Monster [malexmale]

Chapter Nine

The more I looked at him, the more I realized he was just a very angry, hurt boy who didn't know how to deal with it all.

That was it.

He didn't need violence and hate. He needed someone to love him and protect him and remind him that he's special.

And I wanted to be that person. I didn't deserve it, I really didn't, but I wanted to try. I may have made a mistake, but I wasn't going to let that ruin everything. I was going to fix it, even if it took eternity. Because I owed Hannibal. So much.

Even so, I just wanted a peek. A quick peek. If it was something awful that I knew he wouldn't want me to see, something I didn't already know, I'd leave his dream and come back here. That should be okay, right? And I would stay out of sight of his dream self. That way, I wouldn't get caught. It was a horrible thing to do, but the temptation was wearing me down further and further until I couldn't take it anymore.

I closed my head and leaned forward, resting myself on Hannibal's bed. I let my powers swirl and twirl, focused on ejecting my spirit and imagined the gold sparkling bridge that connected my dream state to Hannibal's. It was a surge of power that made my blood hot and my heart beat excitedly. I hadn't done this since I was a child, and last time I'd done it, I had the intention to do harm. This time, I just wanted to understand. Even if just a little bit...

There was a blank sparkling whiteness around me before it faded and fell to pieces like a broken mirror to reveal Hannibal's current dream. No, it wasn't a dream, I realized. It was a memory, reliving a memory from so long ago.

I was standing near a huge white pristine temple. It was incredibly old and large. The front was open with several columns holding the roof up, and there was a large statue of Iapetus inside with a pool going around him. The back of the temple was completely closed off, making up the living quarters. It was settled amongst the high towering evergreen pines that made up the mountain of Olympus, the home to the Greek gods. Well, most of them. Beside the temple was a very lovely barn, unlike other barns I'd seen that were made of wood and pointed at the top. This was a long one with only columns holding the roof up and wooden stables set up along the inside to protect the animals. Not far from that was their pen area and a beautiful crystal clear river that whispered softly with the voices of naiads-- water dwelling nymphs.

Inside the temple, however, I heard screaming that made me frown and inch along the side of the temple with the hope of not being caught. I made sure to look around cautiously so that I wouldn't be seen by anyone, including the naiads and dryads. I found a large glass door opened near the back from where the screaming came from and I risked peeking inside to see who was inside.

There was a tall, incredibly beautiful woman. A goddess. Her hair was thick and chest nut brown, pulled back from her face with pearl hair pins that held gold tinsel in it. She wore a long royal purple chiton pinned with a gold brooch designed to look like a butterfly. She had to be Iapetus's wife, Clymene.

Standing across from her was a very tiny little boy with glossy black hair hanging in his face and touching his shoulders, a pair of eerie glowing blue eyes peering up at her timidly. He wore a very plain beige tunic that was a bit on the big side.

Hannibal.

And on the floor between them was a shattered ceramic vase.

"Are you truly that incompetent?! That was expensive, you mongrel! Get out!" Clymene shouted and slapped him hard over the head. Hannibal squeaked and ran for the door. I held my breath, ducking back and hiding myself as I watched Hannibal run around the other side of the temple. I followed him curiously, avoiding Clymene, who was screaming for Iapetus to do something. Of course, he didn't show up. At that time, most men really didn't give two shits about their wives. They were just there to make children and make them look good.