Book of Hours

The Twelfth Hour

Sleep, it's meant to rest the mind and body from the stresses of life. Yet, when I lay my head for a night's slumber I am filled with crawling, infection of anxiety, and malfeasance.

Life in the Citadel has always been over barring as if I'm under more than just surveillance. As if I'm more than just a soldier, but also an investment to the governmental authority which controls every aspect of waking life. Trying to sleep, I could sense danger, and in the darkest recess of my mind I feared the intentions of my superiors. Trying my best, I drowned out the ill thoughts and paranoid disillusioned. As I closed my eyes I gave my self to the artificial night and the abyss of sleep. Hoping it would soothe my soul and my mind poisons. Then the blackness turned to smoke and as I dreamt my mind journeyed elsewhere in the walls of the Citadel.

In my dreamscape, I could see a sterile room, filled with equipment I have never seen before. I could feel the cold on metal on my back and the heat of lights blinding my senses. As my eyes wandered I could see men working in the distance. Between them, I saw what seemed to be the body of a small childlike figure. The more I focused the more I could make sense of my surroundings and the ungodly atmosphere I was now apart of.

I could hear the men talk yet, it made no logical sense to me. The more they moved the more anxious I became, and I could feel my heart radiating out of my being and into another's consciousness. Then I realized, I was in the mind of the princess and we shared each other's plight.

Speaking out loud I did my best to communicate to them to stop their endeavors of scientific blasphemy. Yet, they only continued the experiment of evil's and curiosities. Violence was the fuel that fed the flame of freedoms we have, and even though the safest place was the walls I occupied. I knew unconsciously, I was in constant danger of being erased by the hands which fed and protected me from the horrors of the surface.

Trying to relax, and remain motionless I tried my best to stay calm in a room designed to tear me apart. The men seemed nervous as if they had no clue as to what they were doing.

I could see them struggling, and I could feel the heat coming off each other as if they projected potential failure. It was strange, feeling the emotions of a stranger and knowing their thoughts yet not knowing how or why I could. The energy of the room shifted and I believe they had a moment of glory by the hand of science. They both turned and watched me as my mind watched them. As they approached the table they had a gleam of wonder and an expression that was almost murderous. The nature of the men was eccentric not only to the knowledge they possessed but also the information which lay in front of them. I could feel them comfortably breathing air for the first time since I've been in the room, and I knew they had only two thoughts festering in the minds of these geniuses.

Dissection and cataloging of the specimen.

As the hovered over us, I could feel my mind drift once more, and I felt my body as I laid in my bed.

Fighting the sleep, I could feel my consciousness return to my own body waking me in reality.

I awoke to the dual aspect of my existence and the distraught look my brother always seemed to have.

"Are you okay?" he asked shakily, holding my hand as if I was close to death.

"Why?" I asked, sleepily, rubbing my eyes and meeting his gaze.

"You were talking in your sleep and you kept saying that you need help from a monster", placing his holoscreen over my head, he tried to find abnormalities in my brain waves. Running his diagnostics in my mental state I turned back and laid back on my bed, as I heard him struggle to make sense of my obscure mind I looked to the wall closest to me. Praying quietly, and asking for heavenly strength, I was awestruck by the visions of my dreams. Was I seeing from her eyes; was I possessed or am I becoming insane by the whole ordeal?

What was the truth any more? And what made me the person I am or the person I was trained to be. I knew nothing, and yet I knew everything. What is happening to me?

In my hysteria, I felt a pain travel the length of my spine and a hot stabbing on my chest. Screaming my brother came to my aid as I convulsed and cried out in agony.

I felt my body being torn apart by an unknown force and I could feel the heat coming from the walls around me. Then as quickly as it came the pain receded and I blacked out from the trauma.

I woke moments later to the sight of my brother on his holoscreen frantically trying to figure out the answers to my abrupt seizure.

"Your up?", he said worriedly and placed his holo back on my head.

"I'm okay", I said nonclinical as if I knew anything about the human body.

"Your brain waves are fluctuating abnormally high and your body is having an over-firing of nerves", looking back at his screen he couldn't make any logical reasoning as to why my body is over actively trying to kill me.

"And yet I'm fine", trying to calm him, I put my hands on his and did my best to remind him that I am stronger than I look.

Facing me he looked distraught as if he knew the outcome of my ignorance.

"I have to inform the Council," he said almost robotically.

Wrenching I couldn't believe he would break our bond of trust to a group of strangers.

I said nothing and he walked out of our quarters with the little amount of respect I had for him. He was the Council's Bitch and every mistake I made he conveyed it to them like if he was their messenger. I hated him for that, yet I could only watch as they slowly took my brother away from me. Leaving me alone to my thoughts as they ate away at what was left of my sanity.