The Oblivion

the weak

ONCE WE RETURNED, the sun had already set and the moon had crawled up into the sky. Ariana and Brian were not there when we returned, but two other bows were missing and Brook and I assumed that they were hunting too. I felt a little amused, half relieved that Ariana made herself a temporary home here. Brook began to give me tips straight away, after we had a small meal of roasted turkey. Arch snatched up the largest portion, gnawing at his turkey bone with relish, leaving us all staring. Brook began instructions when Brian and Ariana disappeared to patrol the area in case of intruders.

"You'll appear in your own dream first. But you need to get out of it. Everyone else without the power to get into Oblivion will forget they're dreaming, and the image of what they see will mean nothing, but what our brain, as the people with the gift to enter, functions us to do is know what we are truly in. Thats the only way to get out, before entering someone else's dream. Next, you'll need to recognize who's dream you want to go into. You will feel very vacant and hazy, but remember to just focus. Get into my dream," her eyes grew grayer with seriousness. "There are three procedures to enter you're selected persons dream. First, remember diminishing them or anything to do with taking part of me. Doesn't need to be you doing so, just anyone. It will be a very strange process, but all you need to remember in those three stages is that you can create anything at anytime, no matter how strange it may seem. Next is diverting. Remember a time when someone, even you, tried to draw me away from the truth. Lastly, get the image of me being destroyed. As soon as you think of those things one by one, you will be directed into a simulation where you must do those things. I don't expect you to get the hand of this straight away, but just try to get into my dream. Remember, you must diminish, divert, then destroy. Got it?"

I met her gaze at last and held it for a few seconds. I gave a small nod, and we both lay back onto the cloth. Arch joined me in the midst of the night, curling around comfortably at my hip, head rested on my stomach. Like that I felt secure, knowing that I wasn't alone in all of this terror.

I couldn't force sleep into me, and it took longer than usual knowing that I was waiting for something to happen. When I feel that I was going to sleep at last, I felt my heart drop into an abyss and I would jerk into the world again, my heart beating.

At last my mind dragged me into the world of sleep. It felt like every other day when I slept, the hall of unusual workers intently working along rows.

I couldn't remember much, just that I had to do something, to compel onto a job. It was somewhere but I was lost in the dream. Feeling distressed and groggy I stared at the place where Brook was waiting for me in the first place. Brook! Immediately I remembered all the steps and everything I was supposed to do. The dream began to faint so slowly, so faintly that I didn't even know it was fading away.

Diminish Brook.

The whole vision disappeared and I was walking side by side with Brook in the forest again.

Just a dream, I reminded myself.

How could I diminish Brook?

"So then my mother asked my father, "I can't believe this...!" Brook snapped, and suddenly I realized she was talking to me, angrily nattering about her mother. I had to do something now, fast. I could already feel myself wearing off, and the world getting brighter, like I was using all my strength to keep this image. I knew realistically dreams were slower in time that it actually was — probably an hour passed by now.

"Your father is dead," I said aloud. Such cruel words, such a blunt knife hitting her hard. Brook paused and whipped her face in my direction as if someone hit her across her cheek. I remembered my own father, my heart screaming at me for allowing the NG to get away like this after killing the one person I used to love most in my life. But Brook never knew.

She doesn't actually know.

"Morgan is dead and gone, Brook, and now you're all alone," I said, almost dissolving in tears. I was a murderer and now a horrible bully.

But soon it happened quick, and the words got stuffed into my mouth to get rid of the scene and Brook's grimaced face.

Divert.

My surroundings changed once again to a location with Brook again. What truth do I need to drag her away from?

"So whats your method of killing Steve?" Brooks voice brought me back from out of my wonders. I gazed up at her, looking for an answer. Lunge for his throat. Strangle him. Torture him. Instead, I force and imply words that I don't mean. Oblivion is trying to make this easy for me by giving me simple options, but the pressure of being dishonest and a pessimist is more hurtful.

"We can't kill Steve. Nor can I. It's the truth, Brook. You're weak. We all are."

I hoped that I succeeded, hoping the surrounding would change so that I could avoid the look on Brooks face. It was almost stupid; I just said the first words that came out of my mouth. I had to convince her even more.

"Time is running out, and lets get real. There are others against us, against our will... but you know we aren't strong enough. I mean, for God's sake, wake up!" I shouted before I realized, because it wasn't working until I put the force in my voice. But I couldn't avoid the inevitable hardened glare that burned on my face from Brook's frosted stare. In a moment we looked into each others eyes, where ice and fire met. But fire was winning, and all my ice burned into invisible cinders. Such power in her eyes, but she's too young for her wisdom.

Destroy.

I begged, destroy. But then, this strange feeling clutched my heart: You won't be able to pass this one.

But I wake up.

"You're late," Brooks voice entered my thoughts as soon as my eyes opened.

"Late?" I echoed dumbly.

"Night doesn't last forever. I forgot to add that you were timed. Was it hard?" she asked sympathetically.

"Terrible. Why did everything need to be negative?"

"Its just how Oblivion drags us into it. Besides, where did you end?"

"Destroy."

Brook nodded approvingly, "Thats good for a beginner, I guess."

Oh, so now we're speaking levels. But I didn't feel like interrupting her, and pretended to nod thankfully at the praise.

The next day was incredibly boring. My legs ached to run around the world and experience new things, hunt outside, but my brain refused to proceed to any activity. I started to rewind all the crazy events that happened these days. The tornado, Steve, Arch, the watching bird, The Oblivion, everything. The luck of finding Ariana.

I then remembered that Steve had been silent. Didn't he say that I had three choices? In fact, I didn't bother to remember them. I'm sick of his threats.

I just want to destroy him.

"Is that it, Steve?" I said out loud, alone in the darkness of the cave "Are you finally realizing who's stronger?"

He laughed.