Rev stared into the mirror- she couldn't get over her hair- or more correctly- lack of it. She tried

everything- a bandanna, a hat, it all looked..weird. She sat on her bed and pulled her knees to her chest. She felt so

alone, so cold. She hated this real world- this reality.

Wake me up...

Everything had fallen apart before her eyes...she had the perfect life: a great job, a great life...on the

outside. But she'd always go home to her computer ad search for the answers. Something had been

nagging at her for a long time.

Can't wake up...

The Matrix- what was it? "It's all around us," Morpheus had said, "When you turn on your televison..."

Rev closed her eyes.

Save me...

Sleep was closing in around her, like a welcomed wave, it washed over her and ran through her joints, her

soul...rest at last. She thought she'd never sleep again, after all, she'd gotten all the sleep she'd ever need-

twenty two years...



She opened her eyes...she was outside. The sky was ashen black, thunder rolled and the sky swirled like a

toppled lava lamp. The ground was charred and black with dead plants poking up, as if they'd tried to grow.

Tried.

A scream broke the stillness around her. Rev whirled around, there was a mass of people- worn and tired,

wearing dirty rags and carrying small bundles- they looked like immigrants almost. They were running towards

her and screaming- high pitched yells that split her ears and made her shiver.

"What's wrong?! What's wrong?!" she asked as the people swarmed about her, nearly knocking her over.

None of them answered.

She recognized faces in the crowd- Neo. "Neo!" she called. He looked at her for a moment. He was

wearing dark sunglasses and a black coat- like when she first saw him. He shook his head and moved on. Trinity-

she was running too.

"Trinity! Where is everyone going?"

Trinity looked at her sadly, "Zion is falling. Zion..."

Then she was gone. Lightening flashed and an enormous machine reared over the crowd. Rev screamed

and dove on the ground, covering her head. Suddenly, the ground was hot, all around her fire burned. People fell

dead about her, scourged bodies piled in a bloody mass.

"Neo will save Zion!" a voice shouted. Morpheus? "He is the one, Trinity..."

Rev woke up, gasping for breath. Her shirt stuck to her body with sweat. Glancing around the room, she

saw that she was back home in the real world. Safe..for now. Wait- did I just call this home?



The door swung open and Trinity appeared in the doorframe. "Hey," she said, "I brought you your

breakfast." She set a tray with a bowl of goop on the floor by her bed and turned to leave.

"Trinity- wait."

Trinity turned around, "What?"

Should she tell her about the dream? No...she had a strong feeling that Trinity didn't like her very much.

"Will my hair grow back?" she decided on asking.

Trinity rolled her eyes, "Not so perfect now, huh?" She closed the door behind her.