The King of Dreams

Chapter 8

When Ethel arrived at the heavily guarded building, the guards opened the entrance and greeted her as she entered gracefully. visiting Johnny, her son, in a light, white room.

Ethel called out to her son, John, who was seated on a chair and wearing a hospital outfit, which he mistakenly thought of as a jail. With astonishment on his face, he raised his head and gave her a surprised expression. Ethel seldom paid her son any visits.

He whispered "Hello, mama"

Ethel inquired about his well-being. Johnny said that it was dull and lonely and that the location resembled a jail. Ethel corrected him, saying, "Hospital, John, and I can see you are getting better."

Is that how you're checking to see whether I've forgiven you? John queried

Ethel laughed and asked Johnny if he was okay as she turned to face him and acknowledged him.

You're either trying to convince yourself or me, John smiled.

"Am trying to speak with my son." Ethel said in a stern voice, "We need to talk."

Johnny wasn't following Ethel's orders. Because his mother had taken him to the hospital, Jonny was not having it and he yelled threats at his mother Ethel to interrupt the talk by calling the security guard.

"We need to talk about the ruby," Ethel said gently as she drew closer to him. They exchanged intense gazes while they waited.

"Is this a test? Are you trying to test me?" Johnny questioned her. Ethel said, "No."

"You're usually so careful not to mention it, so I assumed it was because my doctors told you not to" Johnny continued to ask his mother, "So why now?" feeling that she was putting him to the test. "What happened?"

Ethel recalled what Corinthians had said to her, "You stole from him," and she kept it a secret from John.

"Do you think I don't know when you're lying?" John.

Ethel said with a shaking voice, "Look, let's just say that I have it on good authority that the ruby's owner is coming for it, and the individuals who stole it from him."

Johnny responded, unconcerned, "Then, he's coming for you, you're the one who stole it from him."

Ethel challenged Johnny, "And you're the one who stole it from me." "Only you know the location of where it is. John, he's coming," Ethel said in a terrified voice.

Johnny has accused his mother of saying the same thing for years, but he still doesn't believe her. Ethel persisted in attempting to persuade Johny of the situation.

In an angry voice, Johnny replied, "Every time you relocated us to a new place and changed our last name, it wasn't because your partner at the moment was beating the snot out of us, it was because the King Of Dreams was coming."

I tried to keep you safe, she said.

"From who? The Dream of Endless? Or was it from my Father? He enquired

"I told you John, your Father died when you were a baby," Ethel said after staring at Johnny in silence for a moment.

"Yes, you've been saying that for years as well, but you lie about everything and do it for a living," he accused his mother. "I'm John Magnus, and you're Ethel Cripps, Ethel Dee, Madame Daudet," he added.

Unexpectedly, Ethel scoffed. She questioned, "Who told you that?"

"The one....good thing about being in prison, is that you do have lots of time to study, and according to this, according to "The History of Ritual Magic in England," the ruby previously belonged to a competitor of Aleister Crowley's named Magnus." John grinned and rose from his bed.

John extended a crimson book and said, "He also had a mistress named Ethel Cripps. My father didn't pass away when I was a baby, did he? Magnus was my father."

"Your father wanted me to abort you because he was a cunt." Ethel became upset because her son preferred his father over his mother.

"You may have just spoken the first honest thing you've ever said to me," John thought in surprise. He then said, "You want me to give you the ruby? Then tell me everything, and this time, tell me the truth," he murmured.

"I only stole the tools because I believed they would be helpful to us. I hid the ruby as your Father's soldiers chased after us and exchanged the other stones for this." Ethel told Johnny everything while showing the amulet she was wearing around her neck.

When Johnny heard the excitement in the amulet's "The Amulet of Protection" voice, he was astounded and laughed.

Ethel informed her son that although the Amulet had kept her alive and youthful for years, it would not be able to do the same for her son, which is why she needed the ruby even though she had the Amulet to guard her.

"It wouldn't help if I told you where it was, even if I did. I have altered it. If you don't believe me, you may use it and see what happens," Johnny said. "It only works for me right now," he said.

Ethel clarified that her goal in returning the ruby to its owner was to ask for forgiveness rather than to use it. Johnny, however, declined since he wouldn't part with the only necklace capable of granting wishes without The Endless.

"I've missed you Mother, we were always very close. You and I, especially when it was just the two of us" Johnny expressed himself.

"it never was just the two of us, was it? " Ethel asked

"Well, when you were between the boyfriends" John assumed.

"No, I meant the ruby, " Ethel cleared John's assumption.

Johnny claims since Ethel only showed him the ruby on his birthday to make a wish and it all came true which turned out to be the reason he stole the ruby in the first place and apologized to his mother for stealing it. Ethel also apologizes for stealing it in the first place.

Johnny let her understand she need not ever apologize since she did it to keep them both alive but he will only return the favor unless Ethel brings back his ruby.

Ether refused to give him back the ruby, Johnny explained with his face filled with sadness, the only reason people died was that they tried to take the ruby from him, and the ruby only works for him which it was defending him.

Johnny claimed he can use the ruby to defend his mother, who also claims she doesn't need defending since she has her Amulet of protection.

"what can I do to make you believe me?" Ethel requested from her son. She removed the Amulet from her neck and stretched it out for her son to take it and explained to Johnny he won't be needing the ruby anymore.

"No, No…put it back, please, I've seen what happens to people who get on the wrong side of you and that thing" Johnny got scared stepping back, away from his Mother.

"I am trying to save you not hurt you. Here, this kept me alive for 116 years so far and I hope it keeps you alive forever, that's all a mother wants really, " she express herself with a smile on her face.

Johnny stepped forward and received the Amulet from her and hugged her. Ethel's face began to change into an old woman, and seeing this got Johnny so sad, "No, Mother," Johnny tried to get her mother's flesh back but a few seconds later she turned into a full skeleton.

Guard rushed in, seeing Johnny resting on his dead mother, pointing a gun at him. Immediately the guards shot the gund, the Amulet protected Johnny, and the guard was shattered into pieces, splashing blood everywhere.

Johnny used the Amulet to escape the prisons he was locked in.

Johnny enjoyed his fresh air, breeze, and rain stepping out, his moment was interrupted. "it's too cold for you to be out here without a coat" Corinthian voice was heard from afar approaching John.

Corinthians removed his cost for Johny "Well, that's very kind of you" Johnny was grateful and gently declined but Corinthians insisted and wore it for him.

"What about you?" Johny shows concern.

"May I return it to you when I get to where I'm going?" John asked.

"The only thing that matters to me is that you get to where you are going" Corinthians responded.

"Thank you " John shows appreciation.