2) The Dream

Not very eventful or happy is it?

Brother had just gotten back from the mines. In order to make money for food and rent we both took up jobs. He works in the mines here in Goslar, Germany. I work at Mrs. Bergmann’s food market. I would be working at the mines too with brother, but he wouldn’t let me. He comes home every night sore in every muscle in his body. His hands are callused and rough and he is always tired. He said he didn’t want me to look as broken as he did every day.

Brother tried to get me into a Gymnasium for some decent education, but since I have no record of previous schooling they wouldn’t accept me. He really is trying to give me the best life possible given what we have. We don’t even live in a real house. We live in a shed that Mrs. Bergmann generously provided us. We pay her rent monthly, even though she insists we don’t have to. She’s a generous woman, in her late 30’s, and lost her husband in the Great War.

We have been together in this world for four years now. I'm now 17 and brother is 22. I miss home. I miss Granny Pinako, Winry, alchemy, even Colonel Mustang. I know Ed misses them too. I often wish there was some way we could get back…

Brother took off his boots and let his long golden hair out of its ponytail, and without turning his gold eyes to me, he asked, “Al, what do you think everyone in Amestris is doing right now?”

Even though he said “everyone,” I know he was talking about Winry because he was looking at his automail as he flexed it.

I didn’t answer him. I didn’t know how to answer… We both hoped she was able to move on, but I know how much he cared about her.

So, instead of answering, I shrugged and brought out the bread and cheese that would be our dinner for the night. It was late. It’s always late when brother gets home. And he has to leave for the mines again just before the sun comes up. If it weren’t for the depression that Germany was experiencing due to the Treaty of Versailles, we would have more job opportunities and Ed wouldn’t have to work himself ragged all the time.

We ate our dinner in silence, as if too exhausted to start a conversation, and went to bed on our cots.

There was only our two cots, a small dresser with two drawers that sat in between the cots in our little shed. The dresser held a change of clothes for each of us in the top drawer, and some food- bread, jam and the like- in the bottom drawer. There really isn’t anything else in our “home”.

I fell asleep knowing I would be having the same dream I have been having for the past couple of weeks; which I did. The dream didn’t go the same way every time, but it did have the same pattern. I dreamed of a boy. Ok, I didn’t dream of the boy, I dreamt I was the boy. Or at least inside of him somehow while he went about his business.

The dream is always so vivid. I swear I can touch, taste and smell everything the boy can. But I can never hear anything. And I know there are things to hear because there is always this girl with the boy. She is exceptionally pretty and couldn’t be any older than I am. She's not much taller than the boy, maybe only an inch or two. She has long jet black hair that curls a lot like Lust’s did. And she has bangs that sweep to the side, like Winry’s or Lieutenant Hawkeye’s hair. And strangely enough, she had dog ears… they were black and stood up on the top of her head. She had a fluffy tail to match it as well.

Her eyes were something else though. Around her pupil the iris is a dark green, but as the iris spreads out the color of green gets lighter and lighter and fades into blue around the outsides of the irises. Her skin was tan, almost like an Ishvalan. She always seemed to be smiling or to be in a good mood or cracking some joke.

I have no idea what the boy looks like (since I was him, or inside him), or that he really is a boy. I just assume it since, you know, I'm a boy.

Usually this dream goes about somewhat the same. The boy (or girl) goes about his usual business, maybe reading a book, cooking something, talking to the girl, or walking around the town I assume he lives in (which is a dump and looks deserted). Nothing exciting or different ever really happens. Except tonight…

Tonight the boy is sitting on the hard wood floor of a room I've never seen before. A rug is curled up in the corner to the right, which i assume covered the floor at one point. Straight ahead is a door which is standing ajar. In the doorway is the dog-girl. 

She doesn't look pleased. Her ears are back, like a dog's when it's angry, and her arms are crossed in front of her as she taps her foot on the ground. There is no trace of a smile on her face, and her eye are glaring at the boy. 

The room is dark and I can feel the charcoal stick in the boys hand as he draws strange squiggles and signs on the floor. I assume he is talking to the girl while he does this, cause her ears  twitch slightly like she's listening. Then she opens her mouth and says something to the boy.

Every time she speaks, she seems to become more and more upset with the boy. She finally begins yelling at him. I notice as she's yelling that her canine teeth are much sharper than an ordinary persons. Just more evidence of her dog-ness.

Finally she stops yelling. I think the boy says something to her, because she then turns around, stomps out of the room, and slams the door behind her.

I have never seen her like that before, even after dreaming about her for weeks. I'm concerned now... I'm not sure why though. It is just a dream after all... isn't it?

The boy hasn't moved since the girl left. He just sat there staring at his symbols on the ground. He then turns to the left, and there sits a mirror. For the first time, I get a look at the boy's face.

He really is a boy, and he looks identical to the girl, only younger. Maybe 12 or 13. He has the same eyes and skin as her, and his hair is a tad longer than mine (which I like to keep short) and is the same black as the dog-girl. It isn't as curly as hers is though. It's more wavy than curly. He has a small pony tail at the back of his head. And the boy had wings. Like angel wings, except they feathers had silver tips.

He gave a sad smile to the mirror, then I heard him say, "Don't worry, Alphonse. Everything will be ok."

Author's Note

sorry for the not-interestingness. lol
for the boy's pony tail, imagine Miroku from InuYasha, only with longer and wavier hair.

Reviews

[Emunah June.]

FINALLY! A book where Alphonse gets some attention!!~