Things are not always what they seem; the first appearance deceives many; the intelligence of a few perceives what has been carefully hidden - Phaedrus
Falling Inside the Black - Skillet
Chapter 6 - Lucid Nightmare
Beep! Beep! Beep!
The sound of Popper and Flurry's alarm clock startled Popper awake. At first Popper didn't think anything of it, It's his Bedroom, nothing was out of the ordinary. He shut off the alarm like he does every morning and sat up on the side of the bed. Part of him thought it was weird the the alarm was beeping as he usually wakes up to the radio in the morning but he just brushed off as Flurry must of changed it by accident or something.
He couldn't remember anything that happened to him, so he assumed everything went fine, but he didn't remember getting home from the office last night. The more he thought about it the more confused he got. He got out of bed and headed for the door, as he opened the door the vision of the red eyed shadow in the rear view mirror flooded his mind for a split second.
"No, it must have been a dream I had last night" Popper said to himself, shrugging it off.
Popper continued to opened the door and made his way down to the kitchen, where the smell of freshly cooked food was coming from. He was then greeted by Sarah, she had just cooked a big breakfast.
"good morning?" Popper said confused.
Over the last six months, Popper has had to get her up for Breakfast, As she has been very down lately, but maybe this was a good sign.
"Don't trust anything, Popper" A faint voice said.
"Did you hear something?" Popper asked.
"Hear what? I didn't hear anything?" Sarah replied.
"Must be my mind playing tricks on me" Popper said.
Popper sat at the table and as he did a quick sharp pain was felt on his shoulder where he was stabbed years before by his Uncal.
"ah" Popper grabbed his shoulder just as it went away.
"You ok, Popper?" Sarah asked.
"yeah... It's nothing" Popper replied.
"Popper, Trust no one" the voice came back.
Popper could of sworn he heard that voice before, at the time he couldn't quite think of it. He started to feel very uneasy. Normally he'd be greeted by his kids and Flurry followed by Lilo, Stitch, and Candy, but it was only his sister here.
"So, where is everyone?" Popper asked.
"Oh, everyone left early and the kids are playing in the tree house" Sarah said as she put his food in front of him. "eat up, you're going to be late for work" She continued.
"So, I see you're feeling better" Popper said as he started feeling the fur stand up on the back of his neck.
"Yeah, I just needed to clear my head, you know, Depression, it comes and it goes" Sarah stated.
Popper scratched the back of his head in confusion, The way she has been acting lately seemed more the depression and more like mourning.
"I guess, you sure you are fine?" Popper asked.
"Yeah, never better" Sarah said with a perfect smile.
"Ok, well I have to go to work big day tomorrow" Popper said.
"Oh, your trip to Turo isn't tomorrow, it's in two days" Sarah stated. "It's January 6th today your trip isn't until the 8th" she continued.
If Popper wasn't confused before, he was defiantly confused now. He could of sworn yesterday was the 6th. He got up and looked at the digital Clock-Calendar on the counter. Sure enough it said the 6th. Did he completely dream the whole day yesterday?
"Popper, it's not true! you are not really here" The voice said.
Popper started to take the voices advice and just played along. It was his best chance to find out, what exactly was going on.
"oh, My bad, must of lost track of my days" Popper said playing it off.
"I packed your lunch, see you when you get home" Sarah said.
"perfect, see you after work" Popper said as he grabbed his lunch and walked out the door.
Popper got in his Hover Car, he look in the direction of the tree house, the was no sign of anyone over there. He then tried something drastic.
"Ok voice what's going on and why do you sound so familiar?" Popper asked.
at first the was no answer so he tried again.
"hello, why should I..." Popper was stopped in mid sentence.
"don't say anything out loud, you are in danger" The voice said.
"Why can't I say this out loud and what do you mean in danger" Popper thought in his head.
"Years ago, you were killed by your uncle and you were sent to limbo, but you cheated death by using the Fire of Life. Popper, A piece of Zem's dark power lives in you, Dormant, but still lives. It will stop at nothing to bring Zem back to life, just like the Fire of Life brought you back. Now the Fire of Life can keep the darkness away, but it has it's...limitations." The voice stated.
"So, how do I stop it" Popper asked.
"first thing you need to do is get out of here, it has put you in your subconscious so it can take control of you mind, when you do get out, you will not be in the clear yet. Stay away from anything the will show you reflection or anything electronic as he can take you quicker" the voice explained.
"So, hang on a second, you are telling me he took me by my computer at my desk?" Popper asked.
"yes, he almost got you in your car" the voice said.
Immediately Popper remembered the red eyed shadow vision earlier. Then all his memories came flooding back right to the point he passed out.
"I'm still in my Office right now" Popper thought.
"Yes, now listen carefully... you need a mirror, with it you should be able to escape this dream, it's important that you do not get caught by it, it will stop at nothing to foil your plans, ok" The voice continued.
"Last thing, why do I know you voice" Popper asked.
"Because Popper, I'm your Mother" Gloria answered.
Popper immediately broke into tears. The feeling of warmth coated his body like a gentle hug.
"Mom?" Popper said out loud.
Just as he said that the sky grew dark and all the happiness, color and life scorched away. It knows and it wasn't happy about it.
"Go Popper, it knows, go" Gloria cried.
"Love you, Mom, I won't fail you" Popper thought.
Popper took off the rear view mirror and got out of his car. The sky was red and there was two suns in the sky, his car instantly rusted away into dust as if millions of years went by in the blink of an eye. He ran down the path that he follows all the time, the path to his parents place.
"It's important you don't lose control of your mind Popper remember that" Gloria stated.
"Yes, understood" Popper replied in his head.
song starts*
Just then a dark shadow with red eyes was in the tree tops and Popper made a run for it*
Popper: Tonight I'm so alone *hid behind a tree*
This sorrow takes a hold
Don't leave me, it's so cold
The Entity: Never wanna be so cold *it was searching for him with malicious intent*
Popper: Your touch used to be so kind
Your touch used to give me life
I've waited all this time
The Entity snuck behind him with an evil grin*
I've wasted so much time
Don't leave me alone *Popper noticed him and backed away slowly*
Cause I barely see at all
Don't leave me alone
Popper ran away as fast as he can, the Entity followed like a Wolf hunting it's pray*
I'm falling in the black, slipping through the cracks *Popper tried to use his powers but they didn't work*
Falling to the depths, can I ever go back? *Popper Threw a stick at it, hitting it in the face and slowing it down*
Dreaming of the way it used to be
Gloria: can you hear me?
Popper: Falling in the black, slipping through the cracks
Falling to the depths, can I ever go back?
Falling inside the black *noticed it was nowhere to be seen*
Falling inside, falling inside the black
You were my source of strength
I've traded everything *Popper looked in every direction*
That I love for this one thing
The Entity: Stranded in the offering *picked up Popper's sent*
Popper: Don't leave me here like this
Can't hear me scream from the abyss
And now I wish for you, my desire *started to run again after hearing a stick snap*
Don't leave me alone
Cause I barely see at all
Don't leave me alone
It was right on his tail*
I'm falling in the black, slipping through the cracks
Falling through the depths, can I ever go back?
Dreaming of the way it used to be
Gloria: can you hear me?
Popper: Falling in the black, slipping through the cracks
Falling through the depths, can I ever go back?
Falling inside the black
Falling inside, falling inside the black
Black
Black
Black
Popper tripped on a branch as he looked up at it hanging on to a tree trunk*
The Entity: Falling in the black
Slipping through the cracks
The Entity waved his paw over the ground and it crumbled under Popper's feet*
Popper: Falling in the black, slipping through the cracks *managed to have hold of a root*
Falling through the depths, can I ever go back?
Dreaming of the way it used to be
started to clime while his extra limb was still holding the mirror*
Gloria: can you hear me?
Popper: Falling in the black, slipping through the cracks *reach the ledge*
Falling through the depths, can I ever go back?
Falling inside the black *Entity stepped on the paw he was using to pull himself up*
Popper looked up to see a gray version of himself with black rings around all his limbs, green around his eyes and underbelly, and sharp claws on his paws and feet*
Gloria: can you hear me?
Popper: Falling inside the black *The entity picked him up*
Gloria: can you hear me?
Popper: Falling inside the black *he held him over the Ledge while Popper hid the mirror behind his back*
Gloria: can you hear me?
Popper: Falling inside...
Falling inside, falling inside the black
the Entity threw him over the ledge as the song ends*
Popper jumped awake at his desk and backed away from his Computer and any reflective Items in his office, his heart beating in his chest. He then looked at his fur on his paws change from gray back to green. If he were in that nightmare any longer he would have been a goner.
"I have to get this darkness out of me, but how" Popper said to himself. "7:45 I was out that long" Popper added.
Popper then got a vision of Sarah crying on the balcony at the house, which is weird as Popper didn't have the psychic abilities his sister has, but he had to make sure she was ok, so he bolted out the door, homebound.