Dream Walk

Chapter 1: Death

 

During the evening where the sun was just over the horizon, the clouds were rolling in the sky, and soon it was going to get dark. Andy, a twenty-five year old who works at Bello’s restaurant, was just finishing up his last shift as he puts up the last dishes onto the rack, wiping down the sinks clean. He would take the dirty towels that he uses and tosses them into a bucket in a corner where all the dirty towels went, and hung up his apron on the dish rack.

Once Andy was done he walks out of the kitchen and over to the cash register, where he punches in his number: 5214 and clocks out.

“Later Jose!” he shouted at his manager, who sat in the back office, finishing up writing a report onto the computer. Jose replies in goodbye and Andy makes his way out through the front door. There he enters out into the quiet parking lot and over to his car, parked far from the entrance door next to the restaurant.

He gets into his car, starts up the engine and drives out of the parking lot. As he does, a police car goes by in full speed with its red and blue lights flashing, the siren going off. Andy watches as the police car goes by before he enters onto the main road. There, he takes the same way home passing through the first stop light, then turning into a small road. He usually doesn’t make it, but he tries anyway and beats the light before it turns yellow.

“That’s the first,” said Andy. “Must be my lucky day,” he said as he continues driving and in a split second everything went black. A car had slam into him, hitting the side of the passenger seat, crashing into Andy as he felt pulled by gravity and smashing his head onto the window glass.

The car starts to smoke and the man that had crashed into Andy was struggling to get out. The man was middle age, black, wearing a green jacket and blue sweat pants. As he opens the door the noise of shattered glass was hitting the pavement floor. His face was covered in blood and in his hand was a gun. The man quickly wipes his face and looks around to where he was at. And from a distance he could hear and see the police. He then looks at Andy and limps over. Andy was still knocked out and still strapped into his seat. The man then, opens the door and pulls Andy out. He tosses him onto the side of the road and gets inside the car. As he does he tries to start the car. Desperately he tries and tries and the police sirens were getting louder and louder.

“C’mon C’mon!” said the man. He tries to turn the car engine on.  He starts up the car once more, but it just dies. “S**t!” the man shouted and bang on the stirring wheel. He saw that the cop had already arrived, so he got out and grabs Andy off the ground just as he came to.

“What… What happen?” Andy asks as he just woken up.

“Shut up!” the man pointed the gun in Andy’s face. He held him hostage and walks on over to the side just as the officer got out of the vehicle, pointing his gun at the both of them.

“Let him go Marcus!” shouts the officer.

“Screw you!” Marcus shouted back. He was breathing heavily, and his foot was hurt from the crash.

“You got nowhere to go now Marcus. Just give it up,” the officer shouted.

“No, it isn’t over yet!” he shouted. Marcus was thinking to himself, wondering what he should do. He couldn’t go anywhere and his leg is injured. The only chance he got was to shoot the cop, so he turned the gun away from Andy and pointed at the officer. As he does, Andy strikes him in the gut and Marcus drops his guard. He quickly regains his strength and points his gun over to Andy. He pulls the trigger and shoots Andy in the chest. As he does the officer open fires and shoots Marcus too. The two go down and the cop runs over. He looks at Marcus lying on the ground and sees that he is dead. Then, he runs over to Andy holstering his gun and radios for an ambulance.

“Hang on kid, help is on the way,” said the officer as he puts his hand on top of Andy’s chest, trying to stop the bleeding. Andy felt his body go cold and his eyes hazy. He could hear the officer telling him to hang on as his voice goes faint…

 

 

Chapter 2: The After Life

 

            The door slammed open as the doctor’s rush through the hallway with patient on deck. Andy was in state of shock, holding on to his life as he bleeds his way to the emergency room. All he could see were lights flashing from the ceiling and the swelling pain of the gunshot wound in his chest. His eyes became red and his skin turned pale. All he could think off were his friends and family, memories that flash through his mind. How he misses them and the regrets he had for all those lonely years. Andy was not ready to die.

The doctors burst into the emergency room with Andy and placed him on the operating table immediately. As they do, the doctors cut his shirt open, exposing Andy’s wound. They had placed a plastic tube around his mouth to keep him breathing and began the surgery.

“Keep him stabilized,” said Dr. Stultz. “I need that clamp now.” He was nervously sweating, trying to keep his cool. As he looked into Andy’s wound on the overhead microscope he could see that the bullet had dug deep into the tissue. He knew it was a risk to take, but saving the boy’s life was his priority. The doctor had to try. As he reached in with the clamp slowly, Andy’s vital signs were dropping. He had to act fast, so Dr. Stultz took his time. One of the doctors had taken a wiper and wipes the sweat from Dr. Stultzs forehead as he digs into Andy’s open wound. At first he couldn’t see anything but blood, but when he saw the golden shine, glaring across his eye he quickly clamped onto the metal bullet and had it remove. And then the unexpected had happen, Andy went into critical shock and his life signs were dropping. His heart rate was decreasing as the doctor’s fight to keep him alive.

 

“Huh?” Andy woke up from his bed. He looked around and saw that he was back at home, in his room.

EERRAA The door crept opened.

“Huh?” Andy looked over to his door. “Is someone there? Hello?” he called out, but no one answers. He got up from his bed and headed slowly to his door. He slowly walked over and reaches down to the grab the handle. Andy takes a deep breath and lets out his fear. As he opens the door he sees a little boy standing in the hallway. The little boy waved at him and runs off.

“The heck,” Andy looked spooked and confused. He then heard a voice telling him to follow the little boy. Andy was not sure if it was a good idea to. He didn’t want to know where the boy had gone so he turned around, and as he did, a brick wall was blocking his path. The door to his room had become closed, sealed off. Andy had no choice but to go through the lingering hallway where the boy had disappeared. When Andy had come to an end the boy he saw was standing next to a red door. Smiling the boy gestured his finger and said, “Shuu.” The little boy then opens the door and went in. Andy quickly follows behind and as he entered through the red door he saw a memory. It was a memory that he had lived with regret. Voices start to surround him and filling his heart with pain and grief.

It’s your fault!

You should have fixed it with her…

Come back.

Stay?

Just leave!

Andy covered his ears with both his hands. His eyes filled with tears. He couldn’t stand it anymore. He wanted them to stop. He thinks back and wishes that he could have fixed the past and amends those broken relationships. He wanted to undo the things he did in the past, and above all, he wanted to be forgiven. Andy was on his knees, trying to block out the voices as he sees the images playing in front of his eyes. How it hurt him so much. He cried in desperation, pleading the voices to stop, to go away. There was nothing he could do and felt so vulnerable. Then, out of the blue a hand reaches out touching him by the shoulder.

“I’ve got you,” said a calming voice, and Andy looks up and he saw a man, clothed in white. As bright like the sun Andy could not look. He closed his eyes and shuns it away with his hand. The man crouches down and holds him in his arm, telling Andy that everything was going to be alright. Right after, a cloud of smoke hovering by takes shape and forms a human figure in the form of crows. The crows disperse and the man is revealed, wearing a black robe. His face was painted in white with red markings of tattoos on his face.

“This boy is mine,” said the dark being.

“He’s not yours,” said the man, clothed in white.

“He’s pitiful. Why would you want him?” the dark being asked and the man in white replied, “He’s not pitiful. He’s just a child.”

“Just give him to me already!” the dark being demanded and the man in white said “No.” And with authority he gave a quick look at the dark being it became intimidated. The dark being was trembling and said to the man in white, “My master will be coming for him,” and leaves, bursting into a flock of crows, scattering in all directions.

The voices then stopped and Andy could no longer hear them. He opened his eyes and looked up to his a surprise, a man; dress in white was smiling down on him.

“Jesus?” he asked and the man laughed, and Andy hugged him hard.

“Everything is going to be alright,” Jesus said. “You need to go back,” he said to Andy.

“But I wanna stay here with you,” said Andy.

“I know,” said Jesus, then he replied and told Andy that he had to go back because there was work for him to do. He said to Andy that it was not his time yet and that God still needed him. But Andy looked down in discomfort; sadden like a little child who didn’t want to leave. Jesus held him in his arms and said, “I’ll always be with you,” and a light flashes in his eyes as he disappeared...

 

 

 

Chapter 3: Mirror

 

Andy’s life was on the line. The bullet has been taken out and placed on a silver platter. Still, the worst was not over. He was still bleeding from internal injury and has gone into shock. Andy was no longer breathing and his vital signs have gone cold. As Doctor Stultz hurried too close up the wound the other doctors try to keep him alive. One of the doctors gave Andy an adrenaline shot to keep his heart pumping while the others performed CPR. As the needle went into his heart it kicks start like an engine on a car and Andy’s heart was beating at a normal pace. He was still having trouble breathing though, so the doctors try to keep him stabilized. Doctor Stultz then patches up the wound on Andy’s chest and covered him up as blood was being wipe away. Once Andy was fixed up his heart rate returned back to normal and the doctor’s congratulated Doctor Stutlz.

            “Well done Dr. Stultz,” said one of his assistance and Doctor Stultz took a deep breath and told everyone in the room “good job.”

 

            Andy is once again by himself, trapped in time and space. He has no clue where to go to and is in this blank space. Then suddenly, his surroundings change. He felt the ground rumble and how it started to form into bricks of roads. He looked around and saw sidewalks forming with cars appearing in thin air and a lady walking her dog upside down where roads were above his head. He could hear cars driving over him with the smell of fresh air. He then looks to his side and a house is formed, puzzles together with wood and stones. The door was blue with old markings on it. It looked old and had a wheel at the center of it. Andy grabbed the wheel with both his hands and nudges to turn. As he does, he can hear the rust of the door acting up and a huge sound of the door unlocking. He pushes it halfway open and walks into the house. The door then closes from behind and locks itself up, spooking Andy as he looks behind. He could see that the house was kept clean. Everything was organized. There were no signs of anyone living in the house as he called out “Hello.” So, Andy made himself at home. He could smell the flavor of cookies coming from the kitchen and walks on over the get a bite to eat. He takes a cookie from the kitchen counter and bites into eat.

            Crunch 

            “Yuck,” Andy face turned sour. The taste of the cookie was bland and he put it back on the plate. As he does, he hears the sound of chandeliers jingling upstairs. Andy becomes curious and so he goes up to investigate. He heads up the spiral wooden stairs and comes up. He sees only one room, at the end of the small corridor and in it was the noise the chandeliers ringing. So, he walks on over and approaches the door. He takes a deep breath, grabbing onto the doorknob and opens up the door. There he sees a bed sheet covering something.

            “What’s this?” he wonders and looks at the object. He grabs the cover and pulls it off as dust immerse into the air, revealing a mirror. The mirror jingles with mimicking sounds of the chandeliers as Andy stood there looking at it.

            “Huh, so that’s where it was coming from,” said Andy. He stood there in front of the mirror looking at himself, not knowing what it really was when, for a split second the mirror started to glow and changes his image. Andy saw himself looking very handsome and fit. The qualities of an athletic man he saw as he looked at himself and smiled, and the room changes itself into a football stadium. Andy looked and was lost at what had happened. He saw the crowd shouting, cheering as he looks around and looks down when he notice he was wearing a football uniform.

            “I’m at a football game,” said Andy with a concern look on his face.

             “Come on Andy get it together,” said the Coach, from a distance. He looked at the coach and saw that the coach was frustrated. He then looks at his team and they were waiting for him to call the play.

“Alright, huddle up,” said Andy as he walks on over. “I’m gonna fake a run to Jenkins. Tyson and Mike, you guys go long on a streak. And Rick, run a comeback route and stay close to the sidelines in case I have to check down to you for a quick one. Alright guys were down by seven, but we can do this. Everyone ready?” and the all nodded their head. “Alight, one, two, three, BREAK!” the team shouted and everyone went into their formation.

 “Blue 42! Blue 42! Hutt! Hutt!” and the football is snapped to Andy. Andy takes the ball and fakes it to Jenkins on the right. The linebackers bite on the fake but one of the defensive ends runs passed him and he takes off running to the left. He sees his teammates holding the line as the other team slowly punches through. Andy looks to see who is opened and saw Tyson and Mike. However, a few guys were on their tail: two guys on Tyson and one on Mike. Andy was not sure if he should pass it yet, but he had to quick. Some of the players had broken through the line and Andy was still looking. He then sees Ray and passes to him. Ray catches the ball and quickly turns and sprints. He runs up, zigzags through two guys, and makes it to the opposing 3 yard line near the end zone just as he gets tackled, slamming onto the ground. Time is ticking. Andy and his team were three yards down from the goal line. They’re out of timeouts and have to go no huddle with less than a minute remaining. All he needed to do was throw a pass. As he and his team lined up in the shotgun formation Andy called out a different play. He was planning on rushing in, so he called out Red 9, and the team goes to an I-formation, two receivers left, one right, with a tight end and running back. As he made the call the ball snaps, fly’s into his hand. Andy runs in, passing though as the other teams tries to grab him. He barely makes it and gets out just as he thought. And then, the unexpected happen. Andy didn’t see the linebacker on his blindside. As he runs through the line the linebacker ran after him. Andy looks with a smile on his face, suddenly turns to sour, gets hit and fumbles the ball. He lies there on the ground, crushed on his side. He sees the ball off to the distance and is breathing heavy. He could see his fellow teammates running after the ball as they and the other team dive in, head to head fighting for the ball. The players clash and everyone is on the ball. Andy could only lie there as he watched, hoping that the ball is theirs. As referees come running in, they wait to see as the players get up. Andy crunches his fist as he stands on one knee, getting up. He then sees one of the ref’s turn around and gestures his hand motion. The ref calls out a fumble and says that it was The Bears ball. The crowd cheers and Andy is relieved. His coach shakes his fist and was in absolute satisfaction. The extra point goes up, and the game is tied with 0 on the clock. As the game goes into overtime Andy walks off with his team to rejuvenate their strength on the sidelines. The spokesmen and people of Sports National then go into review and talk about the game. Once intermission was over, the coin toss goes up. Andy gets the call, as the coin is spinning in mid-air. As the coin gets closer and closer to the ground, Andy calls tails. Andy elects to receive the kick off. Roy goes back to receive the kick and takes it to the 50 yard line. After the kickoff Andy gets right back into the game. His coach pats him in the back and tells Andy to finish the game.

Andy walks up onto the field with sweat on his brow. He can feel the pressure and does not know how it was going to end. The game is tied, sudden death rules, and Andy knew that everyone was counting on him. It’s all or nothing. This drive has to count. He looked as his teammates and saw the determination in their eyes to win. Andy knew that he had to finish this game.

Andy crouches down and gets ready to catch the ball. “Red 9! Hutt, Hutt!” he shouted.

VERWOOSH!

The ball gets snapped into Andy’s hands. He then takes the ball and steps back a little. The line on the defense is still holding up. Andy could hear the crushing of helmets and the fight his teammates try to hold. One of his teammates, on the sideline, runs into the end zone while another cuts in the middle. Andy sees them and was about to throw the ball when one of the players from the other team breaks though the offensive line. Andy then makes a run and goes off to the strong side. One of his teammates run with him as he takes the hit for Andy, and as he does Andy makes his run to towards the end zone. A linebacker grabs onto Andy and slips, holding onto his waits. Andy struggles to make it. A cornerback then runs up at him and tries to tackle Andy, but gets saved by Rick, his tight end, who makes a textbook block.

The grip becomes loose and Andy brakes away from the defender. He runs up to the finish line, jumps over the two safeties, and lands in the end zone.

 “And what a touchdown! Game over!” said the sports anchor as the crowd cheers. Andy gets up and looks up as he smiles, and points his finger in the air smiling. Then suddenly, the whole atmosphere changes and Andy is back in the room, in front of the mirror. He looks at it and sees the game. He then realizes that it was just an illusion of what he desired, and sees not himself but a creature in a black armor looking at him. He sees Andy and unleashes a cry that startles Andy. It then, reaches out its hand and grabs Andy by the shirt. Andy fights to get him off but then, gets pulled into the mirror and crashes through the glass, falling in mid air. He then wakes up and is back in the room, lying on his bed.

“The heck? What just happened?” he said and gets up. Feeling confused Andy pondered on who that creature was that pulled him through the mirror and walks on over to open the door. As he does, he sees a group of people as they shouted happy birthday. A pretty girl walks up to him and hugs Andy.

“Happy birthday babe,” said the young lady and Andy’s mind suddenly gets warped. He stood there, looked kind of blank and has forgotten who he is as Andy thought to himself. The young lady then tugs him by the arm and asks Andy what was wrong. He looks at her and says to her, “It’s nothing.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chapter 4: Identity

Part 1: The Ritual

 

            The demon had stolen Andy’s memories and had him trapped away in his illusion world. Andy was not aware of this and his mind has suddenly become lost. Having his memories replaced by fake ones, Andy believed he was living his real life when in fact it was all a fake. As he went on, the demon watches from the shadows and made sure his presence was unknown. As for Andy, he had no idea what had happened to him and just forgot everything. His mind was giving false memories and he was living the life he’s always wanted, and it all started out with a birthday party.

Andy was enjoying his birthday party with his girlfriend, and family and friends. He was having the best day of his life and was filled with joy and love. His closest friend, Ray was there with him and the two talked about the old days during high school. They laughed, chilled with everyone who was at the party, ate the cake that Andy’s mom had got him, and drink. His father gave him a toast from the living room as he walked in from the kitchen, and with the speech he says to Andy, “Son, I’ve watched you grow and become this fine young man. How you achieved in life, and the hard work that me and your mother went through to support you. I just want you to know Andy that you have been a joy in our lives, and we, as your parents, are very proud of you,” said Andy’s father. “Happy birthday son,” his father smiled at him. He tells his father “Thanks” and thanks everyone who came out to his birthday party. And later that night, after the party was over and all, and the mess have been cleaned up Andy was in his room sleeping when he suddenly had a dream. Images of a life he had once and things he didn’t want to see as he was sleeping. Though he was lying on his bed his conscious was awake and Andy was in the dream.

            “What… Why am I seeing this?” said Andy as he saw the images popping out like TV screens, floating in front of him. “Is this me?” he wondered. He saw the images play like a video and it bothered him. He was in denial; he said to himself that the person in these images was someone else. He saw how the person’s life and felt a sense of pain and sorrow from his heart. Andy didn’t want to see them anymore and he yelled out to stop showing the images. But then, a voice came out of nowhere and says, “This is you.” Andy looked around him and tells the voice to show itself. A man in a black cloak, wearing a mask appears to him and tells Andy that the images he’s seeing are in fact him. He then reaches out his hand and comes towards Andy. “And now, I have you,” said the masked man. Andy freaks out and tells the man to get away. As the man grabs him, the mask falls out and a hideous face is shown. The man’s face was skinless, the face of a monster with burnt scars, and it had very sharp teeth. He lunges forward at Andy and takes a bite on his lower neck, and in an instant Andy wakes up screaming. He looks around in his room and slams back in his bed. Closing his eyes he says that it was just a dream. His mother then calls him down to eat dinner, so Andy gets up to get ready. As he does, he saw bite marks on his neck and touches them.

            “Ah!” he grunted with pain. The marks were still fresh and Andy couldn’t explain. He then put on a new pair of clothes and went downstairs to eat. He saw his dad drinking the morning coffee, like usual and reading while listening to the small TV that was sitting on the kitchen counter. He was watching the news and eating his toast while his mother was cooking eggs and ham. Andy comes down the wooden stair and takes a seat beside his dad. As he grabs his glass cup and pours orange juice his dad makes a comment over the news.

“Looks like it’s getting worse,” said Andy’s father.

“What is?” his mother turned and asked.

“More and more people are losing their jobs,” said Andy’s father and he took a bite of his toast, crunching it with his teeth.

“Well, these people have it harder than us,” said Andy’s mother as she walks over to the table with the pan in her hand and scruffs of the egg and hams on to Andy’s plate. She then replied to Andy’s father and said to him, “They’re labor workers, unlike us.” However, Andy disagreed and in a manner tone he said to her, “What’s that suppose to mean mom?” His mother replied and said to him that people who work in a laborer jobs tend to lose their jobs more because the company isn’t doing so great. Andy asked what if it happened to them and his mother didn’t reply back and walked away with the empty pan as she went over to the kitchen sink. His father put down his coffee and said to Andy, “Well, if it happens to us then we should prepare for the worst. I’ve been working at my job for over twenty years. We’ll never know when I’ll get laid off or your mother. But unlike us, who work in an office or at a hospital we are needed. Unlike these hard laborers they come and go. They can always get another job at a temp agency. So, don’t worry about these people. There are enough problems in this world as it is.

” Sigh, “Whatever,” said Andy, digging his fork into his food. Ray then pulls up to the house with his black Shelby Mustang and honks the horn.

Hoooonnnkkkk!!!

“Looks like my ride’s here,” said Andy. He quickly runs out the door right before his mother could ask him where he was going and heads out with Ray.

“So you ready for tonight?” Ray asked.

“Huh? Ready for what tonight,” said Andy.

“What, you tell me you don’t know?” Ray snared at him and Andy nodded his head.

“The initiation man!” Ray shouted, as he shifted into third gear.

“The initiation? Right,” and Andy gestured away to the side.

And later that night, while at a friend’s house where Ray had took him everyone was drinking and having a good time.

“This way Andy,” Ray motion his hand and takes Andy through the living room and to a door. Ray then knocks on the door three times and whispers the password, “The owls don’t sleep,” and a person from the other side opens up the door, showing the basement.

“Alright, let’s go,” said Ray as he headed down. Andy followed from behind and as the two head down into the basement a group of guys were all wearing their sigma uniforms, chatting and drinking away.

“Alright Andy this is it,” Ray muscled up Andy’s shoulder and walks on over to Louis. Andy watched as the two talked and wonders what was going to happen. Louise then, steps out onto the spotlight and calls out to everyone.

 “Alright you guys. Let’s get started,” said Louis. “As you all know we have a new member here at the house of Tere. And, I like to introduce you all to him. Andy,” he pointed out with his finger.

“Alright!”

“Yeah!” Everyone was cheering.

“I just want to say that it is a privilege for me to give the honors to Andy. Now, we usually don’t do this till school starts but what the heck. Andy, as a new member of the house of Tere, we need to give you an initiation,” said Louise. “Rick,” he called out and Rick steps in from behind Andy.

“Alight Andy, before you can fully become a member you have to perform the “Ritual.”

“Ritual?” Andy questioned.

“Yeah,” said Rick and some of the guys pulled out a chair and next to it was a needle tattoo. “First, were gonna have to give you the “mark. Then, you gotta perform some sort of task after tonight.”

“What kind of a task?” Andy asks.

Rick replied and said to him, “You gotta strip and jump into Louis’s neighbor’s pool and avoid getting bit by Sparky.

“You’re kidding right?” said Andy with a sour look on his face.

“No. Do this and you’ll be an official Frat boy,” said Rick.

Sigh, Andy gave out an exhalation. “Alright… Let’s do this,” said Andy and everyone shouted. Andy strapped into the musty old seat and was ready to receive the tattoo. He was held down by a few of the members and his sleeve was raise up. As Andy takes a deep breath he says to Louise and the Frat boy, “Do it.” 

 

 

 

Chapter 4

Part 2: Drowned

He sat there in the old scruffy looking chair and watches as the needle touches his skin. The needle begins the sizzle as it drilled across his arm. The tattoo man begins to draw the mark on Andy’s Arm as he sat there, tolerating the pain burning up against his arm. His buddies held him down as Andy clinched his right hand. He was sweating and watched as the tattoo was drawn, and for an hour and half, the tattoo artist had finished. Andy had finally received the mark. As he got out of the chair everyone clapped and cheered. Andy wiped the sweat from his forehead and smiles in immense joy. Louis walks on over and congrats him to the House of Tere and tells him that he is almost there. Andy tells him he’s ready for the next challenge and Louis smiles at him.

            “Alright everyone, to the pool!” he shouted and all the guys headed up stairs. Andy went with them and while the party was still going on they all headed outside and into Andy’s backyard. Everyone wondered what was going on and follows to see.

            “Okay Andy, you know what you gotta do,” said Louis, as the crowd watches. He walks on over to the side of the house and pulls out a ladder. “You ready for this?” he asked Andy and Andy looks at everyone, who waited to hear his answer. Andy felt pressured for a bit and felt that this was all wrong. He knows that he can’t get out of this so he nodded his head to get this humiliation done.

            “I’m ready,” he said and Andy starts taking off his clothes. He takes off his shirt and tosses it onto the ground. Then, he takes off his sandals and unbuckled his belt. He was finally striped down till he was only wearing his boxer shorts. People in the crowd chuckled while they watched. Andy could hear some talking as he looked embarrassed. He then, walks on over to Louis who had set up the ladder for him to climb. His buddies started to chant his name, giving him the confidence to finish the initiatio process. As he looked back he gave them and the crowd a fake smile and they all cheered for him. However, deep down Andy felt scared and his heart was thumping really fast. Andy began to climb and as he got over the neighbors fence he could see the pool. Sparky, on the other hand, was nowhere to be seen. So, Andy jumped over the fence and walks on over to the pool. He kept an eye out for Sparky as he approach the pool cautiously. When he got near the pool he quietly jumped in, causing little noise as the water splashed and rippled.

            Louise then looks over the fence to see and sees that Andy has gotten in.

            “He’s in!” He shouted and everyone ran over to look.

            “What’s he doing” a girl asked and Ray told her, “Initiation,” and smiled away as he watches.

            “Eh someone time him?” Louis whispered over.

            Andy just stood there in the pool with his arms cross, shivering in the cold, glistering water. He looks over to his friends and can see them watching.

“This is effin dumb,” he said to himself. He looked around to see if Sparky was there and was hoping that nothing bad happens tonight. Then, from a few feet away from where he was standing he saw something black appear. He didn’t know what it was, but its pale skin hand reached up. Nails painted in black and it came halfway up. It dove back into the pool and then disappeared. Andy didn’t just feel cold anymore, but his body shivering as if it was like winter. He looked around to see if he was safe as he breathed the cold air that came out of his nose and mouth. Andy took a few steps forward to see where the shadowy figure had gone. He went to go look and see where it had went. As he did, the hand slowly pops up and splashed to get his attention. Andy quickly turns to look and saw that the hand had gone back in very quickly. And without warning it pops up again and grabs his neck and pulls him under. Andy went down and everyone over by the fence looked as they gasp.

            “The heck is happening man?”

            “Is he drowning?”

            Ray walks over to Louise and asked him what was going on and Louise didn’t know. He figures that Andy was just pulling a prank on the crowd or something.

           Andy was fighting for his life underwater. He could see the pale face of a dead girl with white eyes and blue lips chocking him to death. He then grabs a hold of her hand that had its grip around his neck and threw her off. She came right back at him again and tries to do the same, but Andy fought her off and pushes her away with his foot. He kicks her in the chest and goes up for air. As he does the girl grabs his foot and drags him back in. The girl was screaming with her arms stretched out, holding Andy under the water. Her face slowly began to crack like clay as her skin slowly peeled off, and for Andy he was struggling. He saw that he couldn’t do anything.

The dead girl’s pale skin started to peel off, exposing the foreskin underneath. Andy started screaming as he was running out of air. The crowd behind the fence could see the bubbles come up as they stood and watch in hysteria hoping to see Andy, but Andy didn’t come up. The dead girl was still holding him down as he desperately fought her off. He saw that the girl was none other than the demon he saw in his dream who bit him in the neck. It then raises its hand and form its claws with its black nails, ready to strike him down, but a hand out of nowhere went in and grabbed Andy around the chest and pulls him onto the surface. The demon looks and saw who it was. Immediately, it took off and disappeared. Andy looked and saw who it was. It was him again as he pulled Andy out. The man said to Andy, “Your safe,” with a calming voice and Andy knocks out instantly with no strength left in him as he lies there on the side of the pool. Ray the Frat boys rushed on over, banging on the neighbors door, yelling to open up.

“The hell’s going on?” said a middle-age man, as he got up from his bed. He went downstairs to see who it was and saw Louise and a couple of kids at his door. He goes downstairs, charging his way through the hall like an angry old man and opens the door. “Can’t you see I’m trying to sleep!” he shouted, but everyone was yelling to him about Andy that he was lying on the ground by the pool. He ignored them and said, “Enough of this” and closes the door, but Louise gets in between the opening and pushes the door open as he and Ray ran to the back. The rest followed and found Andy lying unconscious on the ground. The old man walks out to his back porch and saw the poor kid.

“I’ll call for help,” he said and ran for the phone.

Louise came to Andy and started giving him CPR. As he performed, his best friend, Ray watched in fright. He was terrified and freaking out, hoping that Andy didn’t die.

“1-2-3-4-5,” Louise pressed against Andy’s chest. He blew air in his mouth and repeated the process. Three times he tried, but Andy was not waking up. He was not going to give up on him and the fifth time he did, Andy spat out water and started coughing. He awoke and saw everyone huddling around him.

“Andy. Andy. Can you hear me?” said Louise.

Cough Cough Andy coughed. “The pool…” he said to Louise. “There was someone.” And Louise looked over to see who it was, but saw nothing. Only the shimmering light of the blue pool he saw and the sound of the water moving around. Louise turns to Andy and said to him that there was nothing there.

“What?” Andy got up, but Louise told him to take it easy. The neighbor then walks on over and warns them not to do something stupid like this again. He told that if they did this the next time he’ll have to call the police. So, the gang left, along with Andy who still felt kind of woozy. His eyesight was no longer a blur. Everything has come back to normal. It was just his head that was hurting. Andy has finished his last test and survived the trials of being a member of Tere. Louise and the rest of the gang congratulated Andy for his passing and gave him a pat in the back. They then went their separate ways through the night and Andy went back home.

When he had come home the demon that had attacked him in the dream was waiting for him at home. Andy, approaching his front door suddenly felt this uneasy feeling and a voice in his head telling him not to go in. He somehow knew that there was something waiting for him. He just wasn’t sure what it was, but, with all the crazy stuff that has been happening to him Andy mustered up the courage and opens the door, and all of a sudden, like a thousand images started to pop up and Andy’s memories started to return. Andy began seeing images of his life flashing in his mind and started to question himself. He, again, wasn’t sure what he was seeing, but had questions of his life. He didn’t quite know who he was. He had no memories of his childhood in the life he was living in. However, in the flashbacks he’s seen it has said otherwise. Andy’s surroundings then went black and the illusion lifted from his mind like scales falling from his eyes.

 

 

Chapter 5: Deception and Truth

 

“I’m sick of this!!!” Andy shouted and laughter suddenly echoed all around him, “Ehahaha….”

“Quit playing games with me!” Andy shouted again. “I know who I am!” he said.

“Are you sure?” said the eerie voice.

Andy, not sure of himself, just kind of looks down and thinks about it for a second. He looks back at the unexplained images, the attacks that have been happening, and the help of a man that has been saving his skin every time he was in danger. Andy felt deep down that this life was truly his and that the life he was living was all too good. He couldn’t explain why, but his gut was telling him. He then answered back and told the unexplained voice that that this is his life and suddenly the area went back to being normal. He was again standing at his front door, about to go in when Andy started to question himself. He said to himself who am I?” He thinks at this life and wonders if this really is him. He just wasn’t sure and couldn’t really remember. As hard as he tries too he just couldn’t remember. And then a man from a distant, clothed in white asked him if he was alright.

“Are you alright?” said the man in white clothing and looked at him. With a surprise he recognize the man, but not his name for he has forgetten.

“You�"Ah… Yes...” Andy hesitated when he replied.

“Are you sure?” the man asked again, but Andy didn’t reply.

“Not sure huh?” said the man and Andy nodded his head no.

“Well, I can help you with that,” the man replied.

“Who… Are you,” Andy asked as the man approached his distance.

“You know me already,” said the man, but Andy nodded and said he couldn’t remember. The man asked if he wanted to and Andy quickly replied yes.

Andy looked at him and asked the man how?

The man replied and said to Andy, “I can give back what you lost,” but Andy stood in disbelief. He asked how that was possible and the man said to him that it was.

“Anything’s possible Andy,” said the man and Andy, shocked, asked how he knew his name. The man smiled and said to Andy that he knew everything about him.

“I can give you what you lost Andy but…” said the man.

“But what?” Andy asked and the man said that it may hurt. He told Andy that he’ll have to face to truth if he wants to regain not only his memory, but himself. Andy asked if his memories were that bad and the man told him, “Just some parts.”

“Then… Can you give them to me?” said Andy and the man walked on over.

“This will hurt Andy,” said the man as he placed his hand on Andy’s forehead and a flash blinded his eyes. Andy’s memories suddenly came flowing in like a tornado and everything about him came. Andy felt the pain as he stepped back and saw everything that is to know. He held onto the side of his temple with eyes closed and as he opens them, he knew, and a tear dripped from the side of his left eye. Andy looked at his hand, seeing the tear and chuckled.

“Now you know who you are,” said the man and Andy, with his voice trembling, called out the man’s name with tears coming from his eyes. He fell on his knees and couldn’t stop crying. The man then walked on over and hugged him because he knew that Andy was in great pain and he cried, and the man hugged Andy so quick that he the two sat there for twenty minutes. The man listened as Andy talked and as he did, Andy felt so worthless. Andy wanted to die.  He then called out his name and asked why he left him alone? The man shed a tear, knowing how hurt Andy was rephrases a passage about the footsteps in the sand and said to him, “When you were a child Andy, you always ran your way. But at some point, you lost your sight of the road and were lost.  When you felt that you were alone and walk your path. It was right then that I carried you so that you wouldn’t have to carry the burden alone.”

“But I’ve been such a worthless person,” said Andy crying.

“No, no, you are better than that,” said the man. “You are worth more than anything else. That was why I came down, for you,” and Andy’s pain was slowly lifting away. His mind was at ease after awhile and for awhile Andy was at peace. When Andy was feeling better he thank the man and said to him, “Jesus, forgive me,” and Jesus replied to him, “I already did my child.”

Jesus notices that the evil was still in the house and said to Andy that there was something waiting for him. Andy asked him what it was and Jesus only told him that it was the demon that he had saw in the mirror. At first, Andy remembers the mirror and thought it was part of a dream he saw. He thought twice and finally remembers and said, “The demon had played me.”

Jesus then looks at Andy and says to him, “You have to go. You must confront him.”

“But I’m scared,” Andy replied.

“Don’t worry,” said Jesus. “I will be there.” And he got up and tuned away. As he disappears like a ghost, vanishing in a ray of light, Andy musters up his courage and opens the door. As he did, the demon appears with his family.

“Hey boy,” said his dad.

“Look. Look at your family,” said the demon as he walked over to Andy’s father’s side. “Isn’t this what you always wanted?”

“Andy” said Andy’s mother as she rose up from the couch. “What’s going on with you lately?”

“Mom,” Andy called out to her.

“I’ve been so worried about you.”

“We all have been worried about you,” said Ray and he and Andy’s girlfriend showed up from out of nowhere.

 “What’s this? Why are all of you here?” Andy asked and the demon said to him, “Why, this is your family Andy.” He told Andy that he had the perfect family and had a good life and everything he dreams of was all here.

“Don’t you want this life Andy,” he put his hand on Andy’s mother’s shoulder.

“I… I do,” Andy replied.

“Good. You can stay here with you family and never have to go back again,” the demon tempted him.

“Go back,” said Andy with a strong voice.

“Well, we only want you here Andy,” said Andy’s father. “We want you to stay,” he smiled and everyone was smiling at him as well.

“You see Andy. Everyone cares about you. Why go back to your old life and suffer, and not be love when you can have this family?” the demon snares his eyes at him.

“This family,” he looked at everyone and chuckles. “This family… Is what I always wanted but…” and the demon leaned up, he could see that Andy was not falling to his demise this time.

“But this family is only… A fake. My real family is back in the real world. This, this is only an illusion,” and suddenly everyone puff into smoke and Andy was back in the mirror room where he first started off into limbo.

“Your mine!” the demon shouted with a sinister voice and pulled out his hand from the mirror and grabbed Andy by the neck, pulling him through. Andy then gets toss into an abyss and falls into a pit where he saw human remains, hanging on the walls. The torches illuminated the corpses around him and he can them rotting, yet not dying. They were still alive and were moaning in an endless pain of torment.

“So,” said the demon’s voice surrounding Andy. “You know the truth of who you are?”

“Yes.”

“Then, you know what you’ve done in this lifetime.”

“I… I know. I’m not perfect,” said Andy.

“That is precisely what you are, imperfection, the flaw of you human beings. It is your weakness and your desires that corrupt you,” said the demon.

“We humans may not be perfect, but it’s our imperfection that makes us�"“

“Perfect?” the demon taunted Andy.

“We may not be perfect, but, we are to someone.”

“And who might that be?”

“Jesus,” and a light glowed around him and something feel from behind. The light which had illuminated from Andy’s body exposed the darkness, revealing the demon right in front of him. The demon screams in a horrific sound as it backed away from the light.

“Now, I’m going to Kill you and swallow your soul!” the demon shouted and Andy steps back a little and accidently kicked something by his foot. He looked down to see what it was and saw that there was a Bible lying against the wall. He reached in to get it, hoping that it will be of some use to him, and when he pulled out it turned into a sword.  The demon did not see what Andy had grabbed, but Andy’s back was turned so the demon lung forward with is claws and tries to kill him. But Andy took the sword and slashes the demon’s hand off right, surprising it.

“Ahhhh!” the demon screams in pain. “How is that possible? No human alive has ever hurt me.” Then, it saw him. The demon saw Jesus clothed in white standing behind Andy.

 “Erraa, NO! You are the�"“ and Andy struck forward with the sward, plunging the tip of it into the demons chest, and it oozed out black blood.

The demon gave one last cry as it died and shattered into pieces of glass when it fell. The area then warped itself and took Andy back to the room where he stood there with the broken mirror. Andy looked and saw that he had beaten the demon and in relief he thanks Jesus for the help turns away. As he does, Jesus appears with the door opened in a bright light. He stretches out his hand and said to Andy, “Its time,” and Andy took his hand and went through the door. When he did, Andy had woken up in his hospital bed where he saw his cousin Sam and his aunt and uncle sitting next to his side. Andy was back in the real word and had no clue what happened to him.

“Sam?”

“Doctor!” Sam shouted and a nurse came running in. She walked on over to check his vital signs and saw that they were normal.

“I don’t believe this,” said the nurse. “He’s… he’s complete fine.” She then turned around and said that she was going to get Dr. Stultz.

A few minutes later the doctor came in to see how Andy was doing. He had explained to Andy what happened. He said to Andy that it was a miracle that he survived. Dr. Stultz has said that Andy has been in the hospital for three days and didn’t wake up. He was afraid that Andy was not going to make it, but he did.

“You are very lucky to be alive son,” said Dr. Stultz as he looked over the clipboard. He then told Andy’s aunt and uncle that he’ll have to stay for a couple more days until he can finally go home. His uncle thanks Dr. Stultz and Doctor Stultz, with a smile, leaves the room leaving Andy with his family.

 

 

The End