"T-The Land of Nightmares?"
No, this has to be a mistake! Baka pina-prank lang siya ng Dreamcaster na 'to para makaganti sa kanya. After all, she did open the gray door kahit na pinipigilan siya nito kanina. Mahinang natawa si Cornelia na ikinagulat ng kanyang kasama.
"HAHAHAHA! Uy, 'to naman. Ang pangit naman ng sense of humor mo. Wala ka na bang ibang joke? Hahaha!"
She laughed as if he told her that dinosaurs still exist.
But when Cornelia finally stopped laughing, nakasimangot pa rin ang Dreamcaster habang nakahalukipkip. Mukhang hinihintay talaga siya nitong matapos. But why the heck isn't he laughing with her? Unless...
"H-Hindi 'to joke?"
"Hindi."
"N-Nasa Land of Nightmares talaga tayo? As in, 'lupain ng mga bangungot'?"
"Elia, kahit i-translate mo pa sa iba't ibang lenggwahe, this won't change the fact that we're stuck here."
Stuck...here?
'Shit! Totoo ba?' Dito na nakaramdam ng panic si Cornelia. Dahil sa pagkataranta, kamuntikan pa siyang madapa sa buhangin nang magkumahog siyang puntahan ang pinto. She breathed heavily and tried to open the door again, but this time the silver doorknob didn't budge. Nakita niya ang kanyang repleksyon dito, mirroring a mixture of disbelief and fear on her face.
She's stuck here...
In the Land of Nightmares...
With an annoying Dreamcaster.
'Oh, gosh.'
"H-Hindi 'to pwedeng nangyari!"
Cornelia started banging the door using all her strength. Pero makalipas ang ilang minuto, nang tuluyan na siyang napagod sa efforts niya, the Dreamcaster sighed and called her out, "Save your energy. Walang saysay ang pagsira sa pintong 'yan. The passage to the Land of Nightmares only allows you to enter---never to exit. Baka nga mamaya maglaho na rin 'yan."
Para bang gusto nang mag-hysterical ni Cornelia. Bangungot na nga siguro ang lahat ng 'to!
"At paano tayo makakaalis dito?"
"Hindi ko rin alam."
"ANONG HINDI MO ALAM?!"
The Dreamcaster shook his head, as if already tired arguing with her. "Ngayon lang din ako nakapunta rito. For some reason, Sandman doesn't really want me here."
This is bad. Very bad. Kung hindi rin alam ng Dreamcaster na 'to kung paano sila makakabalik, Cornelia's entire life is as good as gone! Naiisip pa lang niyang hindi pa siya nakaka-graduate, nakakapaghanap ng trabaho, nakakatulong sa pamilya niya, at natutupad ang lahat ng mga pangarap niya, para bang gusto niyang manlumo. No, this isn't where her dreams will end.
Not with this Dreamcaster whose name she doesn't even know!
"Kung hindi mo alam kung paano tayo makakaalis dito, then I guess I'll just have to find a way out myself!" Cornelia didn't even spare him a glance and walked away, kicking at the lumps of gray sand under her feet.
Narinig niyang tinatawag siya ng Dreamcaster, pero hindi na niya ito pinansin. Mas mahalagang makahanap siya ng lagusan pabalik sa mundo niya.
'At may assignments pa akong hindi nagagawa!'
Ano na lang ang sasabihin niya? "Prof, please excuse me for not submitting my assignment because I've been stuck in the Land of Nightmares"? Baka pagtawanan pa siya nito.
"At paano ba ako makakaalis dito?"
Hindi alam ni Cornelia kung ilang minuto na siyang naglalakad sa kawalan. Puro buhangin lang ang nakikita niya rito sa disyerto. Paminsan-minsan may kumikinang sa buhangin. At some point, Cornelia paused when her bare feet felt something against her skin...
BINABASA MO ANG
✔ Dreamcaster
Fantasy"I am a Dreamcaster." "But you don't have any dreams?" "Does it matter?" He challenged. She glared back. "It does." After his mentor's retirement, tuluyan nang pinandigan ni Dave ang kanyang mga responsibilidad bilang isang Dreamcaster. As someone w...
