Beyond the Rift ✔ (Completed)

Chapter 27: Dream a little dream of me

Alexis

I am yet again in the rainy forest. Running aimlessly through the woods. The lighting flashes relentlessly in the berry-blue sky. The rain falls in thick sheets as I pant for air. My feet tangle and I fall in the muddy puddle of dirt.

I quickly rise and find myself in the dreamy green pastures. The land meets the sky at the horizon like green and blue painted side to side. The atmosphere is peaceful and still.

For, few minutes now, I have visited every outlandish dream and nightmare; Fantasy, horror, fearful, vague. After exploring every genre of ridiculousness, I was finally able to find this particular nightmare.

"Alexis." The sweet voice calls my name. I close my eyes and don't turn around.

I can't face him; I have dreaded this moment since the time we made this plan. I am thankful that, Asmodeus had stopped visiting me in my dreams since that night.

This would've been much easier if I didn't already know who he really is. But, the image of the sweet, kind and overprotective man is wiped out from my memories. All, I feel right now is anger, he lied to me and I being the dumbass I am, took his every word to be true. Maybe, because he knows me better than I know myself. I shake off the sensations and turn around.

The stone must be found.

"Oh! Alexis. You are so naïve." Asmodeus walks up to me and tucks the strand of hair behind my ears. This feels like a creepy déjà vu. He looks absolutely evil; his gaze of a rapist makes my skin crawl. How could I have missed that? He surely looks like the bad guy.

I stay motionless, and don't respond to his monologue.

"I don't have much time." I feel the stone placed in my hands.

For the first time, I take a proper look at it. The crystal is blood red, it gleams in the soft sunlight. The size; more or less like a golf ball, the structure looks as if a tiny explosion is frozen in time. The spiky texture, makes it quite tricky to hold in a fist.

"I can't explain it right now..." He goes on, as the dream begins to replay.

Meanwhile, I shut my eyes and bring my attention to the stone clutched in my both hands. I consider what Halitus instructed me before taking the Trancition potion; 'Feel the stone's existence flow into your being, try to picture its power erupting in your mind, you might see flash of images of the certain place or a state welcome sign or some billboard. You will know when you experience it.'

I breathe in and feel my heart thump in my chest. An intangible energy surrounds me, I feel my feet lift off the ground. My mind races through the woods, onto the paved paths, between buildings and train stations, over bridges, lakes and rivers. The images begin to pace in speed, as if light painting. Day becomes night as I catch a glimpse of the word 'Nashville' in big bold letters. An image of a street sigh glitches before my eyes; 'Russell St.'.

My mind gets instantly zapped back to the present. I snap my eyes wide open as I gasp for air. I get to my knees and clutch my chest. The crystal is gone. I look up to find Asmodeus standing stock-still a few feet away, like a game character stuck in the frame; while the CPU throttles in high speed.

I stand up and remember Halitus explain me my next step. 'Once you are ready and you are sure you located the crystal, you come back. Don't get lost in the other dreams and nightmares. Close your eyes and call out my name, make sure you are loud enough. I will draw you out of your hypnosis, right away.'

I gulp, I desperately want to get out of here, moreover, a mildly infuriating thought itches in the back of my mind.

My anger gets the better of me.