Epiphany Maria Telesia Avei

 “I’m a freak show now, aren’t I? I can’t be normal anymore. I’ll have to be taught tricks like a dog on how to stay calm all the time.” Dahliasen Coral feels like a weirdo. Since she had found out that she had a disease called narcolepsy, she was always in danger of falling asleep suddenly and unexpectedly. Her siblings were worried and afraid of the problems this might give the young girl. But when a mist arrives, they all start to hallucinate. They dream of things that they wished they had never seen because they had no idea how it will end. Will they ever understand? Will they?

CHAPTER 1- Allysha looks at her twin siblings. Dahliasen was already asleep but Baxter was staring at the stars through their one window. Allysha wonders if they would be living in an abandoned tree house if their family was still with them. „Probably not‟ she thought. Then she fell asleep. The tree house in question was their current….not exactly home, but more of a temporary shelter. After being thrown out of their previous shelter (an orphanage) due to low food supply, they went deep into the nearby forest to find a place of their own. There they found an old, but sturdy tree house. When they realized it was owned by no one, they fixed it up and settled down…for a while. With a good hunter and number one chefs, nothing wrong can ever happen to them. Allysha had a round oval face with grey eyes that was topped by a mop of gold streaked copper for hair. When they just started their new lives in the forest, she became the sole provider for her family, hunting in the early morning, when the game would be feeding on the dew-ridden grass in the nearby field. Baxter, the second eldest, has pale brown hair with a few strands of blonde hair which almost covers his green-blue eyes. He has a mischievous, long face that spoke of his next naughty move. He and his twin sister, Dahliasen, were the ones who cooked the game their older sibling brought back from her trips to the field. Speaking of Dahliasen…. Dahliasen has long black hair which frames a pale, round and eager face with two shards of amethyst for eyes. A unique artist for food, she and her brother cook splendid meals with a limited amount of resources and when no meat was available, there were also mushrooms and bird eggs to consider. 

CHAPTER 2 - As Allysha slept, she dreamt of her family. Complete, whole. Not separated and scattered across the globe. The same dream, every night. No change, not a single bit different than what happened the past nights. At times, she would be grateful to this dream, as it reminded her to not forget who her family was. At other times the dream angered her and brought her grief, reminding her of what she did not have anymore. This time it brought no emotions except curiosity. She now tries to figure out its meaning, even while dreaming. Then Allysha noticed something she never quite noticed before. Just a few meters behind the man she knew to be her father their stood a door. She moved towards the door. She only took a few steps forward before feeling a cold, steel grip on her arm, just below the elbow. 6 Instinctively, Allysha turned around to get a view of whoever was holding her and the whole dream was starting to fade. When the girl saw her captor‟s face, she froze. Then Allysha screamed, for the face of her captor was the mirror image of her mother. That terrified oval face, those angry grey eyes. The face that was so familiar, yet so unrecognizable. The last thing she saw before her dream faded completely. It was herself.

CHAPTER 3 - Allysha woke up, expecting to feel dread, terror even. Yet the only feeling she could call up was her tiredness. She got dressed and ready before the sun showered the earth with its light and got dressed in a blue tracksuit. She grabbed her knife which she had made herself from river stones and also her old grey ballet slippers and put them on her person. Allysha climbed down from the treehouse and rolled her shoulders to ease the tension from them and lightly jogged towards the nearby field to see what her target today would be. The girl hoped it would be deer or a stray sheep, because she had quite enough of rabbit stew with hazelnuts. Yes, it was delicious, but the twins really spoiled the meal by giving it fancy names. Last night it was “The Twins Win.” The night before that it was “Rabbit drowned in Lunatic Ocean” (it was Halloween). The night before that it was “Nutty Rabbit Stew: Made to drive you crazy!” Jeez! It really did drive her crazy. If there is nothing more than rabbits on that field, well, she’ll find some mushrooms instead.

When Allysha reached the field, she did a quick survey of the place and spotted her target. She whipped out her knife and pounced. Boy wasn’t she glad that what she caught was not a rabbit. She dragged the deer back to the tree house on a make-shift sled she made using half of a hollowed-out log she found nearby and tied two long vines to the sled to drag it with. When she got back, she said hello to the twins and showed them her catch. Immediately they came up with a name for tonight’s dinner. “Introducing our new dish, My Deer Love Rolls!” the twins exclaimed simultaneously. Allysha groaned but forced a smile when the twins glared her way. “Hehehe…..just my stomach” she said cheerfully, “It sounds…er, unique. Oh, and delicious too, of course.” She added hastily. Silence answered her. “Umm….should we eat?” 

CHAPTER 4 - The next day she got up, and repeated yesterday’s history. The same routine, over and over again. No change, at all. Allysha was annoyed at this time loop and wanted it to end. Now, when she isn’t hunting, she wonders about the dream. Unlike her life, her one dream constantly differs every night, in so many different ways. Whether it was a scent, sight or feeling that was added; she had an idea that perhaps all of these things were connected somehow. One day, while sitting in front of the tree house, Allysha spotted Dahliasen walking out of the bushes near the foot of the tree with her arms full of small river stones. “So nice and smooth,” she remembered Dahliasen saying. “These little stones are perfect for surprise gifts.”

She watched as the younger girl made her way towards the tree. Then, unexpectedly, Dahliasen fell to the ground and curled up then slept. For a couple of seconds, Allysha just stared down at the still girl’s body, deep in shock. Then she rushed down the rope ladder, rushing to the younger girl’s side. Allysha looked around. There was no visible evidence to how the girl fell. But there was no time to worry about that. Allysha picked up Dahliasen and carried her up the ladder with some effort and difficulty. When she got to the top, Allysha laid the unconscious girl onto a bundle of pine needles which they used to sleep on. Night came and finally Dahliasen woke up to see Allysha sitting by her bed of pine needles. Allysha was relieved and hugged her sister so tight that the poor girl felt like fainting. “What’s wrong?” Dahliasen gasped her voice groggy from sleep. Allysha let go and told the tired girl what she had seen. The younger girl’s eyes widened with every word. When Allysha had finished her story, Dahliasen decided to find Baxter. “He’ll know what to do” She thought. 

CHAPTER 5 - After the girls had talked to Baxter about everything, Baxter came up with a quick conclusion that Dahliasen might have narcolepsy. “What’s that?” Allysha asked. “It’s a sleeping disorder that is caused by strong emotions.” Baxter said as a matter of fact. “The stronger she feels about something, her body will automatically shut down. She’ll be unconscious for some time.” Dahliasen looked at him in shock and horror. Then she put her head into her hands. “I’m a freak show now, aren’t I? I can’t be normal anymore. I’ll have to be taught tricks like a dog on how to stay calm all the time.” She said her head down, sobbing. Allysha reached out to her sister and embraced her. After a minute of hesitation and a couple of hard glares from his older sister, Baxter joined in with a big hug. “Hey, you are not a freak, do you understand? Believe me, I know freaks. They do not exist in this world of love, family and hope. If they don’t exist, then you are not a freak, ok?” Baxter whispered and hugged his two sisters but Dahliasen was numb to their touch. She just cried herself to sleep. Only in dream I can find sanctuary, she thought to herself. The girl slept and dreamt of a world where trouble did not exist.

CHAPTER 6 - Dahliasen awoke the next day to find the other two gone. “Allysha! Baxter! Where are you?” When she received no reply she panicked and started to go a little haywire. In the middle of her panicking, she fainted and fell to the ground. When her head made contact with the floor, it made a resounding bonk. Allysha climbed up the ladder to the tree house happily and as carefree as a koala. She leapt into the tree house through the window with the skills of an athlete. She hummed calmly to herself, and it was clear that she got a good catch or found the most beautiful place in the forest she’s never seen before for her meditation. Allysha thought Dahliasen could guess either she had a good catch or a good place if she hummed. But Dahliasen was not there to listen. The older girl found her sister on the ground, unconscious. By instinct, she found herself on the verge of panicking. Then she relaxed and picked the younger girl up and placed her on her bed of pine needles. Baxter told her more about this disease 2 minutes ago. Dahliasen should wake up after 10- 20 minutes of sleeping. This should happen any minute soon, depending on when the girl fell asleep, that is. “Allysha, is that you?” Dahliasen asked and her voice was still groggy from sleep. “Yes, it’s me.” Allysha said, smiling. 

CHAPTER 7 - Weeks and months passed and the children had grown used to Dahliasen’s problem. Now, they no longer think of it as a problem. They find it more of another natural phenomenon that found its way in their lives for a reason (what a mouthful!). Then, a terrible accident had befallen the forest. The “Phantasm Fog” had spread across their forest. This was the more harmless ghost version of the “Donora Death Fog,” The mist spread to every corner of the forest and no animal could escape without at least a sniff of its sweet aroma. A single whiff of that aroma can lead to hallucinations that are beyond explaining. Few people believe that they actually cross the borders of time! Others say that they can recall lost memories from their past life! Most aren’t so lucky. They end up with brain damage. Well that same fog was spreading all over the forest. By that time, the siblings were under a tree, dancing themselves silly. Dahliasen was the first to notice a purple mist coming their way.

Her almond eyes widened in curiosity and pointed out the mist to her brother and sister. They, too, grew curious. They went closer and breathed it in. “I smell rosemary and honey.” Allysha said, entranced. “Vanilla and geraniums,” agreed Dahliasen. “Smells like cedarwood to me.” Baxter said, dreamily.  Then one by one they walked their own path. Each believing that the other two was right behind them, they all set off into the woods. Allysha walked a few hundred metres and saw someone crouching on the ground. Then the figure stood up and faced her. Allysha gasped and ran towards the figure. She hugged him tight. “Dad!” she said and hugged him and buried her face in his chest. “My beautiful girl, I have found you.” He whispered back to her. Allysha sobbed onto her father’s chest. She sobbed for all the past birthdays, for all the missed family celebrations. “I see that you are now a big girl, and you have taken good care of your siblings. Your mother and I are proud of you.” He said, choking back his own tears. Dahliasen had also walked a few hundred metres. She was now at an oak tree she had never seen before in that part of the forest. She saw herself, sitting underneath the tree. Except that this Dahliasen was older (probably 18-22 years old). The older Dahliasen was reading “Runelight” by Joanne Harris. A man then approached and kissed her lightly before sitting down next to her. Three more figures ran out of the mist.  “Mummy, look!” One of them said, displaying a carved figure of her reading her book. “I made it myself.” Another said proudly, trying to dust his hair free of wood chips. “Shasta, Kanavos, Magni, what did I say about not getting dirty?” Dahliasen said, trying to hold back giggles. “Never, ever play with anything too much, especially with dirt or you can get too excited and have a narcoleptic attack.” They said in exact unison. The three kept such straight faces that their parents laughed out loud. The triplets couldn’t hold their stone faces any longer than their parents could. They laughed together, as a family. Then, almost in slow motion, Dahliasen watched as the older version of her suddenly started coughing. Her eyes rolled in her head and her head fell into her husband’s lap. The children screamed and were beside her in an instant. Then the children suddenly fell asleep without warning beside their mother. Dahliasen watched this all in horror. The father was looking worried and tried to yell for help. His cries were all in vain. But the bear that rumbled around the corner did not think of that. In fact, the poor beast thought it was a miracle. It had been starving for the last week. The beast held up its paw and… Dahliasen saw no more. She lay on the ground, twitching. Her brain was lost, scared. She had become a victim to the mist. 

CHAPTER 8 - The children were asleep under the tree house. The mist passed over them, its job was done. Allysha and Baxter woke up. They saw Dahliasen sitting by the tree, her knees under her chin. The girl’s eyes were red and her face was covered in tears. The other two were confused. What had happened? Were those hallucinations? They crawled to their sister, unsure if she was a hallucination. Dahliasen was shaking and she sobbed. In her mind she could see the bear, its paw rising and coming down on her helpless family. And then….well, then…there is nothing. There was nothing but pitch black. She sobbed her heart out. “Why didn’t I do something? I should have done something. This disease is stupid, that’s what it is. It’s stupid. Stupid! Stupid! STUPID!!!” She exclaimed. Her siblings hugged her. She hit them as hard as she could. They didn’t let go of her, so she sobbed onto their shoulders. She fell asleep immediately. Allysha broke into a song. 

Come, come Where heartaches have never been Where you are seen As you want to be seen Where you’ll cry no more dear lass, Where you’ll cry no more* * Mermaid song from “In a glass grimly” by Adam Gidwitz

CHAPTER 9 - The next few weeks went by normally. That is, if you call finding Dahliasen stuck in a tree or somewhere “normal”. Or finding Allysha hugging something while saying, “Dad” is “normal”. Or Baxter saying that all the wildlife is made of candy is totally “normal”. Dahliasen was having a mental breakdown and would always recite the same words, over and over again. “The mighty beast shall strike Those innocent who weren’t warned The paw swiped down Just as the new day dawned Although not on purpose I closed my eyes Yet I still hear the screams Of my love that never dies” 

The girl would often wander off in the midst of the night, looking for the bear. She would take Allysha’s knife and whisper to herself that she  would kill it, before it hurts her family and other loved ones. One night, she snuck out again, knife in hand. She finally found the bear’s den. She crept inside. When Dahliasen was inside, she scanned the place. There she spotted the bear lying down. She charged and plunged the knife into its neck. Then she heard whines from underneath the bear’s nearest paw. She twisted the paw around and found a cub, no more than 5 days old staring up at her and still whining for its mother. The cub was hungry, she realized. Dahliasen took a quick look at the bear and saw a hole in its side. “Poachers! Probably came for its fur.” She thought and felt sorry for the cub and its mom. She picked up the knife and the cub and went home. When Dahliasen got home, she told her siblings every detail of what had happened. After she told her story, she hung her head. Her siblings looked at one another and, unexpectedly, hugged the girl. Dahliasen sobbed and whispered her apologies and requests for forgiveness. Allysha spoke. “We will always be here to forgive you and at least now you have finally decided to trust us like we have always trusted you.”  “Yeah, we got your back. Besides, don’t worry too much about what’s to come. Worry about now, this moment, for as every second passes this moment will be in the past sooner or later.” Baxter said. In front of them, the cub stared at them with big, curious brown eyes. “What are you going to name him?” Allysha asked, trying to lighten the mood. Dahliasen gave this a quick thought and replied, “I‟ll name him Wostan, which means-” “Story.” Allysha whispered. The siblings were then silent and did nothing but stare at the sky, mountains and the stars.

CHAPTER 10 - What did happen to the Corals? Did they ever go back to civilization? Well, not exactly…… Allysha was now a 15-year-old who had become a pro at hunting. She used so many hunting tactics and even made up a few of her own, such as “tumbleweed‟. The twins have changed a lot. For one thing they have stopped their food ridiculous names and have taken up dancing. They have gotten really good at dancing and change their style of dancing every week or two. The two 12-year-olds have become master dancers and chefs. Dahliasen had finally learnt how to stay calm and balance all emotions. She no longer went on late night expeditions to try and protect her future. Instead she focused on her present time, because she knows a good present brings a great future. As for Wostan, Dahliasen let him go free into the wild. The bear would still come back at night at first, but when he adapted he finally stopped coming which caused a lot of narcoleptic attacks for a week. Will they go back to civilization? Nah. They are better off there in the forest. Besides, too many changes can be too fast for not only them, but for me too! Help!  If you are wondering about Allysha‟s dream, well you would be glad to know she had figured it out. The dream had meant that if you go and rush to where you don’t belong your world will crumble down. You will focus too much on improvements that are not needed and forget about what is. Sometimes, if no one can stop you, you have to try to stop yourself. If you can‟’ do that, then….no one can. Oh goodness me, what a mouthful! Somebody get me water! I hope it is enough swallow this lot down.