His Superstar

Chapter 16: Glimpses

     I spent three days throwing up, struggling to sleep, and pounding my head against the wall so it would hurt less before I got better. I still had a mild headache, and refused to eat any greasy Pizzaplex food, but aside from that I felt fine. Well, physically at least.

     Nightmares weren't uncommon for me, but the one I had the day I got sick felt... different.

     It made no sense to me. It felt real in a way, yet I knew it wasn't. They almost felt like memories, but I knew for sure that they weren't mine. I'd never seen the boys before. Or had I?

     I couldn't shake the feeling that there was something familiar about them. The younger one's face, and the older one's eyes... especially his eyes. Part of me almost wanted to have the dream again so I could analyze it more.

     That's stupid, though, I told myself. It was a nightmare. All I want is to forget it.

     The thing was that I don't think I did want to forget. Again, there was just something about those boys that I recognized. Why were they so familiar? And what were they doing in my nightmares? I didn't understand.

     As I reflected on what I'd "seen", I tried to focus on what had happened, rather than who it had happened to. I knew for a fact that the little boy's skull had been crushed, and in some way his older brother had been involved. And from what I'd felt at the end, I new that the older brother had never let it go.

     But there was still the matter of those other emotions. Anger. Hate. Agony. Why, though? Anger, I could understand. Anger at himself for whatever involvement he'd had in his brother's death. Hate, no quite so much. Hate at the direct cause of death, perhaps? Then agony... Of course, it made sense that he would feel agony at the loss of someone so close to him, but it just didn't feel... like it fit him. I didn't think it was necessarily his. Or at least, not entirely.

     So if that were the case, who's was it?

     The questions seemed to be eating away at my insides, constantly, begging for me to find answers. How was I supposed to find answers, though? I knew nothing about the dream. Nothing about it was familiar, except for the Pizzaplex...

     No, I quickly thought. That's just because I fell asleep here. I spend so much time here, practically all of my nightmares take place in the Pizzaplex.

     It was so reasonable. It made sense.

     But frustratingly enough, after having the thought I couldn't let it go. I reminded myself all of my nightmares took place in the Pizzaplex because they were associated with it in some form. Why would this one be any different?

     I let out a sigh as I checked in, then started walking to Parts and Service. I pondered the ways that my nightmare could possibly have anything to do with the place I worked. There was no denying it anymore that it was a coincidence.

     Could they have something to do with the company? I asked. Were they missing children? No... I would know. None of them had those descriptions... Oh! Maybe I've seen them around. Yeah! I saw them once, and my brain decided to throw them in the dream-making blender. No, it's different.

     I groaned in frustration, upset that nothing made sense.

     Maybe I'm making too much of a big deal out of this.

     When I walked in, Ballora was waiting for me.

     "Hey, Ballora," I greeted, giving her a small wave. "How are you?"