#esapw

This is my other entry for ES Appreciation Week. Thank you for our awesome hosts @mysteli and @brightpinkpeppercorn. I’m glad you guys decided to have this event, ES is one of my fave books ever!

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By the time Estela heads back toward the house, dusk has come and gone, bringing on the pitch black of night. As she approaches the house, her eyes wander to the oak tree and she does a double take upon noticing a soft, colorless light near it. Unable to ignore it, she steers the vehicle toward the source and approaches with caution.

Upon arriving at the foot of the tree, Estela already has the offender of the strange glow pinned. It just happens to be her daughter, who stands there silently with hands held upward toward the oak and a strange, shimmering glow being emitted from them. As she exits the vehicle and continues to observe quietly, an incredible truth runs through her mind: Olivia is responsible for it growing so quickly. The little girl inherited abilities similar to her father and Estela had never even thought it would be possible. What exactly it all means, is unknown to the young mother. Her mind races with thoughts, scenarios and explanations as she watches the tree slowly grow taller by second. After what seems like an eternity, Estela finally speaks up.

“Olivia, when and how did you realize that you could do this?” She speaks quietly as to not frighten her daughter.

“I don’t know momma. I was playing one day and I acci-denti-ally discovered it. I was scared when I first did it. B-but then I got used to it. I didn’t tell you ‘cause I was afwaid you wouldn’t believe me.” Olivia drops her hands and the glow fades away.

Estela is somewhat hurt by her daughter’s statement but understands the toddler’s logic.

“Baby this is amazing. But at the same time it’s dangerous. You should have told me. This is a huge deal and I think it means th-”

She’s interrupted by an otherworldly humming and a yellow, orange and blue rift that tears open not five feet from her and Olivia. Out of it steps the faceless apparition known only as Vaanu. Estela positions herself between the specter and Olivia.

“What are you doing here?!”

Olivia pushes her way out from behind Estela and her level of excitement unnerves the young mother. “I made a wish momma! While you were asleep on the plane I asked him to bwing daddy back. Is that why you’re here Vaa-nu?”

The intangible being steps forward slowly and holds out what appears to be a piece of paper. Estela takes Olivia’s hand and holds it tight while the toddler reaches out and hesitantly takes the item from the creature. The toddler is confused by the gesture but her mother instantly recognizes what it is and tears begin to stream down her cheeks. The long lost group photo taken by the La Huerta group; in perfect shape as if it was just taken and Estela points to a brown haired man in the middle of the group.

“That’s him baby. That’s your dad.” A sob escapes her while she wraps her arms tight around Olivia.

“Wow. He looks like me!”

“You look like him. This is the picture we were telling you about earlier.” Estela dries her tears with the sleeve of her jacket while Olivia turns to face Vaanu.

“Are you going to let daddy come back Vaa-nu?” Tears gather in the little girl’s eyes as she awaits the answer to her question anxiously.

The being appears to shake his head before gesturing to the rift from which he came.

In an instant, white hot rage boils over in Estela and she once again places herself between her daughter and the specter.

“No way. Not while I’m alive. You crawl back into whatever hell you’ve come from right now!”

“W-what does he want mommy?” Olivia trembles in the shadow of her mother’s anger

“He wants you to go with him baby. But I’m on to him now. This is what he does.” Estela points to the photograph in her daughter’s hand. “This thing goes around spreading false hope and then takes away what you love the most. He told your dad that the only way he could ever leave this planet was if Taylor gave himself up; making this demon whole again. The side effect of this decision was the world being put back to normal. But he lied to your father Olivia. Because here you stand. You’re a part of him just like your father and he was still able to leave without you. Taylor didn’t have to go; this thing wanted him for some reason and if you go too, you’ll never be able to come back.” Tears cascade down the young mother’s cheeks as she struggles to continue. “Do you understand?”

Olivia joins her mother in tears as Vaanu stands sentinel a few feet away. “I-I think I do momma.’

“I’m sorry baby.” Estela runs a loving hand through her daughter’s hair before she turns back to face the specter.

As she prepares to tear into the intangible being once again, an aqua blue light ignites behind her, casting its glow well past the young mother. She turns back to investigate the source of illumination, only to find Olivia, veiled in an aura of the same color: her eyes ablaze with an otherworldly energy.

“I want my daddy. Give him back you liar!”

“Wait, Olivia don’t!” Estela dives for her daughter, only to be knocked aside as tendrils of vibrant energy lash out toward Vaanu.

The young mother watches, awestruck, as the usually intangible Vaanu is constricted by the glowing limbs conjured by Olivia. He appears to writhe in agony as her grip on him grows tighter by the second. Estela pulls herself off the ground and carefully approaches the unresponsive Olivia. With no time to spare and not really knowing what to say, the brunette reaches out and tentatively takes the little girl’s hand.

“Olivia… I know you want your dad back. Trust me, I do too. But he wouldn’t want this baby. He wouldn’t want us being hateful and trying to get even. I know because he once stopped me from making a horrible choice by asking me to let go. Well I think it’s time for both of us to do exactly that.” Despair gathers in the corners of Estela’s eyes as she anxiously waits for her daughter to respond.

The little girl blinks and the blue energy burning in her eyes disperses as tears begin to well up within them. She then slumps as if the weight of the entire world has suddenly been lifted off her shoulders and in a magnificent burst of sky hued embers, the tendrils constricting Vaanu dissipate. For a tense few moments that feel like an eternity, the being seems to size them both up, before walking slowly back through the rift from which he came.

Mother and daughter share a tension relieving laugh as they embrace one another. But their celebration is cut short when Estela feels Olivia being lifted out of her arms. A bright green aura now surrounds the toddler and begins to pull her toward the still open rift. Panic sets in as the mother tries desperately to pull her child away from the hellish red-orange maw, only to slide closer to an uncertain fate herself. But Estela doesn’t give up; she continues to try and find a foothold, anything to halt the seemingly inevitable descent into hell.

“Momma, don’t let go!” Tears are now flowing from Olivia’s eyes as her mother tries in vain to pull them free of the demon’s grip.

“Not going to happen! If you go, we both go.”

The brunette finally wraps both arms around her daughter; pulling their bodies tightly together. She then summons all of her strength, attempting to propel them away from the swirling green energy and the rift from which it’s being conjured. But her effort proves futile as she begins to slide backward once again. Estela racks her brain frantically for a way out of the dire situation and a single, reckless thought stands out from the rest.

“Olivia, you need to fight back.”

“B-but h-how momma?” The little girl’s lower lip quivers as she struggles to understand her mother.

“Whatever you were just doing, do it again. Get him to let go. If we get pulled into the rift, we’re as good as gone.” Estela casts a loving gaze upon Olivia as the toddler gives her mother a resolute nod. “I love you baby.”

“I love you too mommy.” With those words, Olivia scrunches her face in concentration and the aqua blue aura once again flickers to life as flames of the same color reignite in the toddler’s eyes.

Tendrils once again materialize around mother and child and begin to pry at the stream of green light surrounding them. As the two opposing energies collide, space and time seems to warp and groan in agony. The ear splitting report frightens Olivia and as she loses focus, the tendrils flicker, threatening to disappear.

“Olivia keep going! Everything will be fine baby, I promise.” Estela’s reassurance and tight embrace reinforce her daughter’s resolve and the struggle resumes when the blue veil surrounding them stabilizes. As the opposing forces continue to clash, the area around the epicenter distorts and twists. The light being emitted from the colliding spectrums makes it impossible for mother and child to keep their eyes open. As the surrounding terrain begins to tear apart, the deafening roar of rushing wind numbs all of Estela and Olivia’s senses. With a final blinding flash of white hot light, the world goes dark for the brunette duo.

******

Jake is deep in a restless sleep; sitting in a bedside chair. He hasn’t showered in a day or two and his normal facial hair stubble has grown long with neglect. His mouth hangs open, causing him to snore just enough to disturb the once unconscious individual in the bed next to him.

Estela sits up and runs a hand groggily down her face. After taking a moment to soak in the surroundings, the conclusion is drawn that she’s in a hospital bed. The wires and instruments attached to her body eliminate the option of standing and frustration begins to build in her chest. Suddenly, the sound of Jake’s snoring draws her attention; compelling the brunette to flip the blankets off her legs and kick him halfheartedly in the chest.

“Jesus Christ!” The pilot leaps out of his chair in an instant and his eyes grow wide with surprise when he realizes who his attacker is. “Katniss?! I don’t believe it!” He throws himself upon her; capturing the confused young woman in an involuntary hug.

“Hey! Get off me!” Estela pushes him away and notices the tears gathering at the corners of his eyes. “Oh god. Judging by the way you smell and how shitty you look, I’ve been out a long time. How long, Jake?”

“Now Katniss, I need you to take it easy. This is going to be a b-”

“Jake! How long have I been out?!” Even in her disheveled state, the young woman shakes the pilot to his core with her anger.

“Six months. You’ve been in a coma for six months.” Jake shakes his head while looking her up and down. “You’re not exactly lookin’ like a 1980’s sex icon yourself, thank you very much. But I gotta hand it to ya, you’re tough as nails. Or genetically modified and held together with some kind of cutting edge sci-fi material.”

Estela rubs her temples impatiently while trying to gather her thoughts. Six months. “What happened to us, Jake?”

“I was hoping you could explain that to me. There’s a blast area out there on your property damn near the size of a football field. You and Olivia seem to ha-”

“Where is she? Is she okay?” The machines that are hooked up to Estela begin to beep in a frantic manner as she very nearly climbs out of bed to pry information from Jake.

“Whoa, whoa, take it easy. She’s fine.” He places both hands tentatively on the young mother’s shoulders; urging her to relax. “She called me in tears and was making absolutely no sense so I turned tail and came back. When I got there you were unconscious, lying a few feet outside of the affected area. Uh…. I don’t know how to tell you this… but I found something else out there.”

The brunette’s soft brown eyes grow wide as Jake trails off. “What is it? Time rifts? Vaanu?”

Before the unkempt pilot can answer, the room door swings open and a nurse, followed by several other medical personnel, stream into the room, casting the small space into chaos. Estela swats at them and angrily berates the team for the sudden unwarranted barrage of questions. When she finally snaps and begins to yell, the group of specialists leave the room promptly. As they do so, the young mother notices the three people, who were lost in the crowd, standing at the foot of her bed. The young woman’s breath catches in her throat and tears begin to blur her vision.

“Mommy, you’re awake!” Olivia jumps out of a young man’s arms and dives onto her mother’s bed, capturing her in an emotional embrace. Her once brown hair, now a silvery grey hue, appears to have been cut as it now barely touches her shoulders.

“Oh Olivia, your beautiful hair…” Estela woefully runs a hand through her daughter’s hair while keeping eyes on the brown haired, blue eyed young man that’s beaming at the both of them.

“Do you like it? I think it’s neat!”

Tears now flow down the brunette’s cheeks as she struggles with words. “Baby, how- where did…”

Olivia looks back to see what’s got her mother so flustered and then she remembers that her mother has been unconscious since that day. “We found daddy when uncle Jake came to save you. He was laying out there all nakey and he was sleeping too.”

Taylor finally steps forward and pulls them both into a group hug.

“God I you have no idea how much I missed you Taylor.” Estela presses her lips to his as Olivia makes a disgusted face and makes gagging noises. “Do you remember anything after Vaanu took you?”

“No, nothing at all. It was just pure darkness. But then there was a tiny light that seemed to be really far away. I followed it for what seemed like an eternity and the next thing I know I’m back. After I woke up and got over the initial shock, Jake introduced me to Olivia and your tio and well, here i am.” Taylor laughs timidly while brushing the tears out of his eyes. “Jake over there has been here watching over you almost every day since you were admitted. We figured it might be too much if you woke up to find me next to you. That guy would’ve fallen apart himself if not for her.” The young man gestures to the petite, blonde haired, blue eyed woman, dressed in nurses scrubs, standing next to the pilot.

Jake nudges the woman forward gently, urging her to introduce herself. “Hello, I’m Elizabeth. I work here.” She stops and shakes her head in embarrassment before continuing. “Talk about stating the obvious. Anyway, I noticed him not taking care of himself so I took it upon myself  to bring him food and leave it without saying a word. I did this until he finally questioned my motives and the rest is history.” She beams brightly at the family before nuzzling herself back into Jake.

Olivia tugs at Estela’s robe and whispers quietly in her mother’s ear. “Uncle Jake says she’s a pwincess mommy.” The brunette ruffles her daughter’s hair while smiling brightly in response.

Jake rises from his chair, stretching as if he’d been planted there for years, before linking arms with his companion. “C'mon darlin’ let’s give them some alone time.”

Elizabeth smiles brightly at the happy family before giving them a short wave and following Jake out of the room.

“Well I’m not sure where to begin. We have a lot of catching up to do. All of us. But first, we need to get them to let me out of this damn hospital.” Estela smiles brightly at her now complete family. Something she never would’ve thought possible.

Most people hate being abruptly yanked from their dreams by the blaring of their alarm.

Quinn, though, had more reason than most to hate it.

It should have been impossible. It still didn’t make any sense. But somehow, whenever she fell asleep, she was able to talk to Taylor. At first, she’d assumed it was just that: a dream. But the longer they went on, the more and more she wanted to believe that it was real, they were really there, somehow, talking with her. But it wasn’t until she spent a night at Michelle’s place that she and the others understood what was really happening.

“Quinn! Quinn, are you okay!?” Michelle shouted.

The dream connection vanished as Quinn was roused from sleep. She blinked open her eyes to see Michelle standing over her, grasping Quinn’s shoulders and staring at her with concern and fear. “Wha… Michelle?” asked Quinn groggily. “Something wrong?”

Michelle’s eyes were wide with shock. “Quinn. Is that you in there?”

“What?” asked the redhead nervously. “Uh...of course it’s me. Who else would I be?”

Michelle glanced furtively back and forth, as if unsure what to say. Finally she took a deep breath and sat down on the bed. “Quinn...you were glowing. Glowing green.”

Silence followed this statement for several moments as the meaning of her words sunk in. “Green. Like…?”

“Vaanu green.”

Quinn’s mouth dropped open as she felt the puzzle pieces click into place. “They’re not dreams…” she muttered to herself. “They’re not dreams!” Ecstatic, she jumped out of bed and pulled Michelle into a tight hug. “Michelle, do you know what this means!?”

“That you’re...crushing me…?”

Embarrassed, Quinn let Michelle go. “Er, right, sorry.” She sat back down and turned to face the other girl. “I’ve told everyone before about my dreams, remember? After the island?”

Michelle nodded. “Your dreams about Taylor.”

“I was talking to Taylor again in my dreams just now. Before you woke me up. But if you’re telling me I’m glowing like Vaanu in my sleep….”

Now it was Michelle’s turn to be surprised. “...Then you’re saying...you’re actually talking with Taylor?”

“Vaanu’s still with me, somehow. Which finally explains the mystery of me being cured after returning from La Huerta.”

“I had been wondering about that…”

“So maybe, if Vaanu’s still somewhere inside me, that’s why I’m able to talk with Taylor! I have to tell them that tonight!”

Michelle nodded. “This is...I really hope you’re right. God, I miss Taylor. I miss them so much. We all do.” Getting a sudden idea, she pulled out her phone and started a group text. “I’m gonna let the others know. This is huge.”

Quinn smiled at her gratefully. “Go ahead. I’m gonna figure out a way to stay distracted until tonight, or this is going to be a long day for me….”

Quinn tossed and turned, back in her own bed that night, frustrated as she wondered why trying to go to sleep always seemed to make it more difficult. She’d tried just about everything she could think of: counting backwards from 1000, reciting poems in her head, meditating, counting her breaths…. She had even put on a recorded lecture from her absolute most boring professor, only to inexplicably stay awake for the whole thing for what was probably the first time in her life. She kept glancing at her phone’s lock screen to check the time. 2:57 AM … 3:35 AM … 4:12 AM …

“Quinn?” asked dream-Taylor suddenly, and she realized she’d finally, finally, fallen asleep. “Hey, there you are.”

“Taylor! Oh God, finally. You’re not a dream!”

There was a long pause. “...Yeah, Quinn, I’ve told you that before.”

“Well, only a dream would say they’re not a dream.”

“That doesn’t make sense.”

Quinn laughed. “I’m...still connected with Vaanu, aren’t I? That’s how I can hear you?”

“Probably. I’m not quite sure. I...it’s like I’m the one dreaming, but all the time. I don’t know where I am. Inside Vaanu? Part of Vaanu? It’s complicated.”

“That’s not important. What matters is that I can talk to you, for real, and you’re not just in my own head anymore. You’re somewhere.”

Quinn pictured Taylor smiling that familiar, infectious smile, even though she couldn’t actually see them through the dream-connection. “Well, yeah, that’s what I’ve been saying. I have to be somewhere, don’t I? Otherwise, I wouldn’t be anywhere.”

“...What?”

“I don’t know, either. Time doesn’t really...make sense the same way to me, anymore.” She felt she could almost hear Taylor shrugging. “I’m part of Vaanu, but also...not. I’m somewhere, though. I get flashes of a place sometimes.”

“What does it look like? We’ll find you.”

“Purple.”

Quinn paused, unsure if their ‘connection’ was somehow ‘faulty.’ “Did you say ‘purple?’” she asked.

“Yep. All purple and...crystal-y. I, uh… can’t get much more than that.”

“I’ll tell the others. We’ll find you. I promise.” Quinn felt her dream-avatar start crying. “You’re real. I’m really talking to you. I so badly wanted to believe it...but…”

“Shh,” came Taylor’s familiar, reassuring voice. “I’m real, Quinn. I’ve always been real.”

“I...I wish I could kiss you.”

Taylor’s smile was audible. “Me too, Quinn. Me too.”

“I love you, Taylor. I miss you. Come home.”

“If I knew how to, I would.”

“Then I’ll find you. However long it--”

*CRASH!*

Quinn was abruptly awakened from her dream-talk with Taylor. She looked around for the source of the disturbance, and saw her door hanging off its hinges, with Diego and Varyyn standing just outside. “Varyyn, I told you, you can’t just slam through a locked door!” whispered Diego.

“I am sorry, Diego. Was the door not intentionally sealed shut as a test of strength?”

“What!? No! Look, next time, just let me lead.” Then he noticed Quinn for the first time. “Oh! Our bad, I am so, so sorry. I didn’t realize you were still sleeping!”

Quinn sighed and brushed a stray lock out of her face. “It’s fine. It’s so nice to see you two again! What time is it, anyway?”

“Uh...almost noon.”

“Right...wow. Okay. Just let me get dressed and I’ll be right out!”

Diego’s face went beet red. Varryn’s face turned green, which was maybe the Vaanti version of blushing, she still wasn’t really sure. “Yeah. Of course. Sorry! Uh...what do you want me to do about the door?”

Quinn laughed. “No worries, I can get it repaired. Just keep it closed for now.” How in the world I’ll explain THAT to the school maintenance service, I have no idea, she thought to herself.

Some time later, she met Diego and Varyyn in the student lounge, along with Michelle, Raj, Craig, Zahra, and Sean. Everyone looked at her expectantly. “...Right. Michelle, what did you tell them?” she asked.

Michelle shrugged. “Just the basics. You still glow green like Vaanu sometimes, and you can talk to Taylor.”

Quinn looks at the others. “Well...yeah, that’s about it,” she said. “I thought I was just dreaming about Taylor all this time. But now, I think I’m really talking to them each night.”

Everyone started talking at once, until finally Zahra stood up on a chair and shouted, “SHUT THE FUCK UP!” Silence. “Go ahead, Quinn.”

Quinn smiled gratefully at Zahra. “Thanks. Listen, I still don’t really know what all this means, but I do know one thing. Taylor’s still out there, somewhere. Someplace…‘purple and crystal-y.’ At least that’s all they were able to tell me before I got woken up.” Diego scratches his neck sheepishly. “And if they’re still...alive somehow, then we need to find them, and bring them home. I know out of our group I’m not the smartest...or the strongest...or the bravest…but if I have to, I’ll do it alone.” An awkward silence followed this statement. “Uh...thank you.” Quinn bowed awkwardly and took a seat on the couch beside Michelle.

Everyone looked at each other. Then Diego started clapping. Then Varyyn joined in. Then Zahra, then Sean, then Michelle and Raj. And finally, with a sigh of “What the hell…”, Craig joined in. “I always wanted to do that!” exclaimed Diego excitedly. “Nice speech, Quinn!”

“And you won’t have to do it alone,” added Sean, standing up. “I’m with you.”

“We all are,” put in Michelle. “Right?” A chorus of affirmatives greeted this statement.

For the first time since Taylor’s sacrifice, joy filled Quinn’s heart again. “Taylor…” she said softly, looking up toward the ceiling, picturing their smiling face in her mind, “...I’m on my way.”