Eternal Sleep [On Hold but Not Forgotten]

The Sleeping World

To be honest, I didn't feel the needle pierce my skin when I obliged my mother. I still don't understand why I was so prone to believing her when we had just met—something about her was just so convincing and understanding that I couldn't help but follow along with what she said.

I felt her catch me as I fell back—the buzzing in my brain was something akin to being drunk; it was an almost pleasant sensation to lose consciousness this way. At least I knew she cared enough to catch me—that was a good sign. If I'd hit the floor on impact, I would have been made uncertain of my decision far too late. But it appeared that I held the winning hand on this deal.

I could no longer feel my body. Some time passed within a strange, blank darkness before the strangest sensation came over me—I could move again, but this time, I was moving my spirit from within my body. I was all soul and I was instantly freed from the chains of my doom. I may have been asleep, but I was not confined to a single space; nothingness was not the only thought left to me.

My mother sat waiting on a different bed—apparently, she had taken me somewhere different. Her smile was patient, yet revealed a certain anxiousness as she watched me become accustomed to this ethereal form. She was right in stating that I would be a natural to Traumwanderung. I had no idea that it would literally be as though I'd never fallen asleep in the first place, and for that, I was most certainly grateful. But something about this whole scenario felt amiss.

Having been severed from my mortal body, I felt a certain sense of suspicion as to my mother's intentions. Perhaps it was mortality that caused me to believe my mother so quickly—perhaps you had to be a daemon to understand the truth behind the lies your kin would spin. But I remained uncertain; she had thus proved to be honest and of good intent... but I would remain wary from now on. She had wanted to ruin my father for sixteen straight years to have followed through on her promise after so long. Her intentions were not as one-sided as she was hoping me to believe them.

"How are you feeling?"

"Okay... this is all a bit strange, but I'm getting used to it."

"Good. So, as I said, this is your journey to escape what your father would have had for you—the life of a house wife with no more value than some pretty jewel. This way, you will have more control over your eventual Fate..."

I nodded, feeling a sense of elation at the realization that I had secured some form of meager control in what previously seemed to be an inevitable doom—I could at least experience the world in this dream-spirit form, if nothing else. It was much better than being confined to a bed for all eternity; this way, I could find a way to escape somehow... or so I hoped.

"So how can I start looking for someone to save me from this situation? I mean, no offense—this is wonderful and all, but I still want to be able to wake up at some point..."

"Of course, of course," Lilith exclaimed generously. "You'll have your chance at finding true love; there is no doubt in my mind that you will. But, first, I must teach you on how to maneuver yourself in this form to ensure you don't have any hiccups along the way. I can't, in good faith, send a newly found dream-spirit out into the world without giving her proper guidance and instruction on the rules of the road."

"Rules?"

"Yes, there are rules to this little game you're about to play; if you fail, it could ultimately result in your Death... while you are immortal by human standards, there are ways for even us daemons to be destroyed."

I swallowed hard. Of course—of course I could die trying to free myself. That was the cost of things like this. I should have known that there would have been a catch in taking Lilith's offer. There could be no easy outs when both of your parents were cursed with tunnel-vision and the drive to make that vision belong to everyone, whether they liked it or not.

"The rules are not quite as difficult to follow if you know them well; there are only three to be precise. If you break even one of them, you will immediately be called to a spirit trial, in which almost everyone is certainly found guilty if they are found to have broken one of the Great Three. They go in precisely this order: One, you must not take anything from the mortal world—gifts, flowers, or anything of the like. Dream-spirits are often offered gifts from mortals. While you are in this form, you are forbidden to take of them—once you awaken, you are not bound by this rule. Two, you may only communicate with humans in their dreams or in mirrors. You may not speak to them directly. It will be tempting to speak to someone, especially as you'll find that premonitions will often come to you and spell out a person's Fate—you cannot attempt to interfere with Fate. Three, you may not touch a human save within their dreams. Any questions?"

I frowned—I couldn't speak to a human directly; I couldn't take gifts and I couldn't touch a human. All of these things were usually required to fall in love with someone. This was quickly turning out to be a huge sham. Lilith sensed my irritation and placed a comforting hand on my shoulder.

"Worry not, love. Many mortals have fallen in love with dream-spirits. It will only be a matter of time... It just takes some getting used to when it comes to talking to them in dreams and mirrors instead of through traditional methods. You only have to follow these rules while you're asleep. And talking to them in those ways is far easier than you would think. And you can still appear to them and get them to summon you to their dreams via the mirror option. And I'll be with you to help."

Sighing, I faced the light that now flooded through what appeared to be a tower window. Of course—I was a prisoner in a tower instead of in a castle. Either way, it appeared that my parents found joy in imprisoning me and using me to meet their ends rather than allowing me to just live my life. If getting married to someone who cared for who I was as a person—rather than a means to an end—then that was what I would do. And fast.

"Okay, fair enough. I suppose it's better than what my other option was. How do we begin?"

"That," Lilith grinned "is what I'm about to show you."