“What a strange dream”
Jord thought to herself, while opening her eyes. Her eyelids were heavy, and her head was spinning.
-Are you feeling any better? – a soft voice asked her.
The light coming from a nearby lamp was not letting her see who was there with her.
-Erm… who is there?
-Oh! I am so sorry. I did not realize that the light was so intensely going to your eyes. Let me move it away.
-AHHHHHHH! – Jord screamed.
Moving her head desperately, from left to right, she started crying while screaming at the same time
-Who are you? What are you doing here? Where am I? What do you want from me? Don’t hurt me please!
Nova looked at her startled; his eyes popping out of his face once more. Moving his hands desperately, trying to make Jord lower the tone of her voice, he nervously kept chewing on his index finger’s nail.
-Please don’t raise your voice! They will find us if we don’t keep calm! Let me explain everything please, I won’t hurt you!
Jord took her hand to her mouth and started to bite her nails too. She was still crying.
-My name is Nova, we met out there, near the Caeruleas forest, remember? You were lost and I offered you my help.
Jord closed her eyes for a while.
-Yes, I think I remember. But I still don’t understand what’s happening. Who are you? Are you human?
-Human? What? What is that? I am Nova, and I already said it twice before; I am the Maps Drawer.
-But… but… are you human? Wh… wh… why are your hair, your eyebrows, your eyelashes, your eyes, your cheeks, your nails, your clothes… why everything on you is blue?
-Eh? Who? Me? Blue? That word again… That word… I read it somewhere else before… But, what is blue? What does it mean? What are you talking about? I am just… normal! I am just like everybody else! You are the one different here! Why do you look like this?
-Like this how? What do you mean “how I look”? I look exactly like any other human! The one with a very strange look is you! Seriously, can’t you see that your hair, face, nails, clothes are BLUE? What in the world is going on here… I just don’t…
Jord kept asking questions and talking non stop.
Nova was feeling very confused; his head leaned from right to left slowly, examining Jord while trying to figure out what she was talking about.
Suddenly, a searchlight came through the window.
Nova jumped on top of Jord, pushing her onto the floor and covering her mouth with his hand.
He looked at her in her eyes, and desperately gestured to her to stay silent; placing his index finger on his lips. He shook his head and closed his eyes halfway.
-Stay on the floor. No matter what you have to do, do NOT let that light touch you, do you understand me? – Nova whispered in Jord’s ear.
Jord looked at him in despair. Her face was now blushing, feeling Nova’s weight on her body. Even though the situation was very frightening, for some reason she could feel her heart beating fast, and Nova’s warmth made her feel safe.
The searchlight kept moving from left to right, up and down, making its way meticulously along each centimeter of the room; obsessing on finding its target.
Nova was trying to focus in coming up with a escape plan, but Jord’s terrified face was not letting him think clearly.
Since the moment he found her in the forest, he felt the obligation of taking care of her. Her worried face and eyes made his heartbeat go wild, and at the same time, made him weak with fear. If he were not able to decide on what to do soon, they would more than likely never see each other again. If they found them…
-Listen to me, we will get out of here – Nova said in a firm tone of voice – You have to follow me, just keep your head down and curl your legs up while moving. Pretend that you are a caterpillar from now on. Are you ready?
“A caterpillar? But what in the …” Jord kept shaking her head violently.
-Alright, I am ready.
Both slipped along the floor, from the side of the bed where they were hiding, to the next room. Once there, they hurried down the stairs.
-We will try to reach the basement. The light won’t be able to get in there.
The basement door was on the opposite side of the room where they were taking shelter. If they could slide underneath Nova’s work long table and then quickly made their way to the basement, they would be safe in less than 3 minutes.
But if they were to make the slightest mistake, then they would be immediately spotted.
The light’s eye was at the same level of the room, so that made the whole situation very risky.
Nova started to move, sliding silently under the table. The light suddenly moved towards it and searched around for some minutes, among all the maps and inks placed on the table. Then, it moved back to the second floor.
-Come! Now! Hurry up! – Nova signaled to Jord.
Jord moved quickly and took Nova’s hand. It was cold and sweaty.
Both kept moving towards the basement’s door. They opened it briskly and run down the stairs.
-What is going on? What is that light? – Jord asked sobbing, her voice trembling in panic.
-It is not a light. It is them. The Curatores Lumen.
-What? What are they? What do they want? What are they looking for? – Jord kept crying and shaking
Nova looked at her in her eyes, and lowered his gaze. In a troubled voice, and still looking down, he replied
-You