"Morpheus." The voice was back. "You've fallen asleep again." The figure came into view.
Morpheus recognized him from his Mythology class. It was Hypnos. Greek god of sleep. "You have to accept it Morpheus." Hypnos whispered. The darkness that surrounded him began to breathe and take shape. "You have to accept it before it's too late." The darkness formed an evil looking horse.
The horse was fierce and untamed. It began to charge Morpheus. "Embrace it and save the world." The horse reared and came down on Morpheus. "Become the Nightmare."
Morpheus woke in a cold sweat. He panted heavily as he leaned forward in his computer chair. All the lights in his room were on and the bed remained made and untouched. Dust had begun to settle on the sheets. BING! He had recieved an instant message from his IM buddy, GrayEyedGoddess.
GrayEyedGoddess: Hey!
RedPill: Sorry Gray. Fell asleep.
GrayEyedGoddess: OMG! R u okay?
RedPill: Yeah, I'm fine. I'm going 2 the clinic 2maro. I had the dream again.
GrayEyedGoddess: Do you know what it means?
RedPill: I have my guesses.
The two continued talking until morning. That's when Morpheus got dressed and went to Elysium Mental Institute. As he entered he was greeted by one of the Institute's Doctors. He said good morning and informed Morpheus he was late for the therapy session in the meeting hall. Morpheus thanked him and went to the session.
Morpheus entered the meeting hall.
He spotted an empty chair next to Valda. Another frequenter at the Institute, Valda suffered from insomnia as well. In fact everyone at the meeting did. Valda was mauled at the circus by an escaped tiger and had the emotional and physical scars to prove it.
"Sup?" Morpheus whispered as he took a seat. Valda smiled slightly and gave a wave only the two could see. She then crossed her arms and slouched in her chair. Valda was in her late teens, and Morpheus had a real thing for her. She was a very attractive young woman who had grown into her body very, very well. She would argue the point because of her scars though. The first time she looked in the mirror after the incident, Valda had believed she'd never be physically appealing.
The therapist cleared his throat and all eyes turned to him.
Dr. Remy. He was an old man, was very wise and always seemed to give off a warm feeling to those around him. "Well," he spoke clearly so the whole circle could hear him. "Valda has volunteered to start the introductions today. Valda?"
Valda stood up and looked around. It wasn't always the same group of people. Sometimes there were new patients, and sometimes they were old patients that never went to a meeting Valda was at. So it was customary to explain a few things to everyone. "Hi." She said with a smile and then looked at the floor to hide her face, "I'm Valda. I've been coming to Elysium for almost five years." She always cried when she told this story so Morpheus held out his hand. She took it and continued talking as she looked up and wiped away tears, "I used to love cats." She sniffled. "When I was fourteen I was a lion tamer for Halloween. For my fifteenth birthday my parents took me to the circus. It was a big deal to me because Adamas was the main attraction. Adamas was a beautiful tiger and they actually let kids ride him after the show. I was so excited." She cut off, choked back a sob and pushed on, still holding Morpheus' hand, "My turn came around and I got on. As we started i got really into it. I was screaming for joy! Adamas was enjoying it to. I know this because he started he slowed his pace as if he was back in the center ring and showing off. I began shouting to the other kids, 'I am Valda the Marvelous! World's best tamer and friend of Adamas!' When I had to get off Adamas licked my hand and as I patted his head someone in the crowd threw a shoe at him. He was caught off guard and thought I had hurt him." She began crying hard, "He was only following his instincts. He was trying to protect himself." There was a silence as Morpheus stood up and Valda sobbed into his shoulder. When she had calmed down she pressed Morpheus away slightly. He got the hint that he needed to sit down again. "He attacked me. I was in the hospital for three days. I would have nightmares about Adamas tearing me apart. The nightmares got worse when i heard they had to put him down because of what he did. Ever since then I've continued to have nightmares and I run screaming when I see a cat of any kind." She sat back down.
"Thank you Valda." Dr. Remy jotted down something on his clipboard and looked up to ask, "Who's next?"
Morpheus stood up and cleared his throat. "Hey, I'm Morpheus." He looked around at the new comers, "Since I was born I've been an insomniac by choice. I suffer chronic nightmares when I fall asleep, so I've decided to take meds to keep me awake at night. By the way doc I need a refill. I fell asleep last night."
"Tell me about it." Dr. Remy said. Looking around cautiously, Morpheus told everyone about his nightmare. Dr. Remy had always found Morpheus to be an interesting case. He lived a normal life, had never been severely traumatized, and yet he still suffered from nightmares that woke him and caused him to find ways to stay awake no matter what. "See me after the meeting Morpheus."
Once everyone had gone and the meeting was over Morpheus stayed behind. "You wanted to see me Dr. Remy?"
"Yes." Dr. Remy took out a bottle of pills. He gave the bottle to Morpheus who opened it and looked inside. With a look of curiosity Morpheus took out a pill and examined it.
"These are blue." He said with a twinge of anger.
"They're new." The doctor explained, "These won't keep you up. In fact as soon as you swallow it you should fall fast asleep."
"Doc I,"
"You have to trust me Morpheus. I've been your psychiatrist for as long as you've had nightmares."
Morpheus thought about it. "But why would you want me to sleep?"
"If you allow the nightmare to finish. You may learn more about why it keeps happening."
With a heavy heart and feeling like his psychiatrist had let him down, Morpheus began to walk home. He held the bottle in his hand and never took his eyes off them.
"Hey Morph?" Morpheus jumped as he was snapped out of his focus on the pills. Valda was a few short steps behind him.
"Hey Val." Morpheus pocketed the pill bottle. "What's up?"
"I didn't mean to eavesdrop." Valda looked down. "Okay, well I did. But... I think you should do it." Morpheus was shocked. Valda continued, "I of all people know what it's like to suffer through nightmares. But I have something that might help you." She reached into her pocket and pulled out a small doll.
"I made this for you." She gave the small doll to Morpheus. "I call it a dream guard. I have one myself. It really helps me. Maybe yours will help you."
Morpheus looked the doll over. "You made this?" Valda smiled and nodded. "Thank you. This is the coolest." Turning red and blushing so violently her scars turned hot pink. Valda waved quickly and ran off. With a curious look at the doll and a smile as he watched Valda run away, Morpheus headed home.
Night 2: Deeper into the Rabbit hole
That night Morpheus sat in his bed and eyed the pills. He grabbed the dream guard and laid in his bed.
"Here goes..." He swallowed the pill and sleep took hold.
Morpheus opened his eyes. He was standing on peak of a mountain. The sky was dark and an old dead tree leaned over the peaks edge. "Nice view." Came a voice. Morpheus looked around and saw nobody. "Down here." Morpheus looked to his feet and saw the dream guard looking up at him.
"Wow..." Morpheus looked at the little guy. "That's new."
"I'm your personal dream guard." The little guy said. "And you are a moron!" He pounced and bit Morpheus on the hand.
Morpheus screamed in pain. He felt the razor sharp teeth of the doll sink deeper into his hand. "Wake up!" Morpheus yelled to himself. He began to shake his hand violently but the doll refused to let go. It was agonizing. He couldn't believe he wasn't waking up. "Why won't I wake up?" Blood began to pour from the mouth of the doll.
"Because you can't." A whisper on the wind said. "Lock-Jaw! Enough!" The doll released Morpheus' hand. It landed and ran to the tree on the ledge where it bowed. Standing gently on the tree was a figure Morpheus knew too well. Morpheus grabbed his bleeding hand and looked up at the figure with pain in his eyes. "Hello Morpheus. I am-"
"I know damn well who you are!" Morpheus cut him off angrily. "I've known since I finally had the guts to tell my mom about you! She told me everything! Now let me go!"
"I'm not keeping you here." The figure replied. "You took the pill. You screwed up everything!"
"What are you talking about?"
"The power!" The figure vanished and reappeared in front of Morpheus. "The power of Nightmares! After years of keeping my blood safe, you foul it all up with a simple blue pill." The figure began to pace around Morpheus. "But I must thank your doctor for this opportunity. I can now speak with you uninterrupted by you waking up. We need to have a talk Morpheus. I have a lot to explain and little time to do."
"But-"
"SO SIT DOWN AND HOLD YOUR TONGUE!!!!!" The figure pointed to Morpheus and Morpheus was thrown to the ground by invisible hands. Morpheus tried to object but found he was unable to open his mouth. Lock-Jaw giggled to himself at the sight. "You may think you know everything but I will tell you everything whether like it or not. Centuries ago there was a great war amongst the Greek gods. My sons and I fought on the side of Zeus. We were amongst the last survivors after the Graceful Ones had taken Olympus. My fellow gods and I had decided to leave objects of vast power on earth so that one day mortals such as yourself could overthrow the Graceful Ones. So I sent my sons out to find the best place to hide my gift to man. Morpheus, your ancestor, was the first to return. He was beaten and bruised. His brothers had betrayed him and vicariously me. By the time my other sons had returned I had already hidden the gift. They were too late. In their anger they killed me and stripped their brother of his godly powers. You see Morpheus, I am not Hypnos. I am not the father of he who you were named for. I am a memory. A fading glimpse of what once was. The gift hypnos hid was the gift of The Nightmare. The first nightmare. A power so great it can end life, yet so small..." the figure smirked. "It could be hidden in the blood of a God. That's where you come in. With every new generation this memory has been passed on. Hoping that one day one of Hypnos' great descendants would take up his mantle. And this time you have no choice." Morpheus tried to scream, tried to object, tried to fight the invisible force holding him down. "Over the centuries my two disloyal sons have spread their blood into the mortal world. Like you they were named for their ancestor, but unlike you they have been helping the Graceful ones. You see Morpheus, Gods cannot interact directly with mortals. They can, however, visit their dreams. Until now there was nothing to worry about. But this pill, the one you took. It's not like your average sleeping pill. It turns dreams into reality. What happens in the nightmares will happen in the waking world. Soon the Graceful Ones will know of this. The pill will be spread and they will conquer the mortal world. You must accept the gift. Only then will you be given it's power. You will unlock the true potential of your own nightmares and those you choose." With a flick of the figures wrist Morpheus became free. He stood and thought about all he had heard.
"And if I don't accept?" He asked.
"Then all you hold dear will die." Morpheus thought hard. He wanted to fight this.
"This isn't possible. This is a Nightmare! I want to wake up! NOW!" Morpheus demanded.
"You will see proof this is no dream. Just look at your hands when your eyes open. You will believe then."
Morpheus smiled triumphantly. "He only bit one of my hands!" Lock-Jaw jumped and clamped his teeth down hard on the unwounded hand.
Morpheus awoke with a start. As he wiped sweat off his brow blood tricked down his face. In total shock Morpheus looked at his hands. They had been torn open by what looked to be teeth marks. He collapsed in his bed. Thoughts swirling around his head. "********."
"You said it." A familiar voice agreed. Morpheus looked around. No one was there. No one except the doll Valda had made him. Morpheus looked at it curiously.
"Did you just say something." Morpheus asked it.
"Well I'm not telepathic!" The doll replied sarcastically.
"Am I still sleeping?" Morpheus got out of the bed and pulled a first aid kit out of the closet.
"No." The doll stood on the bed. "I'm your link to the dream world. Thanks to that little blue pill." Morpheus took out some bandages and began wrapping his hand.
"So... You know what the deal is with these?" He pointed to the bottle of pills. "And why? If the gods are in on this, did my doctor give them to me?"
"Well." The doll walked around, testing the stability of the mattress as he spoke. "As you now know, without a doubt, the pills have the ability to have your dreams affect your physical body. Everyone sleeps, so everyone dreams. Gods have found a loop-hole in the "No direct contact with mortals" rule of being a god. They can enter the dreams of mortals and put persuasive thoughts in their heads. Sometimes it works, sometimes not. But if the gods could physically interact on a dream plane the possibilities of Mortal Conquest are endless." He began to jump on the bed. "To answer your question about your shrink."
"Psychiatrist."
"Tomato-Tomaato. He's a Satyr."
"You're joking."
"Nope. One of the last sons of Dionysus. He has been helping to develop that pill for centuries. All he needed was a test subject." The doll did a back-flip. "Someone who wouldn't survive their dream." He stopped jumping. "Lucky you."
"Well what happens now?" Morpheus sat back on the bed. "And if I'm not sleeping, how are you still alive?"
"I told you. I'm your dream link. The thing that keeps me kicking is your power over the Nightmare. When you unlock it, you will be granted the powers of Hypnos. The abilities to enter the dreams of others and effect the outcome. At that time I will be a lifeless doll again. Until then." The doll sat by Morpheus. "I'm the plucky side-kick."
"That's just perfect. And what do I call you?"
"Lock-Jaw!"
"I think I'll call you L0cke." Morpheus said.
The two sat in the bed and talked until the sun came up. Morpheus had learned that he had distant cousins. Descendants of his namesake's brothers. The two had been helping the graceful ones create the sleeping magic of the pill. Remy was just the supplier and tester. They had been testing the drug for years with no good outcome. Until now. As soon as the Remy saw the bandages on Morpheus' hands, he would know that the pill finally worked. The worst part was, that's all it took. One pill and, if you woke up, every time you fell asleep after, the pill's effects would kick in again. Morpheus only knew of one thing that kept him from sleeping. The pills he used to take. The red pills. He decided to go to the clinic and get some. Maybe even find out more about what was really going on while he was there.
The whole day, the two planned their night. How they were going to get in, what equipment they needed, where they needed to go, how they would get passed security, etc. Finally night came.
Night 3: The Big top and the Big Bad
Morpheus suited up and readied to go. "You ready?" Morpheus asked L0cke.
L0cke approached him saying. "I don't come with black-ops accessories. So yeah, I'm golden. Just press play and lets go." Morpheus put up his hood and pressed play on the boom box. Men At Work's Land Down Under began to play. L0cke took deep breathes as if he was inhaling the music for courage. "Okay. Let's do this." And the two left the house.
When the two arrived at the clinic they crouch behind a bush. A security guard came out of the entry of the west wing where Morpheus met for his Nightmare Sessions. They took a rope out of the bag. The two quietly began scaling the wall. When they reached the second story Morpheus looked in a window. The room was large and covered with book shelves and plotted plants. A desk was close to the window. It had a name plate that read "Dr. Dio Remy". "Lucky me." Morpheus had spoken too soon. He had forgotten to close the bag. The bat they packed began slipping out. At the last minute Morpheus caught it, but the momentum of the bats fall caused his arm to swing the bat and shatter the window. In a rush of panic the two dove into the window and peeked out to see what the guard was going to do. He turned and the two of them noticed he was wearing head phones and hadn't heard a thing over his music.
With a sigh of relief Morpheus took out his flashlight and looked around.
Morpheus went straight for the drawers of the desk. He open three before finding a drawer full of bottles. They were all holding red pills. "I guess this is his recycling drawer. I should probably take all of these. Who knows if we'll when we'll run out." he filled the bag with the bottles and as he stood up something on the desk caught his eye. The notes from the meeting that day. Morpheus read them over. In terror he read it again. This time out loud so L0cke could hear it. "Morpheus didn't show up today. I don't have time to check his home so I'll try again. I've given Valda the pills. She seems very enthusiastic about overcoming her nightmares. She's told me of her recurring dream, and how it ends. I'd hate to be the one who walks in on her in the morning." The two looked at each other. "We have to stop her." The two ran back out the window and were in such a rush they left the rope hanging from the roof. It didn't matter. All that mattered now was keeping Valda from taking the pill. They ran and ran down the side of the road looking for her house. Finally they arrived. Morpheus side and smiled as he saw Valda in the window on the second story. "She's awake. She hasn't taken it yet." As Morpheus caught his breath he watched Valda take a drink of water from a glass in her hand. As soon as the glass left her lips she dropped it, and collapsed. "s**t!!!!!" Morpheus ran at the door and broke it down. He then ran as fast as he could up the stairs to Valda. "Wake up!" He said patting her face. "C'mon Valda! Wake up!" He slapped her.
"She won't." L0cke said as he finally caught up to Morpheus. "It's the pill."
"What do we do?" he asked. Tears forming in his eyes.
"You have to pull her out."
"What?" Morpheus was screaming now.
"Go into her dream and pull her out."
"HOW?"
"You know how." With tears pouring from his face Morpheus released Valda and stood up. He wiped the tears away and L0cke began lift off the ground. "It's about time." Morpheus closed his eyes and L0cke began to shine as if his body was the purest light in the world. Morpheus' eyes suddenly shot open and he screamed.
"EMBRACE THE NIGHTMARE!" The light vanished and the world turned black.
When the lights came back on. Morpheus felt completely different. He felt powerful. He looked at himself and recognized what he had become. He was the new embodiment of Hypnos.
He was ready to do whatever it took to save Valda. The sound of an excited audience came from behind him. He turned. Somehow he had not noticed the large empty stands before. When he turned again he saw the set up of a big top circus. Valda was riding a tiger in the main ring.
She had on a beautiful outfit and none of her scars were on her. But what stunned Morpheus the most was that Valda wasn't hiding her face, and she was smiling. It was then that Morpheus realized he was in Valda's dream. "You almost missed it." Morpheus turned to the stands. They weren't empty any more. A small doll sat in the closest seat to Morpheus and sipped tea from a cup.
Morpheus looked at her, "Dream Guard?"
"Yep." The doll replied, "You the Nightmare kid?"
"Yep." He held out his hand. "I'm Morpheus." The doll stood up and curtsied.
"Pepper-Tea." she then shook his hand.
"What did you mean when you said I almost missed it?" He looked at Valda. Her smile melted his heart.
"This is just the beginning. Just wait for it." She sipped her tea and eyed Valda. Valda screamed with joy to the invisible audience.
"I am Valda the Marvelous. Friend to all the worlds cats."
"Cue shoe." Pepper-Tea said calmly. A shoe came from nowhere and smacked the tiger in the head. It went berserk.
The tiger turned on Valda and attacked her. The wounds healed quick and formed her scars when the beast ran off.
The lights dimmed and Pepper-Tea began to shake. "He's coming." She trembled.
"Who?" Morpheus asked quietly. He watched as a panicked Valda began to look around and rub the blood off her clothes.
"It's the blood." Pepper-Tea whispered. "It's what draws him. He wants revenge."
"Who?" Morpheus asked louder. His eyes fixed on Valda. Suddenly a roar erupted from the shadows. Morpheus couldn't believe what he was seeing. It was a tiger. Or he thought it was. What ever stepped from the shadows barely had a form. It had the stripes and face of a large tiger, but there was no body. Valda fell to the floor in terror.
"Adamas!" She screamed. The ghost of the long dead tiger circled her as she stood up again.
"Do something!" Pepper-Tea yelled. "He's going to kill her!" Morpheus didn't have time to get to her. He called to her.
"Valda!"
She jumped and looked in his direction. "Morpheus?" She called back. "What are you doing here?"
"That doesn't matter!" He screamed.
"Get out of here! He'll kill us both!"
"No he won't! This is your dream! Turn it around on him! Embrace it! Make this his Nightmare!"
Valda returned her gaze to the spirit of the mighty jungle cat. He crouched down, ready to pounce. Valda closed her eyes and whispered. "Embrace the Nightmare." Adamas pounced but fell short after receiving a whiplash across the face. Valda was now holding two whips. She looked down at the cat and readied herself for his next attack. She smirked and said triumphantly, "Bad kitty."
Adamas pounced again. Valda was faster though. Her whips lashed out and entangled the tiger. He hit the dirt with a loud thud. His legs bound he knew he had lost the battle. Valda put her whips down and slowly approached Adamas. Morpheus took a step forward but Pepper-Tea cleared her throat in a way that said "wait a minute". Valda knelt next to Adamas and began to stroke his invisible fur.
"I didn't hurt you." She whispered, "I'm sorry that they did. I'm sorry that it all happened. I'm so sorry." She fell on Adamas and began to cry. The whips that bound him disappeared. The mighty Adamas leaned into Valda and began to lick her face. With a smile and a wipe of her tears, Valda stood up. the lights turned back on and the invisible crowd cheered. Valda approached Morpheus with Adamas in tow. She looked him up and down. Pepper-Tea jumped off the sttands and approached Adamas. She wink and a large teacup, full of milk. appeared. Adamas began lapping it as if it was the most delicious thing he had ever tasted.
"Two things." Valda laughed to herself. "One, what are you doing here? Two, what are you wearing?"
"I'll explain everything as soon as we get you out of here." Morpheus replied.
"Just get on the Nightmare." Pepper-Tea said as she patted Adamas' nose.
"Umm... Aren't we in the nightmare?"
"Not the nightmare. The Nightmare!" Pepper-Tea pointed to the shadows. It was horse of Morpheus' own nightmares.
Morpheus stepped towards the mighty beast. It simply bowed and waited for Morpheus to mount. Morpheus climbed on and the Nightmare trotted over to Valda. Valda and Pepper-Tea hopped on. The Nightmare reared and whinnied. Morpheus and Valda hung on tight as the mighty beast came down and ran off into the shadows, taking them to the waking world.
Adamas watched them disappear. Suddenly Adamas sensed something. It sent a chill up his spine. Adamas ran off and hid under the stands as a figure dressed in furs jumped down from the tight ropes.
"This may be a problem." The figure said. The dirt beside him began to move and shape. It formed another being. This one had the skin of stone and wore strange armor.
"A problem indeed." The second agreed.
Valda opened her eyes and sat up. Morpheus was sitting on her bed next to her. He had moved her when he woke up and was waiting for her. "It's about time." He smiled.
"What the hell?" She screamed and pushed him off the bed. "What the are you doing here?"
"Woah!" Morpheus jumped. "Don't you remember?"
"Remember? Remember what?"
"The dream." Pepper-Tea sat in the corner of the room. She sipped her tea as usual.
"Pepper-Tea? But you're... you're just... am I still dreaming?" Valda looked at Morpheus who sighed deeply and explained the whole thing.
***
Dr. Dio Remy lay asleep at home. He dreamed of his life before the "Rise of the Graceful". Back when he drank from the vines of his father and sat by the ponds with the nymphs.
The sky turned to a dark purple and lightning came down from black clouds. "Dio." came a haunting voice. A door appeared behind him. "Step into your office."
Fearfully Dio turned the knob and walked through the door. He was standing in his office. He wasn't alone. Two others occupied his desk. A man in furs was examining the broken window, while another, younger looking man, sat in Dio's chair. "It seems we have stumbled upon an obstacle Dr. Remy." The younger man's voice was the same one that called Dio to the door.
"Where are we?" Dio looked around and saw his plants. "Is this my office? What happened here?"
"Morpheus." Said the one in furs.
"Yes." Said the one in the chair. "It would seem our cousin has learned of our plans and discovered a weapon our ancestors spent their lives looking for."
"Morpheus?" Dio was in shock. "He's your cousin?"
"Yes." Said the one at the window. "Tell us Dio," Finally he turned from the window. "Did you know that your pill is working?"
"It works?" Dio was excited.
"Yes." The fur covered one was instantly behind Dio. He grabbed him by the back of the neck and slammed Dio's head against into the desk. "And this whole thing will have been for nothing if some little s**t wants to play hero!" Dio began to whimper.
"What Phobetor is trying to say is," The one in the chair leaned in so Dio could hear him whisper, "What are you going to do to solve this problem?"
Dio woke up in his bed. His body throbbing in pain. He needed to find a way to fix his problems before his masters truly destroyed him. As quick as he could he got dressed and ran down to the clinic. He hurriedly cleaned up the mess and called a window repair service. Then, after he tended to his plants, the doctor took several deep breaths and pulled a book off one of his shelves. The book was Alibaba and the Forty Thieves. Suddenly the bookshelf began to groan with the sound of machinery. The bookcase moved into the wall and slid to the side. On the other side was a sleeping boy. He was bound by chains and hooked up to a strange machine.
"I hope you're ready." Dr. Remy whispered to the boy as he shut off the machine. The boys eyes shot open and the doctor smiled an evil smile.
***
Valda sighed deeply as she took in everything that Morpheus had told her. She stared at the red pill in her hand. Pepper-Tea gave Valda a steaming cup of Chai to wash it down with. "You don't have to take it." Morpheus assured her. "But I could use your help." Valda smiled at him and took the tea.
"Bottoms up." She said as she threw the pill into the back of her throat and sipped the tea. After she was positive the pill went down she looked at Morpheus and and chuckled, "We're gonna need all the help we can get."
"Then we have to go back to the clinic." Morpheus whispered.
"WHAT?" Pepper-Tea and Valda asked in unison.
"We have to protect the others. Who knows when Remy will stop?"
"Well then." L0cke said as he climbed the bed and began to bounce. "What's the plan?"
"We attend the meetings as usual." Morpheus began. "We act like nothing happened. Like we don't know a thing. If Remy asks then we tell him we took the pill and watched our nightmares unfold. Maybe if he thinks the pill didn't work he'll stop giving them to people. If he doesn't then we'll know. We'll go into the dreams of others and save them."
"By saving them we'll have to inform them of everything and drag them into this." Valda exclaimed.
"Exactly!" Morpheus declared.
L0cke stopped jumping and mulled Morpheus' plan over in his head. With a large grin he said, "You wanna build an army."
"If that's what it takes." Morpheus continued, "And whether I like it or not it's my job to do whatever it takes."
***
As the sun rose Morpheus and Valda began walking to the clinic. "Are you sure about this plan of yours?" Valda asked nervously.
"Were you sure taking the red pill was a good idea?" Morpheus replied.
"I had my doubts." She took his hand as they reached the steps of the clinic.
"I'm having mine now." Morpheus opened the door and they stepped in. They followed the halls until they reached the doors to the meeting hall. With a deep breath they entered.
"Good morning!" Dr. Remy said to the two. "Please have a seat." The two sat down cautiously in the circle with the others. "It seems you two have started a new trend with your little dolls." Valda and Morpheus looked at each other curiously. Then they heard someone clear their throat. "Ah! Yes, this is our newest patient. Please, introduce yourself. A boy with silver hair and deep red eyes stood up.
Morpheus and Valda jumped in their seats when they saw he had a dream guard. "Hi." The boy said, "I'm Jake. Everyone calls me Bandit. I'd rather just sit down again if that's okay." Dr. Remy smiled and nodded. The boy sat back down. As soon as he did he shot a glance at Morpheus that sent shivers down his spine.
After the meeting Dr. Remy asked Bandit into his office. Morpheus and Valda watched patiently to see if Bandit would leave with a bottle of pills.
"Forget him." L0cke said quietly so that only Valda and Morpheus could hear him.
"L0cke's right." Pepper-Tea agreed at the same volume. "We have to leave."
Morpheus looked to Valda who asked, "Why? What's going on?" Just then, Bandit left the doctor's office with a bottle in his hand. Dr. Remy followed and looked to Morpheus and Valda. With a smile he casually waved them into his office. With their hearts in their throats the two entered. They sat in chairs in front of Dr. Remy's desk as he sat in the one behind it. Morpheus was shocked to see the window was repaired.
"How did you two sleep?" The doctor asked taking out his notepad.
"Great." They lied. The doctor smiled.
"Wonderful." He jotted something down. "And the nightmares?"
"Uhm..." Morpheus hadn't planned this part out well enough. "The nightmare?" He thought quickly. "It became a dream. The horse that charged me actually stopped beside me and I rode it."
"Really?" The doctor seemed intrigued. "And you Valda?"
"Oh?" Valda copied Morpheus. "Mine became a dream too! I was so scared that I thought the tiger was attacking me. Apparently he was just trying to get the cat treats in my pocket."
"Interesting." Remy took more notes. "Well continue taking the pills and I'll check with you again in the future. He stood up and walked to the door. As Morpheus and Valda exited the office Morpheus glanced at the doctor's notepad. It was blank.
As soon as they were outside Valda asked Pepper-Tea what was going on. L0cke spoke up. "Gem2niki." He said cautiously.
"What?" Valda had never heard such a thing.
"He's like us." Pepper-Tea added. "A dream guardian."
"But he's different. He's dark. And he's got a thing for wolves."
"What are you talking about?" Valda demanded.
"That boy!" L0cke yelled. "Jake! He is the ward of Gem2niki. Just like you are to Pepper-Tea and Morpheus is to me."
"If Gem2niki is with him," Pepper-Tea spoke in a sorrowful voice,"Then it's probably a trap."
"No." Morpheus declared. "I have to risk it." As Morpheus spoke he saw jake turn the corner down the street. "I'm going to talk to him. You're either helping me or not." Morpheus ran down the street after Jake. Valda stood on the steps with L0cke and Pepper-Tea. They watched Morpheus run off. Valda looked at the two dolls who sighed and jumped on Valda's back as she chased after Morpheus.
Valda turned the corner and spotted Morpheus running down an alley. She followed as fast as she could. When she rounded the corner to the alley she ran into Morpheus and knocked him down. When she looked up Jake was standing there looking at them. He was smiling. It wasn't a cheerful smile. Like the ones you see on friends. It was a wicked, twisted and evil grin. As if they had walked straight into a trap.
Night 4: The Bandit
The sun was setting as Valda stood up and Morpheus used the wall of the building next to them to find his footing. Jake had been silently watching them this whole time. "So you're the reason that I've been awakened." He mused. "After centuries of sleep, I've been called to do the simple task of a babysitter."
"What?" Morpheus had no clue what he was talking about.
"You!" Jake laughed, "You are the thorns in the side of the good doctor!"
"He knows." Valda was shocked.
"Of course he knows." Jake was getting total enjoyment out of this. "But he also knows better then to let on."
"Who are you?" Morpheus shouted, "What are you?"
"I am Jacob Rogue," Jake replied, "Born and raised to be the world's greatest thief." He paused, "In 1602." Morpheus and Valda were dumbstruck. "I became the very thing that I was meant to be. The world's greatest thief. When the Graceful Ones found me, they taught me to steal more than just physical objects. I learned to steal dreams, and turn them into nightmares. Eventually they saw me as a valuable asset. They put me into a sleep that would preserve my body at this age until they needed me."
"If you're already working for them why'd you get the pills?" Morpheus asked. Jake threw the bottle at him. Morpheus looked inside it was empty. "It's a trap."
"Exactly." Jake laughed.
"Wait!" L0cke shouted.
"And now..."
"Where is he?"
"It's time to set it off..."
"Oh no!" L0cke saw Gem2niki laying lifeless against a dumpster beside Jake. "He's daydreaming!"
"EMBRACE THE NIGHTMARE!" Light flashed around Jake. It was blinding and Morpheus and Valda covered their eyes. Suddenly the light sucked in all the light around them. When Morpheus' eyes adjusted he saw that Jake had changed.
Jake smiled that wicked smile of his. He then leaped at the two with extreme speed. They barely had time to move as he passed them.
"What the hell?" Morpheus screamed. "He's still awake!"
"He's daydreaming!" L0cke yelled. "He's using his powers in the waking world!"
"Can we do that too?" Valda asked Pepper-Tea. Pepper-Tea nodded. Valda and Morpheus looked at each other. A silent agreement was made between the two. Pepper-Tea and L0cke began to hover in front of their respective masters.
In unison Morpheus and Valda shouted, "EMBRACE THE NIGHTMARE!!!" The dolls began to glow. When the darkness returned Valda the Marvelous and Hypnos stood ready for battle.
L0cke and Pepper-Tea fell to the ground, lifeless.
"Well..." Jake smirked as he readied for another attack. "Let's truly get this party started." He jumped at them again. Morpheus hovered above him, flapping the wings on his head. Jake turned and kicked at Valda. She took the blows full force to the face and fell back. Morpheus dove at Jake in a fit of anger. Jake grinned darkly and in a flash dodged Morpheus' attack. Morpheus looked around to find his target. Jake found him first. Morpheus hit the asphalt as Jake landed a kick straight into Morpheus' spine. "This is a jo-chghgk..." Valda had pounced onto Jake's back and was strangling him with her whip. In a panic Jake grabbed at the whip and tried to pull it off of him. After several failed attempts Jake turned and began to ram Valda into the brick wall of the alley. After three severe blows Valda fell. Jake turned and balled his fist. It came down hard on Valda. He raised his other fist to strike her again. A hand grabbed his wrist. Jake felt another hand grab his coat as he was lifted from the ground. Morpheus was breathing heavily with rage as he threw Jake head first into the wall opposite Valda. Morpheus leaned down to pick up Valda. He grabbed L0cke and Pepper-Tea and jumped into the air. He flew as fast as he could to his house.
***
Jake shook his head. Rubble flew from his hair in every direction. "What was that?" He asked aloud. A light jumped from his body and into the doll of Gem2niki.
"It would seem the Gods favor another." Gem2niki said as he stood up. "Gods from long ago."
"I thought they were dead?"
"I shall tell you of relics another day." Gem2niki began walking off down the alley. "Come. We're going to have to do this the old fashioned way."
***
Morpheus sat in the armchair across the room from the couch where an unconscious Valda lay. Pepper-Tea and L0cke were sitting at the kitchen table whispering to each other. L0cke peered over at Morpheus. He could see the worry in his eyes. L0cke jumped from his chair and wandered over to Morpheus' side.
"You okay boss?" The doll asked.
"What am I doing?" Morpheus said solemnly.
"Saving the world." L0cke had jumped onto the armrest of Morpheus' chair and sat where it joined the backrest.
"But why?" Morpheus was deep in thought. "Why am I doing this? Why me? Why not anyone else?"
"Because you accepted the job."
"To save her... It was the only way to save her." A tear formed on Morpheus cheek. "Now look what I've done. I've dragged her into this and this happened." He pointed at Valda and indicated her bruises.
"That's why." A voice came from the kitchen. Morpheus looked to see Jake leaning against the wall. Gem2niki was sitting at the table sipping tea with Pepper-Tea. "Because you actually give a crap what happens to others." He walked in the room and looked over Valda.
"Don't touch her!" Morpheus commanded, still not leaving the chair.
"Whoa there lover boy." Jake chuckled. "I'm not here to harm her... yet." He backed away from the couch and continued. "Actually. I'm here for you."
Gem2niki sipped his tea and said, "Dream duel."
"Come again?" Morpheus finally rose from his chair.
"A dream duel." L0cke declared as he stood. "A one on one battle between dreamers like you and Jake."
Morpheus clenched his fists. "How do we do it?"
"Well," Jake smiled and stroked his chin. "First we need to be in the dream world. Oh!" He stretched his hand out towards Valda, "EMBRACE THE NIGHTMARE!!!" A flash of light appeared and blinded Morpheus. When the light vanished Jake and Gem2niki were gone. Morpheus suddenly realized they had gone into Valda's dreams. He reached his hand out.
"EMBRACE THE NIGHTMARE!!!!"
Morpheus opened his eyes to see he was Hypnos. He ran into the darkness until he ran into a field of flowers. The sky was blue and there was barely a cloud in the sky. Morpheus stopped and looked around. It was beautiful. He noticed a tree on a hill in the center of the field. Beneath it sat two figures. With a closer look Morpheus noticed it was Valda. She had no scars and was smiling. Morpheus couldn't help but become weak at the sight of her beauty. The other figure suddenly stirred and Morpheus almost fell at the sight. It was him. Morpheus stood in the field and watched as Valda snuggled up to her dream Morpheus.
"It's almost cute." Jake stood behind Morpheus and took in the scene. "Almost." With a flick of his fingers the sky grew dark. Storm clouds began to gather, lightning began to strike and rain began to pour. Morpheus looked to Valda. Suddenly her scars had returned. The dream Morpheus looked at her and ran off. Valda sat crying as she reached out for him and covered her face.
"Leave her," Morpheus turned and swung a fist at Jake, "ALONE!" Jake drifted back and the strike did not connect. It was as if Jake was floating. He smiled evilly.
"This was a dream." Jake said smoothly, "Now it's a nightmare." He acted as if he was revealing a project at a science fair. "Now we're on my turf." He jumped at Morpheus and kicked him to the ground. Using the momentum Jake leaped into the sky. Morpheus landed hard and watched as Jake rose into the sky. That's when Morpheus noticed something wrong with Jake's hand.
"GIMME A DEMON FLUSH!" Jake shouted. A black flash burst from his hand towards the ground. Morpheus rolled out of the way and recovered as Jake landed. Standing behind Jake, like a monstrous shadow, was a giant black wolf.
