Abeth?” Adabelle said,
after clearing her throat.
“Afternoon, Adabelle.
Please, come in and sit.”
Adabelle nodded, closing the
door behind her.
“I understand it’s quite
stuffy in here, but I was wondering if I might be able to speak to you in
private for a minute or two?”
“Of course,” Mrs. Abeth
said, indicating a seat. “Get comfortable.”
Adabelle did so, and quickly
began explaining the events of the day before, and of her utter confusion. She
explained her fears about Charlotte beginning to ask questions, and the more
frightening prospect that she had no answers with which to respond.
“I’m feeling so stuck right
now,” Adabelle said, “and the more I look into it, the more I realise I may
have to face my fear.”
“And what’s that?”
“Visiting the Oen’Aerei,”
she said. “Going into their halls and into the dream sphere chamber and
searching for my father’s sphere. If it’s broken then I know he is free,
without a doubt. If it isn’t, then we must search for any other reason as to
why he appears in my dreams. He can’t have done it on his own regardless, and I
can’t see him being able to piece together any ash flakes when we consider how
widely the ashes were spread.”
“It will be tough,” Mrs.
Abeth replied, “but you have to think about the end you wish to achieve. Would
you really rather go on living, not really knowing whether your father is free
or not? Or would you rather know and have some closure and the peace of mind
that comes with being able to see the fire through the smoke. Yes, you could
assure yourself that the impossible can’t happen and that it is a Sturding Nhyx
latched onto some sick idea, or that another Dreamer is out to get you for one
reason or another. Or you can think to yourself for a time that maybe going
after answers is much less painful than facing your fears for an hour.”
“You’re saying I go to the
Halls?”
“I am,” she replied,
nodding. “But that said, if you feel you really cannot face those fears at all,
then you are the one deciding your path and I cannot change that. I cannot give
you courage as surely as your sister can’t dream, but I can support you if you
need the support, and I can be there when trouble comes to be shoulder to cry
on, and an ear to listen. I cannot take your hand and march you to the Halls of
the Oen’Aerei, but I can promise you that if you do go, I will be proud to say
that you have faced your fears. If you don’t, I will not think any less of you.
This is you decision and yours alone.”
Adabelle lowered her head
slightly. She didn’t know why she felt so down all of a sudden. A part of her
had hoped for Mrs. Abeth to have all the answers, to speak the truth she needed
to here. She imagined her saying whatever she needed to hear, to face her fear,
or to give the answer outright. But Mrs. Abeth was only human, and only knew as
much as any human. She may have been her surrogate mother, so to speak, but she
was not God. She did not know all. She was Mrs. Abeth, and she had done her
best.
“I owe it to myself to visit
the halls,” Adabelle said, “but at this point, I don’t think I’m ready to know.
I don’t know what I’ll face in those halls, and I don’t know if I do want to
face them. When I’m ready, I’ll go, unless these…things keep happening. Until
then, I’ll just stay blissfully ignorant.” She looked up to Mrs. Abeth. “You’ve
done your best here, but I think for now with everything on my plate, I’m best
to worry about this when I’m ready. I’m already struggling to invent a story
for Charlotte.”
Mrs. Abeth looked concerned
at this. “She still doesn’t know?”
“I don’t think she needs to
know, really.” Adabelle felt a slight bit of shame at that statement, but it
was the truth. Now was not the time for lying. “She can’t dream, therefore she
doesn’t have to worry about him appearing.”
Mrs. Abeth didn’t seem
entirely convinced by her
after clearing her throat.
“Afternoon, Adabelle.
Please, come in and sit.”
Adabelle nodded, closing the
door behind her.
“I understand it’s quite
stuffy in here, but I was wondering if I might be able to speak to you in
private for a minute or two?”
“Of course,” Mrs. Abeth
said, indicating a seat. “Get comfortable.”
Adabelle did so, and quickly
began explaining the events of the day before, and of her utter confusion. She
explained her fears about Charlotte beginning to ask questions, and the more
frightening prospect that she had no answers with which to respond.
“I’m feeling so stuck right
now,” Adabelle said, “and the more I look into it, the more I realise I may
have to face my fear.”
“And what’s that?”
“Visiting the Oen’Aerei,”
she said. “Going into their halls and into the dream sphere chamber and
searching for my father’s sphere. If it’s broken then I know he is free,
without a doubt. If it isn’t, then we must search for any other reason as to
why he appears in my dreams. He can’t have done it on his own regardless, and I
can’t see him being able to piece together any ash flakes when we consider how
widely the ashes were spread.”
“It will be tough,” Mrs.
Abeth replied, “but you have to think about the end you wish to achieve. Would
you really rather go on living, not really knowing whether your father is free
or not? Or would you rather know and have some closure and the peace of mind
that comes with being able to see the fire through the smoke. Yes, you could
assure yourself that the impossible can’t happen and that it is a Sturding Nhyx
latched onto some sick idea, or that another Dreamer is out to get you for one
reason or another. Or you can think to yourself for a time that maybe going
after answers is much less painful than facing your fears for an hour.”
“You’re saying I go to the
Halls?”
“I am,” she replied,
nodding. “But that said, if you feel you really cannot face those fears at all,
then you are the one deciding your path and I cannot change that. I cannot give
you courage as surely as your sister can’t dream, but I can support you if you
need the support, and I can be there when trouble comes to be shoulder to cry
on, and an ear to listen. I cannot take your hand and march you to the Halls of
the Oen’Aerei, but I can promise you that if you do go, I will be proud to say
that you have faced your fears. If you don’t, I will not think any less of you.
This is you decision and yours alone.”
Adabelle lowered her head
slightly. She didn’t know why she felt so down all of a sudden. A part of her
had hoped for Mrs. Abeth to have all the answers, to speak the truth she needed
to here. She imagined her saying whatever she needed to hear, to face her fear,
or to give the answer outright. But Mrs. Abeth was only human, and only knew as
much as any human. She may have been her surrogate mother, so to speak, but she
was not God. She did not know all. She was Mrs. Abeth, and she had done her
best.
“I owe it to myself to visit
the halls,” Adabelle said, “but at this point, I don’t think I’m ready to know.
I don’t know what I’ll face in those halls, and I don’t know if I do want to
face them. When I’m ready, I’ll go, unless these…things keep happening. Until
then, I’ll just stay blissfully ignorant.” She looked up to Mrs. Abeth. “You’ve
done your best here, but I think for now with everything on my plate, I’m best
to worry about this when I’m ready. I’m already struggling to invent a story
for Charlotte.”
Mrs. Abeth looked concerned
at this. “She still doesn’t know?”
“I don’t think she needs to
know, really.” Adabelle felt a slight bit of shame at that statement, but it
was the truth. Now was not the time for lying. “She can’t dream, therefore she
doesn’t have to worry about him appearing.”
Mrs. Abeth didn’t seem
entirely convinced by her
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