The Dreaming Tower

Report: On the events occurring at the Dayton Simulation Tower on 6/16/47

Investigation conducted by Dayton Police Department, headed by Lt. Sonya Neufeld.

Date of Report: 6/17/47

Name: Amon Walker Cole

Sex: Male

DOB: 3/23/10

Appearance: 5'8", black hair, brown eyes (photo attached)

Occupation: Accountant, Elwood & Son, Inc.

Medical History: High blood pressure, no other conditions

Next of Kin: Unknown

Other Relatives: Unknown

Possible Contacts: Montague Wallace, coworker

Evidence

Exhibit A: Leather wallet

Exhibit B: Ohio Drivers License, expired

Exhibit C: Health insurance card

Exhibit D: Debit card

Exhibit E: Water bottle, empty, crushed and broken

Exhibit F: Personal Journal of Amon Cole

4/2/47

I went back today. The Tower is where dreams take form, fantasy meets reality, and the impossible becomes truth. I just couldn't resist it this time. Every time I leave, I depart with dragons and empires in my eyes, and they call me back until I finally give in and go. I know I shouldn't be spending so much money there, but when the images in my head say, "Come back, Amon; we need you," I can't say no. I even turned down a dinner invitation with Monty. I spend so many hours up there wishing and receiving, only to return to the real world that fails to excite me, for humans are confined to this tiny planet, I am not the president, and people cannot fly. Reality pales in comparison to the wonder and grandeur of possibility that the Simulation Tower offers, and once I'm used to the dream, the waking world can never satisfy me.

It's weird, but every time I walk to the Tower, I'm always so busy staring at it that I trip over the same crack in the sidewalk. Every single time. I'm normally not the type to make the same mistake twice.

I should probably cut down on my visits, though, if I'm to keep up on my rent.

4/3/47

I had completely forgotten what I was going write about yesterday! Before I went off on a tangent, I was going to write about the new program I found. Since my normal suite on the fortieth floor was in use, I went down to the thirty-ninth, and I found the most enthralling sim yet. I've tried the classic flying and dueling-your-boss programs, but this was something entirely different. This was a story—completely unlike any of the other sims I've tried. This one, I can shape by how I play it out. It's absolutely incredible. I still haven't finished the story line, and I'm excited to see where it goes.

4/5/47

The new sim really is enticing, but no matter how grand my adventures are, the money always runs out after a few hours. I watch, dejected, as the sim shuts off before my eyes, and I fully know the disappointment that comes with a life of seeking fleeting pleasures. Why do I keep trying, then? The honest answer is that I don't know. During those evanescent hours, it all seems worth it, but then I come back to a home which will no longer be mine if I keep throwing my money where it doesn't belong.

I really need to stop going, or at least reduce the time I spend there. How hard could it possibly be? All I have to do is nothing. Literally nothing. Surely that's easier than making the mile-long trek to the Tower. Inaction should be simpler than action, right?