells. Now she was sitting in Calculus, just a few minutes before the last bell would ring. David had taken Nora’s seat next to Ellen.
“What do you mean, where have I been?” Ellen asked, daring him to bring up Sovenia in the middle of school.
“For the past week, I haven’t seen you.” His voice was low, not wanting to bring unnecessary attention to their conversation.
“Well the week before that I didn’t see you, so I don’t really see what the problem is.” Ellen wasn’t sure why she didn’t just tell David, but she secretly feared him finding out about her spending so much time with Nathan. She had felt neglected when David hadn’t been there for so long, and she was very grateful that Nathan was there for her to help her better her magic and increase her knowledge.
“About that, Ellen. We really need to talk.” David was serious, as always, but something in his voice made her look up at him. When she met his eyes, she realized what it was: fear. Whether it was fear of her, or of something else, she couldn’t tell, but it was definitely fear. Her expression softened, giving David the edge he needed.
“Picture the cabin tonight when you fall asleep, and you’ll wake up there.”
With that, David stood up and walked over to his own desk. A few moments later Nora sat down at her desk, looking at Ellen.
“What did David want? How are things between you two? You hardly talk about him anymore.”
Ellen realized for the past week, she hadn’t really talked to Nora much at all: about David, Nathan, or anything.
“There’s not really anything between us anymore.”
Nora’s face fell with genuine disappointment. “You two would have been so cute together! What happened?”
“Nothing. That’s just it: nothing at all has happened. But it’s okay. I’ve moved past him.”
Nora looked at her, curiosity aroused. One eyebrow raised above the other, and her lips formed a hinting smile.
“And on to…?” Nora asked, always suspicious.
Ellen sighed. “Do I have to move on to someone else? Can’t I just be content with being single?” The words sounded ridiculous even to her ears.
“Oh, come on Ellen! You’re WAY too boy crazy to be content with being single.”
Ellen knew it was true, and doubted she could persuade Nora otherwise. The final bell rang, saving Ellen from the interrogation.

That night, as she fell asleep, Ellen did her best to picture the cabin, but her mind kept drifting to Nathan and his house. His face swam through her head, blocking out the thought of David. But just as she drifted into unconsciousness, it was David’s face that filled her mind.
When she woke up in Sovenia, it was in the log cabin of her first day. She let out a sigh of relief, then stood up. When she was with Nathan, she hadn’t taken notice of what she was wearing. As she walked past the mirror on her way out the door, she saw the same sage green cloak from her first day there. She smiled, and walked out into the front room.
The room seemed tiny compared with the grandeur of Nathan’s house, but at the same time it seemed more welcoming, more comfortable. David stood in front of the fireplace, staring, as on the first day, into the depths of the flames. Ellen’s emotions at seeing him in Sovenia again were a complicated mingle of joy, relief, guilt, and confusion. She realized despite what she had said to Nora, she still liked him. But she also liked Nathan now. She shook her head, allowing herself a break before she would have to choose between the two.
As she entered, David turned and looked at her, and appraising expression across his face. The worry of earlier that day seemed to have vanished, replaced with joy at seeing Ellen. Ellen blushed, and walked toward him. He took her arm and together they walked outside.
The followed the same trail they had on Ellen’s first day there. As they walked, birds in the trees chattered merrily, and the trees seemed to bristle with life. Ellen wondered what kind of season changes they had in Sovenia.
“Ellen, where have you been?” The question came out of nowhere, disrupting their peaceful silence. Ellen still hesitated to tell David about Nathan, certain he would be disappointed. She couldn’t exactly pinpoint why, but she knew he would.
“I’ve been working on my magic,” she responded, telling half the truth.
“Why not work on it here? At the cabin? Where it is safe?” David was still worried, he had simply hid it before.
“David, I’ve only seen a fraction of this world. I wanted to see more of it.” Ellen wondered if this was believable.
They walked in silence again for a time, David deep in thought. Finally, he answered.
“You want to see more of the world? Okay, fine. Let’s go see more of the world.” David’s tone was abrupt, almost harsh, but full of determination and untold plans. He turned around, walking quickly back toward the cabin. Ellen followed, confused and worried. David seemed so concerned about danger in this world, but all Ellen had found was Nathan, who was far from dangerous.
They walked quickly back to the cabin, Ellen struggling to keep up. They walked inside, and David led her through a door she hadn’t yet been through. It was to the left of the fireplace, a small simple door, with only a handle to mark its bare wood. As they walked into the room, Ellen saw that it was a small bare room, with only a tall mirror to occupy it. There was no furniture, no wall hangings, nothing save the mirror. David led her to it, and they stared at their own reflections.
“This mirror,” David explained, “is more than just a piece of glass. It was created by a powerful sorcerer, so he could travel without wasting magic. It has a twin, placed far from the original, and the two act as a portal. One can travel from this mirror to the other by simply walking.”
Ellen wondered how he had attained what was clearly something of invaluable cost. David did not pause long enough to allow her to ask.
“If you want to travel quickly, this is the best way to do it. It is only connected to one mirror, but there are other mirrors near the twin mirror, so we can travel from there if you so desire.” David looked at Ellen to gauge her reaction. “Are you ready?” he asked. Ellen nodded, wondering where the mirror would take them. David stepped closer. “I’ll go first,” he told her, “to make sure there are no surprises for you.” David turned to face the mirror, and purposefully walked into it. Instead of stopping when he hit the glass, he continued on. For a brief moment, Ellen could still see his receding figure before it disappeared. Ellen looked around the empty room, unsure how long she should wait before following. As she looked at the bare surroundings, she was reminded of the land of the dead, and its barren beach with nothing but a stone cliff and a lake. She shook the thought from her mind, and stepped toward the mirror. She tried to copy David’s walk, purposefully and trusting. When she hit the mirror, a cold sensation spread through her body, from the first points of impact flowing into her blood. She felt like she was being spun around in a blender, and began to be nauseas and dizzy. When she felt she could stand it no longer, the feeling stopped, and she found herself standing in a room completely different from the one she had been in only moments before.
The room was made of stone, and there was no ceiling. The sky above her held a high sun, shining brightly and immediately warming Ellen after the travel through the mirror. The room was similarly bare, but was immensely large, larger even than the ballroom in Nathan’s house. Suddenly, Ellen realized she was in a courtyard. She was standing on dark brown dirt, so dark it was almost black. There was a small tree in a corner of the courtyard, and an iron gate in one of the walls. As Ellen continued to stand there, the sun seemed to bake her, and Ellen wondered if they had traveled to a desert. David was standing a few feet away, looking at her with a curious expression. Ellen could not figure out what emotion played over David’s face, nor why.
“Well, are you ready to do some ‘exploring’?” he asked her, the sarcasm almost unnoticed in his voice.
Ellen walked away from the mirror, away from David, purposely towards the gate. When she reached the bars, she turned back to look at David. He still stood by the mirror, with the same curious expression on his face. She smiled playfully at him, and he walked toward her. Once he was across the courtyard, he walked to a small mechanism near the gate. He began pulling on one of the metal chains, and the gate slowly raised into the wall above it. Ellen ducked under it before it was fully raised, and turned to view the surroundings.
She had been right: it was a desert. The dark dirt of the courtyard was nowhere to be seen. All around was a dry, cracked clay, with a few tumbleweeds to lighten the landscape. In every direction were building ruins: old stone buildings, collapsed to piles of rubble, wooden slates from doors slowly rotting in the hot sun. There was no sound in the old city, except a harsh, hot wind blowing the tumbleweeds across the dried clay. Suddenly David was beside her, holding her hand. He began to lead her through the city, along paths with no rubble, old streets before whatever had happened.
They walked for about ten minutes, winding between rubble, avoiding large pieces of stone. They reached a narrow staircase, still sturdy despite the ruins around it. David led her up the stairs, Ellen just behind him, worried about the structural integrity of the stones. The climb was long, but eventually they made it to the top.
They were on a flat mountain, overlooking the ruins they had just walked through. In the distance Ellen spotted the courtyard they had started in, shrouded by the remains of several parapets. They had been in a castle. The castle seemed to be the center of the city: the houses spread out evenly on all sides. Beyond the edge of the ruins was nothing: the same dry earth, with tumbleweed blowing unpredictably across the landscape. In the distance Ellen spotted a dust devil: a large cloud of dust blown up into a tornado-shaped column, disturbing only the tumbleweed unfortunate enough to land in its path.
David still stood beside her, as together they looked out across the ruins.
“What happened here?” Ellen wondered aloud.
“This is the kind of destruction that results from people searching for those that can fulfill the prophecy.”