Yume to Genjitsu

A short story about dreams (yume) and reality (genjitsu), two parts of life, bounded by fate.

The sound of footsteps broke the silence. It had been a silence that had been ruling over these dungeons for forty years now and all those years Yume had been held here. Because of a curse that had been cascaded over her, she had been turned to stone. The shackles that she still wore had met the same fate as the young woman, waiting for a era of freedom to arrive. A new beginning in this world. 

It was the young Genji whom had found his way in these dungeons. For months now, he had been visited by someone every night, in his dreams. And every time that dream was the same. The sound of a piano that filled a cozy room while a young woman sat at a table, drawing. Sweat dripped of her forehead while she sort of scratched robust line on paper. Unfortunately, Genji would wake up before he could see what she had drawn, every single time. The only thing he could remember was that she used green, red and black. Three colors he now carried with him in order to free the woman. 

The story about the Girl of Stone was quite well known by everyone living in the village nearby. A woman, maybe even a girl, turned to stone by the dream that concealed her. Sitting there, waiting for an artist that can free her from this curse, an artist who could finish what she had drawn.

It had taken a while for Genji to realize that it was Yume who was trying to reach him in his dreams. A scream for help towards so many people, one that only he had heard. With the three pencils clenched in his fist, Genji started to run. He could hear her, he could sense her presence. It was as if her soul was connected with his, communicating without seeing each other, or even knowing each other. 

Genji froze when he stood in front of the Girl of Stone. Unable to move for about forty years, held by shackles which withheld her from being free. Loose pieces of stone were all Genji could find around him. With all his might, he hammered on what used to be the shackles, hoping they would break somehow. The only thing that broke was the chunk he held in his hands, though. 

A sudden flash changed the entire surrounding. No longer was Genji standing in the dark dungeon, but he now found himself in the cozy room he had seen so many times. Yume was nowhere to be found. The piano in the corner was playing the same song it always did and on the table was a white piece of paper with three pencils next to it. Carefully, Genji walked towards what should be the answer to the curse. After all these months, he would finally find out what Yume was trying to tell him. It was still white for the bigger part, except for two words that were scribbled in green and black.

Yume to 

Yume to... It meant 'dreams and...'. Genji grabbed the green pencil and traced the word 'yume' once more. He did the same with the black pencil and the word 'to'. The piano in the corner repeated it's song and Genji grabbed the red pencil. Very gently he wrote his full name behind the two words.

Yume to Genjitsu

Dreams and reality, green and red. Bound by life, by the human soul. Always together, but still so far apart. Genji shot in the air when the paper in front of him started to glow. Another flash arose from that glow and gradually a young woman appeared before him. She was the most beautiful creature Genji had ever seen. The warmth that suddenly took over his soul was a sign of fate to him. 

'Yume.' Genji softly spoke her name. 

'Genjitsu, I've waited for so long. Your reality had the power to lift this curse and set me free from this dream. Please take me with you, take me to reality.'

Very gently, Genji grabbed her hands and while the warmth in his soul grew stronger, the surrounding changed once more. He was back in the dungeon, with Yume in his arms. He held her tightly and whispered the words that would mark the beginning of a new era. 

'Yume to Genjitsu, dreams and reality. We'll be bound forever, be together forever. 

Together we will begin a new adventure. I have been able to save you and I will never let you go.'

Author's Note

This is a short story I wrote for a Dutch contest which had two rules:
- The story had to be about a new beginning.
- There had to be a red and a green pencil in the story.

So this is what I came up with, I hope you like it. :)