The Island of Dreams

Perdita, a young girl, struggles to watch over her younger brother, Aiden, after the tragic death of her mother. She promises to take him to a place that doesn't exist outside of fairy tales.

Perdita could feel the cold nip at her skin. Her thin shawl provided barely any protection from the rough winds. She trudged through the snow, feeling her entire leg slip in as she struggled to stay put. Her younger brother, Aiden, could barely keep up. He wore the only coat that they had managed to swipe from the costume store because he was the youngest and he was already developing a cough. She looked at her brother with sad eyes, unsure of how long they would be able to survive the harsh conditions. She had promised to take him to La Isla de Suenos, the Island of Dreams, where they would finally be safe. Sadly, the place itself was as it sounded, a myth. She told him that to give him hope, to give him a reason to live and fight. In a way, she wished she held his innocence and blinded hope. She wanted to believe in such places, like Candy Land and Santa Clause. She wished she didn't know the place was just a fairy tale, a bed time story that mothers tell to their kids. 

"How much farther?" Aiden whined. She looked over his shoulder, seeing small puffs of smoke. She gripped his hand tightly and pulled him along, upset with herself that she hadn't realized how frighteningly close they were.

"Not much. We will rest later, but right now we must get out of here." She said. He nodded solemnly, his eyelids heavy and his feet sore from all the walking. 

"I wish we were back home." He looked up at her with those round eyes and pouted lips. He let out a slight cough, so light and gentle. Yet it sent chills down her spine as she remembered their mother with that same cough a few years before she died. She hoped and prayed with all her might that Aiden didn't have it, but it was hard to believe in prayer with his pale complexion and beads of cold sweat dotting his forehead. 

"Don't you want to see La Isla de Suenos Aiden?" She tried to sound cheerful and hopeful. He nodded and began to trudge forward, the snow coming to his waist. She scooped his tiny body up in her arms, feeling his weight bearing down on her. She herself was exhausted, but she pushed with the last of her withering strength to carry him. He rested his head against her shoulder and his eyes closed. She could feel his gentle breathing as he rested. She walked forward, her legs wobbly and feeling like jello as she moved. She had to find a shelter, that much was clear. 

After walking a few feet, she realized she couldn't beat them. Aiden was too heavy, she was too tired and they were too quick. They would eventually catch up with the pair unless they got extremely lucky. Sadly, lady luck never seemed to be on their side. She looked down at her baby brother's sweet face as he slumbered. So young and full of hope, so innocent. She had to protect him, save him from the fate so many other children had already befallen. The wind grew harsher and her body began to rebel against her mind, the pain signaling her to stop, to quit. She let her mother's kind eyes and gentle voice be her strength as she pushed herself forward. It felt like mother nature and her own body were fixated on making sure she never made it. The temperature dropped, the wind sped up, the snow turned to hail, her body numbed up and her stomach growled. She could feel herself growing faint and tried to stop it. She looked at Aiden's sweet face, but not even he could give her any more strength. She felt her legs buckle and she collapsed. The snow seemed to swallow her and her shawl flew off, leaving her cold half naked body at the mercy of the winter. Aiden let out a yelp. 

"Perry?" He shouted. He always had trouble pronouncing her name, so he nicknamed her after a cartoon character from a show her mother watched as a kid and bought reruns so he could watch it. She believed it was some sort of animal, but she couldn't remember the kind. She could hear him shouting and coughing. Don't strain yourself, she silently prayed. Please don't call out to me. She tried to rise up, to comfort him, but her body wasn't listening anymore. It felt like her muscles had completely shut off. She rolled over and she was soon facing the dark sky. Aidens face was above her, tears in his eyes. He shook her, but she couldn't even feel his gloved hands on her skin, she had barely noticed his touch. She wanted to tell him she was okay and that he should stop crying, but her lips wouldn't move. She could feel a beating in her head, like someone was using her brain as a drum. Everything began to look fuzzy, like the imagery was going out of focus. Her brother's voice began to merge with the wind, his face began to merge with the sky and until all she saw a murky mixture of blues and beiges and reds and yellows and browns and white. Then, all she could see was darkness. 

Out of the darkness a little spotlight appeared out of nowhere, almost like she had been put on a stage. She saw a young woman dressed in a red dress that hugged tight on her chest and waist, then flowed out around her and looked like a pool of blood. The girl had her back to her, so all she saw was her raven dark hair with tiny strips of cocoa brown. It was curly and had a small butterfly pin on the crown. There was something so feminine about her form and pose, so smooth and graceful. The woman turned gracefully and she faced Perdita. 

"Mother?" Perdita looked closely at her. Yes, it was her. She ran into her mother's arms, tears streaking across her face. "I thought I would never see you again."

"Mi hija, I have never left you." Her mother's voice was rich and smooth. She looked down at Perdita, her face radiating health and beauty. She looked like she had when she was 19, when she had first met Perdita's father. She brushed some of Perdita's dark hair over her ear. "I am always with you."

"I've felt so alone, mama." Perdita sobbed. Her mother held a finger to her lip.

"I know sweetheart. I have missed you so much, but I know someday both you and your brother will be with me again." 

"Am I dead?" She looked around panicked, realizing only in death would she see her mother. Her mother let out a light laugh. 

"No, not dead. You are dying though." Her mother held her hand out. "Come with me child, abandon your pain and worries."

"What about Aiden?" Perdita looked at her mother's hand longingly. "What will become of him if I leave?" 

"Your brother will be fine. Do not think of him, haven't you suffered enough? Carried enough burdens? We could be together, you and I, then we can look over your brother together." 

"That is selfish, mama." Perdita backed away, looking at that kind face like it was a stranger. "How could you leave Aiden all alone?" 

"Surrender my love, like I did. I am now free of all pain and burden. I am finally free and safe." Her mother's face curled into a warm smile. "I have reached La Isla de Suenos. It does exist, in death." 

"I will not leave Aiden behind the way you left us!" Perdita screamed. She stumbled backward. Soon, her mother's dress was no longer a dress but actual blood dripping down her naked body. Her mother's skin began to melt off, leaving a smiling and laughing skeleton in her wake. It danced around as the blood began to swirl around it, twisting and turning into a wicked fashion. Perdita screamed and screamed. She saw a dagger to her left and lifted it. She flung it at the skeleton, but it just melted into the darkness. She could feel her brother shivering next to her. She began to run to him, but her legs began to feel glued to the ground. Every step took all her strength, but somehow she did reach him. He looked up at her with blood all over his face. 

"Help me!" He screamed. There were no teeth in his mouth and his pupils were white. She screamed and stumbled backward. He crawled toward her, moaning and reaching out his hand. His tasseled brown hair was matted with dry blood and worms were crawling between his fingers. They began to climb out of his mouth, his nose, his ears. All sorts of bugs in every shape, color and kind. He slowly began to look more like a rag doll than a person, his facial features seeming more stitched on than real. His fingers turned a sickly bluish-black color and his skin began to rot. 

"Please don't leave me, Perry." He cried. She could feel the bugs crawling up her legs, her arms. They threatened to wrap themselves up around her body. A huge slug crawled down her hair and on her face. She screamed and it slipped inside her opened mouth, choking her. The blood from the dancing skeleton seemed to fill the darkness and soon, she found it up to her wrist. She spit the slug out, tasting it's nasty slim on her tongue. She tried to swat all the bugs off, but they kept coming. They slipped in her hair and tried to climb in her ears. Black goo was coming from Aiden's eyes as he moaned and begged her for help. The black goo became large rats, each easily the size of a cat and very fat. She could see their beady eyes and teeth. They're bodies were shaped like round cylinders with legs, ears, a small nose and a tail. They scurried towards her and began biting at her skin. She yelled and screamed, her voice small compared to the skeletons laugh and her brother's moan. The blood was up to her chest. It felt warm and fresh, which scared her more. Her brother's hand rested on her shoulder. 

"Go away!" She yelled. He looked at her with those sad white eyes and she felt pity for him.

"Please don't go." He whispered. The sound seemed to echo through the darkness and through the space. The blood rushed up to her chin and she looked him dead in the eyes. For a moment, he looked like the same little boy she had fought to protect over the past few years. Her heart swelled and she felt compassion for him, fearlessness despite his current state.

"You know I would never leave you." She said. She gripped his hand, which was soft and mushy, almost like a rotten fruit. She tried not to vomit from the sickly smell of his skin and the blood. It surged up until she was completely consumed in it. She tried to swim, but her brother began to pull her down. She tried to release him, to let go of his hand, but it was like they were glued together. 

Her silent screams vibrated through the blood and she could taste the metallic substance on her tongue. She fought for the surface, but her efforts became futile. In just moments, she was unable to breath. She heard her brother's voice loud and clear, like it was being projected all around her. 

"Together forever." She fought and fought to pull them up, but he just dragged her deeper and deeper. Her mother's voice followed, starting with a cruel chuckle. 

"Some burdens are too heavy for even you to carry, mi hija." 

Perdita awoke with a start, her heart hammering in her chest. There was nothing but a blur of some honeycomb color mixed with a small sprinkle of blues, greens, reds, yellows. When her sight came back into focus, her brother was the first thing she saw. It wasn't her brother from the nightmare, but her actual normal brother. He had a small cup of something that smelled like chocolate in his hands and a blanket draped around his shoulders. He beamed at her, his eyes lit up. 

"Aiden?" She coughed. He put down the cup and wrapped his arms around her, squeezing her tightly. She lifted her arms and returned his embrace. 

"I thought you were dead." He cried. 

"I promised you I wouldn't leave you, didn't I?" She said. He released her and she took a good long look at his face. It was no longer pale, but starting to regain some color. His eyes shined wet with tears, which she abruptly wiped away. She smiled at him, grateful to see he was alright. He nodded in agreement. "Where are we?" She looked around at the small room. There were no windows, but the walls were painted a soft honey color that was warm and inviting. Strike one. She tried to jump out of bed, but felt her head swoon and she sat back down. Her hands came to her head and tried to stop herself from passing out again. One more glance around the room showed her this must be some sort of guest room, there was a small dresser and a bunch of random toys tossed in one corner. She could see a small window that she had missed at the top corner of the room, but there must have been something like a tree or a car blocking it. 

"A man found us in the snow right after you fell asleep. He brought us here and laid you down on the bed. He gave me this warm cocoa and some medicine to make my cough go away." 

"Wasn't that nice of him?" She smiled at her brother, but worry overcame her. Something wasn't right, it all just seemed suspicious to her. "Did he ask you many questions."

"Mhm." Aiden said, after a sip. "But I didn't tell him anything except that I like chocolate." He smiled at her. She ruffled his hair, proud that he didn't breath a word of their situation. If the man had found out, he would phone the police immediately. 

"Very good, Aiden." She wrapped her arms around him and held him tightly. She appreciated this brief moment of solitude, not being able to just hold him in so long she couldn't remember the last time they had a moment of silence like this. Especially one without that dreadful cough. 

"Are the bad people going to come here and hurt the nice man?" Aiden looked up at her with a worried expression. 

"I don't know." She admitted. "I sure hope not." 

"Me neither." He began to sip his cocoa, his face full of content and she smiled to herself. In all their running around, she hadn't been able to afford to give him such basic childish needs. She wished she could provide him with stuff like this everyday, but the world wasn't constructed to allow her to do so. 

"How are you feeling?" She looked him over, making sure he really was alright. 

"Much better after the medicine." Aiden smiled at her, showing her his award winning dimples. Their mother use to tell them of how his dimples went so deep, she could start her own river with fish and such in them. They would always laugh together at the idea. How long ago that all seemed now. She closed her eyes and listened to his breathing, wishing she could remain this way forever. 

"Morning, sleepy head." She heard a rough voice call. She looked up to see a tall dark man with army cut black hair and startling blue eyes look at her. Big didn't even describe him, he looked like he had been pumping iron his entire life. He had a beard with little flecks of gray in it and his lips were curved in a smile. She could feel her insides turn to jelly at this large stranger who looked like he could strangle her with one hand. She tightened her hold on her brother. 

"Who are you?" She tried to sound tough and unafraid, but it didn't work. He smiled and sat down in a tiny wooden chair. She waited for it to break, but it didn't. 

"I'm Lawrence." The man extended a large, meaty hand. She looked at it disdainfully, still holding her brother tightly. 

"It's alright Perry, Larry was very nice to me." She shuddered at the thought that her brother had given him a nickname, that meant her brother really liked him and thought of him as someone close and trustable. The man chuckled. 

"Perry?" He looked at her oddly. She shrugged the comment off.

"Its a nickname." She looked at the man blankly, not showing him any fear. The man nodded. 

"Why were you kids in the middle of a blizzard?" He looked at her thoughtfully. 

"Why do you ask?" She shot. He seemed taken aback. 

"Well the kid said you guys were going to some weird place. I'm not very good at Spanish, but I believe it was some kind of island." She frowned at that. So much for believing her brother had kept quiet. 

"Its none of your concern where we're going. We have to leave, thank you for your hospitality." She tried to rise and fought her swooning head. Her brother wiggled out of her embrace and she tried to get up, but stumbled and fell. The man chuckled. He wrapped his arm around her waist and lifted her up. He plopped her back on the bed. 

"You can't go anywhere until you've rest up and ate. I'm not letting you out in a blizzard, so looks like you're stuck here until it passes. Make yourself comfortable, the weather isn't expected to lighten up until tomorrow." 

"What are you, some sort of body builder?" She snapped. He let out a booming laugh. 

"I can't seem to understand why anyone would think that? I'm not a body builder, I'm a scientist." He shook his head. 

"A robotics engineer?" Perdita tried to hide her fear. The man shook his head.

"No, nothing like that. I'm a genetic engineer. I work with animals and testing genetic strands for proof of evolutionary patterns and such. Finding mutations and working on developing a more physically evolved version of humans." 

"Even better." She said with a sour retort. The man looked at her curiously. 

"Do you have something against scientist, young lady?" 

"Oh, not at all." She said sarcastically. She laid down in bed and opened her arms. Her brother instinctively crawled inside them and she cradled him. She didn't look back towards the man, signaling she was done talking to him. 

"Your welcome, you know, for saving your life." He replied, retort in his voice. He turned and left, his shoes echoing as he climbed the stairs. Perdita squeezed her brother tightly. 

"Why are you so mean to that man?" Aiden looked up at his sister. She smiled at him. 

"He's one of the bad people." Aiden's eyes grew wide and he put the cup down. He looked at it with a disgusted expression on his face. 

"I don't like Larry anymore. He isn't my friend." Aiden declared, as if that statement was the most cruel one he could come up with up. She smiled and kissed his forehead. It had grown wolfish over the past few months. There was noting like a six year old's charm to make her smile. They laid like that for hours and before she had realized it, Perdita had drifted off into a dreamless sleep. 

When she awoke, Lawrence had come back with a plate of bacon and pancakes dripping in syrup. There was platefuls of toast and eggs. He laid it all out on a table he must have gotten from upstairs. Aiden happily chewed on the bacon and pancakes, as if he had forgotten his declaration last night. Perdita found she could now stand and she made her way over to the table, her stomach growling like a wild cat at the smell of food. 

"What's all this?" She looked at Lawrence, as if ready to accuse him of something. 

"You guys look like you haven't eaten in a while." He gestured. "My wife went to work and made you this huge breakfast." 

"It's really good." Aiden smiled, his mouth stuffed. Perdita looked down at the food, the smell intoxicating. She inched toward it unsure, as if she was afraid there was some sort of drug in it and she could smell it. 

"Oh, for Pete's sake." Lawrence scooped up a spoonful of eggs and took a bite. "See, there's nothing wrong with it. No poison or anything of the sort." At that, Perdita took a seat and began swallowing the food. It tasted so good, nice and home cooked. She was so used to cold food out of a can, it was like someone had taken a peice of heaven and shoved it down her throat. The man watched with a bemused expression on his face. 

"Thank you, Larry." Aiden said politely. 

"You're welcome." Larry smiled. The door swung open and a middle aged woman walked in. She had dirty blond hair that was pulled back into a bun and sharp brown eyes. She was no taller than 5'2" and her frame was very petite. Her nose was tiny, almost button like and she had high cheek bones. Besides the wrinkles on her forehead, her face held no blemish, no imperfections. She had on a long white nightgown that swept the floor as she walked. She smiled at the food. 

"I can see you guys were as hungry as my husband implied." The girl said. She crossed her arms and watched them eat with observant eyes, as if she was studying some sort of project. 

"Yes, Sandra dear. They love your cooking." Lawrence smiled. She nodded and sat down on the bed, not taking her eyes off them. Perdita grew uncomfortable under her stare. 

"Thank you, Miss Sandra." Aiden said, his mouth stuffed with food. 

"You shouldn't talk with your mouth full." Sandra scolded. "Hasn't your mother taught you any manners." 

"Uh-uh." Aiden shook his head. Before Perdita could stop him, he continued. "She's dead." 

"Aiden." Perdita snapped in a hushed tone. The two adults exchanged concerned looks. 

"So, who do you live with? Your father?" Sandra continued, her voice sweet and thick. She tried to hold a smile, but it was hard for her not to scream the question.

"We don't know where he is. I live with Perry." He pointed towards her sister. 

"Aiden, eat your food." Perdita tried not to say it in a panicked tone. She didn't want her brother blabbing out all their secrets, especially to one of the scientist who was responsible for their predicament. 

"I am eating." He whined. Then, he forced another forkful of pancakes. 

"Where do you live?" Sandra asked. Aiden thankfully kept his mouth shut and kept eating. "Do you have a home? A family?" 

"The food is just delicious." Perdita tried desperately to change the subject. 

"Are you just going to pretend you didn't hear a word of what I'm saying, young lady?!" Sandra snapped. Lawrence put a restraining hand on his wife's shoulder. 

"Honey, why don't you lay down and rest? I'll keep an eye on the children." Sandra nodded, glaring at Perdita before walking upstairs. 

"Fine. Enjoy your meal." She said, trying hard to push all the sugary kindness she could muster in her tone. Then she disappeared upstairs to her room. 

"You two really have no where to live?" He looked at them. They said nothing, just continued eating. 

"Your wife really is an amazing chef." Perdita exclaimed. Lawrence sighed.

"You have to tell me what's going on, or I won't be able to help you any farther." 

"We don't need any more of your help." Perdita snapped. She glared at Lawrence, who just gave her that same pitiful look. 

"I can't let two children walk out of my house knowing fully well they're homeless." He rose and shook his head. "I don't understand why you're. . ." Suddenly, he stopped. His eyes grew wide. It was like you could hear the clicking sound as he connected the puzzle pieces together. 

"You're the escapees, aren't you? The ones that Harton Corp keep on asking about?" Perdita snapped up and pounced on Lawrence, hoping to tackle him. She knew it was completely useless, he was at least three times her size. He tossed her on the bed as if she were nothing and held his hands up. 

"Please don't turn us in!" Aiden cried. "I don't want to go to the bad people!" 

"I'm not turning you in." He said. Perdita rose out of her attack pose, confused. She looked at him curiously. 

"You're not? Why?" She demanded. 

"Because my company is rivaling with Harton Corp. We do clean research, not weird genetic mutation that puts people in harms way. We want to benefit humanity, not make a quick buck. I won't turn you in." He smiled. 

"How do we know we can trust you?" Perdita glared at him uncertainly. 

"Because I am a friend. I want to take down Harton Corp molecule by molecule." He looked at them. "Why are they looking for you two? You guys aren't one of the experiments. You don't carry the insignia burned on your shoulder." 

"Our mother was one of them." Perdita said, her hand instinctively reaching for her bare shoulder. She shuddered at the memory. "She was supposed to be immune to every disease, except something went wrong with her DNA and she ended up growing sick. They want us because she had us after the experiment and they think they can find the answer to what went wrong." 

"Well, you guys lasted pretty well in that storm without capturing hypothermia or anything." He glanced at them both. "I would say you have a stronger immune system than most." 

"Yeah, we know. And because of our birth records, they know that two." She looked at her brother. "My mother warned us a few days before she died that we would need to run. She told me of the kind of test they want to perform, wanting to take out strong immune system up a notch and see if they can make us immune to gamma radiation and such."

"That stuff would easily kill you." Lawrence shuddered. Perdita nodded. 

"Yeah, I know." She sighed. "I have to keep my brother safe. I can't let them get to him, or else they'll just kill him." 

"You can't protect him forever. Harton Corp is a huge establishment. You'll be lucky if you last a year anywhere before they find you." 

"I know. But I have to try. For Aiden." Aiden looked so content, chewing on his food and letting his mind wander. Lawrence smiled. 

"I'll keep you both safe. Me and my wife work for Mark Global, a company trying to undo Harton's mistakes." He patted her shoulder. "We can find a way to keep you safe." 

"I don't know if you can." She whispered. 

"We'll find a way." He chuckled. "You might be exactly what we need to shut them down. A story to take the world by storm and get people tearing down the walls of the establishment until it's a pile of rubble." 

"You have too much faith in the wrong things." Perdita cried. "I know I'll never be free of them." 

"You will be." Lawrence tried to sound comforting, but his voice was becoming harder to hear. Perdita felt light headed and she looked over to her brother, who was sleeping on the table, his face full of bliss. She began to panic, but her eyes became droopy and she found herself falling into the darkness. 

The same nightmare occurred, except her mother had a snowflake in her hair than a butterfly. When Perdita awoke, she found herself locked in a cage with Aiden shivering in the corner. Sandra stood there, speaking in a rushed voice to another man in what sounded like German. She had changed into a black dress that went up to mid thigh and her hair had been done up in a neat bun. She shut the phone and turned towards the kids. She had a wicked smile on her face. 

"Look whose up, Ms. Smart Mouth." Sandra laughed cruel. Perdita rattled the bars on her chain, but they wouldn't open. She screamed.

"Nice try, but no one can hear you." She banged on the walls. "Solid steel. Sound can't break through here." It took Perdita a moment to realize they were moving. 

"Where are you taking us?" Perdita cried. 

"Why, back to Hartons where you belong." Sandra smirked. "Did you enjoy the pancakes? Eggs? I made sure to put some extra sleeping powder in both." 

"I knew Lawrence couldn't be trusted." Perdita spat. 

"Oh, my foolish husband is sound asleep. I knocked him out with a few more doses." She shrugged. "He meant everything he said. Had no idea what was happening under his own roof." She laughed wickedly. 

"Why are you doing this?" Perdita yelled. 

"Because there is a hundred thousand reward for each of you. And I'm tired of that goody goody Mark Global." She made a sour expression with her face. "Would much rather settle for Harton Corp. I like the sound of a bigger paycheck every other week, don't you." 

"You're evil, just like the rest of them." Perdita spat. She looked at her brother and wrapped his arms around him.

"You children should get your rest. It's  a long trip and where you're going, you won't get another opportunity like this again." Sandra chuckled and she walked out, her heels making light clicking noises as she went to the front. 

"I'm sorry, Perry. This is all my fault, I told the bad people we were orphans and I made you trust them." Aiden cried. Perdita held him tighter and wiped his tears away.

"It's not your fault. Larry was a good man. It's this skank Sandra who was bad." She squeezed him tighter. "I'm sorry. I promised mom I would protect you and I didn't. This is all my fault." 

"You did. You kept us away from the bad people for a long time." He buried his face into her shoulder. A light cough escaped his lips, indicating the medicine had wore off. "I love you."

"I love you too Aiden." She sighed. "And I will get us out of this, I promise." She meant that promise with every fiber in her body. She didn't fight so hard and for so long for things to come to this, to be captured and caged like animals. Laurence would come looking for them, he will suspect what his wife had done and will come after them. She shook that idea out of her head, knowing that she couldn't depend on that. Harton was a slippery company and it would take a lot to track them all down. She would have to get out on her own. And she would.

"Together forever?" Aiden's soft voice interrupted her thoughts. 

"Together forever." 

Author's Note

Even though Perdita's age isn't mentioned, I imagined her to be around her early teens.