Weekly Expression # 21 ~ dancingchristian

“Come to me,” he said.

“No,” she replied.

“I promise you'll be safe. You know, it's no fun to stay in the water forever.”

“But if I come out, then I'll feel the cold wind. It's safe in the water. I don't want the wind to knock me over, and make me lose my balance.”

“But I'll hold onto your hand, and I'll hold you so that you don't lose your balance against the wind.”

Then, from behind her, an alligator approached.

“Dearest, look out,” he yelled.

As she turned to face the beast, she laughed gaily. “Why you old scaredy cat! This is but a harmless, playful creature out for an evening swim. My, but you do worry so much.”

“But my love, it has teeth.”

“Nonsense. That's no reason to worry,” she said as she petted it's scales. “Come, see for yourself.”

He hesitated for a moment, and then said, “Very well....but only for your sake!”

“Come, pet it's nostrils.”

He started to, and then the alligator bit his hand, right in the middle. “Ah!” he screamed. He punched the alligator with his other hand, right under his chin. The alligator growled loudly, and opened his mouth wide. All of a sudden, he snapped the alligator's mouth shut tight, and felt at the neck trying to touch a nerve. All the while, the alligator tried to nip at him. Then, at last, he found the nerves of the alligator's neck, and broke it.

Then both man and creature collapsed in the water.

She quickly swam underneath to bring him out of the water. She propped him on the shore, while she remained to keep her body carefully covered by the ripples of water. She noticed the whole in his hand, where the alligator had bitten. It seemed to have gone straight through the other side, yet she felt no broken bones in the hand.

Looking up at her and tenderly stroking her face, he said, “There's a whole world out there I could show you. We could do so many amazing things together. I'd protect you forever, and always.

Then all of a sudden, a glowing light showed through his clothes, and the whole in his hand quickly vanished. It took her breath away.

She looked deep into his eyes. Eyes that promised the moon. Putting her hand into his that had been bitten, she said, “Let's go.”

He stood, and led her out of the water. He stared at her sweetly and promised, “You will never be alone.”

Weekly Expression #21 ~ BK

Harry kicked the wooden wheel away, further breaking it.

“Harry!” Celia snapped as she swung at a mosquito at her neck.

“Dang thing was broken anyways.” He placed his hands on his hips as he walked away from their broken down cart. She sighed as she inspected the damage. She was thankful for at least no injuries on their part but without a wheel their cart was going no where. Even with the wheel, their horse had run off when it got scared from a snake in the bushes. They were stranded in the hot sun and night fast approaching. And they both knew it would be days before someone found them.

“We are going to have to walk back to town.”

“We’ll never make it by sundown.”

“Well that is a risk we are going to have to take. We got no weapons. No food. We ain’t gonna last an hour out here in the cart so let’s get a move on now.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The hours dragged on as they trudged through prairie. They looked ahead and watched the road turn and follow the edge of a swamp. Cecilia sighed. They’d have to go through the wetland if they had any chance of reaching town before sunset which was quickly approaching.

“You ready?” Harry asked as he held out his hand.

She took it and nodded. She lied. She wanted to curl up in her warm cozy bed in the city and have her maid bring her hot chocolate as she stirred the fire alive. The dangers of a city did not measure up to the dangers out here. She was crazy to follow Harry out here. To marry him on a whim. But this was why she married him. The gentle way he held her hands and cared for her. She felt safe and secure in his arms. And now thousands of miles away from home and here they faced the last leg of their journey. They were only but a day’s travel away from their new land. They traveled for weeks without injury, sickness or broken down wagons. It had to happen now…

Another hour passed as they trudged through the water. Thankfully it was only a few inches deep, yet it still made it difficult to walk through. Better three hours in here instead of six on the road.

A sharp pain nicked her foot causing her to stumble. Harry instinctively caught her before she fell completely into the water. He stood her up and she tried to wrench out the water from her dress.

“You okay?”

“I’m fine. Must have stepped on something.”

“Can you walk?”

She took a couple steps forward and nodded.

The sun was beginning to set. The marsh was beautiful and maybe it was the feeling as if she were dying that made her notice such beauty that surrounded her.

Her foot had gone numb long ago and her breathing was now labored. She did her best to hide all this from Harry. He surged through the water like a man on a mission. He was going to get them through this mess. She wondered now if her life depended on it.

She felt Harry rubbing her face with cold water. “C’mon honey, c’mon!!” He urged her. She snapped her eyes open and gasped. He looked relieved as he held her close.

“What happened?”

“You fell and you wouldn’t wake up. You scared me! What’s wrong?” He asked.

“It’s my foot.”

Harry reached down and slipped off her shoe. She couldn’t see and judging by his expression, she didn’t want to see. Instantly Harry rose to his feet and lifted her up into his arms as he trudged out of the water and found his way back to the road.

It would take longer but at this point, both options were equally as dangerous and taking the road, at least this way he could follow it in the dark.

She prayed they would near the town soon…

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ceilia opened her eyes. She had nodded off again. This time she was in more pain and darkness had completely surrounded them.

“Harry?” Her voice was weak.

“There you are.” She could hear the worry lace his tone.

“Are we close?”

“Just another minute...please, hold on.”

“Harry?”

“Yes?”

“I love you.”

Harry lost it then. Ceilia felt his knees buckle and he dropped to them. He held her tightly and wept. He was afraid to lose her. And she was afraid to die, to leave him.

“Don’t leave me, please…” Harry begged.

Oh how she wished she had the strength to wrap her arms around him or to jump to her feet and run, hand in hand, to the town and start their lives.

God, please don’t let me die. Harry needs me and I need him…

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jonathan jumped out of bed and stood in the middle of his room, out of breath. He blinked as he tried to wake up and remember what made him jump out of bed.

“What is it?” Sarah asked him groggy from being torn from sleep.

“Not sure. You stay in bed. I’ll be back in a while.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jonathan saddled his horse grunting and whispering under his breath. “Dang blasted cow had to go wander off again. I ain’t got the energy to keep losing sleep over that blasted animal.” He mounted and headed west towards the marshes. He hoped he wouldn’t find a dead cow. Those marshes were deadly due to the snakes. He’d nearly lost his life or limb over one when he first moved out here.

The moon was bright tonight.

“Hello?” Jonathan heard a man’s voice cry out somewhere to his right. He kicked his horse and they hurriedly moved forward. About twenty feet away he came up upon a strange sight. A man bent over something on the ground.

“Please, help me! My wife!”

Jonathan slipped off his horse and knelt beside the couple. The woman’s eyes were closed, her breathing shallow. “What happened?”

“I don’t know. We were in the marshes…”

“Marshes?” Snakes…

Without explaining himself to the man, Jonathan picked the woman up and lifted her up onto the horse. He climbed up after her. The man quickly got to his feet. “My ranch is just a mile west. You head straight that way and you’ll find us.”

With that, Jonathan sped away, leaving a husband in the dust. But if the man wanted his wife alive, he’d understand why Jonathan hurried.

The woman moaned.

She didn’t have long…

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Harry ran after the horse, confused and angry. But something inside him told him to trust the man on the horse. So he kept running. His Celia was dying and he wasn’t there…

Suddenly he felt his foot hit a rock and he went flying through the air…

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The sun was bright even in the early morning. Harry coughed away the dirt from his face as he slowly got to his hands and knees. His head throbbed.

Memories from the night before came flooding back.

Harry heard the sound of a man spitting. He looked up and saw the man from last night.

“You coming or not?” The man casually turned around and walked away. Harry jumped to his feet and ran after the man. He didn’t dare ask.

“Name’s Jonathan.”

Jonathan led Harry into the ranch and to a room. Celia was lying on a bed, a wet cloth over her forehead. A woman that Harry could only assume was Jonathan’s wife smiled and left them alone. Harry ran to Celia’s side and held her hand as he caressed her cheek. Celia stirred and turned to look at him. She smiled.

“Hey there.”

“Hey there.” He laughed with relief.

Welcome Back to WE 21!

Hey! It's been like forever since we did this stuff so I don't know about you guys but I'm getting back on the ball! But, I'm not waiting or delaying weeks for ya'll (or myself!) so if you aren't busy and can keep up, great! If not, I'm sorry. So let's get this started, shall we?

First summer pic : due next Wednesday, July 2nd. Weekly Expression # 21
*sorry it's a mushy romantic pic. haha*

Week 19

Author's Note: I'm sorry this was my first time, so I don't have the pic, but this is my attempt. Critique away.

Why can't I wake up? Will I wake up? How long do I have to stay here?

As I sat in the tall grass, surrounded by the beautiful pine trees, I impatiently waited to become conscious. This was where unconscious must stay.

As I looked around while thoughts rushed through my mind, Gatalia approached, as she stepping out of a brook.

“You're thinking of them, aren't you?” she said.

“What if it doesn't matter?”

“You worry too much.”

“Oh wouldn't you worry yourself, Miss High and Mighty, if you were unconscious? Why must I wait here?”

“I told you before, this is the place of rest God provides to those who are waiting to go to eternity, in these circumstances. He provides this place to His children who will not go to Hell.”

“But why I am I not in Heaven?” I snapped. It's not that I wanted to be in Heaven just yet, but I was getting impatient.

“He only provides this place to those He knows will continue to live, because they are not ready for Heaven, yet.”

“I am so fortunate!” I sarcastically exclaimed. She frowned, and I shrugged.

“But this is a good sign.” She put her arm on my shoulder. “This means that you have much left to do, and there are so many good things yet to happen.” I turned my back toward her. “They will come, and you will see.”

“What do you see down there?” I whispered.

“I see a doctor, and a few other people. A mother? Somebody is looking out the window. They're waiting for you. They want you there with them.”

Then she changed her tone. “Why must you torture yourself by waiting?”

“You don't understand. How could you?”

“Do I have to?”

“There's only one thing that could make me want to wake up,” I hesitated. “And I'll only wake up for that.”

“Why?”

“Because without it, this life ain't worth it!” I turned. I was so exasperated, as I stared at her. She just kept calm, and stared into my eyes. Stared into my heart. Stared into my soul. “Stop looking at me! What do you see?”

“Forgive me,” she hesitated. “I see truth.”

On earth, I had been born as nothing. That's what I was told by my man. Nothing. No one loved me. Love did not exist. Love was something invented by the clergy. God supposedly loved them, and that gave them an excuse to look down on others, who weren't worthy to be “loved.”

“The only thing people can do is mind somebody. And I mind you. I'm the only one who cares, Seventy.”

My man had named me for where he found me: 70 Wilson Avenue.

He always told me, “Remember girl, you don't got smarts and you don't got looks. But you got something more. Something that men will pay a pretty penny for. And they'll give you something in return. Stick with me, Seventy, and I'll make sure that you get it.”

The girls used to sing in the alleys:

Where the wind blows,

In the dark of the night,

You can find a place

Safe and tight.

They may squeeze the young and they'll hold the used tight

So just give them what they want or they'll give you a fright.

I used to walk around town, to see the pretty girls. But my man didn't like it. He told me that it was better for me not to look at the betters. It's better for me not to know what I'm missing. So I went on for years, staying where I was safe from being found by anybody.

One day, I took the courage to go to a parade. I sneaked out with one of the younger ones, Eighteen.

I held onto her hand tight, as we made our way past all of the people. We pushed by adults to get a good view.

Elephants passed by, wearing feathered hats. A dancing bear passed, with a girl riding on top of it's back. Then the clowns came by. Some did tricks, some danced, one ate fire.

Then one passed by with a sad face painted on. He drooped as he walked with a limp. A boy threw a tomato at him, causing him to fall right in-front of me. I quickly helped him up.

“Thank you, young lady. It's nice to know that somebody has good manners in this town.” He turned and stuck his tongue out at the boy, who'd thrown the tomato. Then turning back to me he asked, “Coming to the show today?” As I looked closely at his face, I could see he was really smiling behind the painted frown.

“No,” I said. “I can't afford it.”

“Well, today just happens to be your lucky day! I'm the discount giver and I absolutely love to reward kindness!” And with that, he hoisted me onto his shoulders. He certainly was strong. I looked back at Eighteen, and motioned to her to go back to the alley.

As we walked, we eventually got to a circus ground. All sorts of performers and costumed creatures walked around, greeting each other, slapping each other on the back, and laughing.

The clown took me down off of his shoulders. He led me into a tent, drawing back the curtain.

“Taffy!” the clown yelled. A lady in her undergarments, with her back facing towards us, shrieked and grabbed her robe. “Keep your shirt off, it's just me,” he said.

She turned and gave a sigh of relief, but kept her robe on. “Oh Bonzo, I was afraid it was the Waddles.” The noticing me, she said, “But I'd still prefer that strangers not see me in my corset. Hello, who are you?”

“My name's Seventy,” I said.

“And what are you doing here?” she asked.

“She helped me up, when I fell during the parade today. Thought it might be nice to return the favor, with a free pass,” Bonzo told her, giving her a wink. “Couldn't hurt.” Then to me, he said, “Seventy, this is Taffy. She's my wife. She's one of the trapeze girls.”

“It's a pleasure to meet you, Seventy,” she said while reaching to shake my hand. “Are you from around here, or are your parents traveling with you?”

“Haven't seen my mom in ages,” I said bluntly.

“Oh, I'm sorry. It's been awhile since I've seen mine as well. So where do you live?”

“With my man.”

“Your man?”

“He decides where I sleep at night.”

“I see. Is he some sort of traveling salesmen.”

“Taffy, don't be a busy body,” said Bonzo, as he slipped his arm around her waist.

“I was just curious!”

“You might say that,” I said. “He does travel, and he does sell what he has to offer.”

“Is he a relative?”

“No.”

“So where are you staying tonight?”

“I don't know,” I said. “He hasn't told me yet. I stay with a different man each night.”

“I thought we were talking about just one man,” Bonzo said curiously.

“There is. But I don't stay with him. He takes me to a different one every night.”

There was an awkward moment of silence, and then Taffy's eyes grew wide. “Why she a - ”

“Yes,” Bonzo said, as he put his hand on Taffy's shoulder.

“Why she's doing -”

“She's not doing anything that you don't do with me at night,” Bonzo said, bobbing his eyes up and down. Taffy smacked his arm. “Ow!”

“But I don't get paid,” she said sadly.

“Are you saying you want money? Ow!” she smacked him again. This time in the stomach.

“I'm not that young.” She looked straight into my eyes and asked, “How old are you?”

“I don't know,” I said. Bonzo and Taffy exchanged looks.

“Um, can you wait outside for just a minute, Seventy?” Bonzo asked.

“Sure.” I waited outside, as I listened to their hushed voices discussing something. Then after five minutes, they stepped outside of the tent.

“Seventy, how would you like to stay here for the next week, while we're in town?” Bonzo asked. “It'll give you a chance to get a vacation, and we can show you around.”

I looked at them, as they both smiled. “Sure. Sounds like fun.”

“Okay. We have to get ready now, but I'm sure if you stay by the elephants, you'll have a fun treat. If anybody gives you a hard time, you can just say that we sent you.”

“Okay,” I smiled.

For the next three days, I lived in paradise. Bonzo introduced me to all the rest of the clowns, and I got to watch Taffy rehearse on the trapezes. She was wonderful. She'd soar through the air so gracefully, like she was flying.

Then, one day, Taffy had me climb the ladder to the perch. “I want to teach you how to fly,” she said, with a twinkle in her eye.

Looking down, I said, “I don't think I can do it.”

She laughed. “Oh, trust me, Honey. That's exactly what I used to think, myself. But there's nothing like feeling the wind breeze by, as you soar over a world fully a hundred feet beneath you.”

I looked down again. “Whatever you say.”

As we continued to climb, I noticed how the ground continued to get further away.

When we finally reached the top, Taffy immediately reached for the trapeze and swung across to the perch on the opposite side. Then she came back across, this time doing a flip as she reached for the middle bar. With one effortless sweep to the perch, she landed. “Your turn,” she said, holding the trapeze out to me.

“No! I can't!”

“Oh, yes you can. It's simple. You don't even have to do anything fancy. Just take the bar.”

Hesitatingly, I took the bar, noticing for the first time how thin the string looked. “I promise, it's sturdy,” said Taffy, reading my mind.

I held my breath, leaned back, and then let my feet go. I was soaring. I could feel the wind. It selt so good, as I felt my hair flow through the air. But my eyes were closed. I couldn't bear to look at anything. “You're doing it!” Taffy yelled.

“Atta girl, Seventy!” I heard a voice yell from below. It sounded like Bonzo.

Open your eyes!” cried Taffy.

I opened my eyes. I saw Taffy waving and smiling. I looked down, and forgot everything. My hands slipped. I was falling. Taffy screamed. “Quick Bonzo, do something!” she shrieked.

Plop. I heard a noise that sounded distant. I couldn't move. I couldn't open my eyes. I heard people talking. They sounded so far away.

When I woke up, I was in the wooded field, with Gatalia, who took care of me ever since.

“What's keeping you here?” she asked.

“I don't know. I guess I'm just tired....of being disappointed. I know what's waiting for me. My man will find me. I can't stay with Bonzo and Taffy forever. They have to move on, just like everyone else.”

“You don't know that. Listen.”

We both sat still and heard voices. “Seventy?” It was Bonzo. “Seventy, it's us, Honey. Look, we want you to stay with us. We want you to come out so we can live together. We'll show you the world, teach you how to dance with the elephants, and be a family – a real one.”

“You're more than a number. You're our girl.” Taffy sounded like she was crying. “Please come out, Seventy. Please?”

“Why don't you join them?” asked Gatalia.

“Seventy,” Bonzo pleaded.

“Anastasia,” I said.

“What?” they both exclaimed.

“Anastasia,” I opened my eyes. “It's what my mother used to call me. She was a foreign lady. They both hugged me hard. “Why are you both dressed in black?”

“These are the only normal clothes we have,” Bonzo said. “Last time we wore them was for a funeral. Ow!” Taffy smacked his stomach.

“Welcome back, Honey,” she said, as she hugged me again.

 “Welcome back,” Bonzo smiled. “Anastasia.”

Weekly Expression #20- BK

A week had passed since her time of mourning had officially ended. Yet she found herself still choosing the black dresses to wear. The world might say it was time to move on and to stop grieving but her heart still clung to the sadness she bore. Her world had been turned upside down in an instant.

War took the best men.

She walked through the house in a daze. Mother was in the garden and father was in town. A lonely house. Just what she needed? No! How she wished she could cling to her mother’s shoulders until the pain went away. Or to feel her father’s comforting and protective arms wrap around her to shield her from further pain. But both her parents had warned her from the start. War had doomed her love to him and here she stood in the shadow of her parents insight. Was the pain worth the memories? Was the pain worth the now unclear future? To force her heart to start from scratch?

She collapsed in a chair and her head dropped down. The day’s mail scattered to the floor. She sighed and began to pick up her mess. She gasped and dropped the envelope back to the floor. She quickly stooped down and retrieved it in disbelief.

But she was soon corrected. It was from him. His last letter. She tore it open and his first words to her melted her heart…

“My dearest Melody, my heart aches with your absence. How I wish I could run from this horrid war and into your carefree arms. Pray for me. This time away from you is proving more and more difficult. I can only hope I return man enough to face your father and receive his blessing. I so very much desire to spend the rest of my life with you. I hope you feel the same way.

See what this time apart is doing to my head? I've already received his blessing and you have already said yes to my proposal. But a blessing is just words. I have not received his heart yet. Unlike you who was so easily persuaded! I hope your heart is not so easily turned for I fear my absence from you is not as hard on you as it is me. Again I say, see what this war is doing to me? I am a blubbering fool. I fret for nothing. Your previous letter to me all but strengthened my resolve that your love to me is genuine. How dare I? Forgive me, my Love?”

The rest of the letter was silly jargon of war. None of it made sense. It was only those first two paragraphs that sang in her heart. If only she could console him one last time. Her heart would forever be his.

She wished it were true but something deep down told her that her heart would heal with time and another would take his place. Perhaps her parents were right. This had just been a love of youth.

But when would her love of maturity come and save her from this desperate mourning she now drowned in?  

He would want her to move on. And so she shall. She ran to her room and quickly discarded the black dress. A colorful spring dress glowed in front of her. In an instant it seemed she was now dressed and ready for life again. She would always keep his words close to her heart. She would tease any future suitors that did not live up to his standards and she would praise the man who surpassed him. And to him she would again give her heart to. She skipped off towards the garden. Her mother looked up and smiled a warm smile. It was as if Melody was coming back to life.

She felt new again.

Weekly Expression Pic #20

Going back to the original "plan". A painting. 

This won't be my path but it would be cool to know the story from the writer of this letter, and not the point of view from the reader. Just a thought ;) Ok, Write on! And Welcome back to Weekly Expressions!

WE 19 Pic- BK

I thought we'd spice up the normal routine of pic picking for WE (as if the whole hero debacle wasn't spicy enough!)

Anywho, I thought for this round we could pick Black and White photographs, preferable older photos.

The description (not needed but if you have it, share! )

FADING AWAY c.1858- post mortem photograph by Henry Peach Robinson, famous photographer of the Victorian period

Weekly Expressions week #18 ~TJ

A tower-- bold, beautiful, and black, rose from the smoke beneath it. A building rose behind it, creating a darkened church with Celtic art carved into its black stone walls. The sun came out from behind a cloud, illuminating the tan cathedral, making each of its intricate details glisten and shine.
The voice behind her startled her. "What is it with you and churches?"
Destiny walked up the steps and closed the large red doors, then stepped back to gaze at her creation. "I like churches. They usually have one unique piece of structure or another. My mother often took me to church as a girl." She turned to look at Ace, standing behind her. "When did you get here?"
"Just now. I saw a large black silhouette rising from the ground and I started to become worried."
Destiny reached out and pinched her mentor. "Why? Are you worried I might create a monster to eat you?" She laughed to herself.
"No, I was scared of your subconscious." Ace felt the soft stone of a carved angel with wings reaching over the doorway to the church.
Destiny began creating a tulip flower bed beside the front sidewalk. "Why would my subconscious be something to be scared of?"
Ace created an eight-sided rubix cube in his hand and began playing with it. "The subconscious is the only unpredictable part of the human mind. It's extremely insecure."
"But you said that insecurity makes things predictable."
"It does, but the subconscious is so radically insecure it's almost impossible to tell what it's going to do next. As a result of its insecurity, it searches for security against whatever scares it. These securities are often seen in dreams. Usually in the form of a mob or a thug gang."
Destiny created a bridge to a tiny island in the middle of a crystal blue lake. She began creating a pavilion with hanging rose pots all around it. "So people just appear and start attacking you? How come you haven't been attacked as a result of my insecurities?"
By the time the dreamer finished her question, Ace had scrambled and solved his rubix cube again. That made three times since he had created it. "Because you are a rare person. You were not intimidated to find me in your dream."
"My dream? Isn't this your dream too?"
Ace sighed. "No. Just yours. You wouldn't survive in my dreams."
Destiny scoffed. "Oh yeah, I'm sure of that! I could just create an army and fight off your mob."
"No, the more you create things in someone else's dream, the more the subconscious becomes insecure, remember? That's why I had you create things in your first dream." Ace stood inside the pavilion where Destiny was still working on making things look nice. "Let me show you."
A cup dropped from the ceiling and shattered on the floor, causing Destiny to jump. Before Destiny could speak, Ace pointed behind her. "Who's that?"
Destiny turned to find a college-age girl with black hair walking down the street behind the church. "Oh, that's Gloria, she's friendly." She turned again to see Ace shake his head slowly while he glared. "She... she's... a part of my mob?!"
"One small part. As I create more, more people will show up and begin to surround me, waiting to attack. These are people you involuntarily create, so you already know them. But the subconscious creates them to expel me from your dream."
A man walked outside the fence to the church, glaring at Ace. "I'd better go. You have about 20 more minutes in your dream to work on your church before your stop on the subway."
"I set my alarm so I won't miss it. Come again, Ace."

Ace headed off the subway before Destiny woke. It was a relatively short but quiet walk back to his basement. He opened his door to the sound of gunfire and groaning on the television. "Hey Evan. How was the trip?"
"Just a sec, I'm on level 112."
Ace set his pack on his bed and put the Cx3 back in his safe. There were two 2-liters of Mountain Dew on his kitchenette table. "What went wrong?"
Evan played innocent. "What do you mean?"
"I'm not stupid, cousin. Code Red Mountain Dew and Sour Cream & Onion Pringles on my table and you honestly want me to believe that nothing is wrong?"
Evan found a safe place to save and pause his game. "Well, I actually had a question for you, kid."
Ace twisted the cap off his soda and took a swig. "Shoot."
"Did you do it?"
It was now Ace's turn to play innocent. "Do what?"
"Did you enter that one girl's mind?"
Ace turned to look in the fridge. He wasn't hungry, but he just felt guilty that he actually considered lying to his closest friend. "With the Cx3? Nope!"
"Don't give me that, kid! I know you can do it without the machine."
"Yes."
Evan dropped his head. "Does she know it was you?"
"Yeah. I've been teaching her how to work through her cognitive processes and enhance her mental computation. She said she got a bonus last Tuesday for finishing three-and-a-half times as much work as she was supposed to on one shift."
Evan stood shocked. "She's... she's... actually accepting and developing?!"
Ace took another swig to let his answer hold effect. "Faster than I did."
"And what about the mobs?"
Ace sat on the sofa to explain. "My theories were correct. Her subconscious created minions to engage me. But I escaped in time."
Evan sat on the adjacent sofa. "What happens if they kill you in the dream?"
"My theory would be that you simply wake up. But I think it's worse."
"How much worse?"
"In the real world, things that happen around us are taken in by sensors and then translated in the mind to electric signals. But I do the translating before it gets to my brain. If circumstances in a cooperative dream caused me to die, it could send my brain into shock and... well. You know."
The first tear Ace had ever seen Evan shed escaped his eyes. "And what happens when they find the only family I have left, dead on a subway as a result of his own experimentation?" His voice cracked as more tears started to follow.
"People need to know the potential that lies within their own minds. I don't know how else to do this."
Evan stood and headed for the door. "Keep the snacks. I can't afford your funeral."
"I don't want one."

"Destiny, please report to my office immediately." The voice always startled her, but she wasn't sure how to turn the loudspeaker volume down. She had finished this week's work already, but decided to take on Anna's work since she had a wedding this week out of town. She saved her document, took the final sip of her Lipton black tea, and strode for the office at the end of the hall. The short, bald man who used to yell and scream at her last month now greeted her with smiles.
"Oh, miss. Please come in!"
Destiny confidentially took a seat, but said nothing.
"According to this file here, you completed the Anderson, Huck, Menson, and Caulbrick cases in half a week. Is this correct?"
"Yes."
The man let a look of doubt escape him. "Full reports, lists, insurance claims...?"
"...along with car payments, new rates for the mortgage, and proposed food & gas plan all the way into the end of January, all taxes included," Destiny interrupted.
The man just sat back in his seat, shocked. "Are you going to college or something? Your efficiency rate has gone from 72% to 266.9% in the past three weeks. Anna is the best I've got and she only clocks out at 102.4% on a good day."
Destiny couldn't hold back the smirk that crept across her face. "I'm taking night classes with a friend, yes."
"Then someone needs to pay him better. Our district manager saw your completed work and wants to elevate you to corporate headquarters where the weekly paycheck weighs more than my car does. I've signed the papers already and we only need your signature."
Even though she knew she was excelling at her work, she forgot that perhaps she'd be recognized for her performance. "May I have some time to think about it?"
The man was surprised. "I didn't think a matter like this would take thinking. But sure, you have until the end of this week."
"Thank you, sir. May I be dismissed?"
"Certainly. See you tomorrow."
She wasn't entirely sure she'd have her mind made up by tomorrow. She really wanted to talk things through with Ace first. Since he was the only person who knew her mind had been trained to compute four different processes at the same time in mere seconds, he should get a say in where this would take her. Plus, accepting the job would involve moving to the new location, preventing her from seeing Ace again to continue her lessons.
She finished her work early, as usual, and left before the elevators became crowded. The subway station was cold and empty. Usually, Ace would be reading a science magazine from the stand that stood behind the waiting benches, but he was nowhere to be seen. The sub pulled up and Destiny stepped aboard.
Ace was already on the subway, seated in his normal spot. "Sorry. I boarded at an earlier stop. Since Evan told me to take the day off, I worked at 7/11 today."
Destiny set her purse and jacket down on the empty seat beside hers and sat next to Ace. "It must be nice, being able to switch jobs as you please."
Ace was pulling apart and solving a nail puzzle in one hand. "Not always. Evan usually lets me work, 7/11 will only let me work weekdays when they're shorthanded. But how was your work? You're about due for a promotion, aren't you?"
Destiny almost bounced in her seat with joy. "Yes! I was offered a transfer to corporate headquarters today!"
Ace pretended to be excited for her. "That's great! When do you leave?"
The sub conductor strolled by. "All right, we have our sleepy lovebirds, we're ready for takeoff!"
"Huh?" They said in unison.
The conductor laughed. "Every time you guys get on my train at this time, I always find you asleep holding hands."
Ace blushed but Destiny laughed. Neither of them thought about what their image might have on other people to always be asleep while "holding hands" on the train. There was usually no one who shared the subway with them. "Well sir, we have busy days, and this time is usually the only time we can..." Destiny looked at Ace with a loss for words, "...catch up."
The conductor put a toothpick in his mouth. He was trying to quit smoking. "Well, dream on, lovebirds. For tonight I shall take you home in style! ...just like every other night."
"Thank you, sir." Destiny replied. "Gosh, I had never thought of that, Ace. We must be sleepaholics to other people."
Ace put his nail puzzle back in his backpack. "Well at least my mother still doesn't know that I've been sleeping with a woman for the past three weeks."
Destiny went cherry red instantly. With all her might, she refused to laugh at that comment, but it did take effort. "Speaking of which, where is your mother?"
"She works at the hospital. She practically lives down there since she's never at home. I try to see her on every holiday -- and even invent some holidays! -- but her health is slowly deteriorating."
"I'm sorry to hear that. What does your father think about that?"
Ace shrugged. "Not much. He could be running a string of McDonalds in Arkansas and weigh 500 pounds for all I know."
"I'm sorry. I know your pain." Destiny said. "My father is a mechanic in Germany and my mother works for a type of German Red Cross."
"You don't see them much?" Ace asked.
Destiny stared at the floor. "Christmas. That's about it."
"Wow." Ace thought for a moment. "Maybe it'd be better if you did take the job at headquarters."
Destiny turned to look at her mentor. The subway seats were so tight that her arm was literally resting on top of his. "But then I wouldn't be able to see you anymore."
Ace shrugged again. "There's nothing wrong with that. You're well taught. With what you know, you could reach above and beyond what my mind could ever achieve."
"But... but..." Destiny struggled to find words. "What about just sharing dreams? You're really the closest friend I have. I've never been myself around anyone else before."
"Neither have I. But I've completed my purpose in life and taught someone how to be the most that they can be." Ace said with empty confidence.
"But you've never... wanted to... you know, be with someone before?" Destiny asked.
"No. I don't know what the connection is there."
Destiny was appalled. "You've never loved before?!"
Ace ran his fingers through his hair. "'Love' is a cute word my mother used to tell me before bedtime."
Destiny fell short of breath for a moment. Her best friend had never loved anyone before. And now she was honestly debating whether she had any affection for him. She began to sweat as she knew her heart bled for her dear friend.
"Are you okay?" He asked.
"Yeah, why?" She wiped her brow.
"If you're mentally unrested, then strange things can happen in one's dream."
"No, I'm fine. Let's go."


Ace loaded two shells into a double-barreled shotgun. "Let me show you something. You can manipulate physical reality in dreams to fit your fancy. Hand me that empty box on that table over there."
Destiny turned and picked up the empty cardboard box to her mentor. She noticed small RC planes flying around the canyon ahead. Ace set the box on the shooting stand before promptly dropping it, whereupon several shotgun shells spilled onto the floor.
"Whoopsie." Ace joked.
Destiny bent over to pick them up but Ace stopped her, "why are you picking those up? That box was empty a moment ago."
"But... how?"
Ace grinned. "The same way I can do this!" Ace fired three shots from his double-barreled shotgun. "Now how did I fire three shots from a two-shot shotgun?"
"I'm not sure. How?"
Ace set the gun down. "As long as you don't see the miracle happening, you can usually get away with it. But if doubt enters your mind, it won't happen. Let me show you one more thing."

Ace led Destiny to a large pavilion with punching bags hanging from the ceiling, weapons on racks, a blue mat for floor, and a fresh breeze accompanying the shade. "I am going to punch you in three, two, one."
Nothing happened.
Destiny started to ask innocently, "Why are you going to...?" She was interrupted with a flying arm headed straight for her face, which she promptly dodged. She was terrified, but curious. "What was that about?"
"In reality, your body cannot move that fast. You can predict what's going to happen almost as fast as it happens. Punch me."
Destiny spared him a light tap with her fist.
"No, no! Hit me!"
Destiny tried to hit him as fast as she could, but Ace countered her attack and responded with a fake punch to her neck. "Do you understand now, Destiny?"
She smiled and jumped on the mats a little. "I think so," she said with a mischievous wink.
Ace took a fighting position. "Then hit me, if you can."
Destiny walked around her opponent with an innocent smile on her face, as if to distract him. The moment she was behind him, she attempted a piggyback tackle, to which Ace responded with a Judo flip, knocking her to the ground. She responded with a kick to the face, then kicked his legs out from under him. The following fifteen-minute fight was the most intense that Destiny had ever heard of. Kicks and punches hurt as if they bruised her, but never broke bones or inflicted serious injury. She swiped his legs from under him a second time and this time she threw herself on top of him as if to say 'I won.'
"Nice fight!" Ace's rare but gorgeous smile showed again.
Destiny let a short giggle escape her. "Thanks!" She leaned forward as if to let him up, but she didn't want to. She leaned closer to him. He wasn't breathing heavily, nor was he turning away. The heart she had for him screamed to be free, to let him know how she really felt about him. Perhaps he could learn to love through her. But had she really loved before?
If she hadn't, then what she was about to do would make no difference. She granted Ace her first kiss. It wasn't as real as it would've been in real life, but it still held meaning, in this world or the real one.
He didn't turn away, nor struggle. Instead he placed his hand on her head and caressed her hair with his fingers, careful not to damage a single strand. When she lifted her head, it was all she could do to smile. Ace smiled back, but it was quickly interrupted when Destiny looked up from her tutor beneath her and her smile disappeared.
"Um, uh... it's okay guys. I've got it! Don't worry," Destiny began to panic. Ace turned his head to see the crowd gathering around.
Destiny stood and held her hands out. "Guys, it's okay. Really. He's not a threat."
Ace stood beside her. "I'm sorry, Destiny. I should've known."
"Should've known what?"
Ace quietly grabbed a spear from the rack beside him. "I imported an extreme emotion into your mind that your subconscious did not expect to find there. It found a threat," he whispered.
Destiny took out a small sword from the rack. "But you're not a threat."
"The subconscious doesn't know that."
Destiny held her sword with both hands, ready for anything. "Well then I'm glad you taught me combat."
"You can't fight them as you create them, Destiny. I have to escape."
No sooner had the words left Ace's mouth before the mob yelled together, "get him!!!"
Neither Bruce Lee nor the Matrix had anything for this fight. It was truly unreal! Ace had taken on four mobs before they could even raise their clubs, purses, or golfing clubs. Destiny acted as if she knew exactly how to handle every situation perfectly. As a result, her own mobs responded to what she predicted they were going to do, and she eliminated them with extreme ease. But she felt something else. Something that told her that her subconscious would be successful in eliminating this threat, as if it had already won the battle. She wondered how this could be since they were losing, but her curiosities ended when an old farmer from the shooting range raised his rifle and shot Ace through the upper chest.

Destiny startled awake from her dream with a short scream. She was breathing heavily and cold sweat was making its journey down her pale face. She wiped her head with her sleeve and chuckled. "Let's not do that again, Ace. That was way too much excitement for me."
She turned to watch for Ace's response, but he still was still sleeping. This can't be. It was her dream, and she knew it. He couldn't still be asleep in her dream if she was awake. Ace had explained that this was impossible last week.
"Ace, c'mon. Wake up!" She demanded. She was starting to become very nervous, and began hitting him lightly. "Ace? Ace? Please wake up!" She began slapping him across the face as hard as she could. "Ace! Ace! Answer me, please!"
The conductor came from the pilot console. "What's wrong, miss?"
Destiny held on to Ace's collar with white knuckles. "I... I don't know. He's not responsive, sir!"
"I'll call an ambulance to meet us at our next stop. It'll be about three minutes." He volunteered.
"All right. Please hurry!"


Destiny rose from the waiting room bench to meet the familiar man walking in the door. "Hey, are you the computer repair guy?"
"Yeah, I'm Ace's cousin. You must be Destiny."
"Pleased to meet you, regardless of the circumstances." She shook his hand.
"Speaking of which, how is he doing?"
Destiny began leading him down the hall to an observation room with a large window to his operation room. "He's been unresponsive for the past four hours. They gave him an MRI earlier, but that didn't tell anything. They put him under this fancy infrared scanner with a big name I don't remember. That deduced that somehow, one part of his brain is attacking the other part of his brain, like an allergy. The rest of the mind wasn't sure how to handle the stress and it shut itself down."
Evan stared with hoping eyes through the window. "His mind is in shock." He didn't see Destiny nod but he was sure she did. He turned to her and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Destiny, please, I need you to tell me everything you know about this."
Destiny turned to look at Ace through the glass. His heart rate was almost non-existent. "We were dreaming. He was teaching me how to cheat physics. I kind of lost myself and kissed him without thinking about it. Then the mob showed up and killed him."
Evan facepalmed. "I told him this would happen. Not two days ago, I told him this would happen."
"What do we do, Evan?"
Evan shook his head without removing his hand over his eyes. "I don't think there's anything we can do."
Tears began pouring out of Destiny's eyes for the third time since the subway. "I'm so sorry, Evan."
Evan began walking for the door. "You didn't know what you were doing. No point in yelling at you for that."
A doctor came in the door before it had time to shut from Evan's departure. "There's nothing more we can do, miss. We can only move him to a room and wait for him to wake up."
"I understand, doctor. Thank you."
The doctor shifted his weight. "I'm sorry, miss. This is a bit embarrassing to ask at this time, but are you his next of kin?"
"Yeah," she lied.
"Would you mind looking after his belongings he was carrying during the incident?"
"Not at all."

The doctor led her to a room prepped for Ace. They moved Ace in and she was permitted to enter. "His belongings are in the closet."
"Thank you." She began looking through his backpack, finding mostly munchies and science magazines. But at the bottom, wrapped in satin, she found a soft, dense machine that looked like a number eight. Etched into the side of the odd machine were the symbols "Cx3."
She left the machine in the bag and found Ace's doctor. She inquired to the possibility of her spending the night in the same room as Ace so she could look after him. The doctor agreed.

That night, Destiny slid into the hospital bed beside Ace and hooked the machine from her wrist to his. Her hands shook, because now she would be hunted. And if Ace is already battling himself to be free, she could be caught in it and then she'd end up like Ace. She must not fail. She wasn't sure what she was even looking for, but he's in there somewhere, and she was determined to find him. The machine numbed her arm and she drifted off...

Destiny began walking down a dark hallway. A man in shaggy, long hair and a black leather jacket was just a few paces ahead of her. Destiny grabbed her knife from her back pocket and killed him without a single sound. She held him so he wouldn't fall on the ground with a thud, but as she did, she felt a pistol strapped to his ribs. This was going to be a lot harder than Destiny thought if Ace's conscious is militarized.
She ran up some stairs to find a guard in a black sleeveless shirt and camouflage pants carrying an M16 pacing the next hallway. Destiny ran forward to attack him as well. Due to his strength, she needed to stab him twice, but he fell anyway.
An alarm went off and red lights all along the halls started flashing. Destiny broke out into a sprint and started running down the halls as fast as she could. She almost ran into two more guards, but she eliminated them with her knife before they had time to lift their rifles.
She turned a corner of the strange building to be met with an explosion, sending her flying into the wall behind her. Men in black suits and advanced assault rifles charged in the hole in the wall. Two of them responded to a radio call, saying they had the hostage, while the other troops shot at incoming hostiles. Destiny tried to fight back, but she felt numb from the explosion, and couldn't move her limbs at all.
The men hauled her into the back of an armored light tank and set her on a bench. The remaining black troops retreated to the vehicle and shut the door, then the vehicle sped off.
"Why haven't you killed me, yet?" Destiny inquired.
"That's not our objective. Our objective is to take you to our leader, and he's very upset." The commanding soldier replied.
Destiny wondered what part of Ace's mind she was being taken to, and if he would know she was there. But if these are subconscious troops, then they are taking him to the unpredictable side of his own mind, which may not be like him at all.
The truck stopped and the troops ran out the door once again. They led Destiny to a bunker with a large metal door while fighter planes soared over head. The guards unlocked the door and pushed Destiny through before promptly closing it. Destiny walked to a map in the middle of a large dark room with glowing buttons and dials lining every wall.
"Destiny?! Destiny! Son of a biscuit! What are you doing here?!" Ace ran from behind a large white screen.
"I came looking for you!" She replied. "Are you okay? Your mind is in shock in the real world."
"Yeah, no kidding. We've been at war with mob rebels for almost a year now."
Destiny gasped. "A year?! You've only been in shock for six hours!"
Ace leaned forward over the map table like a war commander. "When under panic, the mind works almost instantly for a very long time. Which makes time in the dream world extremely rapid compared to time in the real world."
"Then how do I get you out of here and back in the real world?"
Ace pointed to a star on the map. "I've been able to materialize the emotion and thought process of the problem. I've condensed the problem to the subconscious generator, here. What we have to do is reset the generator to convince it that we're actually asleep. Right now it's warring with us, trying to convince me I'm dead."
Destiny's heart dropped. He's trying to tell himself he's not dying. For a whole year he's been trying to tell himself he's not dying. "So what stops you from getting the generator to reboot?"
"Two things. First, the subconscious generator keeps sending armed militia and armed forces at us from that location. Second, I cannot be the one to reboot it, otherwise the subconscious will take the rebooting for a lie. I could send one of my own created mob in to do it, but there's no guarantee he'll succeed, or even do it right."
Destiny stared at the map for a moment. "Then send me in there."
"I can't, Destiny. This is the same ball game. If you're shot then you begin to be at war with yourself. And we'll still be hooked together." Ace looked up at her from the map. "Wait, how are you hooked up to me?"
"I found the machine in your backpack, it's called C-3PO or something."
Ace sat down and took a deep breath. "...and I'm in a hospital?"
"Yes, why?"
"When doctors find us hooked together and pull us apart from the machine, it could easily kill you, me, or both."
"But if six hours equals a year down here in your dream, then we have plenty of time. Almost another year!"
"No, Destiny. You're not in shock panic. When you entered this dream, you slowed down my cognitive processes to match your speed. We have the normal amount of time."
Destiny stood closer to the table to examine the map more carefully. "So we have just over a day." She picked up a pen and started drawing access routes to the generator. "It looks like you're stuck with me, AJ. Either I save your life or we both die."
Ace walked over and stood beside Destiny. "I don't want to lose you."
She looked into his eyes and smiled. "You won't."

Destiny followed Ace past a sea of large cylinders with one dial on them each, and they all went back and forth at the same time. They entered a room with a few knobs and dials and a screen showing the fluctuation of the substance in the tubes. "I can cut my breathing down to 50%. Any more than that and I risk accidentally suffocating in my sleep. But this will make my entire mind work less, so the generator will spawn less mobs. But I won't be able to offer you any military support, because I, too, will be able to preform less work. So you'll be on your own."
"I understand, Ace. I'll take care of it for you." She slid her hand behind Ace's back and squeezed him closer to her. Ace responded with the same gesture.
"Just remember: Be careful!" Ace leaned forward and gave Destiny a kiss.
"Why did you do that?!" She asked.
Ace just smiled. "What's my subconscious going to do? Go to war with me?" He winked at her.
"You stay safe too!" She turned to walk out the door to find transportation to take her to the generator, but she stopped at the doorway. "I love you," she said, then she disappeared.
"I'd love you too, if only I knew what it meant." Ace whispered.

Night was falling and the atmosphere was getting colder. Ace must have begun the slower breathing cycle. The chopper landed on a hill with an overlook of the generator. It was a large blue cylinder with electrical current running through it.
"You'd better get going, miss. The mobs will see our chopper and investigate. Being as part of the mind, they know we have a plan and that we're executing it. But the plan is too complex for the subconscious to understand. The subconscious is an impulsive reactor, like a computer. It's not a processor. So you have that advantage over them. But if you're discovered or captured, every mob in our universe will come looking for you where you were spotted." The chopper pilot explained.
"Can I kill mobs without the subconscious knowing?" She asked, checking her silenced rifle.
"Only if the mobs don't know they're being killed before they're dead."
"Copy that, good luck," she said.
"Good luck to you, commander. You're going to need it." The chopper pilot replied.

Destiny slid down the hill to a fence with barbed wire over the top. She created a little pair of wire cutters and cut a door for herself in the fence. She had to be careful what she created, lest the subconscious realize that there's a foreign mental intruder nearby. The doors to the main entrance were locked, but she thought that maybe the door on the left would be unlocked. The physics obeyed and opened the door instantly.
She ran down the concrete hall leading to the generator. Mobs were grunting to themselves at the end of the hall, grabbing weapons and ammunition before running out the deployment door. Destiny waited at the end of the doorway, and as the air in Ace's body decreased, so did the number of spawning mobs. Soon there were only three men in the hall, all lined up at the weapons table. Destiny didn't hesitate to lift her rifle and put a bullet through all three of their heads at the same time.
She ran into a large room with engineers monitoring the screens and dials that lined the walls. There was no way to sneak past the engineers without alerting them. Nor could she kill them without their notice. Nonetheless, she tried her best to sneak under machines and behind shelves and snipe engineers as silently as she could. But on the third kill, the engineers took notice and caused Uzis to appear in their hands. Destiny tipped the selves over and began firing back at the engineers. She killed two more, but the rest were closing in. And she knew every mob in the dream state was after her. She was out of time. Hopping over a desk, she shifted her position to the left, flanking some of the engineers, she had two clear shots, but more engineers were appearing from the spawner. Well, if every mob knew she was here anyway, what's the hurt in confirming what they already knew? She created grenade after grenade and began throwing them into the spawner. Finally it shattered with an explosion. But that only created and triggered an auxiliary spawner. The new spawner began to start the spawning processes.
Destiny sprinted as if her life depended on it for the mainframe computer. Armed mobs had just arrived inside the generator and began opening fire at her. She felt a bullet go through her leg, but it was numb for a split second.
She reached the mainframe computer, but the pin on a grenade was pulled from one of the mobs. Destiny typed "{S-C primary: initiate system reboot.}" as the grenade dropped behind her. She wasn't sure if she hit enter, because the deafening roar of the grenade exploded behind her.

~/*\~

Beeping noises caused Ace to impulsively hit the snooze button on his alarm. But no alarm was found on his nightstand, and his alarm didn't make beeping noises like that. He opened his eyes to the scene of a hospital room around him. He was hooked to a heart monitor with wires attached to his head. His Cx3 wrapped around his left wrist. The other end was attached to the most beautiful woman he had ever seen- Destiny. His precious Destiny. He wasn't sure what love felt like, he simply knew that he had never felt this way about someone before, and it was the best thing he had ever felt.
"Destiny, are you there? Did you make it?"
She stirred from her sleep a little. "I think so," she barely mumbled.
Ace was speechless for what seemed like an eternity. "Thank you."
Destiny looked up into his gorgeous black eyes. "That's what it means to love, Ace."