Mara was in my dream last night

“Can you fly with someone holding on to you?” Corrie asked Mara.

“Maybe. Let’s try it.” Mara turned her back toward Corrie and waited.

After a few failed attempts to wrap herself securely around Mara’s waist, Corrie settled for the piggyback position, using her legs and arms to hold on tight. As soon as she stopped wiggling around, Mara leaned forward, spread out her arms, and began to run.

Takeoff came slowly with her labored gait, but almost twenty seconds after she started her sprint, Mara felt the magic kick in, lifting her feet off the ground even as they continued to churn, running in midair. Corrie clung to her tighter as Mara flapped her arms, lifting them ever higher until they were over the castle wall.

“No fair!” Ben, who had just vaulted the same wall, shouted up at them from the forest side. “How come you get to fly?”

Corrie whooped as Mara glided down to land in front of him. “You did it!” She slid off Mara’s back and grinned foolishly at Ben. “You’re not jealous, are you?”

Just then, all three of them heard a shout from the castle. “I don’t have time to be jealous,” Ben said. “I’m too busy running!”

By the time the castle’s occupants had lowered the drawbridge and sent men to look for the three vagabonds, Ben, Corrie and Mara had disappeared into the forest for good.
--
Mara landed silently and dove behind the largest cluster of rocks she could find. Immediately after she was hidden, a swarm of electronic insects buzzed noisily overhead. Their needle-like pincers flashed dully in the dusky light. Mara winced, thinking of what would have happened if they had caught her. Angering that magician had been the stupidest thing she, Corrie and Ben had ever done on purpose.

Dr. Reed has some explaining to do, she thought darkly. But unfortunately, she couldn’t confront Reed until she found him. That llama.

She shifted slightly to a more comfortable position while she waited for the swarm to end. Something caught her eye. A dark shape.

Spies and assassins forgotten, Mara rolled to her knees and peered at it. It looked like the entrance to a cave, but the cavity was so overgrown she hadn’t noticed it at first. She glanced once at the sky, where the swarm had finally begun to thin out, and then crawled over to it, ducked under the lichens and cobwebs and entered.

The cave was large enough for her to sit up straight but not enough for her to stretch out on the floor. However, even if Mara were claustrophobic she wouldn’t have cared. There was a small pool in the middle of the floor, perfectly circular and about a foot wide in all directions. On the top of the water was a sheet of ice, frozen so still it looked like glass. It glowed with a pale blue light Mara instantly recognized as magic.

She went closer, moving slowly and with caution, until she was staring at her reflection in the pool. Her face was thin, her hair windblown. She glanced to the side and saw a stack of parchment paper, a feather pen, and a jar of black ink. A thrill went through her. This is a magician’s postal station!

She had only heard of magician’s post in stories. Most didn’t believe in it. Mara certainly hadn’t. Until the night she’d unwittingly received the power of flight, Mara hadn’t even believed in magic.

It was said that any letter placed in a magician’s postal station would be sent and received instantaneously by the intended recipient. Mara couldn’t even imagine such speed of communication, but she was eager to try it. Seizing the pen and ink, she selected a piece of paper and wrote,

Corrie. I’m still alive. Searching for Dr. R. and B. to help rescue you. Hang tight. M.

Holding her breath, Mara picked up the letter and set it gently on the surface of the pool. A flash of blue light startled her and seared her vision, but when the spots cleared, she saw that the letter had vanished. Somewhere, Corrie had just received a message of hope.

I hope she was alone, Mara thought suddenly, and her stomach clenched with worry. What if she wasn’t alone?

Outside the cave, a single electronic insect hovered low to the ground. One of the last in the swarm to pass overhead, a muddled bright flash had caught its attention, sending it sweeping down to investigate. Buzzing mechanically, it zipped forward, scanning the clusters of rocks for anything suspicious. It noticed what appeared to be a cavity in a rock and headed toward it. As it got closer, the insect glimpsed a shadowed figure partially illuminated by a dull blue glow. The figure’s head swung suddenly toward it; one hand, clenching something, moved quickly.

The insect went into full reverse and narrowly escaped being struck with what looked like an ink bottle. Switching from a buzz to a loud, blaring siren, it lifted into the air and flew after the swarm.

I opened my eyes and smiled to myself. "Wow, that was a super awesome dream." Then I looked at the clock. "Wow, I should be leaving right now."