SWNOVELS Chapter Chapter Ten
James appeared silently within Emily’s room. He had sensed her crying out in her sleep. She was having a nightmare again. Gabriel had told him that there was nothing they could do to stop the nightmares but James refused to believe that. He had to help Emily out if he could. He went up to her. The girl was tossing and turning in her sleep. She was sweating and crying out. James sat down on the side of her bed and took her hand gently in his. His eyes glowed blue and he entered her dream.
Emily looked around. She was in some sort of abandoned building. Almost like a large manor. The windows were sealed shut. She couldn’t see outside. She had locked the door herself. She was out of breath. She had to get away from whatever it was that was chasing her. She had heard the galloping and whinnying of a horse. After seeing the four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, she wasn’t too keen on seeing another horse in her dreams. She knew that it was a nightmare but it was like she couldn’t get out of it yet.
She heard movement. She spun around. “Who’s there?” She cried out. She was terrified. She picked up a wooden pole. It looked like it had come from a table at one point. “I’m armed!” She cried out weakly. She could hear the galloping getting closer. She didn’t have time for this. She had to get out of there.
That was when a boy appeared from around a corner. “Stay back!” Emily cried. She swung her pole at the boy.
The boy backed up. “It’s okay!” He shouted. “I’m a friend.”
Emily shook her head. “Who are you?” She cried. She stepped back and tripped over a loose board. She fell to the ground. “Stay back!” She cried again.
The boy went up to her and helped her up. “If I was with whatever as chasing you, I would have just unlocked the door.” He told her. “Or lead him into this building.”
Emily shook her head. “Who are you?” She demanded. “Are you with the Horseman out there?” She demanded. She wasn’t sure if it was a Horseman of the Apocalypse but if there was a horse out there, it would make sense that it was a Horseman of the Apocalypse.
The boy shook his head. “My name is James.” He told her.
Emily’s eyes widened and her hand flew to her neck. Her necklace was still there. “You’re the “J”.” She said. “The “J” who left this with me when I woke up.”
James nodded. “I wasn’t supposed to come here but I had no choice.” He told Emily. “I could sense your nightmares and wanted to try to help you the best I could.”
Emily shook her head. This was becoming too much for her. “What do you mean?” She asked. “How could you tell that I was having nightmares? How did you even get here if you’re not a figment of my imagination?” Who was this boy?
James shook his head until he spotted a mirror in the next room over. “Come with me.” He told her. He went to the next room where the mirror was.
Emily wanted to say no but she heard the galloping. It was getting louder. She shook her head and went after James. “What are you wanting to show me?” She demanded.
James looked at her before he looked at the mirror. “Look in it and you’ll see how I’m here.” He told her. Emily looked at him. This boy had to be crazy. She shook her head and looked at the mirror. She would humor him. Her eyes widened. She saw herself but she was asleep. Tossing and turning in her sleep, crying and sweaty but still asleep. James was sitting next to her. He was holding her hand and it looked like a blue something was connecting their heads. How was that possible?
She looked at James. “How are you here if you’re not originally a part of my dream?” She demanded.
James shook his head. “I used magic to get here.” He told her. “It’s a magical energy connection that has united you and me. Pretty much I’m able to enter your dream right now and you’d be able to enter mine if I was asleep right now and you were the one awake.” The horse’s whinnying got louder. Emily looked towards the main entrance. It was shaking. James looked at it. “That lock won’t hold back the Horseman forever.” He told Emily.
Emily looked at him. “If this is a nightmare and you were able to enter my dream, wake me up!” She cried. “I can’t face those Horsemen again.”
James looked at her. His face was drained of color. “Those Horsemen?” He asked. His heart sank. “You saw all four Horsemen of the Apocalypse?”
Emily nodded. “War, Pestilence, Famine and Death.” She knew what each one represented.
James shook his head. “If they’re out there and you’re in here, then there must be a reason.” He looked around. He saw a wall with pictures on it.
He walked over to the wall. Emily followed him. “What do you mean?” She asked.
James looked at her. “I don’t believe that this place is a figment of your imagination.” He explained.
Emily frowned. “Then what is this place?” She asked. “I’ve never been here so why would I dream of a place I’ve never been to before?”
James shook his head. “You haven’t been to that altar place where they try to sacrifice you but you dreamt of it.” He told her.
Emily stopped walking towards him. “How did you know about that dream?” She asked.
James looked at the pictures and ignored Emily. If he was right, then this place was real. That meant that he should be able to read the writing that appeared to be on the pictures. The pictures all had the same building. A large manor looking building. If he had to take a guess, it was the abandoned building that they were in. He looked at the writing that was printed on the pictures before he shook his head. “It’s not in English.” He told Emily. He wasn’t sure what language the writing was in.
Emily shook her head. “Time out.” She said. “If it’s not in English, what language is it and how am I dreaming of a place that might not be in America?” That was impossible. There was no way she was dreaming of a place outside of America. James went up to her. They could hear the galloping of the horse. Emily’s ears perked up. “Wait.” She said. “Do you hear that?” She looked towards a staircase that went upstairs. “There’s someone up there.” She could hear crying. It sounded like a baby crying.
James looked towards the staircase. Now that Emily mentioned it, he could hear someone upstairs. It sounded like a baby cry. He looked at Emily. “We should find out who that is.” He told her. “It is possible that whoever that is, is not a figment of your imagination either.”
Emily wasn’t sure how that was even possible but James was there. He could be right. She looked at the doors. There was a loud banging at the door. It was too late to try to leave the building that way but there might be a way upstairs. She looked at James. “Let’s get going then.” She said. The two quickly ran upstairs. Just as they reached the top step, the sound of the door breaking down could be heard.
“So much for going back downstairs.” James said.
Emily nodded. “Which way now?” She asked. They only had two options to choose from.
James listened for the baby’s cry. “This way.” He said after a minute. He ran to their left. Emily ran after him. She didn’t bother mentioning that the Horseman was downstairs and it was just a matter of time before he came up the stairs too. They couldn’t make a mistake with trying to find the baby.
James stopped suddenly and turned to their left. “This way.” He said.
To Emily’s surprise, there was another hallway. It looked like it was a dead end. She ran after James. “Are you sure?” She asked. She could hear the baby cry but it was loud and could be just about anywhere.
James nodded. “I am quite certain.” He told her. Emily looked over her shoulder. It sounded like the Horseman was still downstairs but she knew it was a matter of time before he came upstairs. James led her into the hallway and then stopped in front of a door. Emily looked at the door. It looked old and dusty, like it hadn’t been used in a long time. She could hear the baby crying inside.
Emily heard something creak. She turned in the direction that they had come from. She could hear more creaking. “I think he’s coming up the stairs.” She told James.
James looked in that direction as well. “Let’s get going then.” He said. He kicked the door in. “Are you coming?” He asked Emily. Emily rushed in after him.
Inside the room, Emily looked around. It was very dusty and dark. The baby’s crying was very loud. She saw a crib. The crying sounded like it was coming from there. She ran over to the crib. To her surprise, the crib was empty. She could hear the crying there but there wasn’t a baby. She looked at James. “There’s no baby here.” She said.
James frowned and looked around the room. “But the crying.” He said. He shook his head. “There has to be a baby in here.” They could both hear the thudding steps of the Horseman. They didn’t have time to look through the entire room.
Emily heard something behind her. She turned around. Her eyes widened. There was something in the crib. It hadn’t been there a minute before but it was there now. She picked it up. It was a small locket. She opened it. There was a picture of a baby in it. Judging from the way it was dressed she had to guess that it was a girl. She looked at the inscription on the other side of the locket. “Audrey.” She read.
She looked at James. He was facing the door. “We have to leave.” He told her. Emily could hear the thudding steps. It was even louder now.
Emily went up to James and showed him the locket. “We need to find the baby.” She told him.
James shook his head. “I don’t know how to tell you this but I don’t think there was a baby here to begin with.” He told her. He pointed at the locket. “I think you were meant to find that.” He added.
Emily looked at the locket. “But why?” She asked. “I don’t understand this dream at all.” James took her hand and led her to the window. “What are you doing?” Emily asked him.
James shook his head. “We don’t have time for me to explain this.” He told her. “I think that this dream isn’t a normal dream.” He looked around. “I think you were on a dream journey. A dream journey that I have joined you on.” Emily frowned. What was a dream journey? James pointed at the locket. “This locket is important.” He told her. “Keep it safe for you might need it for what is coming.”
Emily shook her head. “You’re not saying what I think you’re saying, are you?” She asked.
James nodded. “The Black Hand is real.” He told her. “So are their Horsemen of the Apocalypse. So is your destiny.” He took Emily’s hands in his. “You are not alone though.” He continued. “You have allies who will help you.” He looked at the door. “We’re out of time.” Emily looked and her eyes widened. There was the Horseman. From the way he looked, she guessed that he was the Horseman of Death.
“How do we get out of here?” Emily asked James.
James looked at her. “Like this.” He told her. He picked her up and dove through the window. “Wake up!” He shouted as Emily screamed.
Emily sat up in her bed and took a deep breath. She looked around. She was back in her bed. James was gone. She wondered if she had dreamt the whole thing. That was when she felt something in her hand. It was the locket that she had found in her dream.
James watched Emily lay back down and fall asleep. He had turned invisible as soon as she had woken up. He knew that he shouldn’t have been there but he had to. Emily needed help on her journey. And now they had both found something interesting from her dream. That the Horseman of Death, years before, had been at an orphanage looking for a baby but he didn’t find her. The question was, why?