The Dreamer

Chapter 4

  “What did you say?” Travis’s heart felt like lead in his chest.

          The man smiled. “You hear me.”

          Travis tried to find reason through this chaos. “If you possessed me, how are you a human? And why are you telling me?”

          “Simple questions,” the man replied, “require simple answers. I’m in a human form, because that’s what your mind interprets me as. Supernatural forces don’t have a body, so your brain instead projects me as something that it recognizes. In this case, a human male.”

          “So you could be a girl?”

          He chuckled. “We don’t have genders.”

          It made a little more sense, but Travis still didn’t quite get it. “So why would you tell me all this?”

          The man stood up, and paced in front of me. “Because I want your acceptance.”

          Travis was taken back. “Wait, acceptance? First off, why would I ever accept you? You’re probably a demon or something! And secondly, why do you need my acceptance? You’re already in me!”

          “Well of course I don’t NEED your acceptance. But if you did, it would be so much easier on you.”

          “What happens if I don’t?” Travis wasn’t’ sure if he was sacred or curious.

          The man offered no verbal response, only a shrug that insinuated something bad. What it was though, Travis didn’t know. 

          Travis started again. “So why would I want to accept you?”

          “Because I have power. Power you couldn’t even begin to understand.” He stopped pacing.

          “Are you…” Travis hesitated. “Are you Satan?”

          A laughed erupted from his mouth. “No, of course not.”

          “Are you a demon?”

          “The word ‘demon’ is a bad term. I prefer, fallen angel.”

          “So you’re a fallen angel?” Travis’s mind felt like it was going in circles.

          “I’m THE Fallen Angel.” The man’s voice suddenly became very authoritative.

          “What do you mean, ‘The’?”

          “Well, Satan, as you call him, is the top dog. But then there’s me. I’m second only to him.”

          “What is Satan’s name?”

          “It’s too powerful to tell you.”

          Travis went a different route. “I know what demons do, and it’s never good.”

          The man gave Travis a look that read, “Are you kidding me?”

          “How do you know what we do? From the Bible? The book filled with fairy tales that has incredibly stayed alive after so long?”

          Travis solemnly nodded.

          “Please. Don’t tell me you believe that junk. It’s all rubbish that the writers put in to scare people away from us. And that’s also where the name ‘demon’ came from.”

          Travis let out a big sigh. “I don’t know. I can’t decide now! I’m technically still dreaming, right? I’m so confused. I don’t even know what to call you!”

          The man replied, “You can call me the Fallen Angel.”

          “Uh, okay.” Travis still didn’t know what to think of it all.         “So how do I…leave?”

          “When I wake you up.”

          There were a few seconds of silence.

          “Can you wake me up?” I asked.

          “Sure. But next time I see you, give me your decision.”

          Before Travis could answer, he was back in the hospital room. His eyes flew open and his body popped off the bed. The sheets were soaked with sweat, and his breaths were coming in short spurts. His heart pumped blood as if Travis was running a marathon, and his mind raced to comprehend what had just happened.

          What happened?