Chest heaving up and down in a regular motion, eyes searching for a light to get out of the what-looked-like a cave on a barren island, feet dragging the body on the moist sand, brain in commotion to distinguish between a dream and reality. The long-awaited sound of waves colliding on the seashore made the pair of windows open to the ceiling of a familiar room.
First looking at the right side then followed by analyzing the left side of her, Ellen placed her palms on the soft sheets. They sank in the bed as she used them as a support to push her body up and switched into a sitting position. Upon seeing the bright light of the dazzling sun striking against window panels, she got up from bed and walked out of the room. Reaching the staircase, she saw the door by the end of them closed. She came back to her room and opened the windows to look up at the sky. Azure clear. There weren't even wispy pieces of clouds.
"It was a dream?", being in a state of confusion where her brain refused to help the girl to find the lost pieces of the puzzle, she mumbled to herself. Cloudy. All she had remembered from last night was cloudy memory. Foggy memory of her standing on the rooftop then falling on the floor. That was all. She didn't remember anything except these. There were missing pieces of puzzle existing somewhere far from her world, in the vastness of the beautiful sky, in the depths of the dark underworld, there were answers, hidden.
Standing there, a sudden memory from the last night jumped into her sight. That drawing. She hurried towards the study table and pushed the books aside, looking for the piece of paper. If it was also not there, then she had been screwed up by mixing reality and dreams. But to her relief, the drawing was there. When her fingers nonchalantly brushed over the cliff, she felt herself being thrown in a vague ocean of events where she was running out of oxygen and the only way to swim up to the surface was to open her eyes and struggle against the gravity of the ocean bed pulling her down. She was lost in dilemma for the second because her eyes were already opened. What was the feeling then? Jerking everything off her mind, she put the drawing back and had a cold shower to wake her body up and induce alertness in her fouled-up mind.
After getting dressed, she made herself a banana shake and had a sandwich. Picking the relevant things, she locked the door and walked towards the bus stop. Boarding the bus, she swiped the card through the reader and sat next to a girl by the window side.
"Hello", when she looked at the person, it was the girl from last morning.
"Oh, Hello to you too", she smiled, forgetting about all the lingering thoughts in the back of her head.
"We couldn't have an introduction yesterday. I'm Ellen", she extended her hand.
"Nice to meet you, Ellen, I'm Eugene", the girl gladly shook her hand with Ellen's.
"So...do you travel here from your town every day, Eugene?", Ellen found it nice to have someone accompany her on the way to the library, especially when that someone's sole focus wouldn't be on pulling her legs.
"Yes. My grandparents bake cakes. I sell them to a bakery which is near to another stop which comes after your library's one", hearing the word cake, Ellen wandered her eyes at the girl's lap, looking for boxes.
"They're in back, there", she chuckled seeing Ellen's reaction and pointed her finger to the back seat of the bus.
"How is it to live in a small town?", Ellen asked, curiosity getting to her. She had always wanted to lay under the clear sky adorned with countless stars, breathe in the pollution-free air, run through green fields. Regardless, she wasn't unhappy with the city life. She just wanted to experience all that for once.
"Away from the noise and city pollution, it's amazing there. Also, the people there are so nice and humble. The whole place gives off a feeling of home", home...
When was the last time when Ellen felt herself at home? Probably a night before the accident of her parents or the next day when they left saying that they would be at home by night. But they never came. Living in the same house wasn't easy for her but she had to. She made herself used to the place thinking that the house was the symbolism of her parent's love. They bought the house when they decided to get married. So, it was better for her to keep living how she had been for years and did but the place never felt home like before.
"It must be great there", fantasizing about a blissful day there, she let out a longing sigh.
"You can also visit there", the girl said.
"I can come there?", Ellen repeated as she thought her ears didn't hear right.
"Yes, you absolutely can", when she heard her confirmation, her face beamed in joy. Why hadn't she thought about this before? A trip to a small town? Just for a day? She could've it planned with Chloe on weekend.
"Give me your number. I'll send you the address so that you can visit whenever you make your mind", Ellen typed her number in the dialer of her phone.
The girl saved it and soon the little chit-chatting came to halt when the bus stopped. Ellen bid bye to the girl and got out of the bus. When she momentarily looked at the blue sky, an explicit memory of the grey sky turning into pink because of lightning flashing all over it landed in her mind. Again considering it a part of her vivid dream from last night, she shook her head and entered the library.
Before she could start her work, Mrs. Benson called her in the office and informed her that there was a books seminar this weekend and that she could have off early since most of the readers would be attending it. She exited the room and have her eyes wandering in the whole place before she busied herself with organizing the books. Someone was missing. Someone she also didn't know she got used to seeing every day.
Landing in the same place, grim folded his wings and found the spirit of air waiting for them at the entrance of the building. He didn't plan to visit the place this sooner but the spirit called him and Jeremy in an emergency.
"I've told you so many times that I'm not one of your servants who would show up on your shitty short notices", he just came there yesterday. If there was anything, the spirit of air should've told him then. Well, he would if it had happened before grim went there. But it happened overnight.
"The gatekeeper of the dungeon in the southern realm is dead."