Why Are My Dreams Realistic?

Chapter 10 : A New Experience : (part 2)

Erienta

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An invitation to the word spooky. A letter I hadn’t read, but I followed them from the tightly held hand of Mirai into mine. Is this an adventure, or is this just an ordinary place that expands to a world, yet a boring one that leads to nothingness?

The world was as dull as it can be. It is a boring color, yet vast and pure, with light as white as possible. Gray as it can be and white as high as possible. A world that doesn’t have any particular beauty, but my world had turned upside down to this vast scenery that is unusual and doesn’t even have a gist of beauty, though it had turned my eyes as bright as it could be.

Beauty doesn’t need to have that much color; it can be as dull and as weird as it can be, but with a new experience, it could even brighten the world of someone who doesn’t know the world. Happiness doesn’t have to be all about beauty; it could be the simplest things that can make your worn-out face lighter with just the sight of it.

I’m happy. I’m so excited. The world within the hand of someone as she spread my arms wide into a world estranged from me. Words couldn’t tell what was in my face right now or what joy was thumping in my chest. All I can say is that this is fine. It’s fine as it can be, and it could be.

“Was this fun, Mori!” Mirai says as we run so fast that the tree house is almost gone out of sight. I am happy

“It is! It is fun! So fun!” I say with my smile as wide as the distance that we’ve traveled. Flure and Louis were still far away; only their blurry figure could be seen in my eyes. My legs gave out. My knees were trembling as they ached a little bit. 

Mirai was still holding my hand. I was afraid she might find it disgusting as my palms started sweating. I don’t know if I’m smelly with the constant perspiration. My clothes were soaked to the strand of my collared shirt. 

I took a deep sigh and closed my eyes as I let the breeze of the wind cool the hotness I was feeling inside. My breath rasps in my throat as I breathe in a pattern. We were sitting on monochrome grass that felt like a thousand needles piercing our clothes and a tree as tall as it could block the white sun. I couldn’t help but wonder how this world was created.

Suddenly, I began to look at the world in full view, and I noticed something weird. There are no humans besides us four around. Only the horrendous sight of amalgamate that blends with the color of the monochromatic world.

Creatures of the monochromatic world walk side by side with their heads covered in multiple eyes and wing-like feathers. It was a bloodcurdling sight that I felt like I swallowed thousands of needles down my throat and pricked my stomach just to their mere presence.

I wanted to look away at it. I fear their presence that nods at us like they are greeting us with flapping wings and winking eyes on their heads. I’m scared of how they looked. I experience genuine fear at the sight of a monster. I trembled in fear that even Mirai looked at me with worry.

“Hey, are you okay? You sure are trembling right after we sat down. Are you still afraid of them?” She said. What does she mean by ‘still’ afraid? Why is there something weird to her wording? It’s like she knows who I am. A part of me that I don’t know.

“No…” I say as I look away at the creature that bowed its head to me, its eyes closing individually. Then, in the far distance to where I am sitting. I saw a mountain. Its height has a peak that could even block out the light from the sun. It was so tall that shadows of something could be seen in crystal clear.

Suddenly, in an unexpected reaction. I was taken aback with fear. My face had turned pallid, and I was sweating a cold sweat all over my body. I saw an arachnid rivaling the size of the humongous mountain crawling around, putting its eggs back to the alps of the mountain. It carried it inside with the hole it had created.

“Don’t look!” Mirai said. The happiness earlier had instantaneously turned to dread. It’s suffocating. The fear inside of me was nowhere near gone. I’m catching every air I release in my mouth. My heart was palpitating; every beat felt like a thousand times worse than a cramp.

 Mirai could feel the fear in me seeping out of my body. She held me still and tried to block out all the sight by putting his hands on my eyes and constraining me without the sight of everything.

“Don’t look at it if you’re still afraid. I’m here. Listen to my voice. Don’t worry about anything. I’m here for you as always. We’re here for you, so don’t be afraid, Mori.” The soothing voice of Mirai as she tried to calm me down felt like a lullaby. I breathe in and breathe out. 

I cried into Mirai’s arms. I hugged her as tight as possible, as if I was trying to suffocate myself until I passed out. “What happened!?” The others arrived, seeing my current state.

Mirai was quite hesitant to answer at first, but she replied although a bit reluctant. “You know. The same as ever. He was still afraid of them.”  She said. It’s like her voice had lowered as she said that.

“Oh. I see…” Flure said. I felt his hand slowly caress my hair. It was warm. Then, another hand on my back as Louis helps me calm down.

“Tha–thank you…” I said. Even though I was crying in Mirai’s arms, they were helping me and not saying anything other than consolation like “Don’t worry, we’ll be with you.” Or words like, “We’ll stay until you’ve calmed down.” What am I to them to deserve this such treatment? What am I to them to deserve such love?

- You just need to be pampered.

Atelier said. This, according to him, was their way of pampering me. If so, then I'm glad. It makes me happy.

“We’ll protect you to the thinnest bit of everything you’re afraid of. We’ll use our body as your shield.” Mirai said as she whispered in my ear. 

Gradually, the fear subsided. My eyes were swollen red, and my cheeks were sticky from the tears I’d shed again. “Sorry…I’m so sorry…” I said under my breath.

I’m disappointed in myself. It felt like I was falling into an abyss in the ocean's darkest depth, drifting along in disappointment. Then, three lights suddenly appeared in the time of my loneliness that grabbed me out of my misery. “I’m so sorry…” I whispered.

What will my life be? My mind easily breaks to the sight of the unknown, yet I’m looking for something far greater than it. I want to overcome my fear. Fear that is now just a preposition that I might not be able to change it. I want to rely on someone. I don’t want to lie and say goodbye like some kid.

- You just need to understand it little by little.

I know… I know that I need to understand it. But would I be able to do so?

- You have your friends now. Only an answer remains to you. Open your feelings wide and understand them.

I think I’ll just let the winds carry me along with hopes and regrets. 

“I think I’m okay now,” I say. I toughened myself up so we could proceed. I don’t want to linger and burden them anymore.

“Are you sure?” Mirai said. She was still worried.

“Yeah… I’m sure.” I looked at them and smiled to ease their worries. I wiped the tears in my eyes and the snot on my nose with my tiny towel. I stood up. I breathe in and breathe out. I looked at the sky and said, “I’m alright now.”, with a smile on my face.

I turned around and held out my hands to them. I smiled and widened it. My face was stiff and red from the crying. I wanted to keep crying but needed to toughen up to proceed. They accepted my hands and proceeded to walk as if nothing had happened.

My hands were still trembling, and I knew that Mirai knew it. She tightly held it, changing the meaning of fear for me into light.

****** 

The fear echoed in my head, but we arrived safely at the place where they brought me to my so-called ‘sister.’ I’m still startled at the presence of the creatures playing around the corner of the place. I’m still scared. The saunter to a place like this was long, yet a connection was made.

Flure was looking at a piece of paper. It was the paper that a bird had delivered. As Flure looked at the paper, he also glanced at the place. “It seems that she’s in the middle of the park,” Flure says. He guided us to where the sender of the letter was.

Although we were walking to this so-called sister I didn’t know, I was not even less worried about what would happen. We walked a mile and found a person sitting in the middle of it, looking at us.

As we arrived, the ‘sister’ Flure was saying was in front of us, but I couldn’t see her face. There was something in her that looked like a smudge of ink. She spoke to my friends, but sometimes it was inaudible.

Then I saw my ‘sister’ waving at me as if she was pointing at me to talk to her. “Hey, little brother. I’ve missed you so much!” Suddenly, she hugged me out of nowhere. I didn’t feel anything. It’s like the person that I’m hugging was a wall and not a person. It was cold, and I didn’t sense a heartbeat.

She was jolly from the way her words resounded to me. No matter how much I try to follow her voice, I can’t understand some of it. I asked Flure to describe my sister; although he was reluctant, he seemed cooperative.

“Sorry about this, Flure…I just need your help.” I whispered in his ear.

“You need me to describe your sister? Couldn’t you just look at her beautiful face?” He said. 

“Please…?” 

He sighed. Although it looks like he was a bit mad, he still described my sister to me. He told me everything about her, her overwhelming confidence to succeed in every task. The way she smiles is so vibrant that everyone stares at her. Her body was much more feminine to everyone around her.

She was also a gentle and loving person around her family and friends. She doesn’t miss anything about the details that have changed and is always on the lookout. “She’s a perfect sister,”  Flure said in the end. He was dead embarrassed that his face was red.

“I’m sorry about this, Flure,” I say to cheer him up. I patted his head and slowly caressed it. He looks at me, feeling miserable about what he just did. Mirai and Louis laughed, but my so-called sister and I weren’t. I was amazed by the courage that Flure mustered. My ‘sister’ was in awe of how she was described.

Her mouth was agape as she couldn’t say anything. She turned around for a second and praised Flure. “Hehe, thanks for it, Flure.” She says, slightly embarrassed.

Although it was an embarrassing entrance, my sister changed her mood instantaneously as if she were bringing news.

“Haa… Sorry for the holdup.” She brought out a large book entitled ‘My World In A Brink Of Happiness.’

“Was this the book?” Louis says. He was enthusiastic.

“Yeah. For now, this is the adventure I want you to go to. You already know how this works, right, Mori?” She says. I looked at her with confusion. Of course, I didn’t know what she was talking about, so I turned to Flure, still hiding his face from embarrassment.

I gave him a quick thug, and he looked at me with teary eyes. “What…?” He said.

“He wants you to explain it, Flure,” Mirai said.

“Really…?” Flure’s face suddenly turned brighter.

I nodded. Well, at this time, we need to go to an apocalyptic world; you hear me, Mori? There’s magic and stuff stated here, which is unusual. We were chosen to save this world and fulfill our desire to become a hero. We’ll just save the world from something that threatens it. That’s all…

He said while still crying. “Sorry…” I apologize.

“Now that Flure had explained it to my brother. Should we start?” My ‘sister’ said.

We looked at each other first, signaling whether we should enter. I don’t know what to do, so I let them decide on their own. “I guess we should go right, Mori?” Louis and Mirai said. They looked at each other with a smile on their face as if their thoughts were the same.

“Okay then.”  Suddenly, a vortex appeared in the middle of the book as it opened. Without any warning or indication, my ‘sister’ opened it. The vortex has no color, only a black-and-white tint.

“Ah, that’s right. Before you enter, you need to choose your class. I think you already know this. So good luck.” She says right before our body dispersed into the vortex.

- Sigh... Why do you keep getting drawn into unusual things? Oh well, it's not all that bad. This also might help you understand yourself, especially with someone you'll meet here. I hope it brings you happiness.

My mind was still functioning even though I couldn’t see or hear anything. It’s like we're traveling in the vortex as we’re sucked inside a book. It doesn’t hurt; it only agitates me with fear. But I know that this is for the best.

“Yeah, this is for the best…”