The Infinite Dream

Chapter 20: Limitation

"Dysnomia didn't kill me because she wanted me to suffer. She knows his death is killing me each day, she wants to see me fall and crumble. That's how she's built.. Years and years, I've been trying to find ways for me to just die already! Nothing ever worked..ropes, knives, bullets, and suffocation. Dysnomia's death eyes are the only way for me to die, not even Grim's scythe can do the job".

"She loves you Symphia, I know Dysnomia does".

"You're just trying to make me feel better, stop it".

"You know, I remember the first time I met Phoenix. It was quite a memory.."

"You couldn't have met him, he died before you were even here in The Dream World".

"When he died, his spirit was still in The Dream World until a week passed. The moment he died, I was born in this world. He glowed there in front of me, and welcomed me with open arms. Hard to have ever imagined he was the brother to someone as evil as Dysnomia".

"He was an angel born in a dark world, and had a warm heart. One of the many reasons I fell in love with him. Him dying was like the end of my world".

"Phoenix never enjoyed being in The Nightmare Realm to begin with. He hated killing off mortals, and watching innocent souls be murdered".

"I know, he would often complain to me about it.. Phoenix was like a god during those times. Overpowered everyone including Dysnomia, his powers surpassing those of the original Royal Three".

"I learned that he was the one who named me...Suzie".

"Hold on, I thought your mother named you Suzie because of what Kylie-"

"Coincidence. Though I only knew him for a week, I thought of him as a brother".

A brother? Maybe Suzie is better off without me..

I slouch back against the tree and look up at the cherry pink leaves. My lips close, I allow myself to hum the lullaby Suzie sang to me. Suzie must have been hated because of her condition, why would she ever want to go back to a cruel world like that? She wouldn't want to go back there even if I found a way for her to return. So what's the point? Why should I go back there? Those memories I've made in that world are long past their expiration date. Forgotten them for years only to remember them now, what's the point? I'll just do what I'm doing now, remember them and do nothing else. The terrors I've experienced here will be brought to that world, I won't be the same as I was before.

. . .

"Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday Sora!" sings everyone around me. The candles on my birthday cake shine bright, balloons tied to the pillars, clapping and laughter. I blow the candles out, everyone claps. Mom cuts a slice of cake and hands it over to me. Everyone takes their time eating their cake in a proper manner, not a single crumb spilled onto the marble floor. One by one, a person handed me a gift. Alex, Mirabel, Trevor, Sandra, Kevin, and everyone else. They looked happy, delighted, and just filled with happiness.

In the playroom of the house, all my friends crowd around me. Making silly faces and jokes, laughter all around. I can feel myself smiling at the sight of them. Alex picks up Sandra's doll and lifts it up high in the air. Sandra cries and attempts to snatch it from Alex's hands but she's too short to reach it. Everyone giggles. Alex hands Sandra her doll back, but she still looks upset. He then gives her a hug, which seems to brighten her mood.

Mom and Dad walk into the room with many more gifts. I open them, and then toss them to the side. At the moment, all I wanted was to spend time with my friends like it was going to be the last time I would ever see them. Mirabel pulled out a chess board and we all began to play. Trevor won against Sandra, and Mirabel won against Alex. Then Mirabel won against Alex. Lastly, I won against Mirabel as I thought I would.

The behavior of everyone's the same as what I experience in The Dream World minus the whole nightmare and killing me thing. Life in The Dream World may just be what Dysnomia, it could be a fantasy..a dream come true.

. . .

Dysnomia is not the person you want to underestimate, she might just have me in the palm of her hands or she could actually be telling me the world I want to go back to is nothing special and is actually worse than The Dream World. The safest decision I can make is to wait up until The Final Trial to make the decision to die or live.

Better to stop thinking about it now..Symphia and Suzie may start reading my mind.

"Sora no matter what, do your best to survive the nightmares. Though I create them, I cannot guarantee if you'll survive or not. The only control I have is what the theme is, the people in it, and what it'll be about. All the action that occurs is out of my hand, I don't know how they'll react".

"The next nightmare is coming up. You just need to survive a few more and then you'll be able to sleep safe and sound in your home. I'll do what I should've done in the beginning.. It's sad I only start doing it after making the mistake.."

"Everyone makes mistakes.."

"Yes and some mistakes are simply unforgivable".

"Can we not talk about this anymore?"

"Sorry Sora.."

"I'll say it again until you get it, it's not your fault Symphia".

"Yeah...oh by the way congrats on your new position as the 3rd guardian of the Nightmare Realm. You must've been a busy bee over there, you're already ranked as the 3rd most powerful guardian there".

Third most powerful guardian in the Nightmare Realm?

"Just a day's work, thought I'd try to rank up to see what access I'd gain. To help Sora get to The Real World quicker, of course".

"I see, so that was your intention".

"What more could there be?"

"Nothing.. So did you get a new crystal for ranking in the top 3?"

"No.. I did get some useful information that may help with Sora. Shouldn't discuss it openly though, anyone could be watching me right now and I wouldn't be aware of it".

"What do you mean by you're being followed?"

"Dysnomia sent one of her trustworthy companions to spy on me to make sure I'm not leaking information to you or Sora. It's clear that she doesn't trust me and that she believes I'm a threat to her. I believe she thinks it's odd how I got bumped up to the third position".

"Yes, even I was shocked when I learned the news. How did ...?"

"Let's not talk about that right now, remember, someone could be watching us right now".

"Right, we should change the topic".

"With the powers of Hatred and Corruption, I'm sure the dreams will just get more dangerous".

"That's right, the crystals you have affect the nightmares much more when the final trial is just around the corner. You should renounce one of them so the effect of the crystals isn't as powerful as it is with two".

"Sorry but I cannot, there are flaws to renouncing one of the crystals I own but I shouldn't speak of it".

"Okay.."

Why is Kimiko being so strange...whatever..

I close my eyes and imagine waking up from my coma. My parents are standing by the side of my bed, calling the doctors into the room, shouting and screaming that I have awakened. I wonder if it ever happened..would it be a dream or real?