Free Touching the Surface by Kimberly Sabatini

appear just like I envisioned it. I could make myself whole, too. Well, at least physically whole. Mel also seemed to think that if I tried hard enough, spiritual and emotional wellness could be mine for the asking. It sounded nice, but I had my doubts.
    The rocky terrain leveled off as I moved away from the lake. I found myself walking through a shady forest of old growth trees. There was no path. This was clearly a manifestation of my own state of mind, proof that I had no idea what direction my life should be taking. I squinted. I’d stepped out of the cool and quiet darkness of the woods into the sunlight. The sudden movement from dark to light blindedme, so I took a step back and shaded my eyes with my hand.
    In front of me was a pond. I could smell its earthiness now that I was paying attention to my senses. The outer edges were decorated with a filigree of lily pads and blossoms. On one side, across from where I stood, there was an army of reeds and cattails fencing in the perimeter. The bull’s-eye ripples on the face of the water gave away the last location of a small frog. Directly across from me was a small peninsula of land that jutted out into the placid water. A tiny, cedar-roofed gazebo—really just an awning over a bench—caught my eye. I exhaled, not realizing until then that I’d been holding my breath.
    The whole scene was beautiful, but I hadn’t created it, so who had? This place was so achingly lovely and relaxing. It had to be someone’s creation, but I’d never heard about it, so I must have stumbled across someplace private. There were some legendary places at the Obmil that souls passed down. If I left here and told Julia about the pond, and later she came searching for it, she might actually find something that was pretty darn similar because my vision had become her vision. Not like that would actually happen, the way things were between us.
    I scanned the banks of the pond. No one was here. I moved to the left and circled around. I felt as if I should be cautious,but the calmness of the place balanced out the strangeness of not knowing where the mysterious creator was.
    That’s when I saw him. Trevor was sprawled out on the very tip of the peninsula. He’d been hidden from view by a clump of wild grasses growing by the water’s edge. His eyes were closed and he was soaking up the sun. He appeared relaxed, and obviously he was, if he could create such a tranquil place to rest. His chest was free of his usual taunts and it rose and fell slowly as he breathed. What was he doing out here? David had told me that he was off Delving with Mel. I wondered who’d been lying.
    I edged closer, crouching down and moving like a ninja from one form of cover to another. I felt silly, but I couldn’t resist seeing his face relaxed, devoid of its usual hostility.~uthi
    When I reached the gazebo bench I stood on the seat and threw one foot up on the railing. Wrapping my arms around the side support I pulled myself upward and peered down at Trevor, not knowing how I would explain my awkward behavior if he woke up.
    The sensation of wrongness hit me immediately. At this height I could see the other side of his languid pose. His arm was tucked underneath him in an awkward position. He wasn’t sleeping—something wasn’t right.
    I leapt off the railing, reaching for him as I dashed downto the water’s edge. As I moved closer I could feel my vision starting to disappear and my legs dissolving into fizzy tingles. Before I could reverse my forward momentum I realized that he was deep in a Delve and I was being pulled in by my proximity to him. As I tumbled into Trevor’s memory, I felt my body fall against his. Great.
    •  •  •
    I dropped into Trevor’s memories like a cartoon anvil. He’d already settled into himself, and catching up with him so rapidly knocked the wind out of me.
    He was back in the cemetery. He was alone this time, in the warm golden light of the morning sun that reflected