Darkening dreams

A Chapter by Ephixious

Hi there! First chapter, first book! EEK! I'm hoping to finish this over an extended period of time, so I'll get to work!

The park is empty; once again.

While it came as no surprise that it was; it instilled a feeling of loneliness deep in me.

I was one of the 50,000 on earth still conscious. By choice; of course. The introduction of the new

Reality light simulator had stolen everyone from me. Promising people any fantasy they desired, any situation, any scenario.

It had stolen the world's heart, and run away with it. Almost every person able to afford to enter never left. They still enjoy their fantasies as people of the light, residents of the simulation, while the remainder of us struggle to keep them living through the stasis they've been put in. The remainder of us are called Balancers, because we are often forced to intervene in the dreams and alternate realities of the people dreaming them. To call them socially inept or isolated would be a compliment. In a short experiment, we introduced two people who had been married pre-stasis. Needless to say, they didn't even recognize themselves; let alone their dearly betrothed. This experiment alone was enough to convince us the amnesiac property of the simulator.

Any person coming out of the machine would be completely wiped, with no memory whatsoever. I bitterly circulated the thoughts through my head as I sat on the neglected swing set, almost regretting not entering stasis. But what would become of the rest of the Balancers? Another person to monitor, feed through tubes and another person to feel bitter about? Is the false reality honestly that convincing that they wouldn't even attempt to leave? How long can the rest of the world support their selfish desires? It's near impossible to monitor so many people, let alone keep them breathing. A little voice circulates around me. "Memor sis mortalis." I remembered hearing the phrase in a time where everyone was still awake. "How fitting for the occasion, hmm?" I whisper to myself, slowly stepping aw ay from the desolate misery of the park. my throat runs dry when I remember the distinct translation; "remember, you are mortal." I stop to turn back and lock with longing at the park I used to enjoy on a daily basis. Looking at it disheveled and frayed felt like a piece of my self was gone, lost. Though it wasn't the first time. It certainly wouldn't be the last.

I was sleepless. The silent pressure in the park had set off a chain reaction, leading to the cacophony of doubt and yearning. I decided to review the history and the effects of the reality machine, breathing in the stale, musky air in the poorly lit room. History was my favorite school subject, but it had become something nobody wanted to think about anymore. A man by the pseudonym of R.S Light introduced the idea initially to Several tech colleges in the Russian federation, entertaining and wowing scientists and students with short, 30 minute sessions of the alpha version of reality light. Leaving the students and professors begging for more, he realized how much potential the invention had. Doctor light worked alone on the machine, making it a secret project. for years, he was forgotten When it was first released, however, Europe was the first place to lose almost all of it's workforce and people to the reality light. As the fantasies of so many were made true, they never left. And the electronic plague swept the world, shutting the eyes of small children to elderly folk to true reality, to never see the world again. Some would call it an injustice, but others would call it mercy. What would happen if they were re-introduced to the real world, after so long? Would these people simply break?

It pained me to inquire the thought. As I approached the R.L facility, it looked as downtrodden as ever. The cold sleet swept across the roof of the dampened, low building, I whiffed the familiar rusty, sanguine smell. The smell disgusted me every time I came near, as if foreboding me from entering. I looked down at the dismal thought. "What is wrong with you?" I nagged myself. Associating everything with somber meanings was the only thing keeping me pessimistic. The aging creak of the door as it groaned open was nothing short of ominous. I felt like a medical examiner among a sea of empty husks, waiting to be examined. Sighing with discontent, I sat on the small, rolling chair and began to address problems. Food tube replacement lights were blinking everywhere. With quick efficiency, I began imputing commands to stifle the droning wail of the alarms. Every day, it was the same. I felt a twinge of guilt as I walked past a child no older then 15. They would've been three when they entered the machine. The harsh reality of the situation clouded over me. I craned my head away from the prone client, and continued home. "Another day, another life ruined." I sullenly confided to myself. Needless to say, this was a normal day. But something terrifying had swirled through my sub conscious; what if the system malfunctions? Pushing away the foreboding question, I silently reasoned that it had most likely developed several back up systems and protocols to handle such a dire situation. Yet, as I walked the gloomy streets, choked with weeds, I felt the twinging fear, of what was to come. My life, it felt, was about to collapse upon itself.

© 2014 Ephixious

Author's Note

Please keep it pg with your reviews, I'd like to have some incentive left to write D;
Other then that, feel free! I'd love criticism, or just comments in general. lemme know if you think this story is worth continuing! <3

My Review

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Featured Review

Dai Hanshou

Seems interesting. But you slipped somewhere. It'd be better if you keep track of the tense in your sentences and incorporate elaborated environment around the narrator. I can't properly imagine the place around for your lack of details.
And it's here that you have a problem with: '...park. my throat runs dry when I remember the distinct translation; "remember, you are mortal."'
Runs, remember - they're in present tense, but your story is set in the past tense.
Other than that, I think this is going to be a good read.