Chapter 8: Deja Vu
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	Driel settled back in bed after screaming.  Someone brushed her hair
out of her eyes, and touched her face gently.

	"Driel?  Are you awake?" an achingly familiar voice said.

	She licked her lips.  Her mouth felt like cotton and tasted like
salt.  She sorted through her foggy mind.  Who could it be?  "Jared...?  Where
am I?  Locke...?"

	"Driel... You are in Maranda... Your brother is not... here..."

	Her eyes widened in shock when her childhood home was named, for she
was quite a distance away from Kohlingen.  Whoever this was could not be Jared.
Without stopping to think, she bolted upright, and grasped frantically for the
dagger which weighed down on her hip.  Paranoid thoughts flashed through her
head, as the days of pain and loss, as well as her most recent encounter with
magic, began to catch up with her.

	An intense feeling of deja vu overwhelmed her.  She lost her grip on
the dagger, and collapsed on the bed.  She turned to look at the face which
eluded efforts to identify it.

	"My friend... It is I, Lola..."

	"Lola?  My friend...?  Lola...!"

	Lola embraced her, saying, "Driel, welcome home!  I'm so glad to see
you...!"

	Driel started sobbing, relieved to find someone familiar at last.  For
many minutes, she could do nothing but cry into Lola's shoulder.  Every time
she tried to speak, her throat constricted.

	Lola continued to hold her, patting her back.  "Don't worry, take your
time.  You were in bad shape when they brought you in, so don't rush
yourself."

	Driel nodded.  Wiping tears from her eyes, she pulled away slightly,
and breathed deeply, attempting to calm herself.  Now that she was more awake,
and her head was beginning to clear, worried thoughts zipped through her mind.

	"Jared, you said he's not here?"  As Lola nodded, Driel continued.
"We were on the ship when a powerful storm hit us.  It came out of nowhere,
and we had no time to prepare."

	As she said this, Lola's brow furrowed worriedly.  The storm had to
have been mighty powerful and sudden to catch Driel and Jared unawares.

	"It was very dark, and the rain was getting in my eyes, but I swore I
saw Jared fall overboard.  Something hit my head, and I ended up in the ocean.
I was lucky to survive, I guess.  The ship probably never made it to Jidoor."

	"Jidoor, hmm?  You must have drifted for quite a bit."

	"I guess so."  She seemed reluctant to talk about it, but Lola didn't
press her for more information.  She knew her dear friend must be near shock.

	Driel sniffled for a few more moments, then tried to put on a more
cheerful face.  "So, how have things been here in Maranda?  Is the town
recovering well?  It's been so long since I've been able to talk to you."

	"Yes it has.  It's been pretty quite here lately, at least since that
awful tower collapsed.  The flowers are growing well again, and so I've been
very happy.  It pained me to see them dying."

	"That's good.  I'm glad to say the seagulls are back."

	Lola chuckled.  "Really?  I thought you hated them."

	Driel smiled wryly.  "I never knew how used to their screeching I was.
Well, thery are a sign the world is recovering.  So, has anything else been
going on here?  How's Lucas been?"

	Lola winced, and was quiet for a few seconds.  "He's... dead."

	Driel's face fell.  She swallowed hard.  "I'm sorry..."

	"It's alright, you couldn't have known."

	"Yeah.  A lot of people have been dying lately, though.  I can't take
for granted that anyone is still alive.  I was lucky, because my parents
survived. "

	"That's good to hear.  I'm doing well, anyhow.  It doesn't hurt nearly
as much, and I have letters from Cyan to reread and keep me company.  How
about you?  Have you met anyone you like lately?"

	"Well, I did meet someone."

	"Really? Who?"

	"Well, his name is... was Locke.  I met him in Kohlingen, and he was
on the Leviathan's Pride when the storm hit."

	"Oh, that's too bad."

	"It's okay, I hardly knew him.  And I think he had someone already.
His face lit up whenever he mentioned someone named Celes."  Driel sat quietly
for a few seconds.  "I suppose I should try to think of what to do now.  I've
lost my brother, probably, I'm out of a job, and I've lost all my stuff."

	"Oh, that's no problem.  You can stay with me for as long as you need
to."

	Driel smiled, and was about to thank Lola when a tall figure opened
the door.  His voice was strong, almost harsh as he said,  "She won't be
staying with you for very long."

	Lola frowned.  "Shouldn't you have knocked?  I thought the door was
locked, anyhow."

	"It was."