Tex's POV:
I am, once again, lying on the cool grass in the wintry air, waiting.
It's not the same as the first time I was here in my sleep, and actually, I've been here a few other times as I dreamt.
As always, the houses are lit but the streets are bare, and the blanket across my shoulders is thin and useless. Each time in the dream, as anticipated, "Call my name" echoes through my skull repeatedly.
What changes, though, is my reunion with Michel towards the ending. The first time we hugged as if we had been separated for a while. The second time, he just sort of appeared and we were sitting next to each other on the lawn. He kept saying sorry and I told him I was never mad, and he kept picking at his fingernails. The third time, he appeared so suddenly that it scared me, and then we said nothing, as if remorseful.
This time I am unsure of how things will occur, since, during the last scenarios, he was still alive, and now I know that he is dead.
And so I wait, as words ring in my ears, for the man I have grown so fond of to appear.
I realize that, since my dreams are so vivid, and I am conscious, I can perhaps communicate with Michael about what is happening in the real world, and determine wether or not these occurrences are visions. Also, I might be able to find a way to use dream Michael to revive real, dead Michael.
He is standing behind me; I can suddenly feel his presence. He has his arms crossed, and his lips are in a flat line. I turn, ready to explain whatever I have to say.
"Michael, I need to ask something. Is this world real? Is this a dream or a vision? You are dead in my current life, how is this happening? What's going on?" That's what I ask, and it's all a bit jumbled but he should be able to process it.
"Tex. This is real. It is revealing itself to you as a dream, but this will all occur in the future, what you are receiving is insight."
"So you're alive? Where am I? And where's Mary?"
"That, I am not allowed to answer. You have to experience it for yourself, but I will tell you that you needn't rush things, and execute your plans one step at a time. And..."
He pauses, looking at the ground.
"If you could, maybe, tell Mary that I do love her, unconditionally, and that I hope she feels the same for me," he says.
Before I can respond to this news I am awake, the morning sun blinding my weak eyes. I blink, and am irritated by the brightness of the daylight. My back aches as I sit up. Mary is already awake, eating porridge and watching Spongebob. I decide that now is the best time to tell her of my dream.
"Mary, I had another one of those vivid dreams," I say, my voice trailing off.
"Was Michael there??" She asks frantically and drops her spoon.
"Yes," I start. "And... He told me that my dreams were real, and occur in the future, and that it's insight. Then he said to take everything we do slowly. And then... Uh, he asked me to tell you that he loves you, um, no matter what." I say the ending, bracing myself for Mary's reaction.
"He has to still be alive!" She yells, then runs out of the room. I jog after her, following her into the room where we laid Michael's body.
Disappointingly enough, there he is, stiff on the mattress, unmoving, dead. Mary's excitement dies down, and she sinks to her knees, staring at his corpse.
"Nevermind," she squeaks, and I wish I could do something to help her but I have nothing to say.
"I have something to do," she says, then turns her head back and looks at me, and her irises have turned to a dark red color.
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Mary's POV:
Out in front of the house, I walk along the concrete sidewalks, searching for my victim. I have things to research and discover, and the time to start is now. The sooner the better, Michael will live again and forever.
A tiny squirrel scampers across my path and I know then that it is the perfect subject. I pull out my pocket knife and throw it at the rodent, landing it in its flesh and killing it.
It lays on its side, twitching as it catches its last few breaths before it is suddenly still. My heart aches, I wish for a moment that I hadn't killed the cute little creature, but Michael is more important to me.
I walk over and crouch down at its side, removing my weapon.
I raise my hands above the body, my hands shaking as I prepare to channel all of my energy and power.
It's experimentation time, I will revive this squirrel, and eventually Michael.