I wished there was some sort of shortcut out of this dream.
I was apparently some kind of mad homicidal maniac.
I slipped the strange purple gemmed ring on her finger.
I wanted to wince but instead of a disgusted grimace, a expression of comical elation came over my face.
She was was seated on one of the purple sofas and she appeared to be pouting but I think she was just bored.
I decided to lead her to the library.
The library was in another room that was right through a set of a grand oak doors with a lions heads carved into the wood.
"Why have you brought me here?"
She scanned the vast collection of books.
"You looked bored.
This place should keep you busy".
"Oh what do you want me to do?
Rearrange them? Alphabetize them?
Throw them at you? Juggle them around?"
"I'd prefer you to read them not throw them at me but if it makes you feel better you can rearrange them anyway you like."
"Awfully generous of you."
"Yes, I have my moments...of generosity.
Once you pick one out you may read it out loud if you wish."
"Read to you? I'd rather read it quietly to myself".
"Still as stubborn as ever I see. Do what you want.It Makes no difference to me."
"No I suppose not many things matter to you, let alone people's individual opinion of you. It makes little difference to you I suppose if people hate and despise you, just as long as they don't complain and they do exactly what they're told.
You don't care if they lose their freedom and their will in the process just as long as they serve you and forever cooperate with you."
"You know I love how much you seem to enjoy insulting me.
I like how your eyes light up with all that anger and rage; it amuses me.
So please do continue with your rage fueled tirade".
"Am I some kind of joke to you?
My purpose here isn't to amuse you.
I'm not standing here before you for your entertainment.
I'm not a jester, I'm not a artist, a actor, a stand comedian, a theatrical performer or a entertainer. I'm here for selfless reasons".
"No you're here because you don't want to be selfish.
You don't want to send innocent people to the grave by your reluctance and stubborn obstinence.
You're here because you're smart, you know that it's nessesary for the survival of the innocent lives that are outside of these walls.
Most importantly you're here because I had you brought here.
I ordered you to be brought here.
I ordered my men to find you.
I ordered them to bring you here alive.
You told me that I have a black heart filled with evil intentions, let me tell you about my intentions, my intention was to spare you from Liquidation.
I'd never seen you, I'd never met you and I didn't even know you but still I wanted you to be kept alive.
I wanted for you to live.
The rest of my advisors they were in favor of your liquidation.
They wanted your death, I on the other hand did not.
So yes you can hate me and despise me but do keep in mind that you were spared for a reason.
Keep in mind that someone was looking out for you."
"It was probably for selfish reasons you were looking out for me".
"Everybody is selfish. It's human nature.
Every child that is born has selfish reasoning and a selfish character yet when we are grown and we know right from wrong we begin to understand what it is to truly be selfless. Stop trying to twist everything around.
I might be selfish at times but I have my moments where I can be quite selfless in other words I'm not all bad. We are all capable of both good and bad.
Even you can be capable of embracing the darkness and bringing destruction upon people's lives."
"That's what makes me different than you; I will never embrace the darkness, I will never bring destruction to anyone and I refuse to be a villain like you."
She had prideful look of defiance upon her face.
"So I suppose you think yourself to be the hero of this story.
You see yourself as the brave fearless and selfish savior that comes to save the day.
You'll sweep in and free all the prisoners, you'll lead a huge revolt and they'll knock down all the doors and they'll storm in, angrily and trample me to death.
Tell me do you think you're a hero because you truly want to make difference in people's lives or do just want to be hero because you think you're better than everybody else?"
"I don't think I'm better than anybody else.
I only want to make a difference".
"Fair enough but you still think you're better than I am. There's no shame in wanting to be a leader.
It's not a crime to wish to be in charge.
You want to play the hero, go for it.
You want to be Queen of the Rebels, be my guest.
Yet remember that you have a new duty, your new duty is to rule by my side.
You will be in charge, you will be a leader and if it is truly your desire I will do everything in my power to ensure that the people see you as a hero."
"I want to be a hero and I want to be a leader but i will not do so under your power and control."
"Oh you will... eventually."
She was silent after that.
I tried to use this time to tap into my memories.
This required me to delve deep into my mind, to a secret place most would refer to as the mind palace.
I wasn't quite sure if it was going to work especially in a dream.
I could prolong my dream or better yet I could even permanently be stuck here in this dream world.
I remembered there was that woman, the one with the violet eyes, she gave me most of my missions.
It started with small things at first.
There was a small carnival involved, I was told to gather workers but then the the more workers that came the bigger the carnival band grew.
What was once a small tent became a huge industry.
Eventually there were other tents that would appear.
This Carnival was the kind that would travel from town to town but as soon as it left there would be no memory of it ever existing.
Memories were wiped clean, people would go missing, lured away during the night.
There was no will, no choice, there was no consent, there was only service.
They would repeat "I have no complaints" then they'd rigidly walk with their eyes glazed over with red.
They would hum a familiar song over and over again.
It was the song I'd heard her sing.
Violet sung that song, that's what I called her because of her violet eyes.
The rest of her kind would sing that song too, they'd sing it to each other.
Sometimes they'd sing other songs, but this one was their favorite.
Most of the time their songs brought joy but there were other times where their singing had adverse effects.
If their song was sung out loud, their ears would bleed, blood would spill and stream over their face from their eyes and nose.
It wasn't a pretty sight but I'd been told that this unfortunate individual that flopped lifelessly onto to the ground was a criminal and a dangerous rebel strangely enough I believed them even after witnessing brutal murder right before my eyes;That's how brainwashed I was.
I was a criminal, a criminal guilty of luring people straight from their beds.
Kidnapping was a serious crime yet it had never occured to me that I was actually doing something illegal.
I didn't know what I was doing.
They told me life would be better for these people I brought to them.
They wanted to make a better world, a world without violence and disease.
How could I have been so wrong?
I thought I was saving the human race, they Built me up to believe that I was the hero when I was the villain all along.
"You'll be free one of these days.
I guarantee it. Don't tell the others.
They want no one to be free.
I,on the other hand want freedom for all.
There are words to the song they sing.
Swallow up the stars, Capture the moon,
conquer the light, vanquish the dark.
The stars wept, the moon cried, the skies bled red.
Closed minds and Closed hearts, fools and jesters, gather around, clowns grin as the earth is torn, tears cascade into the cracks, the veins of sadness flow into the graves of the innocent.
Red rising over the earth, red rising in the rivers and streams.
Red rising from the cups, the bowls and the sink.
Red rules, red reigns, red sorrow, red pain, red eyes and red champagne.
Slip into sweet Red Oblivion.
You mustn't tell them that you know these words.
I will hide the words away in your mind.
They'll be there, if you truly need to, you'll remember them.
Once you remember these words the rest of your memories will return and their control over you, will weaken.
Eventually you will develop a certain kind of immunity to their power.
Once your mind awakens it will be a difficult transition for you.
I'm sorry I can't do anything more for you.
I must go.
I cannot stay here any longer.
I shall depart from here and go into hiding for a time, till the time is right for me to return.
Perhaps I will find help to end this tyranny.
I do not know.
I have good news for you though, you will be kept alive.
The Council and I met recently, they seem to admire you quite a bit.
They are very fond of you.
You far useful to them alive so I doubt if you'll be in any danger of Liquidation."
I remember Violet speaking to me.
"Liquidation, is that when the blood comes, you know out of the face?
There was so much of it, then there was nothing but that void expression of death.
They told me he was a dangerous criminal."
"Liquidation is just a term they use for their method of execution.
It is both bloody and brutal.
They won't use it on you though.
You are far too valuable to them."
"So that wasn't a dream. I thought it was dream because such a thing seemed to morbid to be possible.
Do you know if it's painful at all, the death I mean?"
"For a time yes it is.
It's like being deep underwater and drowning, all the while you hear this excruciatingly high frequency, it tears through your ears, it rips at your mind, then you feel like your head is splitting in two.
After that there is a iciness that claims you, you feel nothing but the void, then the calm comes and you lose consciousness and you never open your eyes again."
"Are you alright?"
Imagi's voice tore into my thoughts.
Was I awake?
I saw myself surrounded by shelves of books.
I was still in my dream world.
I rose from my seat rather briskly and gripped onto her in a desperate manner.
She shoved herself away from me but I just held onto her even more firmly.
She struggled voraciously, clawing at me, at one point she even began kicking me.
"Let go of me you rapscallion".
"Calm down. I'm not going to hurt you.
Rest assured you will not be harmed in any way. You are safe and secure within these walls.
I know you're a little uncertain and unsure right now, and that uncertainty scares you, but you have nothing to fear from me, my dear.
I won't do anything untoward to you, I promise. I have no intention of forcing you to do anything, that is to say I don't want to force myself on you either.
I may be a villain but I'm certainly not a predator."
"If you're concerned about my comfort then why don't you let go of me."
"I wish I could but I'm just so attached to you."
"Oh please. I've hardly been with you alone for 5 seconds.
If you insist on holding onto to me for any longer at least loosen your grip, you're bruising me".
"Oh so sorry, I didn't mean to crush the life out of you."
I could feel her body relax and she for the first time gave me a smile that was untouched by disgust and hatred.
Then I heard the signal ;That deadly dastard signal that Imagi had warned me about;my grip loosened and walked away robotically in a daze yet again.
"What's wrong?" she called after me.
Was it possible that these brainwashing signals could reach me even in my dreams while I am asleep?
"I'm...I'm sorry...I'm not feeling too well.
I'd better go now and lay down.
My head...I'm not thinking very clearly...I feel strange and rather woozy. I'm sure it's nothing. Just another dizzy spell.
I can't talk anymore".
She appeared very alarmed by this statement.
I practically ran to my bed and I let my weight go full force onto to the bed.
Commander Abbadon.
The Rebel must be controlled.
You are in control.
You are in charge.
You are King, the Lord and master, of all your household.
You rule everyone and everything within your domain.
You are not just a leader but a monarch and soon you shall reign over a entire empire.
Give her the Serum, Quirinus.
You'll find a vial and a syringe by your bed side table.
The syringe is small and it has a automatic mechanism that will retract as soon as the serum is administered.
She is dangerous, capable of destruction, she may even cause a revolt.
She must be contained and placed under your control immediately.
Once your mission is completed, you shall be given further instructions.
The voice seared through my brain, in a threatening and authoritative manner.
I'd never felt any pain when they sent me mental messages before but now I felt like hot irons were being pressed into my brow.
These words hurt and I wanted to fight but everytime I refused them another surge of what felt like hot iron entered my brain.
"Alright I'll do it but don't expect me to be happy about it.
I don't know why it matters to you since everything I do here is of such little consequence with reality because I'm living in a dream. None of this is even real.
If I could wake up right not I'd tell you all right to your faces I'm not your henchman.
I'm a man and I happen to care for that girl tremendously.
If you hurt her I'm holding you all responsible which means I'm going to get angry, when I get angry I'm going to make sure your whole disgusting brainwashing cult burns to the ground.
I hope it implodes, I hope it explodes, I hope it all happens at once if that's even possible.
I hope the worst than can happen will happen to every one of you!
I'm tired of being your gopher.
Fetch this, fetch that, administer this, control this one, lure this one away, sign these papers, drink this, eat that, walk this way sir.
Then I'm supposed to praise you, thank you, for my ball and chain, while I trudge around in a daze, not knowing one day from another.
You tricked me, you fooled me, you played me like a finely tuned fiddle.
I'm not going to take it for much longer.
Yet since this is a dream I'll humor you, I'll do what you say, but when I gain consciousness, I'm going expose you, I'm going to let the whole world know what a sham you're running.
This operation, this empire you've taken so long to build, I'm going tear it down, piece by piece, with my bare hands if I have to".
Then the pain that was in my forehead traveled down my arm.
I wanted to let out a loud hollar but I bit down on my knuckles to keep myself from screaming.
"Alright! Alright. I'll do it. I suppose it won't do any harm since she's technically just a character in my dream.
Still I'm not going to enjoy this."
I thought about how I'd go about doing this. Should I ask her to come or should I come to her?
I emptied the vials contents into the syringe, the liquid was bright cherry maraschino red and it sparkled in the light ever so slightly.
"Oh Imagi darling.
Would you be a dear and come here a moment?
I am in dire need of your assistance".
