Chapter 9

CHAPTER 9

***ARCHIE***

A rchie was still angry at Max when he woke up the next morning, still frustrated that after all these years, his friend couldn't understand why he wanted to stand on his own two feet. He wished that Max could see just how unequal their relationship was. A little tutoring and some late-night chats didn't even begin to make up for the help Max had given him, and he couldn't help but feel like he still had a debt to pay. The last thing he wanted was Max giving him even more help; that would tip the scale even further in the wrong direction, and if he'd learned one thing over the last couple of years, it was to never owe anyone anything.

He'd only come to the island because Max begged him, now he could see that it had been a mistake, but he'd been so desperate to get away from the mess he'd made of his life, he hadn't even considered what the invitation might mean. He didn't want Max to save him again. He didn't want to stand back feeling useless while his friend used his money and influence to step in like he'd done back in college. He was a grown man capable of handling his own affairs, and he needed to start acting like it again. If that meant Max and he couldn't be friends, then so be it.

He didn't need friends anyway; they just got in the way, and he certainly didn't need a woman in his life he thought whenever Felicity popped into his mind. He was better off alone, better off spending the rest of his life only worrying about himself. He didn't need connections, and he didn't need the headache that relationships brought. There was nothing wrong with going home to his empty apartment every night, nothing wrong with spending night after night on his own, and it would be peaceful, he decided, just him and his thoughts.

Feeling the craving for a run, he threw back the covers and got out of bed, sure that he'd made the right choice. He didn't need Max or Felicity; he didn't need friends or lovers. He dressed quickly, ignoring the empty feeling that had started to form in his middle. Then, he took the path to the beach and began to run in the opposite direction he and Felicity had taken on the mornings together, afraid that he'd run into her.

Still restless after his run, he took a long swim, then famished, grabbed a huge lunch in the village and took it down to the beach. He told himself he wasn't looking for Felicity, but his eyes scanned the shore, and he found himself leaning forward every time someone came walking up. When the food had disappeared, he found himself sleepy and laid back in the warm sand, planning to just close his eyes for a second, but the sound of the waves on the shore lulled him to sleep in only a few minutes.

He slept dream-free and deeply for a long time, the breeze off the ocean keeping him cool, but as the sun started its slow descent in the sky, the air around him began to stir and crackle with energy. Archie didn't wake, didn't move as his magic slowly came to life and connected with power surging around him, creating a small tornado above him as the air swirled faster and faster. A second later, everything went still. Archie let out a little snore as he sank into a deeper slumber, then began to dream.

Archie opened his eyes and sat up, then looked around confused, sure that he should be on the beach, not……well, he wasn't sure where he was. Closing his eyes, he counted to ten, then opened them again, but he was still looking at red brick walls, not the ocean rolling up on the shore. Instead of bright sunshine, the room was dark and windowless, the only light from a torch jammed into a holder on the wall, and the air stale as if it had been trapped for a very long time.

Getting to his feet, he looked around for a way out but didn't see a door, "This can't be real; it has to be a dream," he said, his voice echoing in the empty room. "Just give yourself a few seconds, and you'll wake up."

He stood there for a long time, waiting for something to happen, but all he heard was his own breathing, and he began to get worried. Walking over to the torch, he pulled it out of the holder and started walking around the room, hoping to find a way out, a hidden door, a lever or something, but the walls were solid, and he ended up standing in the middle of the room again.

Forcing himself not to panic, he turned in a circle again, and then just as he was about to start screaming for help, a section of the wall began to glow. The bricks slowly faded away, leaving a dark, empty doorway, and he stumbled back a step, then held the torch up to get a better look. He waited for a few seconds to make sure nothing else was going to happen, then started toward the doorway, but he'd only gone a few steps when the glow of a light lit up the passageway.

Backing away again, his heart pounding, he braced himself for what might come through the door, then let out a huge gasp when Felicity walked into the room. She looked over at him, clearly as surprised as he was, but before either of them could say anything, the wall behind him began to glow, and the bricks began to rearrange themselves. He spun around, watching as three doorways appeared, then three heavy wooden doors materialized in the openings, complete with heavy metal locks, and slammed shut.

There was a clap of thunder that echoed through the tiny space, and then a ring of keys clattered to the stone floor, and everything went silent. He walked over and picked them up, then turned to find Felicity standing behind him, a shocked look on her face, the torch in her hand trembling slightly.

***Felicity***

Felicity felt her knees beginning to tremble and took a deep breath, "Archie, where are we?" she asked. "What are we doing here?"

"I don't know," he said, running his fingers through his hair. "The last thing I remember was falling asleep on the beach."

"Me too," Felicity said, her voice barely above a whisper. "We spent the whole morning in the water, so I decided to take a nap after lunch. Do you think we're dreaming?"

"Together?" he asked, shaking his head. "There has to be another explanation."

"Well, I sure like to hear it," she said. "And I wouldn't mind getting out of here."

Archie looked around, "Maybe we should try one of these doors," he said, holding up the keys. "These didn't pop out of nowhere for no reason."

She looked over at the doors, then back at him, "Archie, I still don't understand what's going on," she said, moving a few steps closer to him. "What are we doing here? "

He looked over at the doors, "I think we're going to have to open one to find out," he said. "Do you want to choose?"

"No, I think this is your dream," she said. "You pick."

"What makes you say that?" he asked. "It could be your dream, too."

She shrugged her shoulders, "I don't know, it just feels like it's your dream," she said. "I think you should pick."

"Fine, I'll choose, but I still say this isn't a dream. It's not possible," Archie said. "You'll see, this is a joke Max is playing or something. I don't know how he got us here, but I bet he's on the other side of one of these doors."

She didn't say anything, didn't see the point in arguing, and Archie stepped up to the middle door, "You'll see," he said, then started sorting through the keys. "They all look alike, and I'm going to have to try them all until I find the right one."

Choosing one randomly, he slipped a key into the lock, jumping when it turned easily, and the door creaked open. "See, that wasn't so hard," he said, grinning at her. "Do you want to go first?"

"No, I'll let you lead the way," she said, walking over to the door and peering inside. "I don't see anything, do you?"

He held up his torch and shined it into the doorway, but it stayed dark as if the light couldn't reach what was inside. "I don't think we're going to know what's in there until we step through," he said. "I'll go first and let you know if it's safe."

She stepped up next to him and took his hand, "I'm going with you," she said. "I don't think you're supposed to go alone."

Archie gave her a funny look but squeezed her hand and took a step forward into the darkness, and she followed him. They emerged into a different landscape, and she looked around, confused, not sure where they were, then over at Archie, who clearly recognized the dilapidated building in front of them. He staggered back a couple of steps, then looked over at her, a mixture of anger and embarrassment on his face.

"I don't know what we're doing here," he said, pushing her away from the apartments back towards the door. "We should try another one."

She grabbed his hand and pulled him to a stop, "Where are we, Archie?" she asked, searching his face. "Is this where you grew up?"

He shook his head, "No, this is where I live now," he said, then snorted. "But it's not that different from the crappy places we lived when I was a kid. It's embarrassing, Felicity. After all the hard work, the hours spent studying, this is where I ended up. I don't need a reminder of how badly I screwed up or that I ended up right back where I started."

"So, what's wrong with that?" she asked. We all have setbacks. You just went through one. You'll find your way back out of here. You still have your education. That's a lot more than most of these people have."

They watched as the front doors opened and people began spilling out with their hands full of food, drinks, and party supplies. "They're having a barbeque, there's one every month," Archie said. "I never go, I don't think they really want me there."

Laughter and happy chatter soon filled the apartment courtyard, and the air filled with the smell of roasting meat. Then the strangest thing happened: Felicity saw Archie walking down the street. Felicity grabbed Archie's arm, her eyes following his double as he walked up to the apartments, looking longingly at the party. She looked over at him, her eyes wide, but he was staring at the scene playing out before him.

"Archie, there you are, late night again, I see," a woman said, rushing over to him. I hope you didn't forget the barbeque again. We really hope you'd join us this month. Everyone wants to meet you."

"Oh, I don't know, I'm very tired tonight," the other Archie said. "I think I'll just go on up to my apartment and get some sleep."

"Oh, well, okay," the woman said, her face full of disappointment. "It's just that well……we worry about you being alone all the time."

"I like being alone," the other Archie said. "Good night, Mrs. Cooper, enjoy your barbeque."

The door slammed behind him, leaving the woman standing alone on the front step. She shook her head and went back to the party. "I wasn't very nice to her," Archie said, then looked down at Felicity. "I pushed them all away because I was afraid I'd have to tell them the truth about why I was living there."

"You didn't even give them a chance, but I guess I can understand why," she said. "You're afraid to trust anyone. I know that feeling all too well, but at some point, you have to let go of the fear and take a chance."

"Oh really?" he asked. "I don't see you taking any chances."

She didn't say anything for a second, anger making it hard to breathe, then let him have it, "I've been taking chances since the day we met," she said. "I trusted you with my story, and I got close enough to you that you could kiss me. I haven't let a man touch me since Joe nearly beat me to death, not even my dad, so don't talk to me about taking chances, Archie. And don't even get me started on being embarrassed. Whenever I go out in public, someone stares at me or whispers behind my back. I'm always the center of attention even though I don't want to be."