Take pictures in your mind of your childhood room

Memorize what it sounded like when your dad gets home

Remember the footsteps, remember the words said

And all your little brother's favorite songs

I just realized everything I have is someday gonna be gone


Last Chapter song- Blue Eyes Blue, by Eric Clapton


Easier Not Knowing

Adrian opened his eyes quick and wide; somethjng felt wrong. He sat up feeling like he was pushing something heavy off of his chest, everything around him was spinning fast that he had to shut his eyes tight, trying to breath slowly. Once the sicken feel went away, he opened them slowly.

Adrian figured he'd had a nightmare, but he never even went to bed. Last thing he remembered was being on the couch looking up all facts about Greek mythology.

It's been about half a year now since his argument with his mom and he still was angry at her. Eirene always asked him what was wrong, but he would never answer her: ignoring her was better than lying to her.

Adrian looked around him and realized he wasn't even in their hotel room nor on the couch; but instead on grass.

Where am I?

"You know this place." Adrian turned, hearing a voice echoing behind him.

"Hey, I know you! You're that cree... weird guy from the visitor area at pictograph..." Adrian's voiced trailed off slowly as he started to notice something very different from this guy now.

Back in the Vistors building this guy was mostly covered up: hat covering most of his face, a jacket covering most of his upper body, but now? His hat was gone revealing his skull- literally, he had no skin on his head, just white bone. He had no eyes... And his skin, it was... gross.

"Are you, are you a zombie?" Adrian asked curiously. He didn't recall zombies being a real thing in Greek history.

"No, I'm not a zombie." The man hissed.

"Okay..." Adrian looked around the area again feeling uncomfortable and didn't rexonize anything. There were a few skyscraper pine trees in a row, a long field that stretched out as far as the eye could see, a few flowers spattered around the field, and a small stream that lead to a football field sized lake.

"Wait a minute.." Adrian couldn't shake the feeling like he's been there before, but the memory was very faint.

"Does this bring back any memories?"

When Adrian turned back to look at the zombie, the scene started rippling. When his sight became clear he saw his mom, younger, sitting on a hunter green blanket. Then Adrian saw his mom holding a tiny kid- three, four maybe? Adrian narrowed his eyes at the kid. The kid was wearing tan brown shorts, a green and white stripped shirt, and his hair was messy.

"That me?" Adrian asked.

"Shhh, listen."

"Someday Adrian, I'll tell you everything you need to know to survive, but not yet..." Valerie hugged her son tight and brushed his hair back gently. "I can't ruin your innocence. I want you to be my little baby for as long as possible."

"Mommy... Where's my daddy..." His voice sounded so calm, soothing. Adrian almost envied himself.

"I'm sorry baby, I can't tell you. Just know that he's watching you. He'll protect you throughout your life okay?" She whispered softly.

"I dont understand this." Adrian snapped at the man. "Why am I watching this?"

"I need you to understand. Your grudge won't help you. It'll only rush your death."

"My death? Am I going to die?"

"Just be quiet and watch."

Adrian looked back at the scene reluctantly.

His mom kept a tight grip on him. "Someday Adrian... Someday everything will make sense. And I'm your mother, so..." Valerie wiped a tear from her cheek. "I-I don't know if I'll be able to do it... I can't lose you..."

"I'm here mommy. Don't cry." Little Adrian assured his mom.

"I know my darling... I just, I won't let him take you to that camp. You're my baby and I'll protect you. Just..." Valerie glanced over at Adrian and the man. For a second, Adrian thought she saw him, but her gaze was distant. Her mind was elsewhere at that moment. "Just remember something for me?"

Little Adrian nodded obediently.

"If I can't tell you one day about your dad and your crazy side, please don't get mad at me okay? I'm your mom... It's hard for a parent to lose their baby."

"Mommy... I won't be mad at you. You love me and I love you."

Valerie laughed sadly. "I know Adrian. Now come on, your aunt and baby cousin are waiting on us." Valerie stood up and lifted Adrian into her arms. As she walked away, the scene faded and Adrian was left looking at empty grass.

Adrian sighed, the memory coming back to him now. "I don't understand. Why did I need to see that?"

"I told you already."

"Can I wake up now?" He demanded. The man waved his hand and the scene started rippling again.

Now Adrian saw himself, but he seemed older. He was with three other teens: two girls and a boy about his older's age.

"Is that Eirene?" Adrian said surprised. Eirene looked like she was about thirteen. Her hair was cut a little lower than her shoulder, she still had glitter sprayed on it, she wore a skirt a little too high for his taste.

Eirene was by the row of trees, hiding from the other boy. The guy snuck around a tree and scared Eirene from behind. Eirene's squeal help Adrian feel more at ease: she was still happy and had no hint of worry in her voice. The guy grabbed Eirene by the waist and pulled her to him, Eirene smiled at him and tried weakly to escape from his grip.

Adrian didn't like the way she was so close to that other guy. "Who's that?"

"You'll know eventually."

"Is this real? I've never had a dream like this before."

The man just pointed back to the scene.

Adruan rolled his eyes and continued watching moving his attention to himself.

Adrian saw his older self sitting next to the other girl. Something about her eyes seemed familiar, but Adrian couldn't put his finger on it. They were sitting side by side, looking out at the field. He could hear them talking, but they were too far from where he was standing that it just sounded like they were whispering. Adrian's cheek flushed when he saw himself leaning closer to the girl. Adrian was about to look away- it may have been himself, but it still wasn't his thing to see people kiss. However, before anything could happen, Adrian heard Eirene yell again, but not a good happy kind this time.

When Adrian turned to look at her, she was on the ground trying to crawl away from this tall dark figure. The guy who had been with her was running towards her, but the shadow thrust his wrist and the guy went flying backward.

Adrian tried to run, but his legs were suddenly filled with lead. The man ticked his tongue, "Uh-uh, we're just watching."

Adrian looked back nervously. Eirene was up now leaning against a tree, her skirt full of mud now. She tried to walk over to her friend, but every time she tried, she'd be pushed back against the bark.

"Adrian! Help!" She cried out.

Adrian looked around for himself, but he was no where in sight.

"Eirene, stay... back!" The guy yelled to her. "I'm fine." The guy tried to get back on his feet, but he was so unsteady there was no way he was going to be able to fight.

The shadow thing took a step closer to the guy and stomped his right foot. Instantly, Eirene's friend collapse to the ground. The monster turned his attention back to Eirene who was struggling to get off the tree bark.

Adrian looked around despratly. "Where am I! Eirene's in trouble!"

That's when Adrian spotted water splashing by the small lake. He saw a black foggy creature tangled with his older self. Older Adrian swung at the figure but his fist went right through it. The figure got a grip on him and pushed him under the water.

Water started splashing around even crazier as he tried to get out of the water , but nothing worked. Then the girl who had been with him jumped into the water tackling the figure. Adrian couldn't understand how his older self couldn't touch it, but this girl managed to get a jump on it.

Older Adrian's head popped out of the water, he was breathing hard and looked around confused. When he saw the girl fighting with the foggy thing, he pulled out his pocket watch (Appearntly he had kept it with him longer than he expected.). The foggy monster threw the girl off and she landed heavy on the bank of the lake. Older Adrian took his chance and swung at the figure: this time it did some damage.

On the shore, the girl was coughing out water and trying to stand onto her feet. Her face was a pale blue, her breathing was too quick. She looked back and forth between the water where Adrian was slashing at the monster and then towards Eirene and an unconscious boy on the ground. The girl was going to run towards Eirene, but then the foggy creature held Adrian and pulled him under water with it. For a minute the water moved around and bubbles came up everywhere, then the water went still.

"Adrian! Adrian!" The girl yelled kneeling down by the bank digging into the water..Finally she pulled up Adrian by his shirt collar and dragged him onto the grass.

"Adrian! No, no, no! Get up! Adrian please!" She cried, shoving him.

Nothing.

"This is what I'm suppose to see? My death?" Adrian questioned. He didn't understand why this was nessary: could he prevent this?

"You have to stop this. Don't let this come to pass." The man's voice started echoing in his mind.

"Adrian!" The girl yelled starting to cry. "I can't lose you too... Don't you dare leave me!"

"Adrian!" Eirene was still yelling from the trees. She hadn't noticed what had been going on over with him. She'd been yelling for help from behind a tree bark that looked away from the lake. The shadow had his hand pressed up against her neck, cutting of her air.

Suddenly someone jumped at the black figure and drove something into its stomach. For a second Adrian thought it was Eirene's friend, but he was barely getting to his feet. The moster disintegrated into a pile of dust and Adrian realized it was another guy in a black jacket and dark blue jeans, holding a small dagger. He stood up and walked over to Eiren and helped her stand steady while they talked. Eirene looked over to her friend then towards older Adrian. Her eyes widen as tears filled them. She tried running to him, but her friend and the new guy held her back.

"I don't need to see this." Adrian looked away from the scene trying to mute out Eirene's screaming and crying.

The man shook his head disappointlly. "You need to understand what this all means. This-"

"I got it! My mom was just being a mom and I have to try not to die! I get it already!"

"This," the man ignored him, "Is the place you were first told and this, so it will begin here."

"Begin?" Adrian growled "I die here! What's suppose to start here! What? Eirene getting left alone?"

Adrian couldn't stand the thought of this. He should have been crushed that he dies here, but Eirene was his main focus. If he wasn't around her anymore, who would help her with what's to come? Her mom wouldn't, his mom wouldn't, her dad wouldn't.

"Don't be so stubborn boy, pay attention. Set aside your anger for once." The man told him hitting his shoulder. "Learn to control it."

Adrian looked back to the scene, Eirene was on the ground crying, her friend was trying to calm her. Eirene kept shaking her head and shoved him away. Her friend gestured toward Arian's older self. The new guy grabbed Eirene's hand trying to pull her up, but she wouldn't budge. Finally, he just scooped her up off the ground. Eirene yelled wilder swinging her arms and legs around.

"Let go of me! Don't touch me! Leave me alone you creep!" She cried.

The guy dropped her down next to the other girl and she held onto Eirene who let her. Eirene's friend looked over at the girl and shook his head. Then he moved over to older Adrian and tried to get him breathing, but nothing. Eventually, the newest guy walked over with him and tried himself.

Nothing.

Adrian looked at the zombie guy who had a blank look on his face.

"I want to get out of here. Now." Adrian asked dangerously low. "I don't get what this is suppose to mean and I've seen enough."

"You think it's easier not knowing?"

"Now." Adrian repeated.

The man nodded once and snapped his fingers with no further comment.


Meanwhile


Eirene was planning on watching a movie on Adrian's laptop, but instead she got sucked into the stories Adrian had gen reading before he fell asleep.

Eirene wasn't a big fan of Greek myths, but she liked being like Adrian. And this stuff wasn't too bad; kinda boring sometimes, but there were a few cool ideas every once in a while.

"What you up to?" Valerie asked Eirene as she entered the living room.

"Reading." Eirene answered keeping her eyes on the screen.

"Fun, what you reading?" Her aunt sat next to her on the couch and looked over her shoulder at the laptop. "Greek... Myths? Why you reading this stuff?"

Eirene shrugged, "Adrian had been reading this. I wanted to watch a movie, but I got curious.."

Valerie ran her fingers through her hair stiffly, looking away from the screen.

"You okay Aunt Valerie?" Eirene asked, finally looking away from the laptop.

"Hm, mhmm. Yeah. These... these stories are crazy huh?"

Eirene smiled and nodded. "They are. Imagine if these stories were true? That'd be kind of cool."

"Oh I don't think that." Valerie answered. "It's a messy kind of life."

"I mean, I guess, but sounds exciting at times." Eirene said honestly. "The story of Hercules. Crazy things the Greek gods do. Having kids? Their kids must be awesome. Imagine having powers? Sounds fun to me."

Her aunt had a sad smile then looked over at Adrian who was on the oppestite side of them. "How long has he been asleep?"

"Thirty minutes maybe. Why are you guys mad at each other Aunt Valerie?"

"It's hard to explain Eirene. I'm not mad at him though. I just messed up and I'm paying for that now..."

"Adrian doesn't really seem mad at you Aunt Valerie. I just think he's sad." The way Adrian looked at her sometimes, he seem so sad. Eirene didn't like him being sad, but whenever she tried to cheer him up, it seem to only make him sadder.

"I don't like him being sad." Eirene added. "We should go somewhere tomorrow." Eirene always had fun when they'd all go out on a family trip: it was something they did since she was little. However, now and days they haven't been going out much.

"Maybe we could get some ice cream when-"

Eirene jumped back nearly dropping the laptop when she heard Adrian gasping hard.

"Adrian you okay." Valerie rushed over to him trying to hold him up. Adrian shook his head and pushed her back softly. Eirene ran over and sat next to Adrian. For a second she thought he might push her too, but he just grabbed her and yanked her to him.

"Adrian... you okay?" Eirene tried to pull back to look at him, but his hold was tight.

"Yeah... I'm.." Adrian started, but stopped to concentrate on his breathing.

"Adrian, what happen?" Valerie asked him.

Eirene felt Adrian shake his head against her head. "You're okay now Adrian..." Eirene tried to reassure him.

"I know... I just... bad dream..." he answered her.

Eirene heard her aunt whisper something to Adrian, but with Adrian breathing next to her ear, she couldn't hear what she asked him, but Adrian nodded.

"What?" Eirene asked finally being able to look him in the eyes. His eyes were scared, sad, and something seem to hurt him. Before Eirene could try to read him more, he moved his gaze towards the floor.

"That ice cream I was telling you about. I think Adrian could use some now." Eirene's aunt put in.

"Oh." Eirene nodded and grabbed Adrian hand. "Come on, it'll help a lot."

Eirene watched her cousin carefully; wanting to read his mind. His cheeks were still red and his hair was slick with sweat, and his hand gripping onto hers like if he let go he'd get lost.

"Don't worry Adrian," Eirene told him as she helped him up. "No matter how real it felt, nightmares never come true."