Chapter 5: Terms Of Reality

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            I Had a dream once when I was 6. I dreamed of a world where color existed in the world for me. I was so happy. It was a feeling I had never felt before. Then suddenly everything started turning black and white. It was like I was thrown into a lifeless void. I screamed for what seemed like eternity. That's right. This wasn't a dream....It was a Nightmare.

"AHHHHHHHH!!!!!!" I woke up screaming in a cold sweat.

"Hahh hahh" I could barely breathe.

"Yu...Yume..."

I turned to my right. It was Alterum. Tears in her eyes.

"You idiot!!! Why did you jump?!" She asked as she threw herself onto me.

"This is all real....it's reality..I'm living a nightmare."

I broke down. I can't handle this. Mom...Dad...Hikari..

"Huh?"

I felt something run down my face. Oh wait...this is tears. I couldn't stop them from coming. When was the last time I felt like this? It's like up until now I was a lifeless puppet. Just going through the motions. I instinctively held onto Alterum as we both cried.

"Mom...Dad....Hikari....What am I going to do.. I don't know what to do. I don't know what's going on. I just want to go home!!!" I sobbed. 

We cried for a long time. After we pulled ourselves together. I looked at Alterum. Did she save me?...again. It's the only thing that makes sense.

"Alterum...thank you, and I'm sorry. You saved me again didn't you?..." 

"You idiot, why did you jump???" she said as tears started to well again.

"I'm sorry...I thought I was dreaming. I mean how am I supposed to handle all this?..."

"Idiot you aren't supposed to handle this all on your own, that's why you have me!"

The statement surprised me. I didn't realize it until she said it, but I've been relying on her since I arrived in this world. She's the one who found me, brought me here safely, and saved me twice. That's not what surprised me the most. It was the way she reacted to my actions. She was upset, but she didn't push on it. She didn't scold me or try to convince me that my actions were wrong unlike everybody else around me. She was simply trying to support me. It's something I've never really experienced before.

"How long was I out Alterum? A couple of hours?"

"Uhm...not quite" she said with a hesitant look. I was beginning to feel uneasy..

"Alterum tell me" I said sternly.

"In a couple of weeks it will have been a year.."

"Wait! What?!?!" I quickly started to get out of the bed, but as soon as my feet touched the ground I collapsed. It really has been a year....I can't even walk. Alterum knelt down next to me.

"Here use me as support" I put my arm around her. "Alterum help me get to a mirror."                         

Slowly but surely we shuffled our way over to a mirror in the bathroom. The sight I was greeted with should have come with no surprise, but my jaw still dropped. In the past year I had become extremely thin and my hair had become shoulder length. Enough to be mistaken as a girl. 

   "Alright Yume lets get you back to the bed." 

"Yeah that's probably a good idea.." I was already worn out standing here, even with her support.

We slowly made our way back to the bed. After a good 5 minutes of struggling to get me up in the bed, I had finally got up and into a comfortable enough position. Alterum then marched her way to the foot of my bed, planted her feet and put her hand on her hips.

"Alright Yume! For the next couple of months I'm gonna help rehabilitate you and take care of you! Of course gramps well come help as much as possible when he's not busy."

No. I don't want to keep relying on her! She's already done so much for me. It wouldn't be fair. 

"Why....why do you insist on keep helping me Alterum? Won't I end up being a burden to you?!" 

"Why? Do I need a reason why? I'm not doing this because I have to. I'm doing this because I want to Yume" she said with a soft smile.

Now that I really take a good look at her I'm almost speechless. She was like a doll. She was small, slender, not a mark on her face. Her skin was white as snow. Seemed fake yet real at the same time. She also looked younger than me. I never realized it, but she's beautiful. Flawless really. Feeling embarrassed that I thought such things, especially such cheesy things, I turned my head away. I Just realized I never asked her age before.

"Hey Alterum, how old are you?."

"I'm 14 now! You missed my birthday" she pouted. "How old are you Yume?"

"Me? well my birthday would have been in April, but since it's been a year I'm now 16."

"Wow! you got two years on me!"

Just as Alterum was about to say something else, Genesis entered the room. 

"Grandpa! Look look! Yume's awake!"

"Haha silly I can see that. Listen Alterum can you go wait downstairs for a while? I need to talk to Yume alone for a while, okay?

"Fine....I'll be back when Grandpa's done Yume!

"Right, I'll be waiting for you" I said as I waved. 

As soon as Alterum left, Genesis sat down in the chair next to the bed. He has a serious look on his face. More serious than before.

"Alright Yume, it's time we have a serious talk.

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