Chapter 1: OXEX RACLIR

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Ticking

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Ticking.

A continuous, monotonous sound to lull someone into a state of lucid dreaming.

"Come now Philip, it's only a dream." A voice said, calling to him.

"It's not a dream, i-it's a memory. And it makes me sick!"

Flashes of red blur began to invade the dark blankets of his eyelids.

"Now, focus.. wait. You're floating again. Weightless.. a cipher... relax." The voice.. of a man said, soothing the young country's inner turmoil.

But the corrupting fantasy made itself known as an anarchic symphony of clashing metal, and song of agony.

"Fire! I'm in hell!"

"Forget it! Abandon that memory-- it's unproductive. Go.. to wonderland." His voice became more stern and rebellious, but softly uttered the last sentence.

"I can't... I'm trapped.. in my past." The balls of his eyes began to vigorously move in its sockets, trying to find something from the ceaseless darkness.

Faces?

The void blinked. Unveiling the prying eyes of people he doesn't know.

And the fire!

The crackling inferno!

'Dios ko! Nasunog ang batang ito! Tumawag kayo ng manggagamot!'

'Magiging maayos pa ba siya?'

"No Philip, discard that delusion. Forget it. Go to wonderland." The man continued,

"I'd rather not, Doctor. My wonderland's shattered. It's dead to me."

"Your preference doesn't signify, boy. Now, Philip. Where are you?"

The hazy darkness became a dream of green and blue. Gentle rays of light peeking through the tallest of trees.

"I'm.. in a clearing, with a friend. It's different somehow, things have changed."

"Changed is good, it's the first link in the chain of forgetting."

Philip's brows knotted into a shape of worry, reaching out a hand to comfort his friend.

"What's happening? Are you mad?"

It's head started to twitch violently, it's left eye swelled up, and it's jaw hung loose.

"I'm not mad,"

"Rabbit?"

"That's not right!"

Blood began to drip from his neck and mouth, as if he was gutted.

"Is something wrong?" The swelling eyeball pops out with a splatter. Philip's mismatched eyes were wide as saucers, dread rooting him in place.

"Sssomething wrong?" He croaked in a two toned voice, "WROOOOOAAH!"

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