Simon's Dream sequence: Youtube dot com slash watch?v=WWUHh9t7Tj0
Chapter's music: Youtube dot com slash watch?v=iUR87S33Yu0 starting at 1:44
Chapter 6: The Nightmare
My breath was visible in the air as I panted hard.
All around me was snow; I was in an ice cave.
Icicles hung from the frozen ceiling but the temperature was so cold that they did not even drip.
I could hear the sound of footsteps reverberate behind me. The feeling of panic entered through me.
Somebody was coming.
I grabbed my backpack of supplies quickly and trudged through the thick snow right afterwards. But I did not go fast.
The voice of the figure persuing me grew louder as did the gusts of frozen windchill; the growing paranoia that whatever-it-was would soon catch up to me didn't help me think straight.
Starving and exhausted, I finally left the cave but the cold was so harsh that it stung my cheeks.
I am pushed by the current of the wind and stumble over a rock; now I am over the edge of a cliff.
My body enters flight mode and my muscles tense up as I surrender myself to the inevitable doom I will face.
Fear that I've never felt before creeps over me and I can hear the breathing of the creature behind me. I can hear it right up to ear.
I turn around expecting to see the tribute pierce me with a sharp machete but instead I look up to see a man in a shadowy cloak holding a red glowing blade.
I cry for help but my voice is muffled and silenced.
I can't speak.
I try again but nothing and the figure looms over me speaking words of great evil that I do not understand.
I scream; tears entering my eyes. Then the world transforms back to reality.
My shriek echoes through the room as I sit straight up in bed drenched in cold sweat.
My heartbeat stops racing and I sighed a relief that it was only just a dream.
I gazed at the time by my bedside table. The stormtrooper minifigure alarm clock read 0305.
I hope I didn't wake up Gurt and Emily who must be sound asleep in the other separate bedrooms.
Fortunately there was only peaceful silence, not even coruscant traffic was making noise this time of night. Surprisingly.
I shivered off the leftover goosebumps on me from the nightmare and got out of bed.
I opened up a laptop to check if I had received any messages from mom or grandpa. My mom had sent me a letter but I had yet to receive at least one transmission from my grandfather yet.
My dearest Simon,
I've just received news that you were chosen for the Empire Games this year.
It is an honour to be chosen at your age, as nobody has done so in history. Be proud.
Also be strong and safe my son. I wish you all the best. I am heartbroken yet overjoyed with the discovery you will be representing our world of Dantooine.
I love you very much and if I could I would wish to see you in person as you have grown wonderfully into a man far greater than I have ever imagined. You've changed my life.
Love,
Your Mother
I paused to read it over a second time. I was touched.
It was a shame my mom couldn't video chat me. It's because Dantooine has laws preventing women from showing themselves on video.
It was an odd, traditional taboo. It wasn't right but those were the rules.
I felt a sense of wanting more from my mom.
I am heartbroken yet overjoyed.
Two juxtaposing ideas she had written.
The Galactic Empire controls exchanges and interactions across the internet so it was probably written that way on purpose as to not pose a "rebellious" attitude towards the Empire Games.
I wrote back a thank you letter and told her that I loved her for everything she had done for me.
For raising me. For giving birth to me. And caring for me.
The letter got very emotional but that's because it was probably the last letter I'd ever write to her again.
I closed the laptop.
I felt darkness fall over me. It had been getting worse each and every day since I got here.
Possibly it could just be my anxiety succumbing to the few days I had left before the real games began.
I rubbed away the rheum from my tired eyes as I laid back to rest pulling the snow leopard duvet over me.
The same dream haunted me three more times that night.
