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Author's Note: And We're back. So it took a very long time. I could write a whole bunch of amazing and cool excuses but I don't really have any. Life is a Bitch. I guess that's all I got. I will say though that I've been sitting on this chapter for a while now because honestly I have NO IDEA where I want to take this story from this point. If anyone please has any suggestions, PM me. I'm serious, I'm really stumped. I wanted to go one direction with it but the story went another. Now I'm lost.

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7.

It was bright, like before.

That blinding flash of light right before...right before I woke up from my dream. The dream I thought was a dream. The dream that turned into reality. I blinked, looking around. Everything was white. It seemed to go on for miles and miles. No matter what direction I looked. Where was I? Was this another dream, a true dream this time? I waved a hand in front of my face but for some reason, I couldn’t see it. Weird. Then I pinched myself. I couldn’t feel a thing.

Was I dreaming?

Taking a step forward, it felt like I was walking on air. Looking down, all I saw was more white. I should have been scared but I wasn’t. It was strange. This place---wherever it was---it was strangely calming. Absently, I reached up to touch my necklace. It was gone. When I touched my chest, I felt nothing there either. Was I even here? Was I even a person? I tried waving my hand again but nothing happened. Did I even have hands here? Everything was so strange and weird and calm. Why was I so calm?

I started to walk more, wondering if I was even walking.

This was one strange dream.

Stranger still was the fact that I didn’t seem to be going anywhere.

Every step I took just seem to lead further and further into the white.

A white that never ended.

Sighing I finally gave up.

That’s when I heard it, someone calling my name.

It was faint at first.

I snapped around, looking for the source. The person called again, it was closer this time. There was something about the voice, something familiar. I’m not sure why but it felt like I’d heard it before. I just couldn’t remember when and where. I started to look for it though. I started walking then moving at a more brisk pace until I was full on running. The more I ran, the louder the voice became. Over and over it called my name. Running in this place wasn’t exhausting at all. In fact, I felt stronger than ever. Whatever issues I had in the real world, they didn’t apply here. I felt like I could run forever.

Maybe even swim forever.

That thought made me smile.

This place.

It was amazing.

I could stay here forever.

But first I needed to find that Voice.

“Closer”.

I was getting close.

“Yes, closer.”

The closer I got, the more it became like a person.

Instead of being something faint and disembodied, it started to take shape.

“CHASE!”

It sounded like a girl.

“Where are you!”

“Here!”

I stopped running. I’m not sure why but I suddenly felt like I should stop. As soon as I did, she appeared. It was almost as if she appeared right out of thin air. I almost went over the top of her. I had to take a step back from an inevitable collision. The girl standing before me was beautiful. She wore a long white dress that billowed around her legs, the skirt covering her feet. She was tall and thin but not twig thing like a starved supermodel. She had subtle curves. An ideal body shape. It wasn’t her most striking feature though. That would be her hair. I’d never seen anyone with blue hair like that. It could have been dyed but I’m not sure someone could get hair like that from a bottle.

Her back was to me and when she turned around, I gasped.

There was something familiar about her.

It wasn’t just her voice.

It was…

I looked at her face but I couldn’t place it.

“Finally,” she said, smiling. “I’ve been trying for a long time, you’re a very hard person to get in contact with”.

She giggled. She had an affectionate laugh.

“What’s going on?” I asked, confused. “Who are you? Where are we?”

She smiled. “Always questions with you. Good, I like that. As for answers, well let’s see”. She waved a hand and a chair appeared just as she was sitting down.

I sat too.

Where did my chair from?

She laughed. “To answer your first question, you’re right. You’re asleep. You’re in the motel room. You’ve had a busy day. You needed the rest. This is a dream. Well in the sense that you and I can talk this way.”

“I don’t understand.”

She smiled. “That was not the response I thought you’d have. I would have thought by now that you might have figured some things out.”

“Figured what out?”

I was confused.

Who was this girl? What was she doing in my dream?

She opened her hand, in her palm was my necklace.

I absently reached for my neck.

I felt my neck now.

It was gone.

“Hey, that’s mine!”

She smiled. “Actually, it's mine. Has been for quite some time now. You could almost say, all my life to be exact.”

The necklace dissolved away, leaving only the gem. It slowly floated in the air, a few inches from her palm and started to glow. First a strange white light than blue. The light was mesmerizing and relaxing. It was familiar too. I’d seen it before. Back in the warehouse, back when I was about too...the Ninja girl! How had I forgotten about the Ninja girl??? I panicked, realizing that I should be dead right now. She swung that sword at me and...and…

Blue Haired Girl smiled. “You were saved. I saved you. I had to protect my...my...”

She paused, I think she was trying to think of the right word.

As she sat there to think, some things started to come to mind. It was a slow process as my mind slowly started to play catch up. It didn’t take very long. The pieces were starting to fall into place but it wasn’t possible, was it? I bought the necklace from an old woman on the street, there was no way...wait, what had she said about it? Something about not even packing it to sell and that she tried for years but no one wanted it? She’d been surprised it was even in her wares that day? It was almost as if...as if the necklace put itself there. That was crazy though. Necklaces weren’t sentient, they couldn’t do things like that.

Unless…

The Mutates…

They smelled it. The first two in the warehouse, the one in the trench coat actually ripped open my shirt. He reached for my throat to strangle me, no not to kill me. He was reaching for...reaching...I absently touched my throat. The necklace. The other one, the one in the clinic. He smelled something too. He was convinced I had whatever it is he smelled. Had demanded I give it to him. Then he called me...he called me….

Archon.

Dey’s words were suddenly in my head: “ Its what we call someone in possession of a Heart. The Mouth becomes the Archon when they take the Heart into their possession...”

The Heart into their possession…

I stopped touching my neck and looked at the blue stone, still glowing and floating above her hand. The little stone that had meant so little to me and yet so much.

The Heart.

Oh, God.

“Goddess actually,” said Blue Hair with that warm smile of hers. “Your Goddess if you’ll have me.”

Not possible.

I pushed back, knocking over the chair as I suddenly got to my feet.

“You can’t be...I can’t be….”

She sighed. “Not the most ideal situation, I’ll give you that. Things are still a bit fuzzy for me too. I remember choosing a Host. I remember the Ceremony then I was stolen. We were running. There was a ship, a chase, time distorted around us...and then...then…

She shook her head. “I can’t remember anything more, its all a blank until the other day. On the street. When you appeared. There was something about you, something calm and familiar about you. I think it was your nature. You have a good heart, Chase. These past few days while I’ve been building my strength with you, I’ve come to realize you are a good person. I think that that’s why I chose you. You care very little for yourself and you help others. Like your sister and your boss. Others too.”

“You know all that?”

She nodded. “I’m able to read your thoughts, share your feelings, your memories...”

“This is crazy.”

“I know its a lot to process and understand,” she said, standing up. “Its hard for me too. I’ve never had a male host before. It's different...its...hard. It might be dangerous too...for both of us...”

“Dangerous?” I asked, suddenly concerned.

More so for myself then her.

“I feel weak. Empty. Not just my memories either. I should have this power but for some reason, I can’t find it. I need to keep trying though...”

That last bit was more to herself then me.

“Can you leave?” I asked, more like blurted.

I’m not sure where that came from but it felt right. Maybe I could help her. Find her a new Host, a proper one. She said it herself, she’d never had a male Host before. Maybe I could find her a better one, a female one. This was all just too crazy for me. There had been someone better for her, someone, more suited for her. Someone like…

“Hey what about the princess?”

“Jellia, the Thief” she snapped, vinegar in her words.

“No,” I said quickly “the other one. Her sister. The one you were supposed to be with. Your true Archon?”

“Nalia,” she said, there was warmth when she spoke the name.

I nodded. “Where is she? Dey said the two of them pursued Jellia together. They followed her through the Rift. Shouldn’t Nalia be here too?”
The girl---Goddess---shrugged. “It's strange. It's rare when One of Us and Our Host are separated. It does happen from time to time but it's usually very painful. Even then, One can usually sense Them. When I woke up on the street, all I could sense was You.”

What?

“You weren’t bonded though,” I said quickly, trying to think of an answer. “Dey said Jellia snatched you away before the Ceremony was completed?”

“She did?” The girl seemed lost in thought. “Strange. I have no memory of that. The Ceremony is for Show. It's for the Masses. We’re bonded to our Host before then. The only way we can be unbonded is by force...or...”

She didn’t have to say.

I saw the look on her face.

There was sorrow. She sighed. When she spoke, there was a foreboding in her voice:

“Maybe that’s why I can’t sense her...”

I found myself stepping forward, putting a hand on her shoulder. “If she’s alive, I’ll help you find her, I promise.”

The Goddess smiled, reaching up and putting a hand on my own. “You’re a good person, Chase. I promise not to intrude on your life. I will also respect that you are only a temporary Host and I will not make the Convergence with you.”

“What’s that?”

She smiled sadly. “Its the final bonding. Now that we’ve spoken, I can sense it. You and I are not Complete yet. Our Souls are still separate. When we find Nalia or another suitable Host, I can be passed to them without any pain.”

Well, that was good to know.

I mean I didn’t mind being a “Delivery Boy” but I’m not sure I liked the idea of having her stuck with me forever.

“It's not ideal for me either,” she said with a smirk.

Great, she can read my mind too.

She was still smirking.

I sighed. “So do I call you Goddess or Girl or...”

“Well my given name is Aniqa but that doesn’t seem appropriate here. This is not Quel after all. We are not in my Temple. I think perhaps an Earth name. What is that you call this stone again?”

I smiled. “Aquamarine.’

She smiled too. “That is perfect then.”

Aquamarine, The Goddess in my head.

Fun times.

“Yes, we need...” she stopped talking to yawn. “I guess that’s going to have to wait, I appear to have exhausted myself. I guess I’m not as fully recovered as I thought. We’ll have another conversation soon after I’ve rested some more.”

There was a flash of light...

I opened my eyes, blinking.

Now that was one hell of a dream.

I groaned, shifting my body. The flimsy blanket slid off me and onto the floor. Where did that come from? Blinking again, I looked around. The room was unfamiliar to me for a sec. Where was I? Slowly though, everything was coming back to me. I was in a motel room, on the run. Shit. I sat up straighter, every muscle in my body was stiff. Sleeping in chairs did not agree with me. I looked toward the window, the early rays of the morning were just shining through the blinds. I rubbed the back of my neck, feeling the familiar chain still there. I smiled and absently started to reach for the gem but stopped myself.

The dream…

Oh shit, the dream…

Was it real?

Did I really have her in my head now?

I suddenly felt an overwhelming sense of calm. And warmth. Lots of warmth. It started in my fingers as a gentle tingle then coursed through my whole body. I felt this feeling before. A couple of times. All after putting on the necklace. It was her, it had to be. So it was real, all of it. Oh, God. The necklace was not a necklace but a vessel for a God. I had a God in my head. I was her Archon. Well at least temporarily of course. That was a little overwhelming to process. All this time I’d been carrying a Goddess around my neck and never knew it. Had it all been by chance? Or was it something else? The old woman had said the necklace wasn’t supposed to be there but then how did it get in her cart? Aquamarine---ummm, Aqua---said she woke up when she sensed me.

So if that was the case, how did she get there?

That was going to nag at me.

Just like something else…

I cursed, jumping to my feet.

I had to pee.

Real bad.

I rushed quickly into the bathroom. I sat on the toilet and quickly started to relieve myself. I was halfway through peeing when I realized I was sitting. Why in the hell was I sitting?

After I flushed, I got to my feet.

I stumbled over to the sink.

I gasped.

The person staring back at me was completely different. Of course, it was still me but everything was different now. For one thing, my hair was really long. It had been shaggy looking yesterday. Today---this morning---it had grown past my shoulders and down my back. I couldn’t remember the last time my hair had grown that long. I cursed. Was this some of what she was talking about? Convergence? She said it had started but it wasn’t finished. Leaning closer, I noticed it was a shade or so lighter too. The color of my hair always straddled between auburn and brown. It never really tipped the scales toward downright brown or red. It was definitely moving more toward the red category now.

My hair wasn’t the only thing that had changed.

My eyebrows looked thinner and my skin, it looked blemish free. Smooth and---I touched my face---soft to touch. My skin had never been rough but it was never this soft though. What’s more, my scar was gone. I used to have this tiny little scar above my right eye. When I was in kindergarten, I got into an argument with another kid over some wooden blocks. In retaliation for not giving him what he wanted, he threw one of the blocks at my head. He caught me above my eye. I had to have a couple of stitches. There was a court hearing over it, the teacher was reprimanded for not paying attention, blocks were removed from the classrooms and we almost sued. It was a big mess. I always used to like that scar though. It gave me character.

Now it was gone.

I reached up to touch the spot where it used to be.

Had she done this?

Was this more of the Convergence she was talking about?

Grunting, I took a step back from the mirror. I stared a bit more at my face. At least, I still looked like me. I’m not sure what I planned to look like but with the changes already, I wasn’t sure. I was scared what might happen if we continued to stay bonded like this. She said she never had a male Host and it was dangerous. I think I was starting to see what dangers she was referring too. It was almost as if…

No, I shook my head.

I didn’t want to think about it.

I quickly undressed and got into the shower. I closed my eyes as I let the water flow over me. It felt good again. There was that tingling and warmth. The calm was back too. I was starting to associate those feelings with her. Did she like the water as much as I did? Is that why she was reacting to it the way I sometimes did? Trying not to think about it, relaxed. I opened my eyes a few moments later to wash my body, taking a slow and careful time with my hair. The motel had provided tiny little shampoo bottles. Washing long hair wasn’t new to me but it felt strange to be doing it again after all this time.

I took my time with the shower today.

I didn’t have to be anywhere…

....Wait...

I cursed.

Carrie!

Damn it, how could I have forgotten. I quickly shut off the shower, grabbing a nearby towel. I wrapped it around my waist and rushed out of the room, nearly colliding with Dey as I did so. I flushed in embarrassment. Not only because I was only wearing a towel. Apparently, she slept in the nude, something she clearly didn’t tell me about last night. Then again, I think I fell asleep before her.

“Ummm...wow...I...”

She gave me a strange look then looked down. “You do not sleep in the nude?”

I shook my head. “Not usually no.”

She nodded. “I can see where it might be uncomfortable then. I will remember that in the future.”

I nodded. “Good to know.”

It was strange really. One minute with Dey it was like talking to a real, normal girl. Other times, it was like talking to a robot. I think it was the way she spoke. So formal sometimes and other times…

It was just weird.

“I need to shower?” she asked, it was as if she didn’t know.

“Most people do,” I said like a dick then quickly added. “You don’t shower on your planet?”

She nodded. “Of course but Zeeka is a lush, beautiful place. We bathe whenever we can. There are many streams and rivers. There is this one spot---outside my village---where several people gather in the morning.”

Several?

I guess where she comes from walking around in the nude wasn’t so weird.

“I miss home,” she said with a sigh.

“When was the last time you were there?”

“It has been a while” she left it at that.

Before I could ask anything more, she slipped around me and into the bathroom. She closed the door just as fast. A minute or so later, I could hear the sound of rushing water. I guess she wasn’t a morning person. Or a morning talking person. Just as well, I wanted to make a phone call. After she destroyed my cell, I’d been nothing but worried about how much Grace and Carrie were probably worrying. Sure I’d been running for my life but that shouldn’t have stopped me from calling them. I was still a little pissed that she crushed my phone though. I understood why she did it but she could have said something before she did it. At least give me a moment to let them know I was ok.

I went over to the room phone. I quickly dialed home, Grace picked up on the second ring.

“Hello?” she asked, a bit sleepy.

I hadn’t realized it was so early.

I inwardly cursed.

“Grace,” I said in a low voice, hoping that supersonic hearing wasn’t one of Dey’s many “superpowers”.

“Chase! Thank God!”

I sighed. I’d only been away for a day or so and I was so happy to hear her voice.

“I’m sorry I made you worried...”

There was a tiny bit of silence. “What have you gotten yourself into?”

Wait, huh.

“I’m not sure...I...”

Grace lowered her voice, almost as if she didn’t want someone to hear: “The cops are here, they’re looking for you and that friend of yours.”

Wait, what?

How?

Then I remembered and groaned. I called it in on my cell. Of course, they’d know it was me. Even if I made an anonymous call, my number would still be on record. A number that my father knew all too well. A number that the dispatchers probably knew too. So not only did I call from a potential crime scene but I fled it too. This was bad, this was really bad. Even more, they knew I was with Dey. They were already looking for her after all.

I quickly grabbed the remote from the floor, flicking on the TV.

It didn’t take me long.

It was all over the news.

Incident at the Clinic. I caught the tail end of it:

“POLICE ARE LOOKING FOR CHASE MATTHEWS, ELDEST CHILD OF CHIEF MATTHEWS, GREENFIELD POLICE’S...”

I muted the TV and cursed.

My school picture was on the screen.

A second or so later, Dey’s picture was there too. First the grainy image from the warehouse then a better one of her outside the clinic. There was video too, must have been from the clinic’s security cameras. Shit. Of course, they had security. The video was pretty damning. It showed her throwing the car door then stepping through the broken window. Double shit. I unmuted the TV, wondering how they were going to spin that little bit:

“That was incredible,” said the female anchor. “I’ve never seen anything like it. That was a car door, an actual car door!”

She was obviously stunned.

I cursed again.

“This is bad,” I said, shutting off the TV.

“No kidding,” said Grace, I completely forgot we were still on the phone together. “How did she do that? Nevermind. Your father is flipping out. He’s got half the police force out looking for you. What the hell is...”

I cut her off. “It's not what it looks like. It's complicated. Dey isn’t a bad person. Look it's better that you don’t know anymore. It's dangerous.”

“Chase, honey, this is crazy. You need to come home or go to the police station or...”

“I can’t. They’ll find me there.”

There was no doubt about that. Whoever was controlling these Mutate things, they seemed to be one step ahead of me.

“Chase...you need...”

“Is Carrie ok?” I asked, hoping to change the subject.

Grace sighed. “She’s fine. She’s worried about you but she’s good. We haven’t told her what’s going on obviously. She just wants her big brother home.”

Damn.

I felt myself tearing up.

I couldn’t remember the last time I started crying.

“I’m sorry Grace, I really am. I didn’t mean to get involved in this. It was...it was out of my control. I wish I could tell you more but I can’t, not right now. You need to know that whatever they say, I’m not the bad guy here. Something’s happening, something bad. Something that might change the world.”

Understatement of the century.

“Just...just be careful ok?”

“I promise,” I said, “I’ll call again soon.”

As soon as I hung up, I rushed over to the bathroom. I banged on the door like a maniac. The water shut off a few seconds later then the door opened. At least she was wearing a towel this time. That didn’t stop me from looking at her body. Before I was too embarrassed to notice but now that she was partially covered, I saw an intricate tattoo that started at her toes, wound up around her knees and though I couldn’t see, it probably wound up the rest of her too. I could see a portion of it on her shoulders too. Whatever the symbols were though, I didn’t recognize them.

Wow.

I stood mesmerized.

I snapped out of it a few seconds later.

“We have to go,” I said, after averting my eyes.

"It's your authorities?"

I nodded.

How did she know these things?

Author’s note: As I’m sure all of you know, comments are life blood to an author. I’m not begging or demanding, but I certainly would appreciate anything you have to say (or ask). It doesn’t have to be long and involved, just give me your reaction to the story. Thanks in advance...EOF