Chapter
33
Visions
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Medical Facility
There wasn’t much there in the desolate space between soul and body, the space that only the conscious seemed aware of, that wrought either catastrophic nightmares or superlative dreams, but the body is sound asleep embracing the black horizon.
I didn’t search as much as I normally did; perhaps it was because of the same memory repeating itself over and over… that hideous fiend striking Dr. Harris down right before my eyes. It was painful to bear; to even imagine that I’d never see his face again.
A word that’s not used much and I actually thought was removed indefinitely from this entire facility: Death, die… these three years I’ve never once used it or heard anyone else mutter that dark, ominous word.
But if Dr. Harris did in fact die, would peace really return to the minds of each Council Official; to know that his notorious acts have been ceased?
Sadly, I never once did know what he did to be such a wanted felon. But then again, I couldn’t even think straight enough to try and decipher the pieces together; this annoying and constant beeping sound had me aggravated and continued pestering me so much that my train of thought diminished into the same nothingness that consumed the back of my eyelids.
I couldn’t shake it, the gnawing beep got louder and louder until I saw this bright red light slowly overlapping the black.
I gasped awake.
Beep, beep, beep, beep… that annoying sound wasn’t coming from my dream, but from the machine next to me. It’s humming whir continued on… I literally freaked out with another gasp as I saw this thin tube leading all the way down to my arm.
I grimaced and plowed my head back into the pillow after feeling more irks around my body, especially on the arm the IV was connected to.
To my surprise I noticed Ms. William, she sat on a chair with her head leaning against the wall snoozing. Rebecca leaned cozily on Ms. William’s shoulder as well asleep; she was wrapped in a blanket.
Rebecca’s right arm dangled on her lap… and there it was: her barcode… I stared at my right arm, which had a needle jabbed in my artery and for some strange reason I had this odd clamp thing attached to my index finger… anyways, and there was my barcode.
What could Rebecca and my encoding number mean? A question that will never be answered since the only person that knew was slain. So many mysteries that have yet to be answered, so many questions that I have that can’t, won’t be answered because of my immaturity. Or perhaps they’re just hiding the answers since the truth is too grand to comprehend… because the very answer I seek could in fact be some catapulted non-sense that not even the President himself can understand.
Another Dream…
“Nightmares and dreams come and go; they’re an abnormal presence that occupied a small portion of your brain that could delve back even beyond time’s existence. I’ve always seen it as an old achieve filled with recollections about past existence, but also, there could be some slight possibility that they’re linked to the future.”
I opened my eyes and caught the pristine scent of the ocean air and wild roar of the waves crashing against the dune sized, beachfront. I leaned up and glanced around to find the old ruins of that archway before me.
I stood up.
“Hello again, Sam. Welcome back to Vanguard’s Altar.”
I turned and saw him that masked man that referred himself as the President. His long, gown-like, linen robes, fluttered like tending rags and sterling silver mask glazing and sparkling like the ceaseless ocean.
He stood upright, dark eyes stared at mine, and arms politely pulled to his back. He nodded at my canny stare, I think he knew my suspicion, not just that, but I don’t know, I felt him entering my mind uninvited.
I shook my head, “Uh, eh… h-hey, and what were you saying before?”
“I was saying that you’re inept and absentminded mind was unable to understand a wise man’s words.” He cleared his throat and pointed ahead at the ruined archway, “What do you see before us there?”
I couldn’t think straight, something kept me at bay, as though something else; someone else… perhaps a Guardian had tabs on me, even inside this dream.
“No need to fear them, I’ve kept those fiends away… especially since their target has been relinquished.”
“What did Dr. Harris have anything to do with anything?” I bellowed.
The President sighed, “Oh nothing, nothing, just some wounded up dramatic event that is now irrelevant and practically inexistent, so let’s drop the subject and carry on. Please follow me.”
I couldn’t say a thing and I refused to follow; my appalled reaction after his direct answer left me speechless and petrified. And what exactly was I doing back in this same scene again? It’s beyond strange to be in the exact same place as another dream but in a different location.
I glared briefly up the long, steep slope leading to the small bit of ledge sticking out that I stood on before.
“What’s the point of this? Has the Council come up with some ingenious way to enter dreams and manipulate them somehow now?” I asked.
His muffled giggle brought this irritation to bubble inside me. I clenched my fists and locked my jaw.
“That’s quite an ingenious presumption indeed, Sam. I, as the Council President have ordered to attempt a new form of teaching that’ll somewhat revolutionize the Consolation Chamber”
“So you’re going to strap a...”
He snapped his fingers and barked furiously, shutting me up before I could continue my rant.
“Educing the will of my Council to an inept child as yourself isn’t exactly my proposed plan at this precise moment, Sam. We’d best delve in that subject when you’ve matured a bit more.” The President explained.
I grimaced, “So I’m another test subject to a lost cause? Honestly, is this another one of Dr. Harris Brown’s scrapped projects that didn’t quite make it to the cut and you and your band of horses wish to resurrect?”
The President scoffed and clapped, “You’re actually becoming exactly what’s expected. The pills are doing just to your communication skills and forwardness.”
“But this is some unreality, dream… this couldn’t be some test to see if I’m…” and then it hit me, I was in fact speaking clearer and more focused; I couldn’t explain myself or the words trailing forth my lips, but somehow I’ve matured beyond my comprehension and now that I’m fifteen years of age I finally understand what I’m experiencing: The Beginning of the LCP Program.
“You’re almost correct Sam, again you’re incompetent mentality has almost come to the correct conclusion, all your searching and pondering for the answers to why you’re here, or more importantly: How everything came to be as it is now. Unfortunately, I can’t share that information while you’re still in Preteritus walls… however, soon upon your departure I’ll meet you face to face and exchange words with you as friends,” he faced away from me and moved towards the ruined archway, “Now Sam, please, follow me.”
I stood still, “Haven’t we’ve shared enough words already?”
He turned to me, his eyes now dazzling a florescent color of bright, unnatural blue. “Perhaps you’re right. I’ve spoken far too much. And I wish not to impose your fifteenth Birthday Sam. Congratulations and Happy Birthday. Now, awaken…”
There it was, that temporary moment of isolation; where the body remained trapped between the soul and body before completely waking up…
Before me, I saw a streaming river, gurgling as it’s swiftly racing water splashed against the beautiful lush riverbed. Itty bitty specks of glittering pollen floated adrift the pristine breeze as the tall, prickly and moist grass danced along its nature blessed rhythmic motion.
I moved closer to the riverbed. My bare feet felt the crisp grass crunch under my stomp and the soothing wetness moist my stride. I had this temporary moment of déjà vu hi
t me from all corners. From the area I stood on, to the passionate melody of the river’s hum…
I heard footsteps.
I turned around and saw Amy striding along the riverbank with arms spread open outward the sky and face staring at the vast, cloudless heavens… an ominous cloud covered the sunshine and brought vicious gusts of hissing wind.
Every footstep Amy made had, earthshaking, booms that wrought this terrifying feeling to cripple any form of rejoice as to see her face.
The moving shadow crossed her, blackening every part of her, only her strange, fake looking, glowing blue eyes remained an arms distance from me.
“Ever wonder Sam…”
“I’ve wondered a lot…” somehow, without my bidding or even concentration, or even thinking about saying anything, those words clearly slipped pass my lips.
I shook my head and closed my eyes, and at that very moment I felt a forceful shove against my chest so powerful that it threw me off balance and left me falling down the trench that replaced the running river.
“As fond memories fade away into the dark corners of your mind, they’re replaced by new and better ones that in conjunction connect to form different recollections of different moments that could, never, will happen…”
I opened my eyes and saw that shadowed, blue eyed person that I thought was Amy, stand over me.
“Thank you Sam, thank you for making me feel special…”
That was Amy’s voice, but I couldn’t quite see her due to this black shadow covering every part of her.
“You can’t envision someone you’ve lost in the void Sam… your mind can’t picture me anymore, you’ve l…o…s…t…m…e…”
I rose from the sheets with a cry of despair.
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