“There's the tower we want,” I point

“Geez. That's the only one around, Nahlia.” shouts Tayt at me.

We were free-riding one of the dune buggies. It was shooting everywhere with special bullets. Leechers were falling from the sky and dying. A few start to get redrawn, but are halted. It was like the pilot was struggling in a fight far above us.

“Lani is there.”

I try to remember what Lani told me, but I wasn't paying attention like I should have. I just wanted to save Tayt at the time and there was so much to know. All I knew was that I had to get to the tower and help her.

Our driver Ellen speeds up as bullets are redrawn. I watch as others next to us are pelted and killed in a blur of smoke and twisted metal. Other creations start to form into existence, but disappear as Tayt and I approach. We get close enough to the tower and I just wanted to grab on. I felt too good an excited not to touch the euphoria around me. It was thick and deceiving, but I felt loved. Tayt grabs my hand as we enter through the doorway. The door had been erased. I look at the stairwell above.

Visions of the pilot's dreams flash across the floor. I try to avoid the fountain of goodness next to me, but Tayt was already fascinated with it. I had never seen him smile as if everything was so peachy.

“Get away from that,” I snap at him

Tayt looks at me angrily and smiles. “I can't even hate you anymore, Nahlia. Who are you again?”

My jaw drops and I shake Tayt. He starts to get hold of himself. I become freaked out. The shouts above, distract me. There was still a struggle going on. It was at the top of the tower. The pilot was shrieking with joy and I could hear him fighting Lani. It was going to be a long run up the steps. I felt like I was fighting myself. The feelings were everywhere.

“Get your gun ready, Nahlia.”

I quickly load several strange bullets in my handgun. They glow with magical energy. Tayt had one too. We run up the stairs as the struggle continues. It circles around like an endless spiral of love. Nothing mattered and I was beginning to forget why I ever suffered or what it meant to suffer. The feelings of joy were immense and my memories were becoming blurry.

“Tayt,” I gasp. “We're almost there.”

“I know. Stop pushing me. I'm enjoying my way up.”

I push Tayt up. I hit his back to get him to wake up. We had to make it Lani, before she gave up. She needed our help and then we could win. I was grateful the other Neandelerians gave us the weapons we had. We could at least put up a fight.

“It might just be enough to help Lani win!”

Moments later, we reach the tower on top. I watch as Lani struggles with the pilot next to his throne. Her flaming wings were moving rapidly and she was erasing what the pilot was drawing.

I gasp as Tayt runs out onto the glowing platform. He shoots several times and I unload most of my clip. The pilot redraws our bullets, aiming that in the opposite direction. They miss and ricochet, but one of them strikes Tayt's leg. He falls over and grips to his wound, picking himself up against the pain. I panic, very aware I only had one shot left. I peer out onto the top the tower. I watch as Lani's strength fails. The pilot shrieks as she gets erased.

“Lani!,” I scream.

The pilot gasps, furious for a breath. He was worn down and I could feel his presence weaken from fighting with Lani. He was still fighting off the wisps of her dreamer.

“No forgiveness. No wrong. No pain or hurt to forgive. Only love and no suffering!,” gasps the pilot. He looks over at me.

I step out and aim my gun. I try to hold my concentration. Every one of the pilot's words was shifting through my head. I knew little about the pilot's vision, or what he wanted to create in our redrawn world. I didn't like it. The lights glow around me. I felt a strange love. I wanted to do anything I could to resist his created heaven. The pilot was delusional.

“Join me, Nahlia. Uncle loves you!,” screeches the pilot.

I gasp. The pilot wanted a superficial kind of love. The kind that existed in world where people were perfect and would expected nothing less of their distant peers. He wanted love based on beauty and having everything with ease. The superficial feelings surround me with positivity. I begin to forget my hurt and become a mindless and happy identity. The pleasant feelings begin to trap me. I was joining his world of good looks and pleasure. It was a world where people fell in love with everyone, but not their struggles, vulnerabilities, and pain. There was no room for a rose in the desert. The intimacy in me was dying.

I aim my gun. The pressure was rising against my heart. I had to think fast. I had one last bullet and the pilot was weakened. My finger slowly pulls down on the trigger, but I stop. Tayt had limped over to me. He was screaming at me in pain.

“Don't do it! He'll just redraw your bullet. Don't do it, Nahlia! Don't kill yourself!”

I look over at Tayt. He was wounded and soaking in blood.

The pilot catches his breath and smiles. He looks up to me. I felt threatened like my own bullet and gun was aimed at me. I step closer. I didn't know if my shot would make it to him.