Dreams Deferred 2: Recurring Nightmares
Chapter 1
"GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAL! WEST CITY UNIVERSITY WINS!!! WCU WINS!!!" A familiar blonde announcer with sunglasses yelled into his microphone, against the raging cheers of thousands of fans that thoroughly clouded the air and every ear within a few miles.
On the field, a young man with scarlet eyes was lifted up by two similarly-clad teammates in orange soccer uniforms. His dark, curly hair draped down over his forehead and tangles of it crossed his vision, his heavily tanned face glistening with sweat and a bit of blood from a gash on his forehead. There was an open wound on his left arm in the shape on an "X", sure to become a permanent scar. But despite his fatigue and injuries, a weary smile crossed Thorn's lips as his teammates dragged him to the medical ward.
His final moments on the field replayed in his mind once more with every heavy beat of his heart. They had been down by 6 points, and the aggravated coach, pissed at both his team's lack of effort and Thorn's cynical comments about not being put in the game, put the dark-skinned boy onto centerfield. Thorn put his heart and soul into the game, and before long his angry, fearless rushes into the opponent's offensive line landed the team the 6 points, tying the game. With overtime ticking away, Thorn found himself nearly collapsing with fatigue. But as an opposing wing player sped his way, confident in Thorn's inability to stop him, a vision played before Thorn's eyes, a dream he had experienced many times before.
The dream was always exactly the same. A parched, battered wasteland sprawled in all directions, but mere feet from him was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen, illuminated by an unnatural light. The two embraced, and spoke a few words that never were clear to him. What was apparent however, was a sense of urgency as they looked to what seemed to be the full moon in the sky, as if the world was to end...and they locked lips as everything was destroyed...
"NO!" Thorn yelled, startling the opponent with the ball as all his emotions inside him exploded and poured through him like the sweat that stung his eyes like a cruel gadfly. Not a moment had passed before Thorn had taken the ball and was moving with unholy speed toward the goal...and slammed the ball at the keeper.
But to the dismay of all of West City, the goalkeeper had leapt to his left and just barely caught the ball, an arrogant smirk of triumph on his face as he prepared to punt the ball and Thorn's teammates retreated to defensive positions, mere seconds left in the game.
They had all neglected to notice that Thorn had not stopped running, a light of angst and dire defiance reflecting in his cold red eyes. He leapt directly for the ball, foot outstretched. The keeper moved to defend it...
Thus Thorn not only won the college soccer title, but the 22 year old obtained a scar on his arm that'd last a lifetime. Interviews were made, hugs were exchanged, and for a moment he felt as if he belonged.
But that moment was quick to die. Thorn found himself in the usual bar, drinking away the pain of loneliness that had pervaded his soul every day since he had begun high school. Despite his celebrity status, his teammates and city's gratitude, (beer was on the house that night) he had not one friend to speak of. Thorn grimaced and closed his eyes, the band-aid on his head heavy, which he proceeded to rip off, the cut beneath bleeding anew. He considering taking his own life...but why, he asked himself, the image of the girl from his dreams was burned on his mind's eye every time he wanted to was beyond his comprehension. Thus he remained, without rhyme or reason to live other than the hope that his job as optometrist would fall through.
On the outskirts of town, something more furious than the emotions within Thorn stirred, it's cold pink eyes surveying the landscape with utter loathing. One day it would all succumb to his control. For it had the blood of the perfect warrior.
Chapter 1
"GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAL! WEST CITY UNIVERSITY WINS!!! WCU WINS!!!" A familiar blonde announcer with sunglasses yelled into his microphone, against the raging cheers of thousands of fans that thoroughly clouded the air and every ear within a few miles.
On the field, a young man with scarlet eyes was lifted up by two similarly-clad teammates in orange soccer uniforms. His dark, curly hair draped down over his forehead and tangles of it crossed his vision, his heavily tanned face glistening with sweat and a bit of blood from a gash on his forehead. There was an open wound on his left arm in the shape on an "X", sure to become a permanent scar. But despite his fatigue and injuries, a weary smile crossed Thorn's lips as his teammates dragged him to the medical ward.
His final moments on the field replayed in his mind once more with every heavy beat of his heart. They had been down by 6 points, and the aggravated coach, pissed at both his team's lack of effort and Thorn's cynical comments about not being put in the game, put the dark-skinned boy onto centerfield. Thorn put his heart and soul into the game, and before long his angry, fearless rushes into the opponent's offensive line landed the team the 6 points, tying the game. With overtime ticking away, Thorn found himself nearly collapsing with fatigue. But as an opposing wing player sped his way, confident in Thorn's inability to stop him, a vision played before Thorn's eyes, a dream he had experienced many times before.
The dream was always exactly the same. A parched, battered wasteland sprawled in all directions, but mere feet from him was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen, illuminated by an unnatural light. The two embraced, and spoke a few words that never were clear to him. What was apparent however, was a sense of urgency as they looked to what seemed to be the full moon in the sky, as if the world was to end...and they locked lips as everything was destroyed...
"NO!" Thorn yelled, startling the opponent with the ball as all his emotions inside him exploded and poured through him like the sweat that stung his eyes like a cruel gadfly. Not a moment had passed before Thorn had taken the ball and was moving with unholy speed toward the goal...and slammed the ball at the keeper.
But to the dismay of all of West City, the goalkeeper had leapt to his left and just barely caught the ball, an arrogant smirk of triumph on his face as he prepared to punt the ball and Thorn's teammates retreated to defensive positions, mere seconds left in the game.
They had all neglected to notice that Thorn had not stopped running, a light of angst and dire defiance reflecting in his cold red eyes. He leapt directly for the ball, foot outstretched. The keeper moved to defend it...
Thus Thorn not only won the college soccer title, but the 22 year old obtained a scar on his arm that'd last a lifetime. Interviews were made, hugs were exchanged, and for a moment he felt as if he belonged.
But that moment was quick to die. Thorn found himself in the usual bar, drinking away the pain of loneliness that had pervaded his soul every day since he had begun high school. Despite his celebrity status, his teammates and city's gratitude, (beer was on the house that night) he had not one friend to speak of. Thorn grimaced and closed his eyes, the band-aid on his head heavy, which he proceeded to rip off, the cut beneath bleeding anew. He considering taking his own life...but why, he asked himself, the image of the girl from his dreams was burned on his mind's eye every time he wanted to was beyond his comprehension. Thus he remained, without rhyme or reason to live other than the hope that his job as optometrist would fall through.
On the outskirts of town, something more furious than the emotions within Thorn stirred, it's cold pink eyes surveying the landscape with utter loathing. One day it would all succumb to his control. For it had the blood of the perfect warrior.