BEYOND INFERNAL: The Divine Soldiers of The Living and The Dead

5 - Dreams

Kasey went to her biology class while I went to my Psychology class.

Mr. Damien tackles about dreams so he got my full attention.

He mentioned its ancient and classical history, he dissected some theories and what caught my attention was Carl Jung’s theory.

‘Carl Jung believed that dreams provide messages about "lost" or "neglected" parts of ourselves that need to be reintegrated.’

Part of ourselves that need to be reintegrated. ---Could it possibly be that those entities I dreamt of are related to me?

Was that the reason why all of them seem to want me so badly?

Am I one of them? Are they a part of who I am?

No. I know who I am; I am Althea Marie Braza – daughter of Elena and George Braza, born on the 2nd of January, year 1991 at the beautiful city of Cebu. I may not resemble too much of my mama and my papa but I know I am theirs.

I’m sure of it, because it has been more than a few times that I’ve asked them if I was adopted and they had gotten mad at me for not believing when they said I’m not adopted.

My parents won’t lie to me, so I know who I am.

What I can’t fully comprehend is... Why am I the one who’s dreaming of all the mysteriously bizarre unworldly dream?

‘dreams provide messages about "lost" or "neglected" parts of ourselves that need to be reintegrated.’

I went to the library and booted up a computer and started google-ing Carl Jung.

‘Carl Jung rejected many of Freud's theories. Jung expanded on Freud's idea that dream content relates to the dreamer's unconscious desires. He described dreams as messages to the dreamer and argued that dreamers should pay attention for their own good. He came to believe that dreams present the dreamer with revelations that can uncover and help to resolve emotional or religious problems and fears.

Jung wrote that recurring dreams show up repeatedly to demand attention, suggesting that the dreamer is neglecting an issue related to the dream. He believed that many of the symbols or images from these dreams return with each dream. The unconscious mind re-enacts these glimpses of the past in the form of a dream.’

Recurring dreams…

Nothing is making sense! Those nightmares have my full attention for four damn years and nothing had happened! They are just there to scare me, to frighten me and make me live on my own!

My sub-conciousness is crying and flying in rage.

I need to know!

The attic. Maybe I can find something there.

I got up and decided to ditch my remaining subjects and go straight home.

I was walking heedlessly when Kasey called my name from behind. I stopped and turned to look at her.

“Thea! Where are you going?”, she said gracefully even if she was half running to catch up with me.

“Home”, I said nonchalantly.

“Home!?”, she asked surprised and put her hands on her waist and raised an eyebrow at me.

“And what about our quiz in human anatomy?”, she asked irritated.

“I need to go, I have to do something important.”

“More important than an exam for a major subject, I believe?”, she said in a mocking voice. Of course, Kasey always hated me for ditching classes; it’s one of the things she hates the most.

“Yeah. Bye.”, I gave her a weak smile.

I got home after lunch and as I expected, mama and papa aren’t there, I’m sure they’re in the hospital.

Good. I climbed up to the second floor quietly and place my left ear near Carlo’s door and I can hear the sound of his... my laptop... I suppose he’s busy. Perfect!

I walk pass Carlo’s room and my room, in the corner adjacent my room is the big wooden ladder to the attic.

I climbed carefully not wanting to make any noise that will get my brother’s attention.

I pushed the door and let myself inside.

Nothing has changed since I was a kid other than its dustier now.

The attic is big, Carlo and mine’s rooms combined-big. Across the door is a big window, sunlight is passing through the holes that aren’t covered in dust yet. Beside it is an old wooden cupboard. Most of our old stuffs are here, like my pink rusty bicycle and doll house. There’s an old piano keyboard, a skateboard and roller blades – Carlo’s. Some of papa’s fishing gears and on the far corner is mama Elena’s black wooden chest with gold plated linings and shiny gold lock.

I sat in front of it and examine the chest.  In the middle of the lock was a familiar shape, I looked closer and realized that the shape is a triquetra… just like my necklace. I held the pendant of my necklace that hangs on my neck --- this is just a coincidence.

The chest is locked and I badly want to open it. I examined it closer and just like my pendant, it has a an engrave writing and this one I can read, ‘Maudrilua’ --- and it also has a hole in the middle and it’s not the usual shape of keyhole, it’s a different and very familiar shape…

I tiptoed my way down to my room and looked for the vial that Carlo gave me for one of my birthday; I found it and hurried back to the attic.

My brother and I agreed to never open the vial as we might damage it or lose the enthralling bullet inside. But today is different; I had to give it a try. I opened the vial and it has a strong rusty sea foam scent. I let the bullet slid out of the vial and into my palm, I study it and I was astounded by the engraving - It has the same word as the chest’s lock,

“Maudrilua”, I read it softly.

I slid the bullet into the chest’s lock and it fitted perfectly. When I opened the top of the chest, a stone slid out of the bullet and rolled towards me and I picked it up. It wasn’t a stone … It was a cobalt blue pearl with gray uneven patches. I placed it inside my pocket and gaze back at the now opened chest.

The chest contains a lot of papers and drawings. I held out a blank journal and a few pages but its black, it has nothing in it. I sighed. There’s nothing in here that would give me answer, nothing to even give me a clue. What a waste.

I dropped the journal to the floor in frustration. When I bent down to get it, I saw a piece of paper peep out of the pages. I held and unfolded the paper and saw a black ink drawing - A drawing of triquetra with charcoal black stone in the middle.

I hold my pendant and gaped at it then took the pearl from my pocket. I wonder if it would fit it.

I put the pearl near the hole of my pendant, wondering if it would fit and as if the pendant and the pearl are magnets, they set in perfectly. The cobalt blue pearl rolled inside the hole so fast and there was light. A bright blinding light - then there’s only darkness.

I swooned.

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Pardon the grammar lapses and redundancies as I wrote each chapter as I thought of it, without copy-editing before publishing. I decided to publish it without editing because I want the story to progress as fast as it does in my mind.

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Comments, suggestions and opinions are most welcome. I will keep an open-mind to satisfy my readers. ;)

Xo, Wanderingpen