Noami

"I'm proud of you girls."

Noami and the others looked up.

A woman was smiling warmly.

Her hair seemed to be made of plants, twirling around each other and her eyes as golden as shining bars of gold.

Her body was covered with flowers of different colors forming a dress.

Noami knew who it was at once. It was merely a vision, but it wasn't as clear as the past, when she was constantly reminded to find the "others". She had questioned herself, who were the others? Now, she knew.

The power of Nature was weakening but Noami didn't know why.

"I only have a few moments to talk. We have to be quick." Mother Nature glanced around seriously at the girls.

The girls nodded.

"Find your guardians. Release them from their nightmares. I have faith in you."

And then she disappeared without any warning.

"This sounds dangerous." Artica's cold blue eyes filled with worry.

"We have to follow Mother Nature's orders." Noami looked around from one girl to another.

Estella bit her lip.

Artica sat down on a rock.

Jade frowned and crossed her arms.

"We should take a rest today and start on the quest tomorrow together." Jade suggested, releasing her arms. She began to walk back to the cave.

"Great idea."

~~~

Help me, Noami. Save me. Only you can.

A girl sat chained on a hard stone ground appeared in Noami's dreams.

Her hair and robes were as white as snow.

Her eyes were faded and misty.

Her skin was as pale as the moon.

But the blood on her body seemed black compared to the white.

Don't bring the others. They will only make things worse.

Something seemed to push her, and she collapsed on the ground.

The girl coughed up blood and it trickled down her chin, dripping slowly on the ground.

She managed to crawl back up.

But Noami knew she was weak.

Noami tried to shout, but this was a dream.

It wouldn't work.

Noami tried to read this girl's mind.

But she could only see blurry mist.

It didn't work either.

"Where can I find you?" Noami thought, shouting in her mind.

The girl either read her mind or heard the shouting.

Or…

Knew what Noami needed.

You can find me in the deepest land. The darkest land. Where the shadows swallow everything.

"What?"

Find me. You are the only one. Come. I am waiting.

"What about you? You are still going to get tortured!"

That seemed to have been answered.

Something slapped the girl, hard.

She fell limply to the ground again.

Noami could see the "thing's" fingerprints stamped on the girl's cheek.

Red.

It was shaped like human fingers.

Then everything blacked out.

And a scream pierced the air.

~~~

Noami sat up, her forehead beading with sweat.

She was on her bed, covered with a layer of silk.

She sat up and wiped away her sweat.

Noami didn't want the others to see her like this.

"Oh! Noami, you're awake!"

Jade ran over, carrying a bright yellow basket filled with fruits.

"We decided to go outside and collect some food for today's meal. Did you have a sweet dream?"

Noami's jaw dropped in surprise.

"I fell asleep?"

"Yes! You were really tired, weren't you?"

Jade's eyebrows furrowed in worry.

"I'm fine."

Noami stood up.

"Do you know where Estella is?"

"Yes, she's in her room."

Noami walked speedily across the cave.

Her footsteps echoed and her shadow loomed over the walls.

The image of the girl slapped played again and again in Noami's mind.

She didn't know why but was a tingly feeling in her mind.

It was never like this before.

Her right cheek burned.

It felt like she was slapped before too.

Noami's hand crept to her bracelet.

She rolled the purple bead around in her fingers.

This was a habit.

A habit when she was worried.

While rolling, she felt a crack.

A crack on the bead.

It was small.

But it was a crack.

A crack.

Mother Nature used to say it wouldn't get damaged at all.

Maybe she was wrong.

Noami took off the bracelet from her wrist slowly.

She brought it in front of her eyes, examining it closely.

Right there, in the middle.

Was a crack.

Noami's fingers were not wrong.

Suddenly, without any warning, something filled her mind.

Blood.

Screaming

Yelling.

Someone—

A man.

Slapped her.

Another boy…

About sixteen years old.

Kneeled down before her.

The man—

Brought down a stick.

No—

An axe.

Upon him.

She could hear screaming.

And it was coming from her.

The boy, almost lifeless, his back covered with blood, slowly flowing to the ground.

Noami could hear more muffled shrieking from her.

But she wasn't clear what it was.

The man raised his axe once again.

But this time, it was for her.