DRAGON (mxm)

7. Just a Dream (Chris)

   It's a dream. I know it. That's why I am not scared, only bewildered by the dark universe around me. There are stars, twinkling in large constellations, near and far. I can distinguish each one of them. I even believe I can touch them if I stretch out my hand. They are moving in giant whirlpools as I float freely through the space between them. This place is beyond imagination, vibrating with palpable energy that makes my whole body tremble in inexplicable euphoria. I somehow feel this is my final destination. I was meant to be right here, in a world I never knew existed, but which has always belonged to me.

   I wave my hand lightly and the flickering sparks flow like a river of gold dust, swept away by the current I have created, forming a long, inviting path before me. One of them approaches, spinning around my open palm and finally lands in the middle like a curious firefly. It burns my skin, but I stay still. It is too beautiful to chase away.

  "Follow me!" The voice is gentle and resonant. It sounds as if all the other starlets are ringing, echoing the words. "Follow the string... the string... the string..."

   I see it, a faint thread of silvery light, gleaming in the very core of matter and time, but existing beyond them. It leads to my destiny.

  I follow the starry road, or rather fly above it, keeping my eyes on the mysterious radiance. My body is weightless. My thoughts are random. I marvel at the small, glowing particles. Happiness overwhelms me, but also a primal fear that every wonderful thing comes with a price, and since all of this is so magnificent, the cost will be too big, one that I cannot bear to pay. Memories are flushing through my mind - my mother's smile; dad's motorbike; a clear, blue, swimming pool; the tender lover I've never had... How do I remember him, if I've never met him? Who is he? Maybe, he didn't survive the end of the world. I would've met him, if we could avoid The Impact, but the disaster happened and I lost both my past and my future...

   Suddenly, I can't carry the burden of the present day any longer. Tears fill my eyes and roll down my face like a waterfall of despair. People say 'live for the moment', but I am made of debris. My destroyed past won't leave me and I have no hope for the future to cure the pain. I don't deserve to be here. Sometimes, heaven and hell are not that different. It's hard to tell them apart. Someone told me so and now I understand the meaning. 

   I barely see the shining string, but keep chasing it closely.  Losing it is unthinkable. It gives me the only purpose I have now.

   The dusk bursts into flames before my eyes. The stars scatter, fluttering around like a flock of frightened sparrows. Only my firefly is still beaming next to me, spreading warmth, as if to reassure me that everything will be fine and I need not to be afraid. 

   Flapping wings and a familiar, horrifying hiss break the silence. He appears in the fire hurricane, as inevitable as death and majestic as life itself. The King is here for me. I have come to submit. His scales are glittering in iridescent black and purple colors as his agile body is writhing, cloaked in light and shadow. The powerful muscles strain with every swish of his huge wings. Pointed spikes cover his broad back, long neck and mighty tail, each one about my height. His head is crowned by two twisted horns, white as the razor-sharp teeth in his gaping mouth. 

   I am petrified. My star-bug burns my palm again. I can hear the voice, "Don't be afraid. Follow the string... the string... the string..."  

   But I am only human in the face of a monster.

    I am frozen, shaking, aghast and screaming to the top of my lungs. This is not a cry for help. I know I'm alone. There is no one else. I don't have anyone left who would care enough to fight a dragon for me. I am simply crying my fear out, because it's the only thing I can do.