The Dreamscape

Chapter 2-The Backstory

Aaliyah met him on the Year of Resting, about a week after the city's Tenth Dreamscape Tournament. Luckily, it was her last Dreamscape, for she would turn 21 the year of the next Tournament. 

The Dreamscape was the government's idea of "solving" overpopulation in major cities. Any city with more than 10 million citizens would hold a Dreamscape Tournament. The firstborn of each family, ranging from 15 to 20 would compete. The Tournament would be held every three years at the nearest stadium or gymnasium. The firstborns would be hooked up to the Dreamscape with electrodes; these would be attached to certain points of their bodies where there were a lot of nerves. Thus, when the person was hurt in the Dreamscape, electrical currents would go into their body through the electrodes, making the injuries feel real. If they happened to die in the Dreamscape, enough electricity would be put into their body that they would slowly and painfully die by electrocution. The only people who were spared of this torture were families with only one child.

Aaliyah was going getting ready to check out of the hospital: packing her few belongings, and saying good bye to her room mate. Since so many people are forced to compete in the Tournament, the hospitals usually have to make room for more than three times as many patients than normal. This means that patients have to share rooms with two to even five people. Aaliyah had been lucky and only had to share a room with one other younger girl. Her name was Amaris and she was 15; she had barely survived her first Dreamscape Tournament with multiple broken bones and a punctured lung. The two had grown close during their time in the hospital. Aaliyah had a much shorter time in the hospital for she was only afflicted by a broken leg from a scorpi-arachnid, which was practically a scratch compared to the majority of injuries of the ones who lived.

As she was saying her goodbyes, Aaliyah noticed a boy out of the corner of  her eye walking into the room and heading toward Amaris' hospital bed. His hair  seemed liked it was formed from fire, the color an orange-red and the way it was messily done seemed like it was an uncontrollable blaze. His eyes were like the sky after a storm; and in these eyes seemed to be a look of mischief. His arm was in a splint, and he had bandages around his head with a black eye.

This mysterious boy seemed to glide over to Amaris. Amaris and him smiled at each other as they made eye contact. They do look a lot alike, Aaliyah thought to herself. Maybe they're related...?

"Hey, Aaliyah" Amaris exclaims with much excitement. "Before you go I want you to meet my brother! He's not that much younger than you and I think you'll really like him!"

"Stop trying to set me up, Ami!" Her brother says with a laugh. "Hi there, I'm Elliot, Amaris' brother. It's nice to meet a friend of hers!"

"Well it's nice to meet someone from her family," she replied, handshaking Elliot.

"Well," says Elliot, ending the slightly awkward handshake, "I was just here to pick up Ami for dinner. The doctor is letting her out for tonight because she has improved so much."

"About that," Ami says sneakily, "the doctor actually wants me to stay in today to...um...check up on me! Yes! So, maybe you should take Aaly out today! I mean, she is just checking out! You two would have a lot of fun!"

"Ami, I told you to stop trying to set me u-"

"Ell I swear to God that you will go out with a pretty girl and have a good time! I am the one in the hospital, so you have no choice in this matter! Do it for me, Elliot!"

"Ugh! Fine! Sorry for all of this, Aaliyah. Ami's been trying to set me up ever since Christie dumped me last year. So, wanna...go see a movie or go have dinner or something...?"

"O-oh, um...sure...? I mean, anything for  Ami," Aaliyah replied awkwardly. "But I could've sworn that the doctor didn't need to check up on Ami until next we-"

"Okay bye you two have fun see you later!" yelled Amaris, practically pushing the two out the door.

The night went perfectly. It might as well have been a scene out of one of those crappy romance movies where the two people are absolutely perfect for each other and they immediately fall in love. After that "date," they hung out more and more. Eventually, they began dating.

After about two and a half years of dating, Elliot asked Aaliyah to marry him. About 6 months before the Eleventh Dreamscape Tournament.

They both knew that they wouldn't be able to get married before the next Tournament, for everyone gets married during the year before. Thus, Elliot II was conceived.

"Ma, you're zoning out again!" I say, waving my hand in her face.

"O-oh, what? Oh, I'm sorry Elliot."

"Were you thinking about Dad again?"

"Yeah...but, we shouldn't dwell on the past. Let's continue."