Dreams of Crimson

Chapter 2 - Page 10

        "Whatever is fine, I'm not too sure what you have." Red answered. "I'll make sure to make something nice." She said as she walked to the kitchen. Red sat down on the dining chair, as he put the journal, Ambassador Crest, and food bag onto the table. He put his elbows on the table, as he rested his head on his hands. A few minutes go by, as he asks from the dining table, "Tara?"

"Yes, Red?" She answered from the kitchen. "What kind of things do you have to explain to me?" Red yelled back, as he fiddled with the Crest on the table, moving it around on the smooth surface. "Oh, just some things about how this whole 'Crimson' system works. It's basically a bunch of rules and guidelines you have to follow or else you'll get in trouble." She screamed, as she was starting to talk over the sizzling in the kitchen, and the boiling pots. The smell started to reach the dining room. Red smelled the food, as his mouth started to water. 

A few more minutes go by, as Tara comes back from the kitchen, with a plate of juicy chopped meats, and a bowl of chunky soup. "Eat up, Red." Red stared at the food with utter hunger, as he grabbed the eating utensils and dug in. "Alright, since you're eating, I'll explain some things to you, since it's already getting dark outside." Tara pulled out a sheet with rules written on it, and listed them off. "First rule: As there are many worlds, each differing in levels of advancement, it is forbidden to bring technology or items more advanced than the world you are in currently."

Tara looked at Red, as he slurped down some of the soup. "Did you get that?" Red nods, as he slurps up the chunky soup. He wipes his mouth, and said, "So, basically, don't show the world I'm in advanced items?" Tara was astonished he understood, and said, "Yes... That's right." She cleared her throat. "Second rule applies to us mostly, which is: In unfiltered worlds, it is a mandatory requirement to wear a Sanity Stabilizer, in case the dream/world is too much to handle." Red chews on the meat, and utters a "Huh?" while eating. "That's why I got this satchel, Red." Tara said as she dug into the satchel, taking out a small circular metal peice. Red looked at the piece, and chewed on the meat. "What do I do with it?" He swallowed.  

Tara presses the back of it as it started to glow and hum calmly. "You need to keep this on you, the Sanity Stabilizer makes sure you don't go crazy." Red looks at the Stabilizer in awe as it glows and hums. "Woah... Okay, I'll make sure to keep it close." 

"Good." Tara sighed as she read off the last rule. "Last rule: Do not break Crimson Beds. Anyone caught in this act will be killed on sight...." They both gulped. "Sounds like a very important rule." Red added as Tara nodded. "Well, keep in mind only two of those rules apply to you." Red is struck with a look of confusion, as he asked, "Wait, which one doesn't apply to me?" 

"The first one, in a sense." Tara adjusted her reading glasses, and went on. "You can bring the technology given to you, as an Ambassador, but only if you keep it hidden."  Red put his finished plate down, as he said "Well, alright. What am I going to be given?" Tara smiled, as she started to take things out of the bag. "Well, you got that Sanity Stabilizer, and then this, too." She put a tiny wooden cube on the desk, with a tiny open face on the top. Red looks at her in more confusion. "Put something above it." He looks at her with hesitation, as he puts the fork he was eaitng with above it, as the cube starts to work.

The cube makes the fork float with a tiny bit of magnetization, and it then sucks the fork into the cube, without the cube losing or gaining mass. Red looked at her in utter amazment, as she said, "It's a 'Worm-Cube'. It has the capabilities of a wormhole that allow you to put things into it without it getting bigger or heavier, The wood texture on the outside is so no one suspects a thing." Red was utterly speechless, seeing as his world was far from that kind of technology.

"Bu-...Wha.... How-"  He uttered, attempting to form a sentence. She laughed, as she patted him on the back. "There's plenty more technology like this, some even more advanced than this, Red. Don't lose this, because will be your 'backpack'." Red nodded, as he spoke, "What else do I get?!" Excitement in his tone. Tara hands him a paper with instructions on how to use those two things, along with his journal. "Oh, so there is a way to use this journal besides writing in it." Red laughs. "It was just another way to hide it's advanced state!" Red started to read the instructions as Tara said, "See? Now you're getting it!"

Tara looked out the window that wasn't greeted by a stone wall, and saw the moon had risen up to the sky. "Oh, dear, it's late. You need to start heading to bed, Red." Red kept scanning the instructions, wanting to know more. Tara exlcaimed, "Red, you can throw those into the Worm-Cube and read those later, for now, you need your rest." Red looked up, and agreed. Tara walked him to the single bed in the house, and he asked, "Where are you going to sleep, Tara?" 

"Oh, I'll figure something out, maybe just on the floor with a blanket." Red nodded, as he jumped into bed, and felt the warmth of a thick blanket. He slowly drifted off to sleep, as Tara got a blanket, and closed the door.