Mind Over Matter

3 - Questioning Everything

LaMoura, California
March 24, 2034
10:52 p.m.

*JASON*

I sat in the living room, the late hours of the night shifting quickly into the early hours of the morning. I stared intently in the direction of a tv that wasn't even turned on. I had tried to get some sleep but found out very fast that that apparently wasn't going to possible today.

My doorbell rang and I quickly jumped up, running to answer the door. Troy was yawning excessively when I opened the door. I didn't waste anytime, grabbing him, i yanked him through the doorway, closing it as quietly as I could afterwards.

"Jesus, where's the fucking fire at, huh?" Troy asked walking to the living room to sit on one of the black couches. "Now, what has got you so worked up that you had me coming over at nine thirty in the morning?"

I just stood in front of him by the coffee table, just pacing back and forth. I couldn't help it. I still wasn't believing my situation right now. How did it happen? How was it possible? I wonder if I was still dreaming? But no, how could I be when I had taxed out my last Holochip yesterday?

"Jason?" The sound of my best friend's voice knocked me out of my thoughts and I stopped pacing to turn and look.at him. "Are you going to stop pacing back and forth and talking to yourself long enough to tell me why I'm here?"

I shook my head. "Yeah. Yeah, sorry." I walked over and sat on the couch, taking a seat next to him. I eyed him seriously.

"Now, this may be extremely hard to believe, but he's real." The look of confusion on Troy's face quickly had me continuing. "Justin. He's real."

Troy just looked at me for a second. "Is this supposed to be some joke, Jason? Because if it is then you have horrible timing. I'm tired and you dragged me over here for a prank."

I shook my head at him. "I'm not joking, Troy. He's fucking real. I've actually touched him, held him in my arms. I wouldn't have called you so early for a something that was just in my head."

He sat up straighter in his seat and sighed. "So, you mean to tell me that Justin, the boy that you have been having dreams about for the past month or so, is suddenly real, and he knows who you are?" I nodded my head. "How is that possible, even. I thought that your dreams were exactly that, dreams. How did one manifest into reality?"

Ten years ago, the brilliant scientists at SkyTech had revolutionized the world by creating the Holochip, a microchip that could be set up at the back of someone's head to allow us to bridge the gap to the dream world. For centuries, mankind has believed in the existence of the Dreaming, a world that existed beyond the constructs of the human body. Ancient civilizations thought that this was how their gods and their ancestors communicated with them. Today, it was used for medicinal reasons, mainly to help people who had a tough time falling asleep. It had been known to allow the user to enter a state of totally REM sleep that they could enter the Dreaming. But it was never proven that dreams could manifest. In fact, it was proven as impossible.

So, explain Justin then.

"I don't know. I've been trying to rack my brain around it all morning. I mean, what are the odds that-"

"Jason?"

I turned my head to look to the hallway that connected to the other rooms in the house. There stood Justin, a pout in his face, rubbing his eyes harshly, the purple blanket that I let him use thrown around his body. He looked adorable.
"Hey," I cooed softly, smiling at him. "You had a long night, what are you doing up so early?"

He walked over to me and crawled into my lap, snuggling against my chest. Woah. He sure is affectionate. I mean, technically this wasn't our first time meeting. We've known each other for a while, long enough to establish some sort of bond. Maybe that was it. The familiarity of it. But why? I know he's from my dreams but how is it possible? And why does it feel like seeing him here in the flesh I get an overwhelming sensation of knowing him my entire life? He's so different from everyone else and I can't put my finger on why that is.

I just wrapped my arm around him gently, swaying slowly, just allowing him to sleep on me. He was so innocent, just like in my dreams. But his cuteness was ten times more adorable in real life. Who were those guys? Why would they want to hurt someone as sweet as Justin?

"Ugh," Troy groaned. "I'm starving. What do you got to eat?" He got up off the couch and headed towards the kitchen. "There better be something good in this fridge!"

I laughed as I looked back at Justin. His eyes were closed and there was a content smile on his face as he tried to snuggle even closer to me, but that wasn't possible. "There's leftover tacos in the fridge!" I yelled to Troy. "Just don't eat everything, you fat fuck!"

Justin slowly opened his eyes again and blinked a couple of times. Then he looked up at me. "Hey, sleepyhead. Are you hungry? If so, you better get you something, before my fat ass of a friend eats it all."

"I heard that!" Troy yelled from the kitchen. "Why don't you go fuck yourself!" I laughed loudly.

Justin shook his head and stood up, stretching. "I'm okay. I didn't realize just how tired I was. Who knew being on the run was so exhausting."

I went quiet and so did the entire conversation between us. Justin must have realized he said something he shouldn't have because his eyes went wide. But I know what I had heard. "What do you mean? Were you on the run?" He still didn't look at me or say anything, deciding my coffee table was the more interesting subject in the room. "Justin, why were those men after you last night? Why did you have all those cuts and bruises?"

Finally, Justin looked back at me and his expression was one of sorrow and pain. " I ran away. I've been running for about two weeks now. Those men were sent to get me. They were just trying to bring me back."

I scoffed. "For just trying to bring you back, they were a little aggressive, don't you think?" He didn't say anything. "If all you did was run away, why don't you just go back?"

He shook his head. "I can't. I don't want to go back."

I was still confused. "Why? You look so tired. Maybe you should go back home. I'm sure whoever is there misses you." I went to stand up. "Come on. I'll help you find your home."

"No!" Justin shouted, making me jump slightly. He had this look of complete terror in his eyes. He was crying. "I can't go back! They'll hurt me, and I don't want them to hurt me anymore!"

I reached over and quickly pulled him into a hug to calm him down. Touch seemed to be Justin's language and it seems like hugging him helps. I rubbed his back, whispering to him to get him to calm down.

"Justin, please tell me what is going on? You show up randomly in front of my apartment, with bruises all over you, two men trying to grab you and bring you back. Then you say you ran away from home like it's no big deal, but when I try to help you go back, you scream and say you don't want to go back. I need to know what is going on with you."

Justin unwrapped his arms from around me and sighed. He went to go sit back in his spot on the couch. He stayed looking at the ground for a moment, then when he looked up at me, he spoke.

"That's the thing, Jason," he said to me. "I just escaped that place and I don't want to think about it anymore. I just want to put it behind me."

I nodded. "I understand that. But you also have to see it from my eyes. You can stay here as long as you need to. I don't know why, but I feel like I've known you forever. It feels like we've known each other forever. And I know you don't want to go back, you've made that pretty clear. You don't have to, that's not what I'm saying, but what if by helping you I've gotten myself involved with something that I don't want to? Those men that attacked you last night aren't dead. And there's a good chance that they will go back to whoever is chasing you and tell them about me. I have a right to know what I'm getting into."

Justin was silent again for several minutes. It was as though he was contemplating what I had said and was making a descion. Then he sighed and nodded.

"Have you ever heard of a place called The Greenbrier?"

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Another chapter done!! Whoo!

Hopefully you were paying attention to what Jason was saying throughout the chapter. It's an important clue regarding Justin's and his relationship and how they seem to know each other.

Till next chapter