Chapter 18: At Death's Door
Dreams are weird. In the moment, they seem so real. When you wake up, they seem so improbable. In a dream, you don't think much about standing in a place you've never been. In a dream, you can stand at this place every night and feel like it's the first time you've ever been there. When you wake up though, you remember how long you've been there, how often and begin to wonder why.
"Here again?"
I knew the voice now as a sign of dreaming. The man I had grown so accustomed to seeing in this place. He stepped up beside me. I still remember when he was a kid. That seems like such a strange thing to say about a character from your dreams. The child had grown up to be this tall man, dressed in usual attire, with a large scar down his face. I'd never bothered to ask how he got it, then again, I didn't ask a lot of questions I should have. We stood, watching the light fly from the earth, a beacon for all to see.
"What is happening?" I whispered.
"The longest battle must be finished," he instructed. "I thought I had won, years ago, but…he had another plan. This is my fault."
"Dawn," I asked, looking to him. "What's her role in all of this and Sky? Any of us?"
"Everyone has a part to play, you always have," he nodded.
I groaned, taking in a deep breath. Nothing felt right in this moment.
"I'm sorry to have put you in this position," he sighed. "A time is coming when this will all make sense."
"Can't wait," I chuckled.
He didn't laugh. After a moment of silence, he looked at me, putting a hand on my shoulder.
"You need to wake up, now."
"What?"
"Wake up, Jane."
The pressure on my body turned heavy, dragging me to the ground. The light was the only stable thing as everything else turned dark. Wake up. The man stood over me, watching as I sank lower and lower. I felt the world swallow me, falling deeper into the earth. No air. I felt tears roll down my cheek. Couldn't scream. My body felt as though it was chained down. I shut my eyes, gasping for air.
I sat up, opening my eyes. My body was still sore as if I'd been run over several times. Seeing the world around me I relaxed. Home. Such an odd thing to name the base, but it felt right for the time being. I was sitting in the interrogation room. Realizing that, the panic rushed back into me. Dawn. Sky. His clone. Hurt. Not exactly in that order but still. I felt a familiar grip around my arms.
"Calm down!" assured Mitch, keeping me from flailing. "You're fine! You're fine!"
"M-m-Mitch?" I stuttered.
Panic. Right. Sky. Dawn. Clone. Mitch continued to hold me still.
"Sky…he's hurt! The clone and-and-and Dawn. He took her. The clone…" I sputtered, looking around. I was surrounded in shattered glass.
"We know, we know," Mitch nodded.
"Huh?"
"We found Sky shambling down the hall with a stab wound. He told us you were banged up too. We're on high alert for Dawn and Sky's evil twin."
"I-I scratched him. The clone," I grinned. "I tore some of his skin. His real skin is showing."
"Gross but nice to know," chuckled Mitch. "You hurt?"
I held up wrist. It was swollen, red and I had no doubt that it was probably broken in some way or fashion. Mitch grimaced at it, knowing it undoubtedly hurt. It did. He helped me to my feet.
"Now what?" I whimpered, holding my damaged wrist close to my chest.
"We're on high alert. If evil Sky is here, it's safe to say the others are here too," nodded Mitch. "Code word is fish."
"Quentin didn't like that, did he?" I grinned.
"Nope," chuckled Mitch, helping me to the door.
Checking both ways, we began heading down the left. I could hear the alarms sounding, people scrambling. Everyone was in a panic, and I bet that code word was only working so well. It would be only a matter of time before the enemy knew it too. Reaching a cross roads, we stopped. Left was the commons. Right was the offices. Looking either way was a different story as either way had a Jerome standing.
"You've got to be kidding me," grumbled the right Jerome, storming forward.
Mitch pulled from his sheath the diamond beauty known as Betty. Tightening his grip on the handle, both Jerome's stopped, hands up and eyes looking sincere. Dressed in identical suits, furry coating the collar and cuffs, they were impossible to tell apart. I gulped, hiding behind Mitch.
"Mitch, it's me!" called the one on the right.
"Don't listen to him. He's the squid!" the other agued.
"Everyone just stay put," snapped Mitch. "I can't tell if this is a nightmare or a dream I had once."
"Serious?" both Jeromes chirped.
"Shut up!" Mitch huffed. "This is a weird situation!"
"Mitch, it's me, the good Bacca," the one on the left hummed, motioning toward him. "We've been through a lot. You know it's me!"
"Don't listen to that Blooper Sac," hissed Jerome. "Betty has his name on it."
"Okay, okay," Mitch panted. "Tell me something only Jerome can know?"
"Wow, that's cliché," chuckled the one of the right.
"Tell me about it," agreed the left.
"Now!" shouted Mitch.
"I don't know what you want me to say!" grumbled the one on the left.
Mitch turned to the one on the right. The Jerome seemed deep in thought, digging in the depths of his mind. Looking up, I saw the light in his eyes that I'd seen in the heat of battle. He smiled.
"The first time we met…you gave me a loaf of bread your mom just made," he mumbled.
Mitch smiled, spinning around and throwing Betty into the chest of the left Jerome. The being shouted an inhumane noise before collapsing. Mitch stepped over, pulling the ax from its chest. Jerome stepped over to me.
"You okay?" he perked.
"Yeah…what just happened?" I whimpered.
"Long story," grinned Mitch. "Besides, you're the only one who smelled like wet dog."
"I dried like seven times! What do you want from me!?" Jerome shouted.
"Code word is fish, remember," huffed Mitch, patting Jerome on the shoulder. "Don't forget it this time."
"Oh yeah," nodded Jerome. "Quentin was so pissed."
"I thought it was funny," shrugged Mitch.
"Me too."
I liked seeing the two getting along. It was a sense of normalcy. Consistency. I smiled, watching the two laugh to themselves. In that moment, I had some hope.