Adrastos

Chapter 15

Mason awoke petrified. Memories of the nightmares etched in his mind. Balled up in the corner of the room he was and across him, he saw a pale creepy woman, " stay away from me," he repeated to himself. Blood was dripping down his arms where IV drips once were. Reality and fantasy blurred, he continued the mantra, and when he opened his eyes, she was gone. In front of him was Ellen, tears behind her eyes as Kyle dragged her to safety. Confused, Mason watched the scene in front of him. Kyle standing between him and Ellen before the doctor arrived to  check his vitals.

The world went dull, silent. The background turned grey. All he could hear was heavy breathing that echoed, and behind that was a thump of someone's heartbeat. Mason couldn't speak, he couldn't move. Perspiring, his body was dripping. The doctor then helped Mason back on the bed before injecting his I.V bag.

Ellen fought Kyle and reached out to Mason for she did not know he had just slipped back into his nightmare. Even though his eyes were open yet it stayed vacant. The doctor examined Mason's condition, and after an hour, he explained to the group that the was in a vegetative state. All that happened was a reflex action.

What they didn't know was that it wasn't a reflex action it was him actually waking before the beast intervened dragged him back. Sick and in pain, Mason spewed on the ground with Epiales standing by his side quietly and worried. Mason wasn't looking great. "Epiales, stop this, please. I'm begging you... please stop."

"Sorry, kid. I wish I could help, but this isn't me. Actually, well, honestly speaking, this is the curse of having me inside this cage," Epiales rambled.

In the present outside Mason's dream, Ellen and Tobias went to send the doctor and Cathy off, letting their chauffeur drop them off while Kyle stayed by Mason's side, " come back to us, bud."

"I just want it, no I just need it to stop," Mason said in front of Kyle.

" What, " Kyle asked with concern as tears fell from Mason's eyes.

"The nightmares, life, pain, everything. I just need the pain to stop. It hurts so bad that I can't. It's suffocating, " Mason said both to Kyle and Epiales. To Kyle, it felt as if Mason was talking to him, telling him about the pain. Kyle couldn't stop himself from holding Mason tightly against him. Tears stopped falling from Mason's eyes, a slack expression as Mason returned to a vegetative state.

"But you have to. It'll be okay, I promise," Epiales said, helping Mason up and guiding him to his bed.

"I can't do it. Why me? What sin did I do to deserve to suffer like this? I shouldn't have to... You want me to just ignore it. That'll it'll be okay. That we'll be okay if we keep going forward, but that's all a lie," Mason blubbered with his hand on his heart.

This was bad. Real bad, Epiales knew it, so he placed his hand on Mason, giving him something, "this is my last resort and maybe my greatest blunder, " Epiales smirked, his voice sounding tired, "control the nightmare as if it were your dream. It is your dream realm but beware of the Cerberus, for she is your true enemy. Heed my word little one, for she won't spare you this time."

"why?" Mason cried, "why me?"

"Because life is shitty. And bad things happen to good people. Life isn't going to treat you any better just because you're good. You're a fool if you want to give up and do nothing like life will feel you sorry. That if you stick your head to the ground ass up, that'll it perhaps kiss your ass. No! Life will fuck you up," Epiales scoffed as he slowly dissipated.

Everything around Mason turned into bright light. The bright white of nothingness. He remembered Tobias telling him of the invisible maze, so he searched it, but camouflage in front of Mason was a mirror that he walked through. In front was a pink fenced house. Mason covered his eyes as it adjusted to the sunlight that dawned.