Chapter 6: Maybe It Is A Dream
The night was deep and cold. Sadd suddenly felt a strange, intense chill run right through his body, from his hands to his feet. He woke up immediately.
He wasn't on a soft bed. He was lying on a makeshift mattress made of old, worn-out clothes. The abandoned house was completely dark; there were no lights in the room. The sounds of the city's lively streets were far away here in the suburbs.
The Chime
Suddenly, a clear, sharp chime sounded inside his head. It was so unexpected and internal that Sadd blinked, thinking he might have imagined it. He brushed it off, trying to convince himself that nothing had happened. He figured the exhaustion from the day, the strange city, and the uncomfortable sleep were playing tricks on him.
But two minutes later, the sound came again, and this time, it was followed by a distinct thought or voice in his mind.
Voice in his head: You came in contact with God blood.
Sadd became completely confused. He sat up, his heart beating fast.
Is this real? he thought. Is it because I was dreaming too much? Am I missing home so badly that my mind is breaking?
His common sense told him there was no way. A God wouldn't be living here, among the poor, in the broken suburbs of Awiebo. A true God would be somewhere sacred or divine, a place where all people would look up to and worship, a place built by the wealthy. The idea that he, an un-Awakened Anomaly, had somehow touched something divine was ridiculous.
"Maybe I am still dreaming," he whispered into the dark room. "Maybe it is a dream."
He shook his head again, trying to clear the lingering confusion. He forced himself to lie back down, determined to ignore the strange chime and the unbelievable words. He fell asleep again, the memory of the voice already fading into the shadows of the night.
A New Start
When Sadd woke up again, the room was empty and pale light was coming through the broken window. his mates, Doah and Tersa, had already gone to school.
On the dusty floor, resting on a flat stone, were a few shiny coins and a piece of folded, slightly crumpled paper.
Sadd picked up the paper and read the simple, quickly written message:
"Sadd, we left food on the table. We are off to school, but we will be back quickly. Please, wait for us before leaving. We are happy you are here. Save the coins for something important. — Doah and Tersa."
Reading the note made a deep warmth spread through Sadd's chest, chasing away the cold memory of the chime. The girls had been shunned by everyone, yet they were instantly kind and trusting to him.
He had decided last night that he would stay with them. He wasn't going to leave. He had finally found people who didn't judge him for being an Anomaly. He decided to use the time they were away to explore the area and find small jobs so he could help repay Mr. Calsius and save for Lina's treatment.
This morning, the strange voice from the night seemed less like a miracle and more like a strange effect of the city's energy. Sadd focused instead on the small pile of coins and the letter. He wasn't alone anymore.