Fever Dreams

"Hee hee hee hee."

A small giggle set Lian on edge. Something certainly was in the room with him. Aylin was in trouble in a way he could not explain.

"Who is there?" Lian shouted.

The door opened to Karson looking in. Lian placed Aylin down beside his bed with his eyes fully opened in curiosity.

"Are you okay?" Karson asked.

Coming in holding medicine and a water bottle. Lian was shocked but felt instant relief upon the man entering his room.

"I am fine," Lian answered.

"Anyways, here is your medicine."

Karson handed the small clear plastic cap with several pills inside. Lian did as ordered taking them all and pushing them down with the liquids given to him.

"Thank you," Lian replied.

"Get some sleep you look like hell." Karson laughed.

Lian felt maybe he was overthinking something. He decided to go back to sleep as the medication worked itself through his system.

He felt himself in a dark place. A drop of water dropped into the lake before him lighting the whole place up. The waters rippled out to find Aylin's body floating on the top of the water unconscious and unaware of his arrival.

"Aylin!" Lian shouted.

Darting from the rock to run after her noticing his feet could stand firmly on top of the water. He knew something was very wrong with what was going on. This wasn't just a dream it was Aylin calling out to him.

She said nothing. She continued to float above the serene waters below her without a care in the world. He walked slowly as possible as he had a fear of what was beneath him even if it was just a dream.

"Aylin, you need to wake up!" Lian yelled.

He hobbled to and fro balancing every part of his body in an attempt to reach her. It was scary knowing something could be so simple yet complicated all at the same time to rescue his own weapon.

"Aylin please wake!" Lain spouted.

Becoming frustrated he didn't know what else he could do for her. She was stuck in this state unmoving. Something slimy could be felt wrapped around his ankle before he could fully respond he slung into the blue crying out.

Only to wake up to Karson and Reaper in his room. He was being held up by Reaper as Karson pushed a needle into his back. He could feel the draining of pus and blood drip down his sides

"Sorry if I woke you," Karson said.

Lian was too tired to fully react as he drew a second syringe out of his pack. Being treated he felt he was being drawn away from his sword or possibly the fever made him hallucinate what was going on he thought.

It could easily be Aylin is resting. Dreams are nothing he thought to himself. He was too sluggish and out of it otherwise.

"Is it bad?" Lian asked.

"Just need antibiotics and you will be fine after a few days' rest."

Gently he laid Lian down talking to Reaper softly afterward. Lian was sure he was merely going in a downward spiral acknowledging he is just healing after.

The smoldering medicinal high he was achieving he thought could make anyone doubt themselves and what he had seen was not Aylin, but her likeness. She was there beside him hibernating.

Drifting off back to sleep he heard whispers. Someone called his name in the silence. A simple breeze wafted around him as he stood there outside a large cavernous dwelling where he could hear the droplets of water inside the small place.

"Here again?"

"Lian…I need you!"

Aylin's crying a loud shriek in his heart. She has hidden away from him like a damsel in distress and he was almost consciously too sick to deal with this odd scene.

"This is a dream right?"

"Dreams are connected to your reality, my boy."

A hefty man dressed in a cotton top tied with a belt in a bow loop could be seen. He was bald but certainly happy with himself sitting there as Lian turned around.

"Reality? In a dream?"

"Humans can only see a teeny tiny part of their humanity as it stands. There are many colors and things upside down or outside right or leaning, but your brains make sense of it all in its own way, but of course, that alone is hard to believe." He explains.

"So this is reality?"

"You can do anything you want here!" The man shouted.

Lian realized he could save Aylin even if wasn't anything in the end. He stopped listening to dash in after her to find she was gone. Her presence was gone even the lingering essence officially had left the feels of the waters below him.

"Hey old man?!" Lain yelled.

"Hmmm…"

"Where did she go?" He asked.

"I saw someone come out of here pretty quickly the other day."

"W-Who was it?!" Lian questioned.

He knew he was in trouble if indeed the man was right. His slumbering body was stuck in sickness while waking in sleep body could do anything he wanted as long as he put his mind to it.

"She was dressed in dark purple and black is all I know."

"Where?"

The man only pointed the other way with only a smile to give. Lian when to face the man only to find he had vanished. Lian felt this was more than normal and all part of his fever-induced dream causing this whole thing.

Jumping to his feet he ran till he could no longer feel his calves. It's a dream he thought. Why am I in such pain?

He wanted more than anything to see Aylin and who would in the first place have taken away from him. If this is his mind he thought then if anyone that is Effie.

Lian thought it right away since she was like some contorted demon to him hiding away in the midst of it all.