CHAPTER 18

THIS WAS THE STRANGEST voyage Saira had ever taken. The thread was thin and knotted like old twine that had been balled up and then pulled in all directions. Although time wasn't a concern for her, this trip was taking longer than normal. Milliseconds were an eternity in her travels.

Following this particular thread was both time-consuming and confusing. Perhaps it was because she had freely chosen to take this journey instead of following a compulsion. Normally, she would feel a tug in one direction or another and be compelled to find the reason for the pull. In addition, she had to be consumed by curiosity in order to accurately follow the tangled web of the individual's personal timeline to its destination. Otherwise, she could become sidetracked and end up lost in time. At least that was her fear. Since it had never happened, it was only a theory, but one she didn't wish to test. Once at her destination, the answer to her question was usually waiting for her. Her return trip was simply a matter of picking the correct thread that pointed forward and following it to the present.

This journey, however, was different. She had felt only a slight pull, an indication the time wasn't quite right, and yet she decided to investigate the thread anyway. That in itself made it unusual. There was no compulsion behind her curiosity. She had chosen freely.

As she neared her goal, Saira felt her momentum slowing. Energy of unimaginable power surrounded her, creating a faint sense of vertigo.

This may not be good, she thought, realizing that confusion could cause her to choose the wrong thread. The ramifications could be catastrophic. She was driven by the need to seek answers, and how could there be answers if there were no questions?

Placing her hands against her temples, Saira concentrated on her surroundings, hoping to recognize something familiar enough to lead her home. A loud pounding beat incessantly from every direction, its deep pulsations resonating through the very essence of her being. At that moment, Saira knew she was in serious trouble. She could almost feel her body beginning to disassemble.

"What you be?" a deep voice rumbled, its origin rising from the bowels of the dark void surrounding her.

"A Traveler seeking answers," she replied, trying hard to ignore her discomfort and concentrate on the voice's source.

"I know no Traveler. You no belong. Go way."

"I can't."

Too confused to locate the thread that would lead her home, and feeling the pressures tearing at her, she continued searching for a way out. As she adjusted to the darkness, she noticed a mass of threads so tangled it was impossible to locate their beginnings.

"Then stay."

"I can't. I'll perish here."

"Then go." The voice now sounded disgruntled.

"I don't know the way out."

A sudden heave of energy made Saira fall to her knees and clutch her head in agony. It was the first time she had felt pain, and she didn't like it.

"Please," she said. "Your energy is destroying me."

She could almost feel the mental shrug and realized this entity had no concept of the meaning of destruction. Saira felt as though she were dealing with a child.

"Do you understand pain?" she gasped.

"Yes. I feel pain. It never go away." There was almost a pout behind the words.

"You're causing me pain. I'm not used to it. It's new to me," Saira said, hoping the entity was more empathetic than it sounded. "You must stop the pounding."

"Why? Pain good. Pain make me strong. I learn. I grow. One day I will control it instead of feel it."

"For you maybe, but I'm not like you. It will destroy me. I feel like I'm being torn apart by your continual pounding. I'm not that strong."

As if understanding for the first time, the entity reduced the intensity of the pulsations. Energy levels dropped to a tolerable range. Sighing in relief, Saira climbed to her feet. Still unable to locate the voice's source, she felt especially vulnerable now.

"Thank you."

"No more can I stop. Only slow beat for short time. I must feed me or no longer live. You go, now."

"I wish I could, but I can't find the way out."

"You go!" the voice said angrily. Saira could almost picture a small child stamping her foot. "I in great pain. No hold long."

"I'll try to find a thread to show me the way out. Please try a little longer."

The resulting sigh would have been comical if the situation weren't so serious.

"I try. Help I get."

"Help?"

There was no response to her question. Saira felt a sudden loneliness and knew she was alone. Turning to the bundle of threads, she began searching frantically for the tail end, anything that would take her from this place.