The desert wind howls. I wipe my brow block the sun with my eyes.

“It feels different here,” exclaims Nahlia with worry.

I was starting to sweat from the heat. I cover my eyes and try avoid all the sunlight. It was way bright and the sand didn't help. It was hard too make out the distance because of the heat waves. At least it was windy. I could feel it move my hair.

“I guess this is cool,” hums Nahlia. She looks around. “It's a giant beach with no water.”

“I only gets more boring from here....” I think sarcastically.

I let go of Nahlia's hands and get to my feet. The empty landscape went on for miles. Only the blue of the sky gave any color to the sandy wasteland. Windblown dunes filled the area with merciless patterns all around us. I scuff my feet. I was proud of myself for getting us inside. I had practiced a few times before with James.

“Hey, can we go back?,” Nahlia says suggestively. The whole experience didn't feel right to her.

“We can’t go back. Something's wrong, Nahlia......” I reply.

Nahlia's purple eyes fill with fright, fear, and anger all at once.

“Just kidding,” I laugh. I take a few steps back. I feel Nahlia shove my shoulder. She tries to step on my toes in anger, but I dodge them with a laugh.

Nahlia starts laugh with relief. She wanted to squish my toes.

“Quit it, Nahlia! That really hurts! Stop!” I shout. Nahlia laughs some more. She had given me a hard stomp. I give Nahlia a quick shove, as she laughs at me.

I turn myself around just in time to see a figure out of the corner of my eye.

The figure comes running up, kicking up sand and stumbling. His pace slows, once he realizes he was spotted. A short distance away, he stops. The weirdest thing was, he wasn't even out of breath.

The strange guy, dressed as a pilot, walks closer. One of his index fingers was abnormally long and pointed. The pilot immediately starts to draw something in the air with his finger that fails to manifest. He draws vigorously, with sharp movements of his arms. His finger dots the invisible air, not once stopping to check his work, as he draws out his artistic endeavor.

“Who are you? Hello?” Nahlia asks.

“I thought it was just a desert here....”

I stare at the pilot guy. His eyes were intense. He starts panting. I wasn't sure what to say. He was emanating these positive feelings.

The pilot man ignores Nahlia, becoming increasing more delighted with his work. His grin grows as the feelings of love that surround me become stronger, almost suffocating. It felt like being in a hot tub on a freezing cold day. It felt good. I didn't want to stop watching him and get out of the hot tub, but I knew I would eventually have to. The feelings continue to hold me in, warm then hot, then hotter. The man continues until he finishes his work with a devilish grin, He looks over at us with a sharp head turn and points.

“Tayt. We should leave....”

I could hear the foreboding in Nahlia's breath. I hold her hand. I could feel the sweat between our palms and fingers. I could sense her readiness to flee and the tingles of sand. We look at each other, as the pilot steps closer. He takes advantage of the split second we weren't looking at him, to sneak in a few steps. He was right up on us. The pilots equipment is struck by the hissing sand of a passing wind. He jerks forward a few times, testing our reaction. He emanates more loving feelings at us. He speaks.

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“Let me draw you love. Love. No more uncle. No more loser. We all want to be redrawn.”

Nahlia and I make a run for it. I hear the pilot unleash a horrifying shriek as we get away. I could feel his frustration resonate in my own throat. I cover my ears. The hair on my arms raises, as Nahlia and I bump into each other with our sweaty arms. We stumble down a dune together and the pilot shrieks with delight. He could easily close the distance between us now.

“Tayt!.....” panics Nahlia with a jittery voice. She was short of breath and picking herself up.

“Don't let go of my hand!” I yell at her.

I focus slightly, before my possessor being merges back with my soul.

“We're back!,” exclaims Nahlia. She give me a hug.

“Don't step on that,” I say.

“Sorry....”

Nahlia looks down at her feet and puts her mouth to the side. She was stepping all over my cartoon drawings. She brushes herself off and looks around her.

“How come there's no sand on me?” she gasps.

“That's because the picture isn't big enough. You read that story with me, didn't you?”

“I don't always remember everything.”

We both knew that you could enter the picture. You just couldn't take any of the creations out of it. I take another look at the desert picture. I wobble Nahlia's gift in my hand. It wasn't big enough for taking things out. I guess that's why that pilot guy was trapped in there.

The Far Away Dream was a closely guarded secret. The Neandelerian companies made sure no one got to their profits. I even heard that the main picture was as big as a skyscraper, buried in and underground chamber. A huge army protected it, making sure nothing bad got out. No one could get passed security. As long as security wasn't weakened by an invasion or something, that pilot guy was staying stuck in the desert. Who was even foolish enough to attack Cepertine? I didn't care. We were safe now. Nahlia grabs my hands.

“Tayt. Promise me, that you'll never go into that picture again!”

I shrug at Nahlia. She gives me a horrified look

“It's not like I have another one.” I put the picture back into Nahlia's hands. She contemplates ripping it up, but I stop her. She holds it out of my reach, but I crawl over and grab it from her.

“Stop!”

“No, Nahlia! I had to pay a lot for that. James said there probably won't be another and I liked being kissed,” I blurt out.

Nahlia looks at me angrily and shoves her picture into my bag.

“You can have it back. I don't want it anymore! Take it. All of it.”

We both stare at each other. Nahlia crumples up one of my cartoons and throws it at me.

“Hey! That was one of the good ones!” I shout.

Nahlia's eyes soften. She could tell I was upset and I didn't deserve that. I spent the whole monsoon season saving my money for gift I gave her. Sure, it was a bad experience now, but I got her that gift with hard work. Nahlia begins to calm down. She tries to cheer me up after realizing what she had just done. Going into the picture was her idea anyway. I probably should have warned her it was strange. Nahlia grabs my hand and gives my gloves a few quick tugs.

“Just promise you won't do that anymore.”

“I won't.” I shoot back at her.

“We'll go where you want, next time we meet. I'll let you have me for the day.”

“Ok.” I say.

I felt like a sucker, but who cares. At least we were both safe now. The whole thing messed up our day, but the mood was getting back to normal. Nahlia smiles at me, as the front door opens, My parents always brought good food home when they went out. We could share my meal and relax. I knew a few cool places up in the sky if there wasn't enough food to go around.

“You should eat, before you leave,” I say.

“That sounds fine.” Nahlia tucks in her lip and nibbles it. She had never met my parents and it would be good to get away from our experience. She had her uncle to worry about now. I check the time. Hopefully, he wasn't back early from his business trip. Sometimes, he would lie and show up early.

“Ahh...I think I'll take you home, actually,” I hated Nahlia's uncle and didn't want to risk it.

“I'm not going back. Why do you never try paying attention to me?”

Nahlia looks at the back of her fingers. I could tell by her eyebrows she was frustrated with herself. Nahlia plops down on my bean bag and keeps talking to me.

“I'm staying up here for a while, until I figure things out. I'm not going back. I don't even care.”

Nahlia was still shaken up from what happened. She didn't want be home alone or see her uncle when he returned from his business trip.

“I'm already a drop out and I've flunked the school year. I'm no going to get beaten for it again.”

“So you're staying here?”

“If your parents will let me. Didn't you say they would let me that one time? Did it slip your mind or something? Tayt?”

I had no idea of what to say. I honestly couldn't remember, but I probably did at some point and forgot about it. It was nice having a home to go home to. Nahlia didn't have that. Maybe, that's why she didn't judge me for having a possessor being. Among the Ryoken tribes, there was always someone to give you a place to stay or a tribe who would take you in. That's what they say, at least. I've had never been there since I was adopted.