i dreamt of heaven

i set my expectations high

by the time tyler had finally reached his room, he was almost completely out of breath. he had closed the door behind him, then slid his back down the cold surface until he met the floor, holding his head in his hands.

he was gasping for breath, all of the air inside of him out and elsewhere, anywhere else but his lungs, but he smiled. he shook his head in disbelief, his forehead resting on his palms as his heart continued to pound as if it would burst through his chest right then and there.

they were real.

he saw them, he watched them all rise up from underground, in real time. torches ablaze, bodies adorned with that familiar forest green... an actual color. they wore actual real colors, and not that mundane ash gray that would be everywhere tyler would look. then there he was, leading them all, just like in the lessons, except this time...

he was real.

his hands lowered as he stared at the wall across from him, eyes widening as reality set in.

holy shit, he was real?

tyler quickly rose to his feet, slipping off his bag and placing it onto his bed, making his way to his window. he placed his hands on the window sill, and he scanned the ground for something, anything, to suddenly move or become engulfed in the light of their torches.

that was real, right? i'm not asleep.. this is real, it has to be.

he thought back to that moment, how he was crouched to the ground, the other's eyes staring back into his own. he had the rest of his face covered, for good reason he supposed. he had so many questions built up inside of him, and he couldnt even whisper one of them.

he just stared at him, trying to process the fact that he was, in fact, looking back, and at him. he was going to say something, at least thats what he told himself. he meant to ask where they came from, and maybe he would've if another bandito hadn't come over.

they didn't look too scary, just tall and skinny, but tyler didn't know any better. they really could be a band of murderers for all he knew, and he couldn't take any chances, so, obviously, he had to run.

if it was just him, the tall and strong one, the one with the pools of amber located where his eyes should be, if it was just him.. maybe it'd be easier to ask questions. though, even then, it'd be hard to really trust that he wasn't dangerous or would bring any danger with him.

tyler's heart felt a short pinch of pain as he pondered whether or not they were afraid of him, the same way he had been afraid of them. he didn't feel dangerous, at least, not to himself. he wasn't strong, he wouldn't know what to do if he ever found himself in a physical fight.. probably sit and take it while he waited for someone to save him.

pathetic.

no, they couldn't be afraid of him. that seemed nearly impossible, besides, he was extremely out numbered, and most likely didn't have nearly as much experience as they had with conflict. after all, they had been trained to live this way for most of their lives, at least, that's what the bishops always told them.

he kept thinking over the possibility when something caught his eye, it wasn't much, just a slight something in the bottom right corner of his view. he quickly turned his head to try and see just what it was. and there they were, all of them collectively together in one mushed up group, all walking slightly crouched to the ground.

though they weren't moving in much of a organized file, it was clear who was leading the group. he had held one of his arms out, as though protecting those behind him as they walked, the other arm slightly waving his torch around to provide light.