Lost in a Dream

Chapter 2

The sun was starting to set, and the clouds were only just beginning to clear, as Shiloh raced down his driveway. Everyday, there was a thunderstorm of some kind that seemed to start around noon, and last until the evening, before reappearing the next day. His shoes made a strange thudding, smacking sound, as he raced around on the wet pavement.

The Bradley's were a family of three, whose son was the same age as Shiloh. They were close friends, although there were times he didn't know that friendship was what he was after. For as long as the loop had existed, Shiloh had begun visiting the Bradley's everyday, helping their son Ash work through the same math problems, before video games, and just talking.

Surprisingly enough, unlike the days before, the Bradley's house was deserted. As Shiloh approached, something strange began to happen, just like it had when his mother had tried to tell him that dinner was ready. A strange sound of whispering, like a long string of strange murmurings filled the air, and time seemed to slow, almost like it was about to come to a stop, but was afraid to.

Then, like it had with Shiloh's mother, the murmuring stopped, and time seemed to resume at it's natural pace. He shook his head, as though he was trying to clear his mind, and strode up the front walkway to the Bradley's house. It was then that he noticed it.

The front lawn of the house had changed, as had the house itself. In the past, the Bradley's were well known for having an immaculate lawn, with a few small trees, all of which looked overly groomed. Their house had a wooden-like exterior, with a cobblestone-like front wall, around where the front door was situated.

Now, though, the grass looked overgrown, almost like the gardener had failed to show up for the last few months. The highest blade of grass was up to his knees, and he could hear the scuttling sounds, and the occasional sliding sounds of bugs, small animals, and the occasional snake.

The front walkway had also changed. When, before, walkway was a clean, almost polished brick pattern, now was grimy, and crumbling apart. Some of the bricks appeared to be missing, almost like a craftsman had removed it directly. Others appeared to have crumbled so badly, that the only thing left was a pile of dust, with only the wind as a sign that things had, indeed, changed.

Shiloh walked up to the house, and grabbed the handle, only to have it break off in his hand. He pushed the door inward, and watched as it swung in on one hinge, the white wood of the door having faded to a dull, rotting brown. The glass had fogged up, as though time had become a living beast, and entered into the very panes itself.

The interior of the house was no different. Where once were polished wood floors, now sat vast amounts of rotting, or near-rotting wooden planks, with gaping holes that had appeared out of nowhere.

Shiloh slowly began to walk across the floor, afraid of breaking the now ruined floorboards. "What happened here?" He thought out loud, looking up at ceiling, which was now mostly just a ragged whole, with a few remaining support beams where the roof would have been.

The whispering suddenly began to fill the air again, and almost involuntarily, Shiloh began to walk down the hall toward Ash's bedroom. The whispering stopped when he got into the room, and what he saw shocked him.

The room was immaculate. It was as though the terrible decay and ruin that had plagued the rest of the building had not had any effect on this part of the house at all. The bed was made, the covers pulled up to the pillow where Mrs. Bradley had always insisted they be drawn to. The ceiling fan spun almost as though it had no purpose, and the dresser and nightstand were cluttered with drawings. Ash was an amazing artist, and often liked to sketch things around him.

"I can't believe it. Where in the world would they have gone?" Shiloh thought out loud. He pulled back his hood, and ruffled his hair, his purple eyes showing bright against the bright blonde color. Finally, he noticed something.

In the far corner of the room sat the desk that Ash had always insisted they work, when they had their little tutoring sessions. It was completely clear of papers, something that never happened. As Ash had always explained, an artist always needs to have paper handy, lest he lose a beautiful masterpiece before he even had it in the first place. It would be like getting lost in a dream. Having something amazing, but over time, that beauty fades, until the only thing left is loneliness.

On the desk, amidst all of the papers, and the haphazardly placed books, was a single envelope. It was a bright white color, and looked brand new, as though it had been placed there just for Shiloh to see it. Shiloh picked it up and examined it closely. Hard to see from a distance, but clearly visible now, was the watermark, a giant letter A in cursive manuscript. The envelope was sealed with a little sticker-like object. Or at least that was what it seemed like. Shiloh touched it, and was surprised to feel wax under his fingers.

There was a ribbon under the wax, like something someone would use to lift batteries out of a small device, like the plastic in a portable mouse. Shiloh carefully lifted the ribbon, letting the wax come away, and opening the top of the envelope. Shiloh reached in, and pulled out a folded slip of paper. In the fold was a card, which dropped to the floor by accident.

Examining the paper, Shiloh saw only a few simple words:

Knowledge is Truth. Come find Yours.

Looking down, Shiloh gasped, as he saw a Library card, for Non-fiction Library, had fallen to the ground.