Chariots of Heaven

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  “Kira!” Yamara was shaking the girl with all of her strength. “Kira, wake up!! WAKE UP! You are dreaming!”

  Kira’s eyes flew open. She was soaked in sweat, and her heart was racing. Yamara had a startled look on her face.

  “Child, it was just a dream. Shhh…” Yamara hugged Kira tightly as she sat in her bed panting. “It was just a dream… you’re okay.”

  “Where’s Kaya?!” Pushing Yamara away and looking around the hut wildly, Kira spotted her sister standing by their father’s bed, hugging a fur blanket and looking both frightened and confused.

  “Child, be still! You were dreaming.” Yamara grabbed both of Kira’s cheeks and forced her to look into her eyes, in a comforting voice she said, “Your sister is just fine. She is safe and sound, albeit probably a little terrified with all the screaming.” Letting go of her cheeks she forced Kira to lay back down.

  Feeling disoriented Kira asked, “Screaming? Who was screaming?”

  With her face growing more concerned by the moment Yamara replied, “Why, you child. You let out a terrible howl and then started screaming something about having to save Kaya. I think you woke half the village.” Yamara explained as she examined the girl, holding her hand against her forehead to check for fever. Finding Kira’s head cool to the touch a look of relief spread across Yamara’s face and she asked, “Do you remember what you were dreaming about?”

  Kira tried to reach for the place she had just been, but like water slipping between her fingers the images faded from her mind. Frustrated, she replied, “I don’t… remember. I think I was falling, but I don’t know where I was. It was someplace I had never seen before.”

  Frowning, Yamara tucked Kira back under her fur covers. “Hush now, child. Just rest. It is not yet morning.” Yamara turned her head and squinted in the dim light. “Kaya, don’t be afraid. Your sister was just having a nightmare. You can come back to bed now.”

  Hesitant to move, Kaya crawled back into her bed, her teeth chattering as she did so. Kira wasn’t certain if she was shivering from the cold morning air, or from having been awakened so suddenly. She wanted to comfort her, but before she could say anything Kaya covered herself and turned on her side, facing away from her. It would have to wait.

  Yamara bent over and kissed Kaya on the side of her head, whispering something that Kira couldn’t hear. Whatever it was, it seemed to help, as Kaya began to relax under her fur blankets. Yamara stood to leave, but stopped. She looked back at Kira with a worried expression. She opened her mouth to say something, but reconsidered before the words came out. Closing her mouth awkwardly she simply nodded, and turned to leave.

  Kira wondered what she was about to say, but decided she could just ask her later that day. She let out a long sigh as her thoughts wandered back to her dream. What had that place been? It all seemed so familiar, like she had been there before. But how could that be? She’d only ever lived here, in the village. She supposed it didn’t really matter. It was only a dream, even if it had felt real.

  Letting out another deep sigh, Kira closed her eyes and started to drift back to sleep. Everything became less pronounced as her breathing steadied and images of her sister’s face floated through her mind like reflections in water. She knew she had to protect her, it didn’t matter what from; she had to be there for her, no matter what.