Disclaimer: I don't own HM and bla bla bla bla bla.

Also, I know the chapter is called "The Dream" but only a small portion of it is in the dream.

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Chapter 2: The Dream

Andy stared at his watch on the ground nearby facing him. It was almost midnight. He turned his head up and looked through the hole in the roof he had caused a few hours earlier.

Why can't I get to sleep? I keep thinking about what's happening around in town…And it's always leading back to Karen! He thought to himself. I can't help thinking that she's just covering herself up with that anger! His eyes widened. Wow…that was really a gross metaphor.

Andy closed his eyes and tried to get to sleep. He was as tired as can be, but he couldn't keep his eyes shut. There was something that just wouldn't let him. Hmm… He thought. He stuck his arm under his body and pulled something out. Who would have guessed, a block of wood has been keeping me awake this entire time. Oh, the irony. He thought, almost saying it. He mentally kicked himself for almost waking up the rest of the house.

Andy turned on his side and was finally in a comfortable position. He closed his eyes and dozed off.

ooooo

Andy looked around. Everything was dark, but yet he could see it all. It was Mineral Town, on the beach. It looked exactly like it did earlier in the day. He saw the ferry drop of three people, him, Chris and Cassie, but they didn't look normal. They were…glowing.

They followed the same actions as they had during the day; the only difference was the contrast between them and their surroundings. Andy followed them behind until they got to where they met Karen. She, unlike the trio, was not glowing. She actually emitted a dark aura.

Andy walked around her, and looked at her from behind. He saw tiny cracks in the aura, like a light bulb covered with a rag. All the while, Andy was amazed he was not noticed, but then remembered it was all a dream.

Andy followed himself throughout the day, noticing many things he had not earlier. He noticed a girl with a black ponytail and glasses watching the glowing Andy from a window in the library. She emitted a bluish aura, like that of a neutral person. He also noted Elli, Ann, and the innkeeper, who he found was named Doug, all also had blue auras. He saw various other people with dark auras, like Kai and Gotz.

When Andy was done with the day, he decided to go exploring a bit. He found the towns church, but it was not a church that Andy expected. It too had a dark Aura emitting from it. Andy walked to the window and peeked through, spotting a stone statue of a woman with a flowing dress. This statue was emitting the strongest aura of them all, the aura a thick black, thick enough to block out anything else in the building. After spotting that, Andy blacked out, ending the dream.

ooooo

Andy awoke at 10 AM to the smell of…well, nothing. Nobody had been able to stop by the store so, of course, they lacked any food. Andy looked outside to see Cassie finishing up on the last of the weeds and rocks, while Chris was nowhere to be seen.

Andy found the axe and hammer, and got some leftover wood from the wood bin. Even though he was very hungry, he brought it upon himself the fix the roof.

ooooo

Chris walked along the streets of Mineral Town, much to the stares of passersby. This was one of the times when he somewhat regretted dying his hair, but that feeling usually passed. When he got to the supermarket, he was frightened, to say the least, to hear Karen's voice inside. It wasn't saying anything pretty either.

"What do you mean I have to be nice to the new neighbors? The first one is crazy, the second one dyed his hair, and the third ones just… I don't know! I just don't like 'em!" She screamed.

Sasha replied, but was much calmer than Karen. "How is the first one, I heard his name is Andy, crazy?"

Karen yelled back, "He doesn't worship the Goddess! He worships some kind of God instead!"

Sasha replied, "Yeah, so what's so bad about that?"

Jeff also added something, "He doesn't worship the Goddess? They can't be all bad…Karen! I want you to go over there and be a good neighbor, and invite them to dinner at the Inn with us!"

At that, Chris's eyes widened. He ducked behind a bench as Karen stomped out and headed for the farm. She barely missed Chris, but she had other stuff to think about.

As soon as Karen was out of sight, Chris entered the supermarket to buy some food.

ooooo

"Oh…How I hate him!" Karen yelled. "When I tell him how bad these new neighbors are, he says that they're great! It's like he didn't hear a word I said!" She stomped down the street towards the farm.

After she calmed down a bit, she entered the farm to see the girl cutting weeds and the guy fixing the roof.

Andy spotted Karen at the entrance to the farm. "Hey, Karen!" He yelled down, waving. Karen spotted him.

"How can you still be so nice to me? I knocked you out with a beer mug!" She yelled up to him. "And how did you figure out my name?"

Andy put down the hammer and axe and climbed down the roof. "Let's see, I find it easy to forgive people and it takes a lot to get me mad, and Elli told me your name when I was at the clinic yesterday.

"Ah, okay." Karen replied. "So, Andy, I know your name, but what are your two friend's names?" She asked with fake enthusiasm.

"Well, the guy with dyed hair is Chris, and the girl over there is Cassie" Andy replied. "So, what did you want?" Andy asked.

Karen found this as good a time as any to yell at him, "Do I need a reason? I felt like being a good neighbor, is that so wrong?"

Andy winced at the outburst. I had a feeling that was coming. He thought. "Okay, sorry for sounding rude." He said.

"Well, maybe you should put more thought in before you say anything!" She yelled, adding more insult. "But since you asked, I'd like to know if you and your friends would like to come to dinner with me and my family tonight at the inn?" She added, in a sweeter tone.

That was unexpected…Andy thought. "I don't know about Chris and Cassie, but I'd sure like to come. What time?" He asked.

"Around 6 is good." Karen added sweetly, with fake enthusiasm.

Andy nodded. "Okay, tonight at 6 at the inn, sounds good. I'll be there, and Chris and Cassie will probably be there too." He told her. An awkward silence followed. Cassie was watching from the field, leaning on a boulder, holding her stomach as she laughed.

Andy spotted Cassie laughing, but paid no attention to it. Karen on the other hand, glared at her, causing her to stop and go back to work. Andy turned back to Karen. "So, anything else you want to talk about or do?" He asked her, hoping she wouldn't take it the wrong way, like she seems to do many other things.

Karen thought for a bit, "Nope nothing. I'm out of here." She replied. She headed out, disgusted by how nice she was acting.

….

Chris looked at the various things for sale at the supermarket. He was trying to choose what would be best with their currently very limited funds. But, as he was looking through the products, he was listening to Sasha and Jeff.

Sasha was the first he heard. "So you invite them to dinner at the Inn because they don't worship the Goddess?"

"Yup! That's exactly right!" Jeff replied, proud of it.

Silence followed. "You're an idiot, you know that?" She told him.

More silence. "So, in other words, treating them to dinner because they have a different religion is dumb?" Jeff asked innocently.

Another awkward silence followed. "Yes, yes it is." Was all Sasha could manage to say.

Chris, tired of hearing the conversation, got the few things that they could afford, along with a bag of seeds to help with that problem, and took them to the register. Jeff turned to him. "Oh, sorry sir. Is this all you'll be buying today?"

"Yes, it is. How much will this total to?" Chris asked. All the while, Sasha was staring at his hair. He glared at her, and she looked away and went back to pinning things up on the bulletin board behind the register.

Jeff pushed some buttons on the cash register. "The total is…86G." Chris nodded and paid for it. He walked out of the store, bag over his shoulder.

ooooo

Karen walked along the roads of Mineral Town, no real destination. She was humming happily. She didn't know why she was happy, she also didn't care. On her random walking spree, she passed the Inn and decided to visit her friend Ann.

ooooo

Ann was working in the front room of the Inn, dusting the last of the tables. She spotted Karen through the windows, wearing her usual jeans, t-shirt and purple vest. He blond hair was flailing in the wind. Something was different about her, but Ann couldn't tell for sure until she entered the front door.

"Hey Ann!" Karen exclaimed as she entered the Inn. She sat down at the table Ann was dusting and leaned back in the chair.

Ann looked at her, as Karen sat down. "Why, aren't you a bundle bursting with sunshine? What the heck? You're usually ready to break the first person who looks at you."

Karen raised her eyebrow. "I guess I am happier today than most days. Hmmm…" replied Karen. She pondered what Ann said, and after a minute or two looked back up. "No clue."

Ann sat down across the table from Karen and leaned on the table. "You had to do something that made you feel good, even if you won't admit it. What did you do today?"

Karen thought for a second, finger on her mouth. "Hmmm…I woke up, ate breakfast, yelled at my dad, went to the farm, talked to that Andy guy, invited him and his friends over here for dinner tonight, Dad made me, and then I came here." Ann was grinning and restraining laughter after she mentioned Andy. "What?" Karen demanded.

This time, Ann did laugh. "It's so obvious! You like him!" Karen didn't like this answer, her smile turned to a scowl.

"I do not!"

"Do too!"

"Do not!"

That continued on for a few minutes, who would have guessed, until Karen exclaimed, "Prove it!"

"Well, DUH, you invited him to dinner, and now you feel happy. SO SIMPLE!" Ann told her, almost falling into another laughing fit. "It's also childish."

In a corner, obviously unnoticed by Karen, Chris was sitting at a table sipping a whine. He was almost in a laughing fit, watching this conversation.

Karen almost screamed at the childish remark. "How is it childish?"

Ann replied calmly, "It's 1st grade courtship. You like him, so you're mean to him."

Karen, being as attentive to detail as she is, snapped at the courtship remark. "Courtship? I'd rather kick him in the shin than kiss him!"

Ann giggled at this, "I rest my case." At this, Karen stormed out angry.

"Why, isn't she a short fused firecracker?" Chris commented from the corner.

Ann jumped at this and turned around to see him. She had her hand on her chest trying to regulate her breathing. "Oh, I didn't know you were here… You're one of the people at the farm, aren't you?"

Chris nodded, "From what I've learned today from, how would you say, being in the right place at the right time, that Karen invited me, Andy, and Cassie to dinner tonight here, and she won't even admit it to himself that she likes him."

"Well aren't you a blue-haired Sherlock." Ann remarked. She was one of the few people who didn't comment on his hair.

"I guess I am." Chris replied, shrugging. He leaned back in his chair. "Except Sherlock couldn't draw." He added, smirking.

Ann giggled a bit. "So, you're good at drawing? Can I see?" she asked innocently.

Chris, shrugged, nodded, pulled out his drawing pad and pencil, and started to sketch Ann. After ten minutes, it was finished and had an incredible likeness.

"Wow... Just…wow." Was all she could say. Chris took it as a compliment.

Chris stood up, making sure he paid for the wine. He set the empty glass down and picked up the groceries. "I guess I'll see you later tonight." He said and started walking towards the door. Ann waved and said goodbye, and took the glass to be washed.

ooooo

Ann entered the backroom where there were various dishes and a sink. What she didn't expect was Karen waiting there also, smirking. Ann jumped and put her hand on her chest. "That's the second almost heart-attack I've had today!" Ann screeched at her. Karen laughed.

"You like him." Karen told her, copying Ann's voice. Ann frowned.

"So, what if I do?" Ann replied, leaning on a wall.

"Then I'll make sure he sits closest to YOU tonight." Karen told her, mockingly.

Ann's eyes glazed over, "Since when I'm I going to be eating with you guys?"

Karen yawned, "Since now."

Ann shrugged. "Wait…how did you get in here anyway?"

ooooo

Chris entered the farm and noticed Andy finishing up on the roof. "I finally got some food." He yelled up to him. Andy nodded and pounded in the last nail before jumping down.

"What about seeds? This is a farm after all." Andy replied.

Chris nodded and pulled out a bag of cucumber seeds. "I know they're not much, but it is a start." Andy nodded and took the bag out to the field, along with a hoe that was leaning on the house. Cassie walked up to Chris.

"Let me see what's in there." She told him before grabbing the shopping bag. She peered inside. "That'll make a few decent meals."

Andy spent the next twenty minutes tilling soil and planting, after that he watered them and then did nothing of particular interest for the next hour.

ooooo

For the rest of the day, there was nothing of particular interest going on, that is, until 6. At 6, as planned, the trio from the Supermarket and the trio from the farm, now named Moon-blade, met at the Inn for dinner.

The trio from Moon-blade entered first, and sat down on one side of the four tables lined up. Andy sat on one end, Cassie on the table to his right, and then Chris on the other end. "He sure likes his personal space, doesn't he?" Andy remarked as Chris sat down. The trio, having virtually nothing to do, had arrived a good 10 minutes early.

Andy was doodling on a napkin, nothing worth describing. Cassie was staring at the menu, or dozing. It was hard to tell when her face was hidden by the open menu. Chris was drawing on his pad. Ann was watching from the door in the window and decided to socialize with them around five-to-six.

Ann entered and sat down across from Chris. "Watcha drawing?" She asked him. Her hair was slightly damp and her shirt looked recently washed. Chris showed his drawing to her. It was a wolf running on it's hind legs and fighting something yet to be drawn. Ann just stared, amazed as Chris continued to draw.

At one-to-six, Karen, Jeff, and Sasha entered the Inn. Sasha had a coat that looked worn, but comfortable. Karen wore a sweatshirt with the zipper open revealing her usual clothes. Jeff wore a coat that also looked rather worn. They sat down, Karen across from Andy, Sasha across from Cassie, and Jeff across from the empty chair. Karen was reluctant to sit in her seat, but Ann insisted on it and practically forced her down. Andy was watching the entire time with an eyebrow raised.

"Playing match-maker, huh Ann?" Chris asked her when she sat back down at her seat.

Ann blushed and stammered, "Um..uh…maybe." Chris sighed and picked up a menu.

Cassie finally appeared from behind the menu. She looked like she had just woken up. Andy watched her and laughed. Cassie quickly skimmed the menu. "Hey, Ann!" She called down the table. Andy had winced at the sudden burst of sound.

Ann turned to her. "Yeah? What is it?"

Cassie held up the menu. "All that's on here is pizza? I'm not saying I don't like pizza but, shouldn't there be more variety?"

Ann yelled back, "Well, tonight there's a big group and it's easier to make a giant pizza than a bunch of small meals. All you've got to do is choose the toppings!" Now, everyone at the table, except those yelling of course, were wincing.

Cassie looked around. She quickly apologized, "Oops…sorry." Both Cassie and Ann sat down, a bit embarrassed.

After Karen recovered she stood up and leaned over the table to see what Andy was drawing. "Whatcha drawing?" she asked trying to get a look. It was a four-panel comic strip with stick figures. One was on a ledge and the other was standing next to a box of voice-activated grenades. The one on the ledge spoke first.

"Sarge! What's 3 + 4?" The person on the ledge is holding paper and a pen.

Sarge replies, "Billy! I'm not going to help you with your math homework!"

Billy replies, "It's not my homework! Honest!"

"Fine…7!" Sarge replies. In the next panel, there is an explosion.

"Sarge? I need you to sign this suicide note. Sarge?"

Andy looked up smiling. "What do you think?"

Karen sighed. "That's really dumb, you know that?"

Andy looked back down, "Now I do…" He replied glumly. Karen laughed and sat back down before ordering. Cassie was next to them, giggling from behind the menu. After that, they ordered. I'm not going to say what they ordered because it has no effect on the storyline.

Ann nodded, she and Doug went to the back room to cook the pizza. Then people conversed for a while, meaningless conversation. No, I'm not going to type that either.

Twenty minutes later, out came a steaming pizza on a rather large plate. The diners stared in awe at it. "Now I'm hungry… Very hungry." Andy murmured to himself.

As the pizza was set down in the center of the tables, it was within arms reach of everyone sitting down.

Andy and Cassie instinctively bowed their heads, closed their eyes and each said silent blessings on the food. The rest at the table, along with Doug but excluding Chris all watched like it was a freak show. When they finished they raised their heads and continued on with the meal like nothing had happened.

A minute or two later, Karen leaned over the table to Andy. "What the heck was that about?"

He looked up, finished chewing and swallowed. He sipped some of his drink and replied. "We thanked God for the food and prayed it would be good nourishment."

Karen raised an eyebrow. "And your mini-statue of this, 'God', as you say, is where?"

Andy laughed. "We make a point not to pray to idols or statues. One of the Ten Commandments."

Karen was obviously curious, but stopped there. "Forget I asked." She told him, ending that conversation.

At the other end of the table, things were going a bit better. "So you're an artist, huh? We could definitely use some paintings, or drawings, or whatever you make around here. Might get people's minds off beer." Ann told Chris. Chris nodded and continued eating, looking around at the bare walls.

A minute later he finished chewing. "Yeah, I could paint a few good paintings for this place." He told her. He then started on his next slice. Ann nodded and did the same.

In the center of the table, Cassie was wolfing down her pizza and ignoring those across the table. This didn't seem to faze them, as they were just watching her. Jeff was in awe. "You'd think she hadn't eaten in days." He said to Sasha. She merely nodded and continued to watch, blankly biting her pizza every once in a while.

The meal went on in general silence, with the occasional small talk. After the pizza was gone, people went back to talking.

Jeff finally got the courage to ask about the prayer. "Why did you pray to the pizza?" He asked Cassie. Karen slapped her hand onto her forehead in embarrassment.

"It was asking God to bless the food, not asking the pizza to bless us." Cassie replied, sipping her drink.

Jeff sat there, chin in his hand, elbow on the table. "Then where's your statue?" Karen, again, slapped herself out of embarrassment.

"Again, we make a point to avoid worshipping idols and statues." Andy interrupted, before Cassie could reply.

Jeff was obviously confused; Sasha and Karen excused themselves to the restroom.

"Why would you avoid having something to worship?" He asked.

"Because it's one of the Ten Commandments, simple as that." Cassie replied. Andy pulled a mini-Bible from one of his large pockets and turned it to the Ten Commandments.

"And what are those?" Jeff asked back.

Andy answered again this time. "The Ten Commandments are essentially, a what not to do list spelled out by God. Shall I list them?"

"Yes please." Jeff asked. Chris and Ann were deep in conversation, which is beside the main action in the story right now so I'm not going to type it.

"Okay then, 'I am the Lord your God.'" Andy noticed Jeff's perplexed look. "It means you have to beleive in God."

"Ah..." Jeff replied.

Andy continued. " 'You shall have no other gods before me, and you shall make no sculptures or idols of what is in heaven above.'"

Jeff's eyes widened. "So he wants the be the only God we worship? No Goddess statues?"

Cassie replied this time. "Dang right no goddess statues."

Jeff sighed. "I think I may like this new religion." He said to no one in particular. This, was one of the few things heard by the rest of the Inn. Karen and Sasha came in just in time to hear it.

Karen's eyes widened and Sasha scolded him. "So you dump the Goddess just like that? After all she's done for us?"

Andy stood up this time. "Done for you? This town is tiny, and broke! What is there she HAS done?" He asked in an accusatory tone.

At this, Karen scowled. "Oh, and what has your God done for you?"

Andy pulled a roll of paper out of another of his pockets. "Well, for starters, he's brought us here to witness to you people." He unrolled it, it measuring to a few feet long. Karen scowled again and stomped out.

"Come on Jeff, we're going!" Sasha told him. She grabbed his shoulder and began pulling him towards the door. That's when something unexpected happened. Jeff, the meek and weak one in town, stood up to his wife. He yanked away.

"NO! I'm staying! I want to learn more about this! I'm interested! That dang goddess is ruining us all! Our tourist business is all but dead, there's a sickness going through the ranch, the vineyard is shriveling up, and the meds at the clinic are useless!" He yelled. Sasha stormed out scowling, leaving Jeff standing alone.

This is when another unexpected thing happened, applause broke out in the Inn. People clapped to see little Jeff finally take charge. He sat back down. "Ok, so what are the rest of those Commandments?" He asked Andy.

ooooo

Yay! Cliffhanger! Woohoo! Sorta...

>>

Yeah...

Please review, and again, think nothing of being blunt.