Mirai

-----

As I had seen, Tamah marveled at the view as we sat in the Ferris wheel. And while she did that, I marveled about her.

I couldn't understand what had caused her to suddenly ask the questions she had asked, but it warmed my heart that she had. She had wanted to know more about me, get to know me better. And she hadn't seemed bothered by me sharing something difficult.

Telling her about it, having her squeeze my hand in comfort, had also eased everything a bit. I had always had support from Richmond, Redmond, and Mom regarding the bullying. They had always listened and comforted when I needed. But it was different to have Tamah listen and comfort. It eased everything more than anything ever before had.

As I watched her with her nose practically glued to the window of the box we sat in, I wanted to turn her to me, take hold of her waist, press her closer, and kiss her. I wanted to taste her sweetness, not just admire it.

She was so adorable in so many ways. So beautiful. Most of the time I did my best to not let my mind wander, but in that Ferris wheel, I let it. I let myself think about how it would be to run my fingers through her hair while our lips were connected. How soft and smooth her skin would be under my touch. How it would be to have her tremble not in fear or anxiety but in pleasure.

She turned to me with a wide smile, but that smile faded a bit as she saw me.

"Is something wrong?" she asked.

"No. Quite the opposite," I answered. My elbow rested against the wall, and my head rested in my hand. As she turned, I allowed my eye to linger on her lips for a little longer than I should have.

She adverted her eyes from me, looked back out the window. But she was more subdued and I could see a slight darkening of her cheeks. I wondered how much of my thoughts had been possible to read from my face.

I also wondered if she knew.

The mate bond would have clicked in place for her as well that first time we had seen each other and from how safe and comfortable she was around me already from the start, she could feel it. The question was if she was aware of that it was the mate bond. She had been so lost already the first time we had met that I wasn't sure she had registered what she felt for what it was. She definitely wouldn't have understood when I had first brought her out of the prison.

But now? Was she aware we were mates?

I knew a simple conversation would answer that question. But I had no plans of initiating that conversation. It felt like it would put pressure on her. That she might feel she had to live up to some expectations of a mate. But I held no such expectations and simply watching her be happy was enough for me.

We spent the rest of the day in a similar way. Going on different rides, eating when we got hungry. Tamah smiled and laughed a lot and I wished all days could be as carefree as this one for her. But I knew she still had a lot of healing left before that would be the case.

We got back to the house well into the evening.

"Do you want to shower?" I asked Tamah. "I just want to talk to Dad for a bit, then I'll join you upstairs."

She nodded and walked to the stairs.

"Be careful so you don't misstep," I said behind her when she had taken a few steps up.

She turned her head to me while continuing up. "I won..."

Her foot missed the step and she began falling. Though she didn't really have time to fall at all. I rushed forward and caught her. I had one hand grasping the railing and the other around her waist to keep her steady, pressing her warm, soft, petite body to me.

"I told you to be careful," I berated her. An image of her bruised up after falling swam into my mind, not a vision but my own worry and fear made that image.

I wanted to wrap her up in bubble wrap to ensure she was never hurt.

She looked up at me with round eyes and blinked a couple of times. Then she straightened herself, leaving my hold. Making my arm feel cold and lonely.

"I'm sorry," she mumbled and her cheeks flushed.

She began walking up again. I placed my hand on the small of her back and moved up a step with her. But she stopped and turned back.

"I can manage," she pointed out.

"Like you managed just a few seconds ago?"

She pouted and looked absolutely adorable. I wanted to lean in again and kiss her. But instead, I let out a low and soft laugh. I tucked a few loose strands of hair behind her ear, then I held my hands up in the air as a sign of surrender.

"Fine. Just really be careful this time."

The blush had become more pronounced as she turned back around and moved up. I stayed where I was on the stairs, ready to hurry up if she tripped again. When she was at the top of the stairs, she looked back down and gave me a faint smile.

When she was out of my sight, I walked into the living room where Dad sat with a book in hand.

"This place really is amazing!" I exclaimed and plopped down onto an armchair.

"You had fun today," Dad stated and put the book down.

"She's been much more like herself. Happy and carefree. There really aren't any limits to what this world can create? Can I also make it appear at specific times? I was thinking about showing her some fireworks before bed," I rambled on and already found the answer with my own sight. Already saw how Tamah would look at the fireworks and enjoy them.

"There aren't any limits to the objects this place can produce, no," Dad answered my question anyway.

"That's brilliant! It must be amazing always living here. I, at least, never want to leave this place."

"Yes, you do."

Dad's voice was somber, and it made me frown as I looked over at him. He had his eyes on a window, looking out into the early night.

"There aren't any limits to the objects this place can produce," he repeated. "But this place can never compare to the wonders of the real world."

I kept frowning and he gave me a soft smile.

"Other people. The unpredictability of life. Meaning. This place can never create any of that. So please, make sure both you and Tamah find a place outside of this world when you are both ready." He took up his book again and continued reading.

I sat there for a moment and thought it over. Dad had been stuck in this place on his own for almost eighteen years. He had to have been lonely. I wondered, though, how much time those eighteen years had been for him. He had said that time in this world could both move very slowly, which had been the case every day since me and Tamah had arrived, or very quickly. How many days had he lived that had gone by in only a moment or two because he lacked in things to do?

When I got upstairs, Tamah already laid in bed. I decided against the fireworks for now and got in beside her. She moved to comfortably lie wrapped up in my arms.

"Today was fun," she told me.

I had my cheek towards the top of her head. A smile spread over my lips. "I'm glad. What do you want to do tomorrow?"

"Maybe just rest."

I hummed in response before slowly falling asleep. Her presence worked magic to help with falling asleep. Everything about her made me feel calm and content, especially holding her, knowing she was safe and in my arms. I doubted I'd be able to fall asleep ever again without hugging her as I did.

As I fell asleep a dream started.

The sound of a heart monitor flatlining echoed in complete darkness. Then came a chorus of voices. Slithering and also echoing in the dark.

"The price was agreed and the payment done. The blood of three for the ever-flowing. Three lives for the everlasting."

A girl, or woman I couldn't tell which as I didn't see her properly, appeared. She stood in the darkness with her head downcast.

Voices came through the darkness. Voices of people. A lot of them.

"She's so weird."

"It's best to stay away from her."

"She's a freak."

They hurled insult after insult her way, all with the same message. She was someone to avoid. And she fought against it at first. Fought to show it wasn't the case. But then her defense crumbled and she accepted their words, let their words shape how she viewed herself.

The darkness disappeared. She stood in the middle of a road and my breath caught in my throat at what I saw.

"Watch out!" I yelled together with another voice. A voice belonging to a man, who displayed the same amount of horror I felt on his face.

She looked around at us, then turned back to see the truck before it hit her. I felt an empty sadness, but it only lasted a little while before I saw her crawl out from under the truck. I hurried forward and as she sat leaning against the side of the truck, I sat down next to her.

I couldn't see a single scratch on her, and I sighed in relief. Then I focused back on the insults she'd suffered her whole life, on how those insults had been internalized.

"You are not what others see you as, Morana," I told her. "It is them that simply chose fear instead of trying to understand. Don't let their words taint your view of yourself. Darkness is not bad. It is as much a part of life as light is. So trust your own instincts. Trust yourself. Trust that you are good."

I then watched as she did the opposite. As she fell into believing the worst. That she caused bad things to happen. I watched how she lost everything, how she blamed herself, but how she from that found the truth. Found the strength she possessed. 

So now we've had dreams about three out of four of the others? Will there be a dream about Danae though, considering that we have yet to read her story? 🤔