Dream Stone

It happened again. Zahara looked around her, quietly taking in her surroundings. She had only caught a glimpse of this place all those years ago, when she thought it had been a dream. 

But it wasn't a dream. In front of her was a small waterfall that tumbled down a stepladder of rocks and into a pool, where it swirled around before running down a brook and disappearing over the drop-off. The waterfall and pool were framed by a splendid array of verdant foliage, boasting more shades of green than Zahara had ever thought possible. The rush of the water provided a soothing accompaniment to the song of brilliantly-colored birds of azure blue, royal purple, and scarlet red. The birds sported their long, sweeping tail feathers in a prominent display that said, Look at me, hear me sing, see my beauty. Zahara had never seen any bird that came close to these, and their music had a spine-chilling purity and harmony to it unlike any she had ever heard. 

That wasn't even the strangest thing: coming from the bottom of the waterfall was an unearthly glow that lit up the water and cast multiple colors and shadows on the surrounding plants that danced and weaved to the birdsong. There were soft pinks and baby blues, amber golds and sunny yellows, mint greens and soothing lavenders. Zahara found herself drawn to the glowing beneath the water, until she stood at the water's edge with the ripples lapping her bare toes.

Where was she? The first time this had happened she had only been six years old, and it had happened so quickly, and her family had dismissed it so readily, that she had grown up convinced that she had imagined it all. But clearly she had been wrong. Zahara knelt down at the edge of the pond, her silk pajamas leaving an impression in the wet soil and picking up bits of clay and dirt. She leaned over the pond, her braid dipping into the water as she reached for the glow.

As soon as her fingers broke the water's surface a shock wave burst from her hand and raced outward. An electric pulse zig-zagged to the edge of the pond and zipped up the waterfall, accompanied by a ringing tone that drowned out the birdsong. The glowing grew to a blinding light that overwhelmed Zahara's vision, but, strangely enough, did not hurt her eyes.

Instinctively she pulled her hand back to shield her eyes, only to discover that she was holding something in her hand. She opened her palm, revealing a clear, smooth stone the size and shape of an egg. The stone was so clear at first that it took on the color of her hand and made her palm appear warped, but as she watched, it clouded over until it was a milky white. 

An electric shock jolted through her, and suddenly she was back in her room, sitting on her bed, the stone still in her hand. Everything in her room was just as she left it, only this time she wasn't alone.

"Mom?" What was she doing there? Zahara's apartment was a good two hundred miles away from her mom's house. And she had been there when she spoke to her only a few hours prior.

Her mother uncrossed her legs and stood from the swivel chair she had been waiting in. "I see you've obtained your seer stone," she said.

Zahara looked down at the stone in her hand, which was now glowing a pulsing, menacing red. "My what?"

Her mother held out her hand expectantly. "Hand it over."

"What?" Zahara had never heard that tone of voice coming from her mother before, and it sent chills down her back and arms.

"The stone, Zahara," her mother hissed, taking a step closer. "Give it to me."

Zahara frowned. Something wasn't right. It had been over a decade since her mother had called her by her full name. Usually she called her "Hara" or "Z," like everyone else in their family did. Why was she calling her Zahara now, of all times? 

Her mother took another step closer, and the stone in her palm grew as hot as a live coal, the red glow growing more and more intense. And with sudden clarity, Zahara knew that the person standing before her was not her mother.

"Who are you?" she demanded.

"Give me the stone!" the imposter shrieked, her eyes flashing and her appearance distorting.

On impulse, Zahara held the stone up and looked at the imposter through it. The appearance of the imposter blurred, then sharpened, revealing a gnarled creature with black skin, folded wings, and long, sharp claws. Zahara gasped and stumbled backward, and as she did she closed her eyes briefly.

In an instant she was once again standing next to the pool, the creature gone, with the stone glowing a cool teal color in her hand. Taking a shaky breath, Zahara grasped the stone in a clenched fist. She couldn't go back home now. But that didn't matter--she had to go to her mom's house. She had the feeling that, even if that really wasn't her mother, she still had a lot of explaining to do.