The Mindless Man's Paradise

Chapter fifty-eight | Cyrus

Cyrus was cold, and hungry, and scared. But that didn’t matter anymore.

  His pendant was searing hot. His Soul Mate. She was close.

  Stepping through some bushes, he saw her, waiting so patiently. Her black hair reflected moonlight and her green eyes were visible from where he stood. But as soon as he saw her, her face contorted.

  She went from calm, to worried, concerned, and hurried.

  “Cyrus!” she shouted. Even though it was forbidden, that was his name. It contradicted everything, but it was his name. It always had been. Except he couldn’t remember very much about why, or how; anything before he left for his Journey, really.

  Cyrus ran to his Soul Mate. “Yes! Are you okay?”

  “Cyrus!” she shouted again.

  “What?” he asked, a little more irritated now.

  “Cyrus! Wake up!” she urged him.

  “What on earth are you talking about? I am awake! Let’s get you healed up at the Society.” Cyrus countered angrily.

  “You’re in Dream Land.” she persisted. Cyrus was tuning her out now. He hadn’t endured all those horrific things just to have a psychopath Soul Mate. They would fix her at the Society.

  “This isn’t real. You’re in Dream Land Cyrus, this is only a scenario. You’re dreaming. You need to remember.” she insisted.

  Something in Cyrus’s brain flickered on like a light bulb, but it went out as soon as it had come.

  Their necklaces had begun to melt off. Cyrus was screaming, but his Soul Mate still did nothing. Her face hadn’t changed since they’d met. She was still speaking nonsense.

  “The pills, Cyrus. The pills! Remember the pills!” she shouted over him.

  As he tried to drown out the pain in his chest, something electric blue flashed through his brain. Whatever flashed through his brain was painful. More painful than the burn that had developed on his chest.

  “You have to remember me, Cyrus.” she beckoned.

  “You have to remember me, Cyrus. I’m Aspen.” she repeated.

  This time, more images flickered through his head. He took pills. He watched his Soul Mate- no, her name was… her name was… Aspen!

  He watched Aspen punch her brother in the face. They were in the Society. They were being held prisoner. They were being tortured.

  He was in Dream Land.

  He was in love with Aspen.

  And this scenario wasn’t real.

  Cyrus was jolted back to reality. Real reality. Not any fake ones that Dream Land produced.