Ramblers In the Wilderness

Turning Point

Cade

We landed early the next morning and arrived back at base shortly after. No breakfast, but at lunch everyone ate in silence. The adventures and jet lag of the day prior had caught up and we were all anxious to catch up on lost sleep. Though naps had been taken on the jet, nothing compared to a...somewhat comfortable barrack bed.

Within minutes of closing my eyes, I was looking around my childhood prison. The room was dark with torn and peeling wallpaper. The carpet was dirty and stained with broken toys in the corner. They were leftover toys from when my mother had been alive. Abused and forgotten. I had only played with them when I bored and lonely. Looking back through the room I remembered the books on the windowsill. One had missing pages and the other was a toddlers book. My grandfather had thrown them into the room to keep me quiet when people were over.

The window. It was still painted from the outside, minus one little missed corner which allowed a sliver of sunlight to come through. For weeks that had been my only tell on what time of day it might be. The mattress and bedframe in the corner. Dirty and worn. The once fuzzy blanket was crusty, the only other blanket was an old military wool one which itched.

I stood in the middle of the room looking from side to side. Trying to figure out what I was doing here. Something shuffled outside. I turned, a feeling of dread building in my chest and my guts twisting into knots. I watch as a shadow moves across the bottom of the door, cutting off the light from the narrow hallway. The loud clunk of a metal latch unbolting and the click of the door handle draw my attention upwards. Then the door opens. Its painfully slow and my body begins to ache at the thought of what will happen to me. Knowing there is no escape, and no one cares if they hear my screams or cries.

A dark figure appears, blocking out the light and taking form in front of me, taking up the entire doorway. Towering overhead. I feel small. Hopeless. Unable to move and frozen in place with fear. As the shadow draws closer, features of the face become visible. It was not a face from my childhood, but rather the predatory eyes of Mandrik. His moist hot breath filling the room with a sour smell and a snarling smile forms from his lips.
I scream as he reaches for me, grabbing me and pushing me into a wall. I scream but nothing seems to happen. I cannot tell if I am even making, but panic grips me non the less. Mandrik's arms fold around me. Squeezing me as his hands grope over me.
I feel suffocated, unable to scream, but rather sobbing and unable to shake what is happening.

I feel another presence enter the room. I see the shadow. A large shadow coming for me engulfing the darkness. There are no features to this one. All I can think is this is death. Finally come for me. A sense of peace and safety wash over me. Knowing it will all end soon.

The shadow reaches through Mandrik's body and grips me. Mandrik begins to vanish, vaporize into nothingness. I can feel myself being lifted by this other entity. Firmly in its grasp. I hear it as it begins to speak, unable to make out what is being said at first. But then. "Wake up." I hear the entity whisper.

Even in the dream I can feel my emotions swelling. "Cade. You've got to wake up." The deep growl of a familiar voice starts to bring me out of the darkness, and I open my eyes, the light from the windows lifting and flooding in. I feel a gentle shake and open my eyes fully, gasping for air and I feel my heart racing. I am being gripped firmly but gently. The large frame of a body bends slightly over me, too close. My eyes fly fully open, and I sit bolt upright, letting my fist fly at whatever is sitting there next to me. Ghost catches my fist in his hand and looks at me, "Eh now that two rescues and still no  thanks."

His full balaclava is back on. Eyes looking at me intently and with some form of concern. "It's just a bad dream Cade." I hear him say, my mind still groggy as I try to process what was going on. Thats when I feel the warm sting of salt on my skin. Tears were making their way down my cheeks. I wiped at them, hoping it wasn't totally noticeable but judging by