The Artifact
Copyright© 2025 by DB86
Chapter 4
It started with a heartbeat.
Not mine—HIS. Strong, steady, close.
I felt it before I opened my eyes. Felt the weight of an arm draped across my neck.
“Daniel,” I breathed, and then, for quite a while, my lips were too occupied to speak. I turned to him, disoriented, then nearly burst into tears when I saw his face.
My Daniel. The real one, beautiful in all the ways I remembered.
I was blinded with memories, a kaleidoscope of them. MY memories.
“Georgie?” he said, voice cracking. “You’re awake. You hit your head on the ground and might have a concussion.”
The evening shadows danced lightly on the cave walls.
“Are we married? Maximilian Carter is dead? Bert Thomas is the sheriff?” I asked in rapid succession.
“Woah, easy, love. Testing your memory? Okay, yes, we are definitely married. Maximilian Carter has been dead for many years, and Bert is the beloved sheriff of Middletown. Now, do you want to tell me what these questions are about?”
“You won’t believe me if I tell you ... Or maybe you will, you did before,” I muttered.
I sat up slowly, afraid to move too quickly, in case it all vanished. My heart was pounding, but there was no dizzy rush, no overwhelming confusion.
“I’m taking you to the ER,” Daniel said, in a tone of voice that wasn’t open to discussion.
I launched myself into his arms. He caught me instantly, like he’d been waiting all this time. I buried my face into his neck, inhaling the scent of his skin—soap, cologne, and safety.
“I thought I lost you,” I whispered into his hair. “You are here,” I said, clinging to him. “You are really here. I love you so much.”
He pulled back just enough to study my face. “You were murmuring things in your sleep. Strange things. You said my name; you also said Steve’s name, by the way,” he said, with a frown. “Then ... you were crying. Talking about nightmares. You also whispered the word multiverse.”
“The sundial. Is still there?”
Daniel frowned. “Sundial?”
“At the end of the cave,” I said quickly, heart racing. “We found this ... ancient artifact. Stone and metal. The sundial glowed. It transported me—” I stopped myself, hearing how it sounded out loud.
“There is nothing here, Georgie. Just rocks. And rats. You slipped, fell, and hit the back of your head.”
I touched the back of my skull. It was tender and swollen. My fingers trembled.
“Are you kidding me?”
“No, but I’m getting more worried about your health every minute. Come on, I’ll take you to the hospital. You can tell me what happened while I drive there.”
So, it was real. The fall, at least. But the rest?
Something gnawed at the edges of my mind—had it all been a dream?