The morning sun's bright rays pierce my dream, shaking me back into the real world. I can feel some weight on my chest, and I open my eyes to see Kendra's red hair all over my bare chest, her beautiful face asleep. Smiling from her own dreams.
Guess that wasn't a dream.
I hold her shoulder in my hand and bring her closely to me, giving the top of her head a soft kiss. She wakes up and presses the side of her face into me, grunting while doing so.
Morning sleeping beauty. Dream well?
She nods sleepily, a big smile on her face.
I scoot out of the bed and put on a shirt, yawning wide.
Look in the right front pocket of my jacket. Kendra says to me, her head laying on the pillow, her green eyes watching me.
I fish around in her pocket, and what I pull out is a little metal bell on a necklace. I give it a little shake and it makes a tiny metallic jingle.
I made it for Jack, but I want you to have it now. She smiles.
I smile back.
Thanks Kendra, that's really sweet of you. I put on the necklace then give the bell a little flick with my finger, ringing it again.
I turn the TV on to Saturday morning cartoons then go into the kitchen to make some coffee, the sounds of little birds hitting cats over the head with cast iron frying pans coming from my room.
I walk into my bedroom with two cups of coffee, and Kendra exits the bathroom, clothed in a black leather jacket, a green shirt underneath that, and black pants and black boots.
I've got to go off to work Kyle, thank you for everything last night. She takes a cup from me and sips it's content. Good coffee. Do you want me to come here after work, or no?
That would be lovely. I say, smiling wide.
Okay then. Gimme a kiss.
I give her a loving peck on her extended cheek.
Have a good day Kendra.
Bye Kyle. She puts on her rectangle framed glasses and walks down the side walk toward her car.
I stand on my porch and watch her drive off, waving to her. When I turn around, the mail man speaks from behind him and I spin to face him.
What was that sir? I ask.
Are you Kyle Burdsten?
Yeah that's me.
Here's a package for you.
Thank you.
And I sign for it. Then go inside with it, and open it to reveal a CD with the words Unreality Code' written on it in big black letters. The note accompanying the CD reads:
Hello Mr. Burdsten. Play this on your stereo. Please contemplate. Fortune.
I put the disk in my stereo and go to shower. While I'm shampooing my hair, I hear somebody speaking saying:
This isn't the real world. This is a computer simulation. Like a big game that we're all connected to. We don't know it. It's imprisonment for us all and we don't know. This world is called the matrix and it's a prison for everybody's mind. Just like a computer program, you can alter and bend the code, which makes up everything from the laws of physics to your appearance to your body to your strength and dexterity. Once you see the code, you can alter it. Bend everything, break something.
As I'm getting dressed, there's a knock at my door. When I open it there's the guy from my dream standing there, the one in the business suit who shot me.
Mr. Burdsten. We need you to come with us.