In Death's Home
This is a special place; however, it does not resemble it in the lease, not unlike a normal flat, in New York, or perhaps Chicago. Scattered across the mundane furniture are, rather gothic resembling, articles of clothing, and sitting in the huge recliner is a pale-skinned, beautiful woman, beyond that, imagine her as you wish, as long as the garments are black and she has an ankh around her neck, on a chain, and standing in a corner, is an equally pale and equally gothic man, with eyes resembling the purest, cloudless nights. They are brother and sister, respectively Death and Dream of the Endless.
However, if you know this story you also know that this is an oxymoron in Dream's case. His sister has taken him, and they are now deciding where he should go.
"You know, little brother, you could always go to a nearly abandoned death realm, one of pure splendor." Death says comforting the dead.
"I just don't know, perhaps I can be reborn as a mortal, then you'll see me again soon, sister." The dead Dream says. "I am worried about Daniel, do you think he can handle the responsibility, do you think my realm will fall apart, once again…" Dream continues.
"He's your son, he can handle, and stop sitting around her moping, you overly romantic jack ass!" Death says as she walks over and slaps her brother. "But your idea to be reborn, I like, and your soul, your personality, (the little you have.), will continue and perhaps you shall find happiness." Death says then continues by asking "Was that your final choice?"
Dream thinks about this, then thinks again and replies "Yes, but please tell Lucien to compose a book of my previous existence, and tell him to give it to me when I am ready for it, and he shall know. Can you do that for me, my sister?"
Death, choking on her tears, replies "Yes, my beloved brother, have a pleasant second life, and where, my brother, should I have you born."
On this Dream ponders the longest. But after a while he asks "Can I be reborn with Nada, for on retrospective of this existence, I now know what she was to me."
"Yes brother I can. But only for you, and may you have a pleasant life."
The entity formerly known as Dream of the Endless walked through the opposite door of Death, his sister's house; as he did this, she fell to the floor crying, and he was reborn into another life, in another time, in a basic realm, and without his memories.
It is 1991, a few years before Dream dies, but he is reborn, only a few minutes before Nada, and at the same hospital, but his parents moved on before they could meet, they name their son Murphy, Murphy Corvidae, and his only Uncle had died years before, a victim of his own drinking and subsequent driving.
In 1998, at a sandbox in a cheap motel, two exceptionally intelligent and worldly children, a boy and a girl, meet.
"High! My name's Nadia, what's yours" the girl asked.
In response the boy says "I'm Murphy."
And this was Nada's and Dreams first conversation in nine or ten years, their second was when both were twenty and at the same college. He was studying Literature and Liberal Arts, and she studying history, with a focus on ancient African civilizations; they were at a poetry club and a pale skinned boyish man was taking the stage, born Murphy but preferring to be called Morpheus. When he took the stage, the audience sunk into his dark eyes, but Nadia sunk the deepest. And Lucien the Liberian recorded the poem he recited as such:
Dreams, Dreams are where I rejoice,
My dreams provide me, with my long-hidden voice.
In my dreams, there are creatures bow to me
And such fantastic entities I see.
Then a man bright as day's light
Calls me father, and his home is such a sight;
A castle where three fantastic beasts act as gatekeepers
They treat me with more respect than any other sleeper
Abel, Cain, and Eve seem to greet me.
A thin Liberian treats me to tea.
And then memories of my birth come.
Just like the ghosts, of the moores soft hum.
A beautiful, female takes me aside
And tells me of life's ride.
She says "Life is long and hard,
Many goals seem barred
But before I come again
You shall know of your noble doings as well as deeds of sin.
Then I awake
And being satisfied with this life I cannot fake
After his performance, he left the stage and club, but Nadia followed him when she caught up, she asked him about a cub of coffee, and he agreed. While at the café, they remembered their last meeting, and some long-forgotten love.