The Dreaming: Dark Star (Book 5)

2.1. LUCID (Old Shalon)

The date is April 7th, 2063, and the location is Old Vancouver, a destroyed Canadian city on the West Coast of North America.

"Found a new pen!" I yelled, and tried to correct to a standing position.

"Awesome!" Michael yelled from upstairs.

I pushed off my leg to stand up, but no dice. I huffed and pushed off again, but after a few attempts, I realised I wasn't going to stand up without help. "Awesome!" I mimicked quietly. Bloody awesome! I can't even stand up! Jesus H... is there no end to the humiliation that is aging?

I grabbed onto the wet, soggy sofabed lying on its side, naked and extended in a pile of rubbish that had been a tasteful living room once upon a time. The skylight — a gash in the roof made by a falling tree — provided enough light for me to see where I was going, but the light was fading. It was time to leave; time to pack it in for the day.

With all my strength, I pushed off the sofabed, and... nope, my back wouldn't have any of it.

"Oh shit," I muttered to myself. I'd really gone and done it.

I started to feel my head throbbing with blood. This could not be good. Last thing I need right now is an aneurism!

I took a deep breath and hollered, "How long you gonna be up there?" It came out sideways and my head felt like a pulsing overfilled waterbed.

Silence. He hadn't heard me. Damn! I tried from my awkward angle to look around the room, to see if there was something in my immediate vicinity that might be high enough for me to grasp onto. There was a piano on the wall over to my right, but it was blocked by a tall standing cupboard that had sunk into the pit that was the sagging floor. That floor could very well swallow me if I went that way, so that left the way I'd come, through the kitchen.

Michael yelled something from upstairs, but I couldn't make it out.

"What?" I yelled back, sideways out of my mouth.

Again, his voice was muffled and I couldn't make out what he was saying. He must be in a closet or a bathroom. Good boy, I thought, as long as you're doing something useful, I'll take care of myself down here.

I determined to get myself vertical. I rested my upper body for a while on the sofa, to catch my breath and come up with a plan. I looked down at the mould patterns on the striped fabric — it looked like it had been a nice sofa bed in its day....

But its day was over. As was mine.

I reached down and pulled a cushion off the sofabed. Might as well do something useful while I'm down here, I thought. I peeled another cushion off the couch, then another.

The third was a charm — a veritable stash. Two brand new earplugs still in their plastic wrapping, some coins, which make excellent weapons against vermin, and an entire container of mints. I gave them a shake, and sure enough — Sealed! I checked the expiry date — 2024 — that was over ten years ago, but sugar is sugar, no matter how old it is.

Luckily my oversized coat dangled low so I could reach and tuck the pen, earplugs, coins and mints safely away.

With my treasures packed, I was ready to take another stab at standing up.

I hobbled over to a reclining chair turned over on its side, blocking my way. I gave it a frustrated kick, which sent up a cloud of toxic mould spores. I sneezed, and cursed under my breath as I dribbled a bit of urine. The bladder wasn't what it used to be....