I hate these dreams! They are too real and I can't stop having them! Breathe, everything will be alright, we just need to find a way to get to the others, free them and then the dreams will be over. That's all they are, dreams, just dreams.

"You alright?" He is still with me, I wonder why he is sleeping.

"Fine, we have to move, there is too much to do and not enough time." The tunnel is getting dirty, grimy, lighter. Dang it all, we have to get out of here, now!

"Keep moving, that thing is getting stuck in the cabling I've thrown down." He pulls more from the roof and hurls it behind him, I just hope we don't need it later. There, light, we can make it and I don't think there is anyone out there, no, wait, soft voices, evil and cold. Agents. We are trapped.

"That is my ankle you oaf!" He is pulling me and I can't get a grip on anything.

"And if we go out there, we're dead, shut up and move." Sounds like a captain, officious goon. But he does have a point… There has to be another way other than suicide. The tunnel runs parallel to the surface and I can hear them talking, I don't like them and they are impatient. Something about that damn jamming signal that is no available to certain blood types in Zion, they can't trace them once the implant is completely operational. What are they yabbering about? Oh, that hurts!

"Herse, what is it?"

"I don't know, my arm, it hurts."

"It's alright Herse, just take a deep breath, we're just making some adjustments to one of your arm plugs, take it easy." It's the nice lady, but the room is white, so white and I have to breathe and it's so scary and…

"Hey, we have to move, that thing will be on us soon." He is looking at me now when not a moment ago I was in that white space and my arm still hurts. I blink and I have no idea what's going on, I can hear voices whispering in my ears, but they aren't here, it's the nice lady and the captain man, and I don't know what in Hades is going on

"Don't worry about your head now, let's get to the clear exit." I follow him because it's all I can think of to do while I listen.

Do you think it'll work?
It has to, it's the only way we can let her on a ship.
You don't trust her?
Locke wants to make sure nothing like this happens again, he's already issued the new boy on Shadow with one.
These are tricky little monsters, they seem so determined not to let things happen to anyone else but them.
A perfect reason for them to be chosen, so we can protect the protectors.
What about the One?
Wrong bloody type, too hard to match the wirings, the machines are pretty clever too.
That's why we have to do this, to get rid of the corrupt.
I just hope the cost isn't too high.
There have been no failures of this device yet.
But those who don't have it are still at risk.
I know.
Don't worry, I'll take care of her.
But will you take care of yourself?
Of course.
You better.

And the voices are gone. I'm standing, no I'm running again, why am I running? Oh dang it all! That stupid boy is trying to go up to go down. Idiot. The only way in is past the dog of Hades, over the river, don't pay the boatman until you reach the other side, and through the maze. How did I know that? Also slightly important, why do I know that and what does it have to do with anything?

"What are you talking about?'

"I don't know exactly."

"Good, we can make it up. Let's go find that dog." Oh gods, here we go again…

A/N: I smell a myth /smiles evilly and goes a-hunting/

Da Buffster: You actually have reviewed this story, once at the first chapter. I'm glad you like and I'm glad you decided to pop in and say hello. I've been looking for new ideas that haven't been overused and this story came and jumped at me. How many first person present time narratives are there? Yeah last chapter was rushed, but that was part of the idea. But I think I've don't it all wrong, but I can't figure out how to fix it. Hardline is dead? What? NO!!! And I can't get to that message, send me an email instead, the addy is on my profile. Yay you!!! I must admit, I would have laugh so hard I may have burst something if I had been there when Bush was spooned to death in the Post Office. Bravo! Sadly, I have no MSN, it is dead and cannot be revived despite all my attempts. And those of my many characters… So you'll just have to email me :p

AbsolutelyNoSoliciting: Feel free to use whatever ideas you like, they aren't mine to use exclusively. How can you tell the difference between the Real World and the Dream World? For some people is there a barrier at all? Just some more questions so you can stop thinking :p And be careful of those poles, they seem to attack you on a regular basis :p /sends Harregale to watch over you, and hopefully get rid of the poles/