Learning to Dance

you will be a little more – cooperative – when you
awaken.”
Every molecule of his being wanted to resist whatever
drug they were injecting into him, but before the Graali
doctors had even left the room, he could feel it, icy and
tremulous, filling his veins, making his vision swim.
Beanstalks became sunflowers, and flowers ogres with
horns on their heads like the Graali wore. He squeezed his
eyes shut, but the images persisted. Now they changed. Fire
everywhere, and smoke making him cough, and the
metallic sound of robot laughter. A swirling of metal and
haze, and then a girl stepped out from the darkness.
It was Taz, as he hadn’t seen her in years, dressed in her
quinceañera finest, dark hair hanging long again over her
shoulders. Her dress was pristine, despite the fires raging
around her, and her skin cool as she approached him and
placed her hand gently on his forehead. “You’re burning
up,” she said. Her appearance may have been that of a girl
at her quinceañera, but her face was the same as he knew it
now, older and more experienced, the tiniest scar next to her
left ear from the time she’d let him get too close during
fencing practice. He chuckled.
“Up, that’s my name,” he said, and then wondered what
was wrong with him.
She smiled, more indulgently than she should have.
“Up,” she said, as if she’d never heard it before. Her fingers
moved to trace the shape of his jaw, the scar on his left eye.
He closed his eyes and felt years of tension begin to fade
from his neck, his shoulders...
His eyes snapped open. Her face was very close to his.
“You’re not Taz,” he said suddenly. “Taz wouldn’t – I mean
we’re not-”
“Have you ever asked her?” Not-Taz said, a small smile
playing on her face. Up frowned, and then blinked as the