Why Are My Dreams Realistic?

Chapter 8 : The Kid Name Aki : (part 3)

I dreamt of something. My body was sinking into the void of darkness. I tried to reach for the only light above me, but my hands were being pulled by the red hands. I tried to scream, but nothing was coming out of my mouth.

It was cold as I sank into the abyss of life. I let the flow bury me as I descended. I did not retaliate nor thought of any other unnecessary things that would save me. Then, a voice called out to me in the light. Telling something about not giving up. That I should strive for greatness and live a happy life.

The voice told me life is not all about sadness or being alone. It was all about striving for things we wished for in our dreams. Even though we might fail sometimes, we can get back up, improve, and smile as we reach our full potential.

The voice told me that waking up is not all about greeting the dark and eerie room you have; it's all about welcoming it with expectations of life. Life has a rhythm; it falls and rises in a way an instrument is being played. It might be slow and melodic or fast and fierce, yet it portrays much anger.

“Suck it up.” The voice said. I reached for the light. Higher. Slower. I endured the pain as my skin was torn by the hands that held me tightly in the darkness. I wailed in pain. Blood was seeping out of my shell. My skin became a husk for another. I swam naked with my internal skin. It hurts. It hurts. I cried until I reached the light and grasped it tightly.

******

I woke up. My eyes were blurry. My eyes were wet again. Tears fell into my eyes as I slept. It's my first time dreaming. I don’t know how I will respond to such a dream. I felt like I swallowed thousands of needles.

I wiped off the tears in my eyes. As I wiped it off, I saw Aki looking at me closely. His face was close to mine. I could feel his warm breath fall on my face as he looked at me with concern. He looks worried. He was slightly trembling as he tried to reach my face with his hand.

“Hey. What are you doing?” Aki was fumbling with my collared shirt. He was sitting on top of me, trembling.

“Nothing.” He looked away. “I’m just concerned because you were yelling while you were asleep.” His voice was rasped.

“Really?” I asked.

“Yeah. I’m just worried. S-sorry…” I could sense something was wrong. The worried look on Aki’s face says it all. He was biting his nails as he continued to turn his head away.

“What about you? Aren’t you gonna get off of me? This feels kind of… weird.” I said.

“Oh.” He turned his head to me, then stood up and walked away. He then sat in the middle of the flower field.

That was such a nice sleep under the shadow of a tall tree. This one wish of happiness has been fulfilled already. I did not expect to sleep so comfortably under these circumstances. That dream, though. What’s the purpose of that dream when I don’t even know its reason? 

“Haa…” I sighed. I walked towards Aki, who was sulking for an unknown reason. He looks really depressed for someone who was energetic earlier. 

“Hik~ Hik~...” I could hear Aki crying as I got close to him. For some reason, he looks so out of it. Did I say something while I’m sleeping? I don’t know… 

I stood in the far right corner of the flower fields. Thinking of something to say. I wanted to cheer him up, but I didn’t know where to begin. “H-hey.” I raised my right hand as I called to him.

He turned around. His eyes were swelling red from crying. His cheeks were puffing up. “H-hey…” He looked at me for a while, then looked down on the grass. He plucks a flower that looks like an angel. “Sniff~” He looked at it and twisted the stem around.

“What’s wrong?” I asked.

He put down the flower and wiped off his tears. “It’s just… You said something while you were sleeping…” He continued to cry as he wiped off his tears. 

Confused, I asked him what it was. “Did I say something weird?” 

He picked the flowers and faced them in front of me. “You said that you wanted to die. You were moving on your own even though you were asleep. You pointed a large stick on your throat when I saw you.” He pointed somewhere. I saw a wooden stick near the riverbank. “You walked over there even though you were asleep.” 

The riverbank was far from where I was sleeping. How did I even manage to walk over there with the thought of killing myself? He was still crying. I couldn’t ease the situation. I don’t know how to stop someone from crying. But then I remembered. Atelier said that by singing a song from a crying person, they will stop crying.

So I began to fix my voice and started humming in a tone. I don’t know how to sing when I don’t even know what lyrics I should sing to. So, by humming, I made a song that might ease the sadness and worries that Aki was feeling. 

I hummed. It took about five minutes before Aki began to feel better. I was so into it that I lost myself and began to add some lyrics to my song. It probably sounded like a lullaby, but I don’t care since Aki was feeling better now.

He stared at me as I hummed. The birds also began to sing according to my tone. The gusts of wind that encircled me from where I was standing created a magnificent effect. The sound that the leaves made followed the beat every time a breeze passed by.

Then, as I stopped, the sunlight embraced me at the end of my final performance as it pointed to me. I saw Aki’s face. His mouth was agape. His undulating eyes sparkled.

I felt embarrassed from being stared at for such a long time. “Uhm… Aki?” 

Aki snapped back to it. He was calm now, unlike earlier. “That was wonderful! Do it again!” He said. 

“Ehh!???” I denied his request. My throat is dried from the prolonged humming. 

But as my performance had ended, I felt a relief in me. I felt a little bit happy. Even though Aki was asking me to do it again, I continued to deny his request.

******

After a long time of arguing, Aki walked to the tree and sat. I followed him since I didn’t have anything to do. 

“Yawn~” I saw him stretch his arms as if preparing to sleep.

Trees rustle in the breeze. The scent of life overflows on a space beyond understanding.

“Are you still mad at me?” I asked.

“No. Not really.” He closed his eyes. He was frowning. 

“Are you sure? We could have played a little bit longer if you wanted to.” As a gust of wind passed by, I threw the flower petals that I plucked earlier. It flew against the wind. 

“No. I’m tired now…” His face appears that he's upset.

As I worried that he might harbor some kind of hatred against me, Atelier suddenly spoke after a long time of being silent.

- Yo! It seems that you’re in quite a pickle. What did you do this time?

Atelier's voice sounded annoying with his playful tone. I hadn't done anything yet. Conversing through him in my mind felt peculiar, almost awkward as I thought about it.

- Really? Then why does he look so mad? He might bite you when you sleep.

As Atelier laughed in my head, I experienced a faint chuckle." {Don’t be stupid. I’m fixing it already. Also, I need to know how to get to the place you were saying.}

- Oh, that? Why don’t you ask that boy? I think he’ll answer you. Also, he’s your key. So… Get into it and apologize already.

{You’re really annoying for some reason. } As I said that, Atelier continued to laugh. It feels quite weird when someone talks to you directly into your head than to actually talk to someone in front of you. 

I sat beside Aki, who was sleeping now. “Haa… I thought I could do something to ease your anger, but you just slept.” As I sighed, Aki spoke.

“I only need one, actually, and that is if you’d listen to one of my favorites.” He said while his eyes were still closed.

“And that is?” I asked.

“Tell me a story relating to one of my preferred genres.” 

“Okay then, I’ll listen to your preferred one and create a story as you listen and fall asleep.”

Silence arose for a long time as Aki thought of one. Then, with a wide grin, he spoke. “Then, can you tell me one story about a dystopian world?”

I stared at him as I processed what I just heard. A dystopian world? What is it? How can I create a story about that?

- Well then, is it my time to shine?

Wah! I didn’t notice that I talked to my head again. I was startled by it but instantly bounced back. Can you give me one story about a dystopian world?

- Hmm… Since you’re asking nicely, I guess I’ll give you one. Also, since I’m getting bored.

Thank you!

- Well then, listen to every word I’ll say, okay?

Okay! I turned my head again to Aki. His eyes were still closed. “I’ll tell you a story now. Is that alright?” I asked.

“Go ahead. I’ll listen.”

As I began to tell a story about a dystopian world mixed with fantasy, I saw how Aki moved closer to me. I followed every word Atelier said about monsters, dragons, and many things related to a dystopian world.

“The days were shorter if they think of nothing and leave everything to the works of the unknown. They want to depend on something that they don't see. The cries of the children, the prayers of the old, and the smell of sweat, tears, and dust covered the bodies of the last remaining citizens as their last fortress was on the brink of destruction.”

I was amazed at how Atelier could develop a story in such a short time. I felt like he was prepared for this.

“The dead bodies of the infected citizens become the wall that will protect them. Hungry citizens were trying to hunt one another to survive. It is to kill or be killed. In a world where everyone is a monster. “

As I continued to talk, I noticed that Aki was now lying on my legs, sleeping peacefully.

We can stop now, Atelier. I said.

- Really? Aww… He fell asleep, I guess. That was a fast one. Phew~

Thank you for it again!

- Anytime! Well then, since I’ve let out some steam, I guess I’ll just lay inside your soul for now, and I’ll just talk if I feel a disturbance.

Okay!

- Well then, bye for now!

Atelier’s voice began to fade in my head. 

Suddenly, the card in my pocket began to shine. I grabbed it in my pocket and saw something slowly revealing itself. A written text at the bottom of the card says it was a fool's card. Then suddenly, a black door appeared out of nowhere in front of me. It opened on its own. Then, suddenly, it began to forcefully pull me in. It was so dark inside of it that even the light of the sun couldn’t pass through it.

Aki’s body plopped to the grass field as the black door pulled me towards it. Red hands began to appear inside of it, blocking my mouth. As I tried to reach for Aki, my arm shattered into pieces. 

The sight sends distress. It wasn't painful, but it was full of horror and fear that, later, it might become even more painful. My body began to shatter into a million pieces as it forcefully threw me inside the door. Then, with the last sight, I saw a twinkling light. A butterfly was sitting on top of Aki's head. The last sight of gratefulness. 

“Good luck on your journey, Mori. I thank you for that story that you’ve created.”