She didn’t know how much longer she could hold out. The return plane trip was horrible. Her head was spinning, and she felt like she was going to throw-up all over the nice man next to her. She just wanted to curl up in a ball and die. She wanted to get to one of the ridiculously small bathrooms, but because she was in the middle of the plane she didn’t want to disturb the people sleeping around her. She turned off the TV monitor, and laid her head down on her personal tray table.
“Only 7 hours left…” she said to herself.
She closed her eyes and tried to fight off the nausea for a few minutes so she might sink back into the trance she used as sleep when on a plane. The trip over wasn’t anywhere near this bad.
As here eye were closing it seemed that a veil of color and tranquility was pulled over her, like a blanket. The feeling was so unusual, tingling like her whole body was asleep with colors moving like the wax in a lava lamp be hind her eyelids. It was confusing at first, but when the nausea and pain disappeared she embraced it for a measure of relief.
The colors stretched and folded before her. Her eyes weren’t open but she could still feel her body slumped over the tray table. She decided to ignore her body, for now, and focus on what these colors and the tingling feelings were. It felt familiar…
She tried to reach out her hand but her body wouldn’t respond. She tried to move towards the colors. She wasn’t too worried about leaving her body; it wasn’t going anywhere and the colors were more interesting that sitting in a chair for hours suffering from the turbulence of the plane traveling back to America. She decided to focus on the colors.
As the thought crossed her mind the colors started to take define shapes. Circles, squares, and triangles at first and the more she concentrated the more detailed they became. They overlapped and started to become objects she could recognize. There was a traditional European castle with marble stone towers, stone gargoyles on the outside walls, and a wooden drawbridge. It looked like something out of a fairy tale or from an old painting. More shapes appeared and trees, grass, and a blue sky appeared between her and the castle, blocking it from her view.
She shook her head.
“No more airline food…EVER…”
When she heard laughter, she jumped. When she turned to look where the noise came from she realized that she was no longer sitting in her seat but was in a field surrounded by trees. When she focused on the trees they became more detailed and realistic. The bush that was by her feet laughed at her and was getting bigger.
“Distracted easily?” the bush asked.
“Don’t worry…my bark is worse than my bite.”
“I didn’t know that bushes had bark.” She said with her eyebrow raised.
“Ha ha ha…plant jokes. Just what we need.” The plant fell away like water sliding off a window in the rain, leaving a small blond sitting in front of her. She was wearing a green short sleeve shirt with earth brown pants. Bright blue eyes looked up at her.
“Hi, my name is Shylo. I guess that this is your first time here?”
“Are you really a plant?”
“How rude! I guess where ever your from they don’t believe in introductions.”
“Sorry, I’m Rachel.”
She stood up, not bothering to wipe the dirt from her cloths, and put out her hand to shake.
“Much better. Well Rachel as for being a plant, no I’m not. I was testing an idea I had about plants.”
“Was it about laughing plants?” Rachel asked with a smile.
“No but that might be something to look into.” Shylo replied, looking thoughtful.
“Anymore plant people I should know about? I wouldn’t want to step on anyone.”
Shylo looked at her in shock and flew into a laughing fit that sent her to the ground. Rachel laughed at her reaction, but didn’t really think it was that funny.
“…*hic*………they’re…… gonna…*snort*…… luv……… you…*weez*……”
“Who?”
The poor thing was laughing too hard to answer.
“SHYLO! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?”
Shylo sat up quickly, laugher suddenly gone; looking towards the direction the voice came from. “Oh crap!” she whispered. She turned back towards Rachel, blue eyes big and tearful “Please don’t tell anyone you saw me here! I’ll be in lots of trouble.”
“Hum…”
“Please! Please! Please! Please…”
“I KNOW YOU’RE HERE SOMEWHERE!”
“I’ll try, but I’m not real good at lying.”
“Ok…try your best, and I’ll make it up to you!”
Rachel nodded, and watched in amazement when the image of the bush reappeared, hiding the little girl. Rachel was reaching down to touch it when the owner of the voice exploded through the trees on the other side of the field that Rachel didn’t know she had been standing on.
The man was dressed completely in black; black boots up to his knees, a sleeve less black shirt tucked into his black pants, and long black hair pulled back into a ponytail at the base of his skull. He was tall and looked as serious as death as he stalked across the field towards Rachel.
“What are you doing out here?” he demanded.
“Hello, nice outfit, I’m Rachel.” She said, trying to be polite.
“I’ll ask you one more time. What are you doing out here?”
“Well, Mr. Black, I’m standing in a field admiring the view.”
As soon as she said that the scenery around them became more alive with sounds, smells and colors. Rachel was astonished. There wasn’t any sound that she could remember, or smells for that matter. The wind blew through the forest and over the field where she and Mr. Black were stood.
She did a 180 to take in the view and when she looked at Mr. Black again he was deathly pale, and his eyes were shining purplish black.
“What’s wrong with you?” She asked him hesitantly.
His mouth moved like he wanted to speak, but nothing came out. He sank to his knees; Shylo reappeared in enough time to try to catch him before he fell face first into the ground.
“Are you ok…?” she asked panicked.
He was shaking in the younger woman’s arms as he nodded. He took a deep breath and tried to stand. Rachel moved forward to assist but as soon as she touched him he jerked away.
“He doesn’t like to be touched…” Shylo said meekly.
“Who are you and why are you here?” he asked, breathing hard with his hands on his hips.
“I told you before my name is Rachel, and as for what I’m doing here I have no idea.” She said, watching him for any sign or hint that he might fall again.
“We will take you to the council. Since you’re here you must learn and FOLLOW the rules.” He said with suppressed anger, stood, turned and started to walk back towards the trees he came out of.
“Ok.” Rachel took a deep breath. “What should I call you then Mr. Black?”
There was an oppressive silence as he stopped his attack on the ground that he called walking and turned around and glare at her with is strange color eyes, “Call me Hate.”
Shylo trailed after him, pale and frightened. Rachel followed confused and not too happy being told what to do by some figment of her imagination.
“Some dream. A Goth bully, a plant girl, and a forest that appears only when you look at it.” She sighed and shook her head, “No more packaged water for me.”
Moving through the forest Rachel got immediately confused. There was no trail and they seemed to be going in circles. The trees were strange. Pine, maple, redwood, bamboo, and sakura trees all grew in the same forest. It wasn’t possible, but because she was in a dream she didn’t mind it too much.
“Keep up or you’ll be left behind.” The grumpy voice came from behind her. She had stopped to stare at the trees. Blushing she turned to follow him.
“Where are we going…Hate?”
“You have broken the rules in entering this field; the Council will decide how to punish you,” He said without emotion and continued to walk away.
“Ok, but how am I to know the rules if I have never been here before? It’s not like there was a sign up or anything.”
He spun around, grabbing her by the neck and slamming her into the tree she had been inspecting. She struggled but could get out of his iron grip.
“You’re in enough trouble now; you don’t want to add to it by lying.”
She started to feel lightheaded. This hand was cutting off her airway. She drew back and kicked him in the knee. His eyes deepened into black pools of darkness, and he threw her to the forest floor.
“I will enjoy watching you squirm in front of the Council,” he said with an evil smile.
“Touch me again Hate, I’ll teach you the meaning of Pain,” she heard her self say. Shocked at herself for saying something to someone who was completely unstable, but the voice seemed to come out of nowhere. It was surprising to see fear flicker briefly in the black depths. Not knowing why she would scare him, she stood up, “Let’s see this Council you keep talking about, maybe you’ll be the one punished for assault.” She gave him a small bow, “Please lead the way, Hate. We wouldn’t want to keep your masters waiting.”
He snarled and jumped at her, rage and hate clearly visible in his eyes when Shylo, who had been hiding as the same bush as before, moved between the two saying in an, surprising adult voice, “Things are not as they seem Hate, we MUST bring this to the Council.”
He skids to a halt right in front of Shylo. He growled at the small child but retreated, sulking.
Shylo turned to Rachel. “His behavior was horrible but taunting him like that didn’t help anything did it?”
Rachel snorted,” I wasn’t trying to help; the ape-man needs to know he can’t push me around just because he thinks I broke some rule. It was unnecessary to be that aggressive,” she said still glaring at the man, who was pacing back and forth between two trees like a caged beast.
“If he comes near me again I won’t stop. Even if he would try to kill me, I will fight till the end. His victory would not come easy.” Rachel heard herself talking again without thinking. She was going to get into more trouble with these people if she couldn’t keep her mouth shut.
Shylo looked at Rachel and her eyes flashed green. Before Hate or Rachel could do, say or breathe Shylo had turned from a blond haired, blue eyed little girl to an extremely elegant adult with green glowing eyes. The red dress she was wearing looked like something from a Shakespearian play. Her long blond hair was looped on top of her head as well.
Enough was enough…
Rachel stumbled back and tripped over a log. When she looked up, Shylo wasn’t the only one who had changed. When she looked over at Hate she was stunned. His European type armor was midnight black with a silver design that looked like vines growing over it. A helmet of the same color covered his face except for the place where his eyes were. Instead of his purplish black eyes, the helm’s visor glowed blood red.
“THE COUNCIL HAS GATHERED.” They stated in unison. When they started moving towards her was when Rachel decided that it was time to either wake up or run. She quickly decided that she would run and try to wake up as she went.
“This is one of the most messed up dreams I’ve ever had.”
“THIS IS NO DREAM.” the voice said
Her flight through the forest was cut short by her foot catching an up turned root. She managed a graceful face plant into a stream before the two caught up with her. Each one grabbed an arm and hauled her to her feet. Feeling a little dizzy from the fall, Rachel was too disoriented to flight or fight.
“WE CANNOT KEEP THE COUNCIL WAITING.”
Looking out of her wet hair, Rachel saw the scenery blur and darken. The nauseating feeling returned until a torch came into view. A dungeon type room surrounded her. Muttering to her self at the unfair advantage her brain had over her when her body was suffering.
“SILENCE!”
That jerked her awake.
“YOU HAVE BEEN CHARGED WITH THE HIGH CRIME OF ENTERING THE AREA OF ANOTHER WITHOUT PERMISSION, HOW DO YOU PLEAD?”
Looking up, Rachel saw she was surrounded by five hooded (and seated) figures, Hate and Shylo. The hooded figures were seated in chairs while Hate stood as if ready to tear Rachel’s head off. Shylo was leaning on a chair that looked to be made of a living tree, which was growing out of the chamber floor.
She shook her head to try and clear the cobwebs, and responded, “What are you people talking about?” She asked confused. She looked at, she hoped, Shylo. “I have no idea what is going on here.”
Hate’s visor flashed red. “As the Council witnessed she lies to try to cover her deliberate breaking of our laws!”
“She didn’t seem to know what was going on, and she seemed lost.” The adult Shylo said, as if in her defense.
“It was an act! She knew she was caught when you removed your plant form, so she played dumb!” he yelled
“If that was the case she would have gone back before I got a look at her. She even gave me her name.” She said in a quiet voice.
“Everyone here knows what power is in a name, no one would give their real name to anyone, especially not anyone on the Council!”
“All the more reason that I believe this is her first time here.”
“Impossible! That wasn’t a designated area for new entrances! She knew that and is playing on it!”
One of the hooded figured stands. “We will get to the bottom of this Hate there is no need to yell.”
The blood-red glow faded from his eyes. “As you wish, Truth” and with an old world bow towards the standing figure, he sits in an armor matching chair. When his encased head turns towards Rachel the eyes return to their glowing.
Rachel, really REALLY tired of people talking about her and not to her, stood and turned to look at the other standing figure. A strange feeling of formality coming over her she gives the standing figure a small bow, and as she stands says, ”If I have broken a law I will pay the penalty, even if I broke it out of ignorance.” She takes a breath and lets it out slowly; “If Hate ever lays his hands on me again I will remove him from his impressive soup can and remove his heart.”
Silence…
Then…
Laughter from the others.
“She is one of us alright!” Another of the hooded figures yelled out.
The dungeon melted away leaving a beautiful garden. Every type of flowers imaginable surrounded them. There was a table sitting next to a fountain that seemed to be in the middle of this garden.
The atmosphere of the garden changed drastically. The aura of power left and the impressively dressed Hate and Shylo reverted to their original forms and the hooded figures became actual people. The one called Truth stepped forward, with her hand extended.
“Please forgive the doom and gloom, my dear. We had to make sure you weren’t guilty,” she said, as her body started to appear. She was shorter than what she appeared in the hooded cloak and not as thin. She was a lot darker than Shylo and Hate. With short black hair and deep brown eyes that matched her skin she returned the bow Rachel gave earlier.
“I’m called Truth. The rude man who laughed is Honor.” She said in a formal voice but she had laughter in her eyes.
“I couldn’t help myself…” Honor said. His cloak melted away to reveal an older man in slacks and a white shirt with laugher plastered on his face at his own joke. “It’s not everyday that someone stands up to the Black Knight.”
Hate had disappeared along with the other cloaked figures. The only people in the garden were Truth and Honor.
“Well, my dear, since you helped us pull one over on Hate, we’d like to fill you in on this strange situation.” Truth explained.
“Thank you, it’s nice to talk to someone with out getting yelled at.”
“Or about.” Honor added.
“Right.”
“Hate and Jealousy, as you know her Shylo, have not been here as long as Honor and I so they don’t really know about you.”
Confused Rachel asked, “And you do?”
“Of course. We were the ones to meet you when you first arrived, years ago.” Honor piped in.
“Don’t get a head of yourself Honor.” Truth said in a quiet reprimand. “Why don’t we sit, this is kind of complicated and it could take a while
“OK. I’m kinda tired anyway.” Rachel said yawing. Strange that she should be tired in a dream.
“This place that we’re in doesn’t have a name, so to make things easier just call it the Plane. We don’t know why or how it came into place, but the Council members when I first arrived said that their Council didn’t know of a time that people were not meeting here to share ideas and stories. Certain people from all over the world find their way here through some strong emotion. If they accept the Plane or if the Plane accepts them they can find their way back. If for some reason the powers that be don’t want the person here, or the mind of the person can’t withstand this type of…existence…then they can’t return.” She paused, “You understand so far?”
“Keep going I think I’m following.”
“The usual trigger for access here is a strong feeling or emotion. Our names are given to us by what emotion brought us here. Truth, in my case, and honor, in his,” he said pointing towards Honor, who was falling asleep in his chair.
“Thats kinda strange. That means everyone here has names like Hate, and Honor?”
“That is just for the Council members, but I’ll get to that.” Subtle reprimand.
“When the person first arrives one of the older, members I guess you could call them, explains and shows them around. I was assigned to the task when you arrived. It was not my first assignment, but it was the most interesting one.” She said with a smile on her face. “We were supposed to ask the person what the last thing they remembered was. You didn’t know what yours was. We separate people when they arrive by their trigger, and without a trigger we didn’t have anyplace to put you. This was the first time that happened. EVER. The Council, at that time, didn’t know what to do, so they sent you back.”
She turned her head away, tears in her eyes. “We did not know what we were sending you back to. Apparently your trigger for your trip was a life threatening accident of some kind because pain rippled through the Plane.”
“I was in an accident in middle school but I don’t remember much of it.”
“Wrong. You don’t remember any of it. You’re brain blocked way the memories of the accident, along with what I taught you about the Plane.”
“How do you know that?”
“1 I taught you myself, 2 I’m the Avatar of Truth, and can read the truth in you, and 3 you are a terrible liar.” Another smile and a snore that sounded like a laugh came from the sleeping Honor.
Rachel burst into laugher, not just the normal kind but the laugh-and-cry or you’ll go crazy type laughter. She held her sides and tried not to fall off the chair. Honor sat up from his fake sleep and exchanged a worried look with Truth.
Between breaths they could hear something that sounded like, “Now I know you’re telling the truth.” But they couldn’t be sure until she stopped laughing.
Breathing hard, Rachel stood up and stretched.
“This seems far fetched but I couldn’t make up anything this complex just to get out of being uncomfortable on a plane.” she walked over to a grassy area and laid down.
“Ok Truth. I believe you. I had the déjà vu feeling through this whole thing anyway.” She rolled over on her stomach to look at the two still in their chairs. They looked worried.
“What? Is this grass actually made of people and I’m killing thousands?”
“No. That’s ridiculous.” Said Honor, followed by a snort by Rachel that seemed to say there were some other silly things going on here that grass people didn’t seem so silly.
“The thing is that you just affirmed you trigger, Pain.” Truth said. She paled to the point Honor went to her side.
“And? What’s wrong with that?” panicked Rachel sat up.
Honor took over here. “We get our names and our seat on the Council by what triggered our first visit and because our trigger was stronger than the others. You, by all rights should have died in your accident. What stronger pain could there be than a pain that borders on death?”
“What does…”
“What he means is, welcome to the Council of the Plane, Avatar of Pain.”
Sitting up, “Let me get this straight…I’m in a place outside my body where people meet and chat like some virtual reality chat room, where only the emotionally unstable and the traumatized can find, that is ruled by a council of emotionally challenged people, which I happen to be one of.”
“So far so…”
“Shut up Honor.” Truth whispered, jabbing him in the side.
Glaring at the couple Rachel continued:
“Not only am I a member of this wacked out council, but I was here before but forgot all about it due to the trauma from an accident I was in years ago.”
“She got it on her first try!” Honor said chuckling.
“Rachel rolled her eyes, and let herself fall onto the grass. “The airplane company should be sued for putting drugs in their food…”
Truth stood from her seat, gave Honor an evil eye, walked over to where Rachel had purposely fallen back to the ground.
“The food might have made you sick but your brain knew how to get here.”
“Ha ha. The food wasn’t that bad.”
“I wouldn’t know, I’ve never been on a plane before. What was it like?”
“You’re getting off topic on purpose now, Truth.” Honor said, for the first time, seriously.
“Oh goodie there’s more…” heavy sarcasm from the figure lying on the grass.
Truth sat down besides Rachel.
“The problem is that the Plane is in trouble and we need the Council at full force. Two of the members have gone missing, and with your return we think the previous Avatar of Pain has been removed.”
“What?! Removed how?”
“We’ll get to that later.” From Honor.
“What is worse is that you need to relearn the ways here but we, Honor and I, feel that if you were to relearn the knowledge you need here that it might trigger your memories of your accident.”
Rachel sat up, “Why?”
“You’re time here paralleled your time in the accident, surgery, and recovery. We fear that the memories are entwined; you can’t remember your first trip here because you psyche blocked out everything about that time.” Truth took a deep breath, “It is your choice. We can re-teach you with the chance of you’re memories coming back or we can exile you and hope another Avatar of Pain is found.”
