Chapter 32:

Groggily shaking the sand off her body, Riley stood up. Feeling dizzy, she sat back down on to her sand dune. Sighing, she wondered how many people she had murdered. Muttering to herself, she closed her eyes and began to say a quick message to God. Rain once again filled the northern skies, as a sign for the earth weeping for the loss of more children. This time around, Gaia herself made sure she cried her tears that would bring forth hope.

Allowing herself to be cleansed in the rain, Riley danced around in the muddy sand. The mind of a child had suddenly taken over her body. A mind full of curiosity, wonder, and amazement was new towards the way a teenager viewed the world. Every time a disaster of her own doing had happened, there was a momentary blank state. Usually, within an hour or so, the childlike mind would again be buried deep within the complex soul of a heroine.

"I'm singing in the rain! Just singing in the rain!" Laughing as she tripped and fell to her knees, she opened her palms. And just like that, the mind of a selfless teenager returned.

I have to go home…

"Warren! Dinner is ready!" Mrs. Peace called up the stairs to her son's room. He was lying down on his bed, contemplating where in the world his girlfriend was. He was dressed in his work uniform because his boss had scheduled him to work during the dim sum hours. Just as his work day was beginning, he had received a call from a nervous Gabriel. Answering his comrade in arms in the negative, Warren placed the question in the back of his mind. That was, until he clocked out and went home. He was hoping that she would have at least given him a call, a sign really, that she was all right.

Warren looked outside one last time as the sun set into the darkening sky, and asked his open window, "Where are you?" With no reply, he walked down stairs to join his mother in the kitchen.

It wasn't until he had finished washing the dishes that a tap came from the back door. The door was located next to the laundry room, and since his mother had all ready said her good nights to an old family portrait, he answered the door. Pushing the blinds aside, Warren saw her unforgettable figure through the backyard lamp. He unlocked both keyholes (the old and new one).

"Hi," she said with a soft smile. Her clothes were still damp, but there was nothing like seeing her with a peaceful expression.

"Hello," he answered. Warren approached Riley slowly; unsure as to how she'd react.

"Where were you?" he asked.

"The Sahara."

"You can't keep running off like this."

"If you can tell the voices in my head to stop yelling at me..."

"Voices? You're hearing voices in your head?" She nodded, covering her ears to quell the white noise of voices.

"Warren, make them stop. Please make them stop!" He walked over to her, pulling her into his arms; kissing the top of her head, the white noise had stopped. Hearing his bedroom window open, Warren saw his mother's head poke through. The older woman laughed to herself while shaking her head.

"Well, come on inside before the snow falls! I don't want the two of you to get sick!"

"We're coming!" Riley said with a grin.

Inside, Warren made two cups of hot chocolate. Riley toasted him before taking a sip. Both sat in the kitchen dining room eyeing each other's movements.

"Stay with me tonight?" Warren asked, placing his empty mug on the table. Riley closed her eyes.

"Okay," she answered. Her cerulean eyes were back to their graying self.
"I'll meet you upstairs." Warren said with a relaxed look on his face.

"Mmmhm. See you there."

Rising from the table, Riley took both empty mugs to the sink. As she washed them, she heard Warren shuffling about in his room. Riley smiled to herself at the thought of spending the night. Sure, her parents would kill her, especially her mother. Then again, her father would have fought against his wife and acknowledge at how responsible his daughter was.

When she was through with the mugs, Riley went upstairs. She noticed that the master bedroom was adjacent to Warren's room. The guest bathroom was parallel to his room anyways. Warren came out of his room and saw her facing the old portraiture of his father.

"He was not all that bad. A bit strict, but I could deal with it," Warren said.

"Kind of like the way my mom used to be," Riley said with a frown.

"Come on," he whispered, taking her hand. He led her into his room. At first there was his bed, a quaint full size bed with black and crimson red sheets. Then, on the floor, there was a makeshift bed; one that used two comforters layered on top of each other and a pillow.

"You take the bed, I'll sleep on the floor," Warren said. Shaking her head, Warren seemed disappointed.

"You sleep next to me," Riley said, pointing to the right side. Picking up his pillow off the floor, he placed it on the right side of his headboard.

"Do you have an extra set of sleep attire?" Riley asked, pointing to her still slightly damp clothes.

"Top drawer on of your left." Grabbing a white undershirt and navy blue scrub pants, she scurried to the bathroom. Within a few minutes, she returned to Warren's room. He was sitting on his bed his back against the wall (that served as his headboard), reading a novel. She crawled on his bed and when she was close enough, she lowered the book so that he could see her.

"Thank you for offering," she said.

"You're welcome, anytime."

Riley kissed him softly on the cheek before snuggling up next to him. Before Warren knew it, Riley had fallen asleep. He watched her chest rise and fall in a steady rhythm. When he had finished the latest chapter of his novel, he placed it underneath his pillow and joined his loved one in the realm of dreams.

To say that Warren found himself in a nightmare was not really an exaggeration. The world was torn-barren. Blood streamed in knee high depths. At the center of it all was a burning sphere. He made a mental note of his bleeding forehead. A man laid on the floor stiff as a board next to the sphere. Several friends and comrades were strewn aside, barely breathing. The pyro saw Gabriel being barely able to stand. Warren ran to him, calling out his name. Gabriel acknowledged him, teleporting to himself to where he was.

"What is this place, Gabriel?" Warren asked, also noting that his throat was extremely dry.

"You are inside her mind, Warren," Gabriel answered, looking very much tired.

"Her mind? Phoenix Arielle's mind?"

"Indeed. I have been trying to barricade that thing over there," throwing his thumb in the direction of the fiery sphere.

"What is that thing?" Warren asked.

"The source of her true powers," Gabriel began, holding up his hand in order to reinforce the barrier, "This is the future the Creature wants to make a reality. Everyone is dying here, Warren. You and I are the only ones breathing because it loves us. She loves us."

Looking to where Gabriel pointed, Warren saw the outline of his girlfriend inside the sphere. He wanted to hold her, tell her it was all right-to quell the fear and dread that had surrounded them both.

"Gabriel, can I get close to her?" Warren asked. Even if this is a dream, she could let me in…

"You could try. I've tried time and time again, but still, she wouldn't even let me in. Good luck."

Warren ran across the field until he was face to face with the wall of flames. At the top, burned the blue of the hottest gas flame. In the middle, was the coolest part of the flame, was where she sat down in a meditative pose.

"Phoenix let me in," Warren said gently. The girl tilted her head to the side; lifting her arm, she created a pathway for him to walk.

As he walked in, the gap began to close again with fire. Warren winced because of flames licking his body. When he had reached the center, he saw how badly bruised she was. Royal purple and blue bruises covered her upper shoulder regions, and a deep cut ran from her lower neck to the tailbone. She was healing, but shattered.

"Fix it," she said, facing him. He saw a claw mark on her chest. It was heavily scarred, but he saw that it could be easily mended. Warren glanced over his shoulder before picking her up (bridal style). This caught the girl off guard, yet it was his kiss that brought her a sense of peace and tranquility.

The scar ebbed away as did the other blemishes upon her skin. Her flaming sphere had disintegrated to nothing more than the rays of a glorious sunrise. Around them, friends awoke from their nearly fatal slumber. Villains were turned to ashes. All this had taken place in the moment that she relived her feelings towards him. A kind embrace, an unforgettable bond, and a love that would ignite the future of thousands had been given a face (poster children if you will).

And then, like a nightmare being brought to a dream, the girl had awoken-and reality struck an odd cord with her. The dream, her dream, was soon beginning to come true. She realized she couldn't move just yet because the boy still slept while holding her body close to his.