As We Go Along, Ch. 12

 I decided asking Vesperzo directly if I could read his books would likely lead to a big NO, especially if he realized I'd been messing with his stuff already that day. The next time we stopped, I'd ask Colin. That moment came sooner than I thought, because the whispers started again.

At first, they really were just whispers. I glanced around, wondering if Carrington or Braydon was talking about something he didn't want me to hear. But as they grew louder, I listened closer, and realized they weren't in English. It struck me for the first time that they sounded kind of sing-songy--like a lullaby. A creepy, dryad lullaby. I glanced around the dusty road. We weren't in the Darkwood anymore, so how was I still hearing them? Even Colin seemed undisturbed.

Soon they were the volume of a regular conversation, then a shouting match. Then they were deafening. I couldn't hear anything but the dryad whispers. Now Colin was trying to say something to me. He looked concerned. If he was initiating conversation, he must have been seriously freaked out. He repeated himself. I lipread my name, but that was it. I shook my head. I couldn't hear him. The whispers hurt my ears.

He turned and called something to the others. Probably "Stop the horses, she's having a seizure." We came to a halt. Good thing, too--the whispers were getting physically painful. I covered my ears, lost my balance, and fell off the horse onto the hard-packed dirt road. Covering my ears did nothing. It must have been telepathy of some sort. Tree-telepathy. Maybe my brother was right: I really was insane.

Colin dismounted and helped me stand up. I slumped against the horse, who kindly moved out of my way and let me fall down again. This time, Colin kept a grip on my arm when he helped me up. He tapped his ear with his finger. Was I hearing something?

I nodded, even though it hurt. I was getting dizzy. If the whispers couldn't cause hearing damage, could they cause brain damage? I tried not to speculate.

Colin pointed to himself, tapped his ear again, and nodded. He was hearing them, too. I wasn't sure what the hand-motions were for Why are they so much louder for me? and I didn't feel up for charades at any rate. (The obvious solution of TALKING didn't occur to me yet. I guess I subconsciously assumed everyone else was deaf, too.)

He turned again and said something to the others, who had dismounted. I imagined the conversation to distract from the noise and the pain:

Colin: "She's officially lost her mind."

Braydon: "Or she's just a wimp."

Vesperzo: "No, it looks more like insanity to me."

Bradyon: "You just have to disagree with everything I say, don't you?"

Carrington: "We have bigger concerns right now, my friends. Do we leave the dead weight here, or drag her to the nearest insane asylum?"

In the real world, Colin shook me a little. He waved his hand in front of my face. I nodded. Yes, I was still conscious.

He pointed to me, then to his mouth. Could I talk?

Well, I didn't see why not. "I can't hear anything," I said. "The trees are too loud."

Now I imagined this was all a dream. My parents had found me collapsed on the floor of my room and were now at my bedside listening to me mumble gibberish. Mom was blaming herself for not seeing the warning signs earlier, Dad was wondering what the medical bills would cost, and my brother was saying, "I told you so."

Colin shook me again. He turned and said something to the others again. Carrington seemed to be the only one actually helping--he was trying to keep everyone calm. Vesperzo was furiously leafing through one of his books. Braydon was shouting something, probably orders that no one else cared about.

Carrington said something, Vesperzo seemed to agree, and Braydon said something to Colin. Colin hesitantly agreed, which made me nervous, and I found myself shoved onto a horse with Braydon. Apparently, they'd decided to give Colin a break from carrying the crazy girl. And we were going somewhere.

My brain thought this was a hopeful development. At least they hadn't left me for dead. My body didn't much care. It had its own plan for avoiding further excruciating telepathic pain: pass out. So, I did, and I fell down for a third time, except Braydon's horse was taller than Colin's, so it hurt a lot before I completely lost consciousness.