“Alex?” Her voice flows like gentle water across the endless white of the temple hall. “Sweetie, is that you?”
Her body seizes up for a moment in pure shock—that’s her voice!—but her legs keep moving themselves forward.
“. . . Mom?” She asks the empty white space.
“Alex! I’ve been looking everywhere for you!”
“Mom?” Alex glances around the infinite sprawl of pillars. “Where are you?”
“I’m here!” Her voice echoes across the high ceilings. “Come sit with me! I made tea!”
Alex squints into the distance: far off, there’s an empty chair.
“I’m sorry I was gone for so long!” Her voice echoes throughout the temple.
“Where did you go?” Alex echoes back to her.
“I’ll tell you as soon as come sit down!”
The chair looks familiar—padded white, soft tufts of feather, excessively comfortable. Too comfortable. Too familiar.
“I’m confused,” Alex protests. “You were sick. You left. Didn’t you—”
“It’s okay, sweetie,” the voice hushes him. “Just a slooooow inhale, okay?”