The Blank

Chapter 2 - The Dream

Run. That's the only thing running through my mind. My legs are on fire and my arms pumping as if a machine is in control. Screams were coming from behind me. I don't know why, but all I could do is run. I glanced back and saw a massive fire burning the building down. Even when I know I should save those people, I just kept running. I ran so fast when I turned back to the fire it looked like a little dot in the distance. I let out a long sigh and looked around wondering where I am and how I got here. Realization hit. The nuclear plant, where my parents died.

My heart began pounding in my chest. Hearing a stick break behind me I whipped around rapidly, eyes wide. It was a girl, she looked a few years older than me. She was wearing the same outfit as me, all black; a tank top, pants, shoes, gloves. Pushing her dark curls out of her face she looked at me with her big brown eyes and came up to me with a look of warmth in her smile.

"You good Rora?" she asked, putting a hand on my elbow.

I stepped back quickly and wiped my elbow with my hand like there was a bug there. I began running again hearing her yell my name after me, but not hearing any steps behind me. I ran into the plant, tripping over the step, falling into a massive black hole, shutting my eyes in dear. The falling seemed endless.

I opened my eyes and looked below me, seeing the ground near me I began to panic. About a meter before hitting the ground something caught me. The veins on the person were glowing bright orange color. I was in his arms and heard him murmur something. I couldn't make it out, but I looked up at him and recognized his face, I couldn't figure out who he was. He gave his head a slight shake to move his light hair out of his face and I saw his face clearer. This was the man at the school!!

He set me down by the wall gently and moved my hair behind my ear, "Easy kid, you can't just run into an abandoned building, especially if you know what's in here," he said in a soft sympathetic voice.

I didn't respond, I just looked at him in complete fear. This random guy just saved my life, but he's glowing!! "I wonder if he's some sort of mutant experiment monster," I thought to myself.

"Why are you looking at me like that? You're acting like you have no idea who I am," he said squatting in front of me as if I was a five-year-old. "Huh? You gonna say something or just stare blankly? You're normally never quiet. Is it because of the fire? Don't worry about that, Aki is safe."

Aki?! Who's Aki? How does he know about the fire too? It felt as if a big rock was lodged in my throat, I couldn't even let out a scream. It's obvious this guy knows who I am. Damnit. It's just a dream. I have control over this, I don't need to be scared.. Letting a sigh out I stood up as he stood up with me. "Listen, I don't know who you are, I don't know who Aki is either, but I do know that this is gonna end right now," I said crossing my arms and staring the guy down.

"I completely agree, right after you destroy the Dagus," he said smiling.

"No, I mean this is just a dream, I'm just gonna wake up and this is all going to end."

He whispered, "You must've hit your head pretty hard," he turned around, so I could barely hear him.

"What?! This is my head, my mind, my dream! I have control!" I practically screamed at him feeling my blood boil under my skin.

"Well of course you have control, but right now I do," he spoke with a cruel voice and turned back to me with a look of frustration and annoyance on his face. "Right now I am in control of your head since you let me get in your head this morning, correct?" Without giving time to answer he kept talking, "I'm showing you what's going to happen in the future so you don't act like you are now and kill us all."

"Kill? I could never kill anyone or anything! I can't even kill a bug without feeling bad!" I exasperated while flinging my arms in the air.

"Exactly my point, you're gonna learn to kill people soon. Whether you like it or not. It's your destiny to bring peace to this fucked up world," he said crossing his arms.

"Since when did killing bring peace?!" I screamed at him feeling the tears starting to sting my eyes. I don't know why I was about to cry perhaps out of frustration to go home or the smell of blood and death everywhere.

"Since the Dagus decided to bring their little family war to Earth," he sighed, "In time you'll know what this all is kid."

"No no no this is crazy! I'm just going crazy that's all! You're just here cause I was thinking about you and how creepy you are. That's it." I said turning my back to him.

"Oh for the love of God, y'know what? Fine. Be like that, but when the time comes I get to say I told you so," he let out a laugh.

I turned back to him with rage, "You think this is funny? Messing with my head!! In a place, I saw my parents die!!" I screamed in his face feeling my whole body begin to get hot.

He rolled his eyes in a joking way, "Technically you never watched them die, you simply found them dead. You only think about watching them die, no one knows you even found them dead, right? You never talk about your parents and when people ask about yours you simply respond with 'I don't have any' as if you're trying to erase the memories of your parents altogether. Because your coping strategy is to just forget things, right? But it's late at night when you think about it and it makes you feel utterly worthless that you didn't get there in time. It makes you feel like you don't belong in this world since you think you could've stopped your parents from dying. Some part of your brain really thinks that if you would've gotten them sooner you could've stopped it. Some part of you believes that the explosion didn't kill them, right?"

"No! I-I don't have parents!! I live with my grandmother and I never met my parents!!" I screamed at his face beginning to cry.

"I think I proved my point... I'll see you soon Aurora until then stop denying the facts," he started to disappear turning into a cloud of dark shadowy dust.

Before I could say anything else I bolted straight up in my bed. I looked around the room for a sign of anything that just happened. I turned the light on in my room and opened the closet and drawers trying to find that thing messing with my head.

After about an hour I finally gave up. I crawled back into my bed and turned my light off. I slapped myself across the face trying to get that dream out of my head. After sitting in bed slapping my face for about five minutes I finally passed out cold. The adventure was just beginning.