Tʜᴇ Pᴀᴛʜ Tᴏ Hɪɢʜɢᴀᴛᴇs

Hɪs Dᴏʟʟ Oғ Sᴄʀᴇᴀᴍɪɴɢ Fʟᴇsʜ

Cʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ 31

Get into bed.

Sleep.

Dream.

Wake.

"Aren't vu excited?!"

Your eyes adjusting to the bright lights swiftly. Your head lifting, somehow dizzy from your dream state.

You were exactly where you sat last time. At the other end of the table, facing an empty seat. The table still laying ordained with birthday decorations. Reich was still sitting to the right of the empty seat, German Empire beside him, and Prussia to your left.

Some time must have passed as the Empire had finished the bottle he had been drinking. Now his white eyes kept glancing nervously at the clock on the wall in front of him. His hands clenching and relaxing over his body. He seemed so nervous. But why? This was clearly some kind of birthday party. Why would that make him nervous?

"What...?" You replied wearily, your fraught eyes locking onto the joyous Reich. Who was bouncing in his seat, barely able to keep himself still. He looked so young. Perhaps around 12. His round childish eyes showing a glimmer of innocence that he seemed to have lost by the time you knew him. Or perhaps your unconscious mind was exaggerating his already present features.

But that didn't matter to you in this moment. You were far too confused to contemplate even where you were, never mind why Reich seemed so much younger. Nor why the Empire looked far different from how you knew him.

Your mind's imagination was really running wild, wasn't it?

"Zey'll be here any minute now, aren't vu excited to meet zem?" Reich reiterated. His voice squeaky and high. Outlining his younger self even more.

You wanted to ask what the hell was happening, or why you were here again. But your voice couldn't come out. Your eyes lowered on their own, your brows furrowed. Something was wrong here, but you didn't know what it was. You couldn't tell. Something was between the lines but your tunnel vision only allowed you to see what was openly present.

Your eyes dragged to the left and met Prussia. He was staring at his son.

The Empire was continuing his sporadic glances towards the clock. His face traced with trepidation. His white, normal eyes wide with agitation.

Reich was the only one who hadn't noticed his father's paranoid behaviour. But Prussia clearly wasn't letting it slide. He was scowling at his son as if he was trying to catch his eye. Perhaps to warn him to calm down. He looked on the verge of a panic attack. Sweat glistening under the hard beat of the chandelier, his limbs restless.

You let your eyes fall again.

Below you was an empty plate. A ceramic white, painstakingly embedded with a floral pattern. Yet it lay empty. It must be for the cake at the other side of the table. A black forest cake, dressed with candles and icing. Ready to be lit, then blown out.

You could see your reflection in the plate. Dull and blurred. Your mind finding it difficult to remember your own face. You looked sad, worn out. Pathetic. You couldn't make out your eyes, nor your mouth. It just seemed to be a ripple of your mirrored self. Disturbed water that waved across the ceramic plate. Distorting your reflection.

"Get me out of here." You muttered. Though no one heard you. They had returned to their own worlds, behind the gateway of their minds.

Then your eyes opened again.