Dream Catcher

Chapter 1

Every man has played god at least once in his lifetime. Funny how it happens when they lose a sense of societal rationale no more holding them back. No more swayed by the puppeteer. Strings twining upon every move to break the other. Breakaway from reality. You are the Genie with unlimited wishes. Anything you long for appears out of nothing. Soaring through cotton candy clouds, buying a dazzling car, riding the world's most perilous roller coaster, fulfilling your desire to divorce your spouse, hopping around different planets on your giant kitty, walking around the city naked, flooding your nighty with urine whether you like it or not, or even better, homicide.

But what if this came with the cost of giving away your soul? -- for her it was a gateway to make this devilry its own paradise. That was all that mattered, and the rest was nothing but history.

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It was a meek winter night, the misty air tinged with the smell of roasted cinnamon peanuts and candy. Alternating primary lights like train compartments racing across, illuminating the crowd-filled cheerful cacophony with occasional roars of the rides flowing with bewildering howling echoed.

Sitting on a bench near the carousel facing away, holding a stick of cotton candy in her hand and locking arms with her boyfriend, " You know? I think children now are coming in terms of not really liking the carousel. " Amani said, looking into the distance.

" I don't know what you are talking about, " said Kye shrugging in disagreement

" no, I mean don't you see it? Look how empty it is! It's slow and never-ending. It seems like a lot of fun from the outside because you see it moving but once you look within the carousel, you see animals with slain eyes, still, on a machine. The world outside keeps moving on and on but on the dark side of the animal, almost a moment of dead silence in there. Some children crying out to be saved and others trying to convince their parent's push for the ride by waving at them. " Amani realizing the depth of her observation on a mere chaste ride, inhaling sharply, " I don't know. It's just simply no fun. Used to feel like a display of misery to me. Still does. "

" You are telling me you thought all that as a child? "

Amani laughed acknowledging his confusion, dismissing it, "I guess that's because Lilith always was the one child crying next to me "

"Wasn't she quite older to you?", he elbowed her shoulder affectionately, " And I bet you were the one waving, no? " she almost waited for Kye to ask.

"Ayuh! She was. " Amani said, staring into the distance. She nearly went silent.

Why did Lilith always cry?

Amani didn't know. But the thought, the sadness, had brought her face clearly in front of her, outlined on the rusty operating door in very detail. And the image of her face, her wide-set chestnut eyes, and fine-spun sandy hair brought guilt like a twin??... except that guilt was too mild a word for what she felt; it was something like dread instead.

" Well! " Kye said perking up, " Marci used to cry too in the start and I am not fond of it so much either. The only thing that was better in it was the cup which went round within," he said in an anchoring voice " double the hypnosis! "

A familiar sing-song voice closing up,

" Around and round

And up and down,

Around and round

And up and down "

Amani almost immediately lights up, turning around to watch Marci stride towards them. Kye standing up walking towards Marci in a funny way singing with her, raising his hands higher than Marci to uplift her and her energy, " I sat up high on a big brown horse, and rode around the merry-go-round and rode around! ", Marci twirling under Kye's finger, singing.