I Was Only Born inside My Dreams
Hiro's Journal
Hiro Hamada – Captivity: Day 36
I saw my future. Or more specifically several possibilities of it. I'm still captive in all of them.
Hiro paused tapping the pen nervously on the page leaving several dots on the page. The next bit was incredibly hard to write.
And…
More nervous dots. Why was this so hard to write down? It's not like anyone was ever going to read this. He'd started the diary as a form of therapy, in an attempt to keep himself sane but it seemed there wasn't anything he could do to save himself.
I'm dead. Instead of escaping, I kill myself. I don't know what pushes me over the final edge but I can't do this anymore. Not if it's hopeless. Not if all my futures end in the same place…
Hiro paused once more tapping both the pen and his leg now, nervous energy coursing through him.
Everything seems hopeless now but I can't give up. Tadashi wouldn't want me to give up. He'd tell me to use this big brain of mine to find a way out of this but I can't change it. I can't change the fact that I've been captured, that I've been forced to work on a project I don't believe in, that they're hurting me, that I may be losing my mind…
I can't change the fact that all my future seems to lead to death by suicide. Why? Why can't I change my future? The past is gone and done. It makes perfect sense that I cannot change it but I should have the power to change my future, right? The choices I make in the present impact the possibilities my future holds. There must be a choice that leads to a different end?
On the bright side, my captors think my device is a failure. They saw me walk into the portal and then saw me fall out mere seconds later. I was in there a lot longer than that. I need to figure out why. There are two possibilities. Either time flows differently when I cross into the portal or my existence itself draws me back into the point I left, in order to ensure that the timeline remains intact. I hope it's the latter. I can work with the latter. The latter gives me a few additional options.
I need to go back. I need to see the threads again. There were many leading into the future. I didn't get to explore them all but the ones I did explore all ended in that dark place and I'm starting to think the rest will be the same. I can't change that, I can't find one that leads to freedom but they were not the only threads in that space…
Hiro took a shaky breath tapping the pen so hard it left an ink splotch on the page in retaliation. Was he really going to do it? It went against everything he'd been taught, everything he believed in. There were, after all, things that shouldn't be messed with. Things that would disrupt the natural order of life but did it matter at this stage? He was already messing with time.
He shouldn't be doing this. He shouldn't even be contemplating it but he wanted to… so very, very badly. He was damned anyway. Everything he could do from this point on would end the same way. He may as well get something out of it before the end. Decision made, he put pen to paper once more.
I'm going to see Tadashi.
- BH6 - BH6 - BH6 –
Fire, bright orange flames flickered through the darkness, shifting, dancing and devouring the space. It covered everything, every wall, every pillar, the floor and even the ceiling, greedily consuming the fuel it its path in bid to grow, expand and gain ever more power. It was a living beast, an unstoppable force with a life of its own and he was just a shadow in its presence.
It was strange, yet strangely familiar. He should know this place. He'd been here before. A glass bubble caught his eye. Located near it was a robotic arm, clapping raggedly before coming to a halt when smoke, heat and amber flames licked its surface. The showcase! That meant…
He burst into motion and ran, past flames, past crumbling posters, past crashing tables and burning experiments. He ran with only one destination in mind. He had to get to the door. He had to get to…
He stumbled to a halt when a tall dark figure ran through the confines of the doorway, straight into the blazing building. "Professor Callaghan?!" The heat forced the figure to bend, the heavy smoke driving him to raise an arm to his mouth and nose. He coughed. "Professor Callaghan!" He called out once more stumbling further into the burning building.
No! Don't do that! Get out! Run away! You're going to die!
He needed to save him. He couldn't let him die like this. Not again. Hazel eyes desperately searched the room for a solution, for a way to get him out before it was too late but it was clear they wouldn't make it to the exit. It was too far away. They didn't have time. Just a little more time was all he needed. Wait a minute. Time. That's when it hit him.
Decision made, he launched himself into motion once more running straight towards the tall man that was still obliviously stumbling around the burning exhibition hall. Throwing himself forward. He reached out towards the figure. Click. Something clipped into place just as his momentum caught up to him. Unable to stop himself he bumped into the tall figure, the force of the blow causing the tall man to stumble and then he was alone in the inferno once more.
A flash of bright light, a delayed reverberation followed by agony, searing burning hot pain that was hot and cold, there and not there, all at once and then it was over. His life was done as he lay in the dark shadowy arms of death.
Hiro woke with a start, sweat pouring down his face, his heart beating rapidly in his chest. A familiar ceiling met his terrified gaze, air conditioner and camera still intact. He was still in his cell, where he'd fallen into exhausted slumber but a few hours earlier. He was still alone, still captive, still alive.
It was just a dream…
It was a bad idea.
- BH6 - BH6 - BH6 –
Ern Estine 13624: XD
Anony mouse101: Glad you enjoyed the spooky atmosphere. The chapter wasn't really that short. I basically set a goal that each chapter must be a minimum of 1000 words. It it wants more that's OK but I don't want them to be less. There were a few earlier chapters that were about the same length as the previous one but I understand where you are coming from as the last bunch of chapters have all been long ;)
AwesomeWriter2013: I think it's the hair that makes us fall in love with Hiro. How can you not love something that's that small and cute and so very, very fluffy XD. The revelation you are waiting for will be here soon. As for the epic plan. Its already in play.
Rizard13: I picture Fred as generally fearless with weaknesses that he normally likes to hide. I interpreted the scene where he sings in the movie as him doing it to hide his own fear.
CrazyBlueOwl: LOL. Someone had to take the photographs that are floating around in the story right? Tadashi is going to go into big brother mode. That's for certain.
shooting2stars: Yeah, those bad guys are a piece of work. Wait till you get the whole story. Glad you enjoyed Fred's perspective. I think it was a nice change of pace for a chapter and you're right, the gang were really good together.
Rosycat: Yeah, Fred is loads of fun. He adds a satirical humor to things.