Page 21 of Presence

Echo smiles and steps closer to a large tree, brushing his hand against the bark. “Words, numbers, facts, and all tangible things are the currency of your world, not mine. Here, we operate with intention,” he says, his eyes shifting from metallic blue to deep aquamarine in the forest’s green light.

I hold his gaze, letting his words sink in. Even as I start nodding, pretending to understand, I’m more confused than ever. Mentally kicking myself for faking it, I realize how important this information might be. I shouldn’t just “fake it till I make it” right now. I might need this knowledge in the future, especially since I really like this dreamscape. I want to come back here. I want to truly understand it.

“So, you’re telling me that I… what? Intended to give you control?” I finally ask, cocking a brow and trying not to look at the way his breathing makes his chest rise and fall. Even in my peripheral vision, I notice his small, dusty pink nipples and fitness model abs. It’s distracting, making my own breathing harder than it already is.

“That’s exactly what I’m telling you,” he responds. “And it’s not the first time, either. Think about how you fell asleep tonight. Don’t you remember calling out to me for help? Feeling that strange force taking over?”

If I was confused before, now I’m outright stumbling over the soft forest floor. A spinning headache washes over me as I try to remember the incident he’s talking about. I search through my memory like I’m sifting through a fog. It’s harder than before, taking a few quiet seconds, accompanied only by the high-pitched singing of birds hidden high in the trees.

Finally, the haze breaks, and memories flood back. Real life seems like a distant, feverish hallucination, something that happened lifetimes ago. It’s not pleasant to recall. Doing so intensifies the sinking feeling in my stomach, making me dizzy.

“Yeah,” I reply at last. Placing a hand on my stomach, I start walking again. We’re following a wide path where trees are sparse. For a while, all I could see was an endless forest. But now, there’s a brighter area ahead, more lit by the sun than the canopy-covered forest floor. We’re literally walking towards the light.

A memory hits me like a ton of bricks: contemplating death on the staircase to my apartment in the real world, thinking about walking towards the light. It’s ironic, isn’t it? The me from then would cry tears of happiness knowing such a magical thing as this dream awaited on my path. I thought I was done for. I thought there was no miracle for me to ever experience again.

But here I am, feeling moss under my toes, sweating in some Amazonian rainforest with a handsome man and magical lights above me. What the actual fuck?

“That was me, too,” Echo says with a hint of pride. “You asked for help. You intended for me to come in and save you, and so I did.”

“So, all of this,” I wave a hand, gesturing to the lush greenery around us, “is because I let you in? Because I was desperate?”

“Do I detect a hint of aversion, darling?” he drawls, his voice darkening in that way that makes me wonder if he’s joking or serious. Even the way he says ‘darling’ could be taken both ways.

I bury my face in my hands, wiping sweat from my forehead with my wrist. Is there a rulebook on how not to piss off guardian spirits? Tips and tricks for dealing with them? Probably not.

“Don’t tell me you don’t get me this time around,” I say, dropping my hands and turning to him. Echo’s smile deepens, his eyes crinkling at the corners, reflecting a mischief that’s both unsettling and compelling.

“Oh, I get you, Claire. More than you might be comfortable with.” He steps closer, his presence enveloping me like the dense forest air. “But understanding and agreeing are two different things. Don’t be so quick to judge. Just wait and see if you like me in charge.”

I cringe at my next words even before they escape my mouth. The urge to say whatever comes to mind is too strong, but so is the embarrassment.

“In charge? Just how I like my men?” I ask, cheeks blazing.

“Exactly like that,” he replies with a smirk, shutting me up.

He guides me along the path that opens into a sunlit clearing. The forest transitions into a vibrant meadow filled with wildflowers and the buzzing of... something. For a moment, I think it’s the forest itself humming with life, brimming with power. Then, I notice the thing to our left, big and loud, so impossible to miss that I’m shocked I mistook it for the forest.

A waterfall. A magnificent, tall, crashing waterfall basking in the sunlight. It cascades into a pond below, large enough to swim in but cozy, not a fierce force of nature. The pond’s water gently spills over, flowing into a calm river below.

I gasp, cupping my mouth, my chest swelling with pure awe.

“Tell me, Claire,” Echo says, stepping into the sunlight by the pond. He turns to look at me, eyes glimmering and hair kissed by the gentle breeze from the waterfall. “Do you still regret me bringing you here?”

His smirk tells me he knows exactly how I feel, but I say it anyway.

“No,” I mutter, my voice thin against the stretch in my lungs. “I don’t regret it at all.”

Echo’s smirk softens into a gentle smile as he extends a hand toward me.

“Come on then,” he beckons, his voice blending with the waterfall’s roar. Without hesitation, I step forward to join him by the water. “This is all for you, after all.”

The ground changes beneath my feet, from soft, mossy earth to cool, smooth stones polished by the water. I reach out my hand to Echo, and he grasps it, steadying me as we edge closer to the waterfall. The sound grows louder, drowning out the birdsongs of the forest. The mist settles on my skin, mingling with sweat, cooling and refreshing.

I always wanted to see one up close. As a child, I’d watch Animal Planet, hoping to catch a glimpse of wild animals drinking from waterfalls deep in the Amazon jungle. It was a harmless little dream I dreamt during long afternoons and even longer nights. I imagined a place where everyone was equal, where no amount of money or alcohol could turn people against each other. Just a jungle, pure animalistic danger, and the beauty of life.

But this…

“This is fucking amazing,” I mumble, inhaling deeply. “Nothing like seeing it on TV.”

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