I opened my eyes to find myself on a grassy plain atop a hill. The skies were a clear, light blue, the sun's radiant rays washing over the green plains. To my right was a baby oak tree, which looked no older than a few months. A thin tree, it was no different than a piece of paper. "How weak."
"Yes, it is weak now."
I turn back and see the same silhouette that has been haunting my dreams. The area around him sparked with electricity, and yet somehow the surrounding grass wasn't catching fire.
I ball my fists. "Who are you, and what do you want from me?" I demand.
Suddenly, massive dark thunderclouds appeared on the horizon, easily putting the sun in timeout. The area darkened, losing its brightness and tranquility.
"Accept the sparks, boy." Its voice now sounded deeper, with another voice speaking in unison.
"No!"
The silhouette scowled, "Coward, how much longer will you reject us!"
"Us?" I thought.
"No worries, the boy will come around. Time is running out. The flow of time has been halted for so long. His return will mark the beginning of a new era of change if he grows to be stronger than his parents." This time, it was one solid, deep, wise voice speaking.
My eyebrows rose quizzically. "My parents? Hold on, who the hell are you, and how the hell do you know my parents?"
The black silhouette shook his head. "Much too soon for you to know, that's for certain."
I turn around and kick the oak tree out of frustration. "Tell me NOW!"
The thin tree shook and wobbled like a spring door stopper. Several leaves fell off its branches. The silhouette rushed past me and quickly cared for the small, thin tree. His sparks seemed to heal the tree and instantly made it regain balance. He sighed in relief that the tree was alright, then turned back to face me.
The silhouette frowned. "You aren't in a position to make demands, Kevin Leonardo Veyron."
Electricity sparked dangerously around the silhouette. Thunder boomed, and lightning arced around the clouds.
"Sayonara, Dragon Em— no, little Ryu. Until next time."
A wave of lightning from the clouds came surging towards me, blasting me off my feet and off the hill, plummeting for what felt like endlessly. My vision went white, then slowly the darkness crept in until...
***
"AHHHH!" I yelled as I fell on the brown tiled floor of my room. My shirt was drenched with cold sweat. My hands and feet had the pins and needles sensation all over. I try to pick myself up and fail miserably. My legs were acting up now. It felt as though I had pulled a muscle stretching in my legs. How majestical, stuck on the floor for a minute.
I glance at my digital alarm clock: 6:00. I rub my eyes and try to process the lucid dream. Of all the recurring episodic nightmares I've had so far with that goofy silhouette, this one was by far the most bizarre. I grab my journal and pen from my nightstand as I try to recall the events. The tingling in my hands is oversensitive, making it annoying just to write. "Asks me to accept the sparks," "New setting," "baby oak tree," "Silhouette cared about tree."
I pause; I was having a brain lapse. I know the silhouette had said something that should provoke me and prolly even answer why it's a recurring dream, but I was drawing a blank. All I remember is after I kicked the baby tree, he checked on the tree, then blasted me to kingdom come.
The silence was broken as my alarm clock went off ruining my train of thought. I put my journal down and turn it off. I head downstairs and into the kitchen. I immediately notice Ma's sticky note on the fridge. "Went to work, made pancakes in the pan, try not to make a mess again foo, love ya." I smirked, hadn't gotten one of these in so long.
I flop two pancakes and pour on some syrup. I devour them in seconds, the sweet syrup dripping down my chin. I wash my plate and grab my blue and black Adidas as I head back upstairs. The dull pain in my thighs and legs feels as though someone is jabbing a plastic spork all around my lower core. It is bearable though; as long as my legs are back to normal by 4th hour, I should be alright. After all, what doesn't kill you makes you stronger.
I throw on my school uniform: a white quarter-button tee with my black sweats, and slide on my socks. I zip up my black and blue hoodie, then grab my backpack. I glance across my room one last time, "not as messy as it was yesterday...at least." I shut the door and glide down the steps. As I open the front door, the sun is rising slowly into the horizon, which is lit in the same color as yesterday but a slightly lighter carmine red with a few cirrus clouds. The majestic, beautiful sky distracts me for a second before the reality of what awaits me at Lyons Academy today: the return of the "expelled gang leader."
I take a deep breath. I know today is going to be my toughest day. I sometimes wish I had a remote and could hit fast forward on it whenever I wanted to skip over the scenes in my life I will eventually experience. But Kevin Veyron isn't a coward. I lock the door to our half of the duplex and walked onward to what was the longest Tuesday of my last week of school at Lyons.