“It’s been six years damnit!”

“Amaris don’t you think your overreacting?”

“Overreacting? I wasn’t even close. I was bleeding to death with a bullet in my side and SHE was the one person I saw in my dream! I have not dreamt about her in six very long years, I thought I was over her and that past,” Amaris answered Cara.

“Alright fine, so what are you going to do? If you’re so concerned with unresolved issues, what are you going to do?” Amaris looked at Cara in surprise. She hadn’t considered doing anything, other than ignoring it.

“I’m going to see her.”

“Oh that’s nice…wait a minute, you’re going to what?” Cara exclaimed.

“I’m going to see her,” the young woman confirmed.

“Now let’s think about this, the last time you saw her was after you woke up from a coma, you swore to never see her for fear of her becoming a target. Now you’re just going to show up?”

“Not exactly…”Amaris watched Cara try to process everything. Amaris knew that she would try and discourage her after all Cara knew why Amaris had let her mentor go. To protect her, she was the only person who knew what was in those folders, the folders that cost her a bullet. If they found her, Amaris would never forgive herself.

Yet despite all of Amaris’ thoughts she was sneaking down the familiar hallway the following day. It hadn’t changed much, still the same brown tiling with purple lockers for walls and torture chambers, rather classrooms, on other sides. Amaris glanced to the glass doors down from the blue ones and felt her breath catch.

Climbing up the stairs was the ever-graceful Ann Kingston, sifting through her mail unaware of the watchful stare. Ann turned to walk down the hall, glancing briefly at the blue doors the concealed. Sighing, Ann walked down to her classroom, never looking back.

Ann sat down at her desk and pushed away the tests she had to grade. They would wait; she had other things to worry about. She had been sick for two days and was thankful to get out of the house that she just wanted peace and quiet. She reached into her bag and pulled out a picture in a beautiful wood frame, that picture was her reason some days, a reminder of what had been. She hadn’t studied it in quite sometime, but if she tried hard enough she could hear the young voice saying hello. Her reverie was broken by her colleague’s greetings and immediate apology.

“Good morning Teresa, now what are you apologizing for? I got a report, everything went fine.”

“Oh Ann, I meant about Amaris.”

“Amaris? I…I haven’t seen her in years.”

“Ann, didn’t you see the news?” Teresa asked.

“Not in a few days.”

“There was a shooting, Ann. A graduate student was targeted at Amaris’ school; someone tried to assassinate the girl. I thought Amaris…Ann?” Teresa faded as she saw Ann’s face turn notably paler. The picture and frame fell from her grasp and the glass shattered, snapping Ann back to reality.

“Are you sure?” Her voice was unrecognizable to her.

“Very it’s all over the news, one dance graduate student.”

“But it doesn’t have to be her, I mean there are lots of people like that,” Ann reasoned.

“I…Ann I…”

“It’s okay, I…I’ll be okay. I mean it might NOT be her.” Yet Ann knew what the odds of that were. She knew Amaris, but missing DID NOT mean dead.

At the end of her very long day, Ann rushed out and drove to a place where Ann would surface if she were indeed in hiding, the local dance theatre. She went up to the third floor where Amaris’ former bosses were and found them seated together watching the news.

“Lesley, is it Amaris?” she said. Everyone turned and saw the woman that their Amaris had loved, standing as if at any moment she would break.

“Ann…it’s…” Lesley faded off.

“Where is she Lesley?”

“We can’t tell you.”

“But she’s alive?”

“I…”

“IS SHE ALIVE?” Ann snapped.

“Yes,” answered Jeremy. He stood and Ann sighed.

“You’ve seen her?”
“No, but…Ann take these.” He replied handing her tickets.

“A Gala? It’s tonight.”

“Come Ann, you’ll enjoy yourself,” Lesley suggested.

Ann arrived at the Gala precisely on time in a dress that made head turns. She entered with her husband protectively by her side. Lesley greeted them and introduced them to some people and showed them around. Ann and her husband chatted and mingled for a good hour or so, all the while looking for Amaris. After two hours, Lesley approached her and asked to talk with her. They headed towards the doors and went out into the courtyard.

“Ann looking for her is not going to make her appear,” Lesley said.

“Is she even here?”

“Ann, you know Amaris better than anyone. Do you remember when you came to surprise her all those years ago?”

“Vaguely.”

“She told me that she knew you were there, she knew because of magnets. I didn’t understand, but now I think I do. You and she are drawn to one another. You’re both so worried about protecting each other that you often miss everything else.”

“I…I’m not…”

“Yes you are. Ann, why don’t you walk down to the water? Being around it helps, go on.” Ann turned and began her walk. She stopped and leaned against the railing. She could the water lapping at the rocks and in the silence it sounded like an explosion. Ann whirled around when she heard the click of a women’s heel.

“A Queen without her knight, a peculiar sight indeed, or is it because the Queen prefers her solitude.”

“I should love the company,” Ann whispered in reply. “Are my ears playing tricks on me? Or is it…”

“Your ears should be playing tricks on you, but sadly there not.”

“Ama…”

“Don’t. Look next to you on the bench” Ann did as she was told and saw a box, she lifted the lid and saw a picture frame with another picture similar to the one that had shattered, everything pieced together.

“You were there this morning.”

“Perhaps, may this be a light for you, when all others go out.” Ann felt someone beside her and forced herself not to look. “You will not be hurt on account of me, those papers I gave you, burn them.” Ann put her arm around the once frightened child and held her close.

“You are alive Amaris, that is what matters,” she whispered.

“This is what matters to you, not me.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll burn them when I get home.”

“Thank you. I saw you, you know” Amaris revealed.

“When?”
“After it all happened, you came to me, I was so out of it, but you were there. You told me to hold on, that there was still something for me to do. You said not to give up, and I listened, what a surprise.” Amaris laughed. Ann smiled and braved a glance.

“I’ve very glad you did.” Ann could not miss the faint smile that graced the young woman’s face. She was concealed by the dark but a sliver of moonlight unveiled her face and part of her figure.

“I had not seen you in my dreams in six years, not since the coma”

“You were in mine lately too. You rarely leave them. In the morning, sometimes, I imagine that you come in, like you used to, and you’re complaining about tests and homework.”

“What an awful nightmare!” Amaris exclaimed. Ann laughed.

“You could never be my nightmare, headache and migraine yes, but not a nightmare.” Amaris heard the door open.

“Well you should go, they’ll be looking for you.”

“Amaris, I…I don’t know”

“It’s okay really, stay safe.” Ann turned but Amaris was gone, faded into the night. She returned to the Gala with a heavy heart. Lesley saw her come in and watched as moments later a young woman came in and went to a side door. Lesley caught Amaris’ eye and nodded.

Four weeks after the Gala, Ann would sit and wait to see if maybe, by some grace of God, she would come, but she never did. After two months Ann put the picture in the top drawer of her desk and refused to look at it. Teresa had asked only once about Amaris and learned never to do it again.

On a rather foggy morning, Ann came in earlier than usual. She sat at her desk for a good two minutes before reaching in the top drawer and pulling at the picture. She starred at it and sighed sadly.

“I thought I would be okay with this but damnit Amaris, I can only imagine what trouble you are getting into.”

“None that I can think of,” came the reply. Ann looked to the doorway and saw what she so often dreamt. “Hey stranger.”

“Amaris!” Amaris was across the room before Ann could stand. She threw her arms around her and hugged her.