THE SIXTH REALM: INDIGO — A familiar laugh

On one of those journeys, a phoenix appeared.

Skyblue knew about phoenixes from the pictures and stories at school. They were the troubadours of the enchanted lands, travelers who left home early in life to carry stories from one realm to another. She also knew they could be reborn from their ashes. But she had never been so close to one.

This one was blue.

When she woke, she couldn’t quite remember their conversations. What remained was a feeling of closeness and a laugh. Above all, that laugh, which seemed to have been with her forever.

During the day, she tried to work out whom he reminded her of. The name drew near, then slipped away again.

‘It’ll come to me,’ she told herself, more patiently than she once would have.