Serrated Love's Deceit

Chapter 2: Meditation or Lucid Dream

After the day I have had at work I think it is time for me to unwind. I fill the bathtub with hot water infused with apple cider vinegar, crushed peppermint leaves and ground ginger. I gently sit in the bath and my pores breathe a sigh of relief in the water. My crochet cotton cloth rubs against my skin and my beeswax based soap. Once I scrub down, I curl up on my side and rest my head on the cool tan rim of the tub. All I have to do is take a deep breath and slowly exhale counting to fifteen. What will I see? Where will I be this time? Hmm...

Darkness greets me as I stare into the abysmal black expanse all around me. No stars twinkling around me. Just a deep, warm black not naming me anything or expecting anything from me. The blackness that allows me to just be who I am without any definition. Why can't life be this simple? I turn to the right and see a bright big reddish orange orb beaming in the darkness. I wonder what will happen if I go inside of it.

Without a sound, I dive deep into a Sun. Instead of resting in the pool of orange light around me, I go all the way through until I meet more warm blackness. What am I even seeking? Why do I keep traveling in my dreams? I guess I'm seeking a place to belong. A place that feels more like home but will I stay there once I find it? Or will I keep seeking?

Beyond the Sun there is darkness and after that there is another Sun. Well, that's what I found. This one is different from the last in size. It's way more massive and shines more brightly with a light blue undertone amongst the huge yellow. I dive into it to find a throne blazing with cool flames. The flames all around dance like spirals of smoke but they are cool to the touch. In here, I look like a shadow and I stand out from all the bright surroundings. Nowhere to hide my being in obscurity. It's uncomfortable but I can manage.

My shadowy black hand reaches to touch the chilly, blazing flames ahead of me and when I do the chair stands strong. I peer around it to find a male with silvery, white hair and light blue skin. His face a chiseled masterpiece. His head bowed and his thick, straight eyelashes blinking slower than a drip on a leaky faucet. My hand brushes his bare shoulder and he quickly looks up at me. His eyes reflected the light of the fire around us. In them, I saw my shadowy image with disheveled, long afro-curly hair spiraling down to the floor beneath me and not torched by the flames. I start to pull my hand away from him and he catches my hand. "You shouldn't be here. Nobody is allowed here. You're trespassing!" He says with a thunderously deep voice.

My eyes widen. I'm not doing much with myself right now... I might as well explore this situation more and see where it leads me. So, I pounce on the guy and I kiss him. Existing on the edge feels good! I dig my hand right into his chest and as our kiss intensifies I feel his heart beating faster on my fingertips. Through his plasma flesh I dug into his heart and retrieve a third of it. It felt warm and fluid but it was not wet. In that hungry moment, I feel I have gained something. I feel more powerful and more than I have ever been before. I'm invigorated!

I pull myself away from him and soar back through the black expanse from which I came. In the warm darkness, I kiss my thumping golden treasure speck and hide it somewhere safe. Once I sail back to reality, I open my eyes and the bath water around me is cold. I must've been really tired. I didn't know I fell asleep.

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The next day at the shop, Ms. Dean tapes her phone number on a piece of receipt paper behind the cashier's desk. "Remember Ash, that little rascal shows up again...you call me. My number is right here. Look. I'll even underline it for you. See?" She asks. I nod.

"Me and the boys are going out to retrieve the stolen item, hopefully. A pal of mine said he saw Baran leaving a hostel nearby. Most likely this is the place he's staying for the time being. While he's out we're going to do our thing but I need to know you'll keep the shop safe."