A dream by definition is an event that takes place in deep sleep. The event is images, sounds, and other sensations while you sleep. Some people don't remember their dreams. They fall asleep, wake up happy, but don't remember why. Some people have nightmares. A type of dream, but not sensational. Nightmares are filled with horror, demons, fears, and other things people are afraid of. A dream is something that Ulrich Stern hadn't had in twenty six years. Only nightmares.
The nightmares were all different for him, but usually revolve around the same thing. The death of Yumi Ishiyama. Every night he says to himself, ' happy thoughts,' but the happy thoughts never come. It starts with Yumi. She's smiling, laughing, beautiful. Basically being herself. Then she suddenly gets torn away from him in a horrifying manner. She dies different every time, but before she dies, she stares at Ulrich and says his name. Then Ulrich would shoot up in his bed, heart racing, drenched in a cold sweat, and crying.
As Ulrich slowly fell into sleep, he was focusing his mind on the man who had been behind this. A detective. The detective who was assigned to his case for a year after Sissi was suspended. Ulrich was wondering how he never noticed before. His voice wasn't the same when he was his detective. He wore glasses to cover his eyes. Ulrich felt so stupid again. The detective had put on a show, a show that everyone seemed to know about except for Ulrich. Before he thought further into it, sleep took him.
Ulrich opened his eyes. He was still tired when he woke up, but knew he wouldn't be able to fall back asleep. Yawning, stretching and scratching, lay up in his bed and looked around his room. He felt hungry, but knew his wife wouldn't be up for another few hours. She always slept in on Saturday.
Suddenly the bedroom door opened and a ten year old boy walked in with a tray of food. Behind him was a eight year old boy with a bed table, and following him was the youngest of his children. It was a four year old girl.
The oldest one took after the father. The middle child took after both, having traits split between them. The youngest looked like the mother. His oldest child was hard to guess his heritage because he didn't look much like his mother at all. With the middle child it was somewhat easier his eyes were Japanese, but everything else was German. The youngest, you'd have to find a trait that looked German.
The little girl was three and a half feet tall. She was growing pretty slow but didn't let that bother her. Ulrich didn't care because that's what she inherited from him. Height. His wife was taller than he was, only by a few inches but still taller. She had her mothers short, straight, black hair, her mothers eyes, nose, ears, head shape, body shape, feet, hands, everything. Besides height and few personality traits, she was just like her mother.
" Breakfast in bed, what's the occasion?" Ulrich asked his children. They just shrugged and placed the food in front of him. Eggs, bacon, sausage, pancakes and toast. " What do you guys want?" he asked, thinking it was bribe of some kind.
" Nothing," the ten year old said. " Just thought it'd be cool to make you breakfast."
" Oh really Ben?" Ulrich asked. " Max, is that true?" He asked the eight year old. Max nodded then placed the newspaper on the tray. " Okay, seriously, you guys have to want something," Ulrich said to them. He had just thought, ' all they forgot was the newspaper.'
" Dad, everyone eats breakfast with the news," Ben said to him. " Want anything else?" Ulrich looked down at his breakfast. All was good.
" No I'm good. Thank you." They all smiled then left the room, except for the little girl who walked around the bed and began to nudge the wife awake. " Let mommy sleep. You know she sleeps in on Saturday."
" I have the recital today. And she needs to help me get ready for it," The little girl said to him.
" Alright, but you woke her up, not me," Ulrich said to her. Leaning over he nudged his wife then whispered in her ear. " Yumi, get up." Yumi shot up, almost head butting Ulrich. She looked at him with her extremely tired face, messed up hair, and angry expression.
" Ulrich. Saturday before noon is not a good time to get me up," Yumi said to him.
" Mommy?" The little girl said to her. Yumi turned her head and saw her daughter.
" Yes sweety?" Yumi asked.
" I have the recital today, and I don't think I'm ready," the little girl said to her. Yumi smiled then pulled the blanket off her.
" Okay sweety. I'll help you get ready." The little girl smiled then walked out of the room. Yumi slid her legs off the bed then stood up. She stretched with her arms as high up as they would go. Leaning back slightly she felt a few bones crack. Cracking her neck she walked around the bed.
" Why did they make you breakfast?" Yumi asked, as surprised as he was.
" Hell if I know," Ulrich said taking a piece of toast. Yumi reached over, and took the remaining bacon. Ulrich looked at her with a cute/mad face. No one takes his bacon.
" I love you," she said, as if saying that excused her bacon theft. Ulrich just chuckled and Yumi leaned down to kiss him. Then she grabbed her towel that was hanging on the hook attached to the door. Ulrich finished his breakfast then went downstairs to see the usual Saturday commotion. Ben and Max fighting over the remote, the dogs begging for food, the cat watching the boys fight over the remote, his daughter Rachel on a stool in the kitchen getting out a bowl for cereal. Walking into the kitchen he helped Rachel before she hurt herself.
Then he fed the dogs. They have two dogs. A small female beagle, and a male schnauzer. The schnauzer they had named Mr. Wiggies. The beagle the named tiger, because when she was still a puppy she would claw and chew on everything. Couch cushions, tv remote, stuff animals, toys, shoes, everything. Mr. Wiggies was a lazy dog, all he did was lounge around the house all day, but when it was time for food he'd come running. For fun Max likes to time how fast he gets in the room if he was on the other side of the house.
After the dogs had started eating Ulrich went into the living room to make the boys come to a compromise, that lasted three seconds before they went back at it. Ben since he had reached age ten thought he was too old for cartoons. Max on the other hand still watched all the good stuff. So Max felt bad when he was missing Saturday morning cartoons. Ben wanted to watch the news, Max wanted spongebob. Ulrich cracked with compromising.
" Ben look, be the adult here, and go watch the news somewhere else. We have enough tvs in this house. Or go read the newspaper." Ben looked at his father, thinking of his defense. His father had hit his weakness. Being considered a child. Ben knew if he fought, he'd be the child, so he stood up off the couch and walked back upstairs.
" Thanks dad," Max said as he changed the channel back to cartoons. Ulrich heard his bedroom door shut and Yumi begin to walk down stairs. She was wearing a pair of light blue jeans, a grey t shirt with some logo on it, and had her hair down per usual. She usually wore black pants and a blouse, but today was her day off. Ulrich had actually only seen her hair up twice. Prom, and their wedding. She wasn't intending it, but to Ulrich she was stunning in anything. To this day it makes him wonder why she chose him.
Yumi went straight into kitchen and began to discuss the recital with Rachel. Ulrich walked in after her a moment later. Yumi watched as Rachel showed her what she was supposed to do. A few spins, quick steps, stand one foot. Yumi watched her with a smile, because she was absolutely adorable, and was good. It wasn't the sarcastic parental good so they won't hurt your feelings, she was actually good.
" Sweety, your perfect at it. Why are you so worried?" Yumi asked.
" Because. Everyone will be looking at me," Rachel said as if she was scared just by saying it. Yumi shook her head in disbelief. Stage fright. It was funny to Yumi because she knew Rachel got that from Ulrich and not her. Ulrich almost failed speech because of that.
" Sweety. You'll look so beautiful, your incredible at ballet, so what's to worry?" Yumi asked her. Yumi wasn't helping. She couldn't relate to her because she didn't have the same problem. " Just smile and dance." Rachel didn't want to say her mother wasn't helping.
" Okay," Rachel said, though her advise didn't work. Ulrich walked back into the living room to see Max watching cartoons. Ulrich didn't find it juvenile to watch cartoons, so sat next to Max on the couch. Yumi leaned in the room and smiled when she saw the two. Carrying two coffee cups she walked into the kitchen and handed Ulrich his coffee. She sat on the couch's arm and watched it with them. She didn't find it juvenile either.
" How long has he been out for?" The detective asked one of his men.
" About half an hour," he answered. " Do you think he'll be able to wake up before the virus tears him apart?"
" Doubt it. But I've heard some crazy stuff about this one. At late thirteen, early fourteen, he survived a pretty gruesome car accident. He was hit by a car going about fifty. Month and a half later when he got out, the next day he was shot. He survived both. I've read his medical records and it says he'll be lucky to reach fifty," The detective said. " But to be honest. My moneys on him."
" What makes you think that?" The man asked curiously.
" Because, when his family or friends are in danger, nothing will stop him. Shoot him, stab him, blind him, hit him with a car. He'll come back swinging harder every time." Suddenly Ulrich began to violently cough then the man looked at him. " Then again maybe not."
Yumi had to give Rachel some bad news. Yumi wasn't going to be able to attend her recital. Work had called her in. Ulrich had dropped off Max and Ben at soccer practice then was called by Yumi to quickly drive over to the auditorium. Ulrich arrived quickly then sat in the middle row of the sea of parents with cameras and video camera's to capture this moment forever. The show seemed to have been delayed.
" Mr. Stern?" A woman with a clip board said to him. Looking over, he recognized the woman. It was Rachel's ballet instructor.
" Yeah?" Ulrich asked.
" Rachel is having a moment. Could you try to calm her down so we can get this underway?" She asked. Ulrich shook his head. He should have expected this. Rachel choking before the show started. She was like him.
" Alright, where is she?" Ulrich asked so he could get this underway. The instructor led him to back stage where the first thing he heard was a little girl crying. His little girl. Rachel was in the corner crying, tears running down her face, her breathing had was going to fast for her too keep up, and she was shaking scared.
Ulrich walked over to her and crouched down to her level. " Honey?" Ulrich asked her. Rachel just kept crying, not looking at anyone. " Rachel, look at me." Rachel lifted her up and looked at her father. Tears had stained her face, and her eyes were red and scared.
" I can't do it," Rachel said to him.
" Honey. I'm not asking you too. You wanted to do ballet, you're good at it. But you can't let fear get the best of you. We all have it. Trust me if I was you, I'd probably be in this corner as well. You don't have to."
" But I want to. I really really really do. But...everyone will be watching. I could fall down, mess up," Rachel said to him.
" Yeah you could. Falling down isn't a bad thing. But not getting back up is," Ulrich said. He was looking to see if he was helping. It seemed he was some, but he needed something a little more effective. Some insurance.
" I'll tell you what. When you get on stage, look at the back wall. I'll be there. Just looked at me. No one else. Pretend that me and you are the only ones here. You're dancing for me and no one else."
Rachel began to think about that. She stopped crying then wiped her tears off her face. She smiled weakly then looked at him. " Okay. I'll try."
Ulrich was where he promised he'd be. He wasn't the only one standing in the back. Other parents with cameras and smiles were waiting for the show to start. The curtain rose and music began to play. A few of the dancers went on stag first. Cameras started to record as more of them took the stage. Rachel was going to be the most noticed because she was entering the stage last. Ulrich saw her lean her head in, then looked at everyone but him. She immediately leaned back in.
Rachel could be seen being nudged in by the instructor to get on the stage. After a few seconds she was practically pushed on. She stood on stage left with everyone in the building waiting for her to start. She was shaking as she scanned the crowd. She wanted to be anywhere else but here. Just when she was about to run off the stage, she saw him. Ulrich's and Rachel's eyes locked.
Ulrich smiled then nodded to her. Rachel closed her eyes for a few seconds to relax. When she opened them what she saw helped. She didn't see anyone else. Just her father. No one was watching her. It was passed pretending that they were the only ones, when she looked out, she saw no one else. She smiled back at him, then started to dance.
It was perfect. Every turn. Every spin. Every step. Just as she had practiced. She went across the stage and the cameras followed her. All eyes were on her, but she didn't see them. Only his eyes. It was a private dance. After the recital was done, the music was over, and then everyone began to clap. She closed her eyes then opened them again. Reality had snapped back, then she ran off the stage. Ulrich chuckled then kept clapping.
Ulrich and Rachel were walking outside of the auditorium after the recital to go to the car. The moment he placed the key in, he began to cough. It was so violent he fell against the car to keep from falling to the ground. Rachel walked around then looked at him.
" Are you alright daddy?" Rachel asked. Ulrich stopped coughing, but could still feel it coming on.
" I'm fine. I just wish I knew what the was," Ulrich answered. Then he felt something hit his leg. Looking down he saw that a newspaper had just blown onto his leg.
Looking at the main article he saw that it was titled, " Virus out break!" Suddenly everything came to him. This wasn't real. Nothing was.
Ulrich remembered why he was here. He was dreaming a good dream. Something he hadn't had in too long. Everything he wanted he was given. He wanted breakfast, he got it. He wanted to know what was wrong with him, it rolled onto his lap. This dream was too good for his mind to let go. He knew what he had to do to get out. He had to turn this dream into a nightmare.
