7. Dream a Little Dream
I wake up lying on a blue cloth hammock in a small 11x11foot room. Looking down I see that my body is burnt and as I touch my head I realize my hair is gone. I'm also all by myself, something that seems strange given the injuries I seem to have. As I stand up I'm surprised the injuries don't bother me, but then again my body doesn't seem to be mine. I feel taller and more built. That's when I realize that I must be dreaming.
I've never had a dream where I've known I'm dreaming, or that was obviously a dream. However given all the strangeness in my life recently it also wasn't too unexpected.
There's not much else in the room besides a second hammock that matches the one I was just lying on and two dressers, one next to each bed. Opening the one near my hammock my eyes gravitate towards a journal that is sitting on a shelf by itself. Figuring this is a dream it wasn't exactly intruding. The journal proves fruitless anyway, it's the exact same as the journal I keep at home.
My ADHD kicks in and I start to find this room boring. Walking out of it I suddenly find myself transported to a giant cavernous room with a river leading out of it and what seems to be an oven and a table with various surgical tools. Time seems to slow down and I start to hear footsteps approaching. Not wanting to be seen I go and hide behind a stone pillar.
Two very pale figures walk towards the table with another body in hand. They put the body down and begin to take the organs out of the body and put them into jars. My stomach churns at the very sight, but for some reason I cannot look away. Once finished the two take a bite of the brain before throwing the body into the river. The younger of the two looks at me with wide white eyes.
Speaking in some strange language she, if they are human, turns to her companion and starts to point to me. As they start to approach me with what seems to be a murderous look in their white eyes an extremely little person grabs my hand and pulls me away. He's dressed in a blue robe and I cannot see his face or any of his body.
Out of the freaky room we walk through the cave until we end up in another room, this one resembling a gym. The small creature hands me a sword and disappears. Looking around I see a woman standing in what seems to be an arena, beckoning me over. Hesitantly I walk onto the arena and without warning the woman starts to sword fight with me. I dodge the sword without fighting back, not wanting to fight a girl. That is until she lands a blow and nicks my shoulder.
Groaning in pain I take my sword and fight back. Neither of us lands a blow and suddenly I appear on a bar with some weapon in my hand. The woman is on a bar as well and uses the weapon to knock me off the bar. I jump out of the way and after a long 'battle' manage to knock her over. Once she's down I get off the bar and help her up. She smiles at me as she stands.
"You've improved," she says cryptically.
"Who are you? Do I know you?"
"You should know the answer to both of those. Of course you know me, or you did long ago. Just remember Matt to follow your path and remember the past."
She fades and I groan, "Thanks for the answers," I scream even though she's gone. There's an entrance way a few yards away and I walk through it to find some answers. Along the walls of the cave is what seems to be moss, only it lights up. Confused I keep walking until I end up at two large doors closed doors. Frowning, I put my hand onto the door and surprisingly it opens. Now very intrigued I walk into the room and am surprised to see thrones. On one of them sits an old man with white hair, yet he seems to be strong considering his age. He radiates with power and age and since he is on a throne I bow.
The man cocks his head to the side and chuckles, "There's no need to bow."
"Aren't you royal saying you're sitting on a throne?"
"Bowing isn't the greeting I expected after all this time and especially not from you. Now sit," he tells me and points to the throne next to him.
I walk up and sit down, "This is mine isn't it? I don't get it how am I royalty."
"Some rise by sin, and some by virtue fall," he answers cryptically
"Shakespeare?"
"Well yes, albeit I did help him with that specific scene. And yes you are a prince, although I don't think I've ever heard anyone call us royal before."
"I'm so confused," I admit.
"Oh Matt, I did miss your way with words and your honesty. Traits most seem to have lost over time. You know deep down what is happening. Just open yourself up."
"I don't know how."
"You'll remember eventually child. But also try to remember your enemies, they aren't gone and you aren't completely safe. Be careful before you are lost again."
Instead of him vanishing this time I do. Not even a second later I appear in another cavern, this one with a cage of stakes in the middle. Floating above the stakes is a blonde man with blue eyes and three strange scars on his cheek.
"I'm sorry," he tells me.
"Why apologize when I don't even know you? Let me guess I do know you, but I don't remember."
He smiles, "Your wit is charming. I just wanted to apologize for everything I did to you and good luck in the future. And just know that I'll be there, just differently."
Suddenly he becomes blindfolded and falls onto the stakes. For some unknown reason I cry at his death and then find myself in a cave that looks like a cave. It's small, damp, and dark. Standing is another man of medium build and a scarred face. He smiles at me widely. "It's good to see you."
"I'm going to say right back at you even though I'm not sure why."
His smile gets bigger, "I'll take that as a compliment. You seem different, but happy. I don't remember you being this happy."
"I'd settle for confused right now."
"True," he chuckles. "Be careful, the world is in your hands. And again I apologize for my snoring."
For some reason I laugh and this time I appear in a large tent not in a cave. In front of me is an extremely tall man who reminds me of Ms. Tall. "This time I'm taking a side," he declares.
"I don't quite understand."
"I'm picking your side Matt, I couldn't last time but this time I can."
"Okay," say slowly.
"And tell her I say hi."
After that short conversation I reappear in the cave where I first woke up in. I sit down on the hammock and flinch in surprise as a man appears on the hammock next to mine. He has orange hair and a scar above his eye. Actually it seems as if everyone has scars. His smile seems unusual, as if he doesn't usually smile. "You made me proud."
"Is this about my past I can't remember and then some cryptic message about me saving the world?"
"Just as cheeky," he chuckles. "But sadly yes. I'm not here to help you this time and the stakes are even higher."
"I don't understand," I say for the thousandth time.
"Of course not because you're still an ignorant child," he scoffs.
The insult doesn't offend me; it seems as if he's saying it jokingly as a good friend would. The spider that's been following me crawls onto the man's hand and I roll my eyes, "Let me guess she's yours."
"Actually I gave her to you years ago, but I guess the answer would be yes. Care for her, Octa will help you. I'm guessing everyone else told you to be careful, but I know you better than that Ma… Hell I can't call you that you aren't this matt guy and never will be."
"But I am Matt."
"Charna's guts! If you were we wouldn't be here. Screw the rules we are supposed to follow. Don't be careful, it isn't who you are. I've tried for years to get you to be careful and you never have. So follow your instinct and look for everyone who will help you. Things will change and if you deny everything again the world will end thanks to that evil pig."
"So basically my destiny is about to happen?"
"You could stay that," he scoffs. "Be careful when dealing with destiny Darren."
He screams as he disappears and another big man in yellow rain boots appears in his place and clucks his tongue, "He shouldn't have said that."
This guy squeezes his heart shaped pocket watch and I scream in agony before I wake up gasping for air on my bed to my alarm.
Sorry it's so short, but I actually really like this chapter regardless of the length.