Project Songbird

Chapter 24

Now the air was tense.
"...I didn't know they were so close."
"Yeah, they used to be." Bob confirms, "As you could tell from the shouting match, Felix just distanced himself. We didn't know why, but I guess now it was because of fear." He glances at the woods where Felix had disappeared into. "We should probably let him cool off, everyone is healing at their own pace."
"Yeah, sounds good." I agree before I look back at Tyler. He was quiet, as usual. He had been watching the fight but didn't step in and it made me wonder why. Tyler catches my gaze and he looks at me, "They have personal problems, sometimes the best thing to do is just sit and watch. Neither of them were going to strike the other so there was no reason for me to get involved."
"How'd you know I was going to ask?"
He chuckles, "I recognize that look in your eyes."
"I have a look?" I tilt my head.
"Yeah, you have this look when you have questions. I think it's adorable." He smiles softly. I can feel the heat rush to my cheeks. You think I'm adorable??
It felt like my heart was going to burst out of my chest. I look back to the fire, trying to avoid his gaze now as it makes me feel so warm and fuzzy. He's so hot!
"How did you know that they weren't going to strike each other?" Hailey asks and I snap out of my love trance.
That's a good question!
"My secondary ability allows me to count life force around me and the color that I can see depends on the people around me." Tyler explains.
"It's color coordinated?" I look at him.
"Eh, sorta?" Tyler furrows his brows in thought, "No one has ever asked me about it before so I have never thought about explaining it to people who can't see it."
"Maybe you can describe it?" Hailey suggests, she takes a seat nearby.
"I can try." Tyler says. He sits forward a bit and looks around the bonfire, which has died a bit, making it darker.
"Around Bob is more of a white aura?" Tyler tilts his head as he tries to explain, "Usually when people get to a point of fighting, the color becomes rigid." He turns to face the medical ward, "Mark's dimmer, but stable."
"You can see it regardless of space?" Bob asks.
"I can always see it." Tyler answers him, "It allows me to keep track of everyone. I can tell where you are, how healthy, and how stable you are depending on how the aura is around you."
"What happens when someone dies?" Hailey whispers. Tyler tenses up a bit at her question, "...it disappears when you die. Meaning if I was to stare in the distance and see 3 auras and one suddenly goes out, someone died."
"Wait, so everyone is covered by this aura?" I change the subject to more of a lighter tone. Tyler looks back at me and nods his head, "Everyone has one."
"Is it only white?" Bob asks.
"No, I think it depends on your ability. You and Wade are covered in white but his is slightly jagged. I believe it's because he isn't just telepathic."
"That's interesting." Hailey says.
"I got Jack to lay down, he's going to have a killer headache in the morning." Wade states as he rejoins the group.
"Yeah, hopefully things can settle down now." Bob shifts in his seat. His son had originally run over to some bush so he had missed the entire fight but by the end he made his way back over to his dad. Very tired. He was rubbing both eyes when Bob picked him up and sat him on his lap so he could fall asleep.
Seeing the sleeping child made me realize just how late it was and I yawned, "Maybe I should go to bed too."
"You're not going to stay up for the lights?" Hailey asks me.
"I dunno, I'm really tired, I guess I could try to stay up a little longer." I shifted in my chair to try and get comfortable.
"Here, why don't you sit over here? I can wake you if the lights show." Tyler pats the spot right next to him. "That sounds like a good idea." I move from my chair and over to Tyler's side. He wraps the blanket that he was using around my back, pulling me closer so we could share. I yawn again and then lean my head against Tyler, "Don't forget to wake me." All I hear is a hum in acknowledgement.

~Dream~
There was otherworldly landscape bathed in the soft, golden glow of a celestial light. The air shimmered with a mystical energy, and the ground beneath my feet felt like clouds of stardust. Whispers of ancient secrets brushed against my consciousness as I moved through this surreal dreamscape.
As I ventured deeper into the dream, the golden light intensified, casting long, intricate shadows that seemed to tell tales of forgotten realms. The air was filled with the haunting melody of an unseen celestial orchestra, creating an enchanting symphony that resonated with my very soul. Strange and fantastical creatures, ethereal in nature, appeared and disappeared in the periphery of my vision. Each encounter left a lingering sense of connection to a realm beyond comprehension. The golden light, now pulsating in rhythmic waves, seemed to respond to my emotions, creating a dance of colors that reflected my innermost thoughts and desires. The dreamscape unfolded like an ancient tapestry, revealing symbols and patterns that hinted at a profound cosmic order. As I gazed into the depths of the golden light, a voice, both familiar and unknown, whispered cryptic messages, unlocking the doors to the mysteries of the universe. In this mystical dreamscape, time seemed to lose its grip, and I felt suspended in a moment of transcendence. The golden heavenly light became a conduit to a higher plane of existence, where the boundaries between self and cosmos blurred, leaving me with a lingering sense of awe and a profound connection to the mysteries of the divine. Where am I? This is the strangest dream...wait, if I know I'm dreaming can't I control it? I focus and try to change the landscape but nothing moves. Huh, weird.
The familiar, yet unknown, voice seems to giggle at my confusion.
"Who's there?"
The giggling slowly stops and the voice speaks. The whispering I can't understand at all but it comes through my head as clear as a bell.
"Welcome to my home Little One."
"Your home?"
"Yes, my home."
"Where am I ? Why am I here?? Who are you??"
"Always a curious species aren't you?"
"Uh, I guess?"
"To answer your questions: you are in my home. It has no name that you would be able to comprehend. You are here because your conscience is disturbed greatly. And who I am is not a big concern."
"You're not going to tell me?"
"It won't matter, once you wake this will all be forgotten."
"Are you God?"
Again, the giggling meets my ears.
"If you wish to call me that, then yes, I am God."
I'm not sure how to continue with the conversation but somehow words come from my mouth anyways, "My conscience is disturbed?"
"Yes. So much so that I can feel it even here. You seem quite upset and I understand as you have been through a lot."
"A lot is an understatement, but what does that have to do with me dreaming about 'God' ?"
"Well I can give you two choices to help you."
"Choices?"
"Yes, but I won't tell you what they are. Your subconscious will pick for you."
"Huh???" I'm utterly confused by this and it just doesn't seem to make sense.
"I understand that you are confused. But it will all make sense in due time when you awaken. Do not worry about me, I am always around. Always watching."
"That's kind of creepy."
Giggling again, "Well, I think it's time you awaken. You have a lot going for you, do not be disappointed."
As the final words make it to my brain, I can feel myself being separated from the warmth of the golden light. But I am not sad. I feel comforted despite being confused.
~End Dream~