A New World

Chapter 21 - Lost Hope

Hayato began preparing for the trip to Jerusalem as soon as he got back home from Rouge's house. Although he's usually one to wait last minute, this time his excitement got the best of him. He grabbed a large duffel bag from his closet and began packing clothes, toiletries, shoes, and other necessities he believed he would need during the duration of his three month trip.

He took a quick glance at his bookshelf wondering if he'd even get the opportunity to read. The bag was nearly half way full till he decided to call it quits for the night. He still had a week left and he was sure his mom would remind him of anything else he needed.

He fell back and sprawled himself across his bed. It's been a long, eventful day and now was his time to unwind. The familiar silence that pervaded the entirety of the house when both of his parents were away was welcoming and relaxing. It gave him much needed time to reflect on his day as he often did and note any new revelations he got in his tablet.

Come morning, he would need to face his mom and detail the events that transpired at the meeting with Blake. She looked forward to the meeting more than Hayato himself, but how would she react to the news that Blake wasn't really who he said he was? He wasn't sure if that piece of news itself was enough to deter her from the movement.

He thought back to the dreams he had about Mike and Anne; who were they and were they able to survive through that time period? Why did he dream about them specifically? Also, what was the identity of the mysterious beings that arrived to the earth in the distant past?

So many questions still remained unanswered, but for the first time, Hayato felt as if he finally had a tangible path forward. This time, he could rest on the fact that he had a reliable source for answers - Shayo.

As he lingered in thought, his breathing slowed and his eyelids methodically drooped. There was still more to ponder on but he would leave that for later. The allure of sweet sleep overtook him as he shut his eyes and once again began to dream.

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The soft and warm sensation of my bed, the quiet and still house...I can't sense them anymore. My ears quickly adjusted themselves to what I felt to be my new surroundings as I picked up the chirping of birds which was eventually overtaken by what seemed to be a procession of vehicles in the distance.

I opened my eyes and found myself standing in front of a large building at the center of a fenced and heavily barricaded compound. Meadow Point Hospital, a large sign in front of the building read. "I'm dreaming again."

Portions of the building were sealed off due to damage of some kind. What appeared to be a road leading to the complex was partly destroyed, with a few uniformed men and women standing guard at a make-shift barricade outside of the hospital complex.

I wasn't sure anymore if these experiences were something to look forward to or instead dread. I had to admit, I've learned a lot, but at what expense?

Suddenly, I found myself standing inside the building. A few individuals in uniform zipped past me, hurriedly going from room to room. Another lady emerged from a room and shut the door behind her. Her face was aghast, her eyes red and swollen. It was faint but wales could be heard from the room.

I hadn't yet explored the building for myself, but I somehow had the intuition that the scene here was the same everywhere else in the building. Scattered throughout the hallways were the sick, the injured, those who were bandaged, some in wheelchairs or trudging down the hallways with crutches.

No matter who it was, they all wore the same downtrodden and defeated look. I was taken to another part of the building. Everywhere I looked were bodies. Some were thinly veiled on beds while others were openly exposed in the halls. Large bags were stacked on top of each other and I had no doubt in my mind what they contained.