“Kitty, come down!” By her accent and the time of day, I concluded that we were probably in Australia.
“So, what are we supposed to do?” asked Blaze. “Save her kitten?”
I laughed. “Not superhero enough for you?”
He shrugged. “Doesn’t seem all that important.”
You must get the cat down quickly. If the girl climbs the tree, she will slip and fall to her death. It is not her time.
“You go for the cat,” I told Blaze urgently. “I’ll try to keep her from climbing.”
Blaze nodded and phased from sight. He appeared on a thick branch high overhead. I knelt down beside the girl, who was reaching up to the crook of the tree and trying to get a foothold.
“You mustn’t go up,” I whispered. “You’ll get hurt.” The little girl stopped trying to climb and looked up at the tree thoughtfully. “That’s right,” I said. “Wait here. Kitty’s going to come down so just wait right here.”
“One problem,” called Blaze. “I can’t grab it. It’s a living thing. We can’t interact physically with living things, remember? What am I supposed to do?”
I heard a loud hiss from up in the tree. Then I heard his laughter. “Never mind. This cat can totally see me.” The cat hissed again and jumped down to a lower branch.
“Kitty!” cried the girl. “You are very naughty! Come down.” The cat appraised the situation, looking from the girl to Blaze who was still hidden in the leaves higher up. Apparently, the cat thought the girl the safer of the two. It jumped to a lower branch again and then landed on the ground beside the girl. She scooped it up and held it tightly in her arms. The cat seemed content to stay with her. At that moment, a woman came running into the park.
“Lydia! There you are!” She rushed over to the little girl and hugged her, the now-struggling cat between them. The mother took the cat under one arm, in a football carry, while, with her other, she took Lydia’s hand. “You can’t just run off like that, Sweetheart. Mummy was so worried about you.”
“I’m sorry, Mummy. Naughty Kitty ran away. I had to save her!”
“I’m glad to see you’re both alright.” The mother kissed her daughter’s hand.
Blaze phased in beside me. “We saved her.”
“Yeah.” I watched contentedly as mother and child left the park. “Do you think we’ll have kids one day?”
“Yup. And I’m super-excited to start trying.”
“Blaze!” I scolded. We weren’t married yet. I turned to him. He laughed, a mischievous expression on his face. The laugh made me think of the way he had laughed when he had been up in the tree. “What did you do to that cat anyway? I think it saw me too but it wasn’t scared of me.”
Blaze just smirked. We felt the now-familiar thrum of being phased. “I hope the High King is taking us home now,” said Blaze, flexing his neck from side to side. “It’s been a long day.”
The vibration intensified and we blinked out. I arrived at my apartment. It had turned out to be a great investment after all. I was glad I didn’t have to live, like a ghost, in a house with other people, which was what Blaze did. He had a large estate and some of the hired help lived there with him. Only they didn’t know he was at home. So they would walk in on him whenever. At first, he was worried that his relatives would try to get him declared dead to get their hands on his fortune. Then we looked it up online and discovered that someone has to be missing for seven years for them to be legally declared dead, if no evidence existed to suggest that they had died. We’d only been living like this for a little over a month. Besides that, we could still text. So Blaze kept up with texting people. He just told them that he’d become a recluse, which was true enough.
I grabbed a box of sugar-puffs and a bowl from the cupboard. After pouring myself some, I took the milk from the refrigerator. Almost empty. I’d have to order more tomorrow. I’d taken to ordering my groceries online and having the delivery person leave them in the hallway outside my door. The payment was online too. I felt kind of lazy getting everything delivered but it was the only way I could get food and pay for it. Blaze and I had made a solemn vow not to steal anything, even though we could have. I sat down to my quick cereal dinner. I was tired. But it was a good kind of tired - exhaustion after a long, successful day at my new job.
After washing the bowl and putting it away, I brushed my teeth. Then I changed into my PJs. Stretching out on my queen-sized bed, I reflected on how nice it was to actually have my own bed again. Being a Dreamer had been good. But being a faded dreamer, whispering hope and truth to the world, was unspeakably great. I clicked off my lamp, sleep coming over me in waves. My phone buzzed, pulling me back to consciousness. I grabbed it from the nightstand and read the glowing message in the darkness.
It was from Blaze.
Don’t forget what day it is tomorrow.
Excitement exploded in my heart as I sat bolt upright, still staring at my phone. My calendar app confirmed it! Tomorrow was my wedding! How could I have possibly forgotten? I leapt from the bed and flicked on the bedroom light. Slowly, I opened my closet door and stared at the princess-like wedding dress that hung here. I pulled the phone up to text back.
Thanks. How am I supposed to sleep now?
LOL! You’re welcome.
I smiled. Being married to him was going to be so good. We would be getting our happily-ever-after together, after all!
Just after dawn, I phased myself onto the beach. There was Blaze, standing with the High King. A golden crown on the High King’s head reflected the light of the sun as it rose over the city. Blaze was dressed in a tux, which fit him perfectly. Some things never change. I walked towards him, smiling so hard it made my face hurt. A gentle breeze blew off the lake.
When I reached them, the High King spoke. “Take each other’s hands.”
I stood, bare feet in the sand, hands clasped with Blaze’s, looking into his eyes. Now we would commit to each other.
“I, Blaze, take you, Cara, to be my wife, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness or in health, until death do us part.”
I swallowed and tried to speak through the tears. “I, Cara…” My throat squeezed with emotion. Blaze looked so beautiful, standing there, smiling encouragement at me. Thankfulness welled up in my heart. He was going to be all mine. And he loved me, wanted me. “I, Cara, take you, Blaze, to be my husband, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness or in health, until death do us part.”
Then we looked to the High King as he spoke. “You have declared your promise. I consecrate this holy covenant, strengthen you to carry out this commitment and bless you with fruitfulness in your union.”
Blaze leaned towards me and kissed me tenderly on the lips. I clung to him, feeling glad that I didn’t have to share this moment with a crowd of onlookers. I pulled away and we both looked to the High King expectantly.
“What now?” asked Blaze. “I was thinking a honeymoon to Hawaii. Would you be willing to swing that for us?” So far, we could only phase ourselves to places nearby, places that we could see or knew very well.
“Hawaii is the perfect place for your honeymoon and I will gladly give that to you. However, there is an urgent task I need your help with first.”
“Aww…really? Before the honeymoon? We just got married,” Blaze lamented.
“Marriage is the foundation of families. One is in peril right now.”
“We’re ready to help,” I said.
“Aren’t we going to change first, at least?” said Blaze.
“No time,” the High King replied.
“Okay, let’s do this,” said Blaze, his attitude changing.
I felt the buzz of phasing and then found myself in a crowded bar, which was awkward because people were walking right through me.
Tell him to leave now, go home to his wife and say he’s sorry. I heard the voice of the High King in my
mind. I looked around and saw Blaze off to my left.
I joined him, shuddering as someone else passed through me. “Do you know who he means?” I asked.
“Him.” He pointed towards the bar where a balding, middle-aged man sat on a stool.
“How do you know that’s him?”
“He’s got a ring on and I doubt that that girl’s his wife.”
I looked at the scantily clad, young female he was talking to. “You’re probably right. Let’s get closer so we can hear what they’re saying.”
We walked between the tables to get to the bar. “Let’s stand on the bartenders’ side,” Blaze suggested.
I followed him around the counter. That was easier - less crowded. We approached and leaned in close to hear the conversation.
“My wife - she’s gotten very fat. And all she does is complain.” The man slurred his words. He’d been drinking too much.
“Well, Honey, you know I won’t complain. You got money?”
Blaze shook his head. “What a pig. Going to cheat on his wife with a prostitute. Cara, you’d better talk to him. I just feel like knocking some sense into the guy.” He stepped back so I could get in even closer.
Taking a deep breath, I recalled what the High King had told us to say to him. I felt angry too but I knew my feelings wouldn’t help the situation. “You need to go home now,” I whispered. “Go home to your wife. Confess and tell her you’re sorry.”
The man got up with a start. He looked around. “I think I need to go home now,” he slurred.
“What’s wrong, Honey?” asked the woman.
“It’s time to go home,” I whispered insistently.
“It’s time to go home,” the drunken man echoed. He staggered towards the exit and then out the door. The woman looked around and then sauntered towards someone else.
“Mission accomplished?” asked Blaze.
“Let’s just follow him to make sure he’s all right.” I hurried across the bar and through the exit door. We got outside just in time to see him stepping onto the street.
“No!” I shouted. It was a wide road with heavy traffic. I tried to follow him but Blaze stopped me.
“No, Cara, it’s too dangerous!”
The man cleared the first lane but, when he staggered out into the next lane, he was hit by a yellow sports car.
“No!” I fell to my knees, a sob tearing from my throat. His crumpled form lay on the road. Then I felt the vibrations carry me away. I found myself kneeling on the sand in my princess wedding dress. Blaze still had his hand on my shoulder. The High King was there. “Why did you let that happen?” I shouted. “We told him to leave and then he got hit by a car!”
“He made the choice to be in that bar with evil thoughts on his mind. He made the choice to drink too much. He made the choice to stagger out into the street. I did not supernaturally stop that car from hitting him…but I did slow it down just enough. Cara, he’s not dead. For him, this was the best possible outcome because of his choices. Now he will confess all to his wife and tell her that he is sorry. Now he will find that she is kind, a most worthy woman. Now he will find his way back to me.” The High King reached his hands down to me. “I love you, Cara, and every other human in the whole world. My will is that none should perish but all should come to know the truth, the truth that sets free.”
I let him pull me into his embrace and I rested my head on his shoulder. “I just wish I didn’t have to see that on my wedding day. This is supposed to be a time for happy endings.”
“Cara, trust me. This is a happy ending.” He put a hand on my forehead. “See what I see.”
I saw a vision of the man in a hospital bed. His wife was there, holding him. They were both weeping but also smiling. The image faded and then I saw them in their home. The man had a cast on his leg and the wife was bringing him a cup of tea. He smiled at her and she smiled back. I could tell by the twinkle in their eyes that they were in love.
Then I glimpsed farther into the future when the man was wrinkled and had lost all his hair. He was once again lying in a hospital bed. His wife, now old and grey too, was there with him, holding his hand to bring him comfort from the pain. They both knew it was almost time for him to go. But she didn’t look sad. She knew he’d be going to a better place, one where there would be no more suffering. And she knew she’d be going there soon too. His breathing slowed and then stopped. The woman squeezed his hand and shut her eyes.
“Go to the High King, My Love. Soon we will be together again.” A single tear tracked down her cheek.
Then I saw the man rise up out of the bed. Not shriveled and weak like he had just been but glorious and strong, almost too beautiful to look at. Tears trickled from my eyes too as I watched him float upwards, looking into the heavens, arms spread wide.
The High King released me and looked into my eyes. “Now you understand.”
“I do. You make all things good.”
Blaze came up beside me and took my hand. “That was really cool. Thanks for letting us see that. I’m glad things are going to work out for him now.”
The High King pulled both of us into an embrace. “You’re an important part of the plan. You all are. Now, time for that honeymoon.” The vibrations of phasing began, tickling my bare feet.
“Wait…” said Blaze. “You all, as in, there are more of us? Like Cara and me?”
Blaze and I came out on a different beach, still holding hands, the salty smell of the sea in the air. We were alone.
I looked at Blaze, trying to read his expression. “He never answered your question. Do you think there might be more faded dreamers?”
Blaze shrugged. “That can wait. Look! Hawaii! Now that we’re here, let’s enjoy it.” Still holding my hand, he led me towards a fancy hotel just off the beach. “Come on! We can use a computer in the lobby to pay for a room. I’m excited about this new adventure with you!”
I giggled nervously, squeezed his hand and let him lead the way.
***
This is the story of a faded dreamer, for that is what I am. But I’m not alone anymore. And I’m living the dreams of the High King. I’ve been given hope and a future and an unexpected end. Only the end is just the beginning.
About Author Celesta Thiessen
I live in Steinbach, Manitoba, Canada with my husband and two young daughters. We’re homeschoolers and entrepreneurs. My husband and I make iOS apps and I write stories. Being a writer is magical - spinning nothing into stories - stories that can light the way to a different world.
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Note from the Author
The characters and events in this book are fictional. Except for Jesus. Jesus is real.
Jesus is everything to me. My reason for living. My hope.
I struggled with depression for a long time. I used to wake up, each morning, wishing for death. Now those times are exceedingly rare. Jesus is speaking the truth to me, healing me and setting me free.
My journey with Jesus started by believing in him and becoming his follower. The Bible says, in Romans 10:9, “If you declare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord’, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”
I’ve been gaining emotional healing through confession and intentional prayer. In James 5:16, the Bible says, “Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.”
You can experience hope and freedom in Jesus too.
Feel free to message me through the contact form on my website.
Love in Christ,
Celesta Thiessen
Other Books by Celesta Thiessen
Prince Jade
Jade, the fourteen-year-old, second-born prince of Kedrin, is full of unnatural powers and an uncontrollable darkness. He is ready to seize the throne. But when Jade’s life takes an unexpected turn, he meets Marigold, a simp
le farm girl who embodies everything that he is not. Gradually, for the first time, he begins to want the light.
Like a Shakespearian fairy tale, this romantic fantasy adventure chronicles Jade’s journey as he finds love…and love finds him.
Dragon Warrior and the Princess
He’s a volatile, genetically-engineered slave, longing for peace. She’s a spoiled princess who wants to reclaim the throne and save the world. He must help her.
Princess Aurelia is left for dead on the frozen planet of Quisquiliae. There she meets a dragon warrior…the last of his kind. The Dragon Warrior, who had also been left for dead, thought war and servitude were behind him. But his short-lived peace is shattered when the fiery young woman revives and starts telling him what to do. He submits himself to her, as is his duty as a slave to the royal family but, deep down, he blames her for everything he is and all he has been forced to commit. After the Dragon Warrior saves Aurelia’s life, the princess is duty-bound to return the favor. Her course of action shocks the Dragon Warrior as he tries to come to terms with his true nature and identity.
The Dragon Warrior and the princess walk the path of honor together but it will take a confrontation with space pirates, a supply run for weapons, a star ship battle, a ground skirmish, a rescue mission and, ultimately, an encounter with evil itself before they find out where this journey will end.
An edge-of-your-seat science fiction adventure filled with innocent, romantic longing, The Dragon Warrior and the Princess breaks from the typical military space opera mold. Shaped by the theme of mercy verses justice, where shades of grey polarize and resolve into right and wrong, The Dragon Warrior and the Princess displays the power of good working through its heroes to give the world hope and a future.
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