Where my Dreams take me - part 4 (out of 6) Awake

            Jack sat in the ‘Lousy Dame” Bar. With his Chicken fingers and fries getting cold and his beer and whiskey getting warm. He remembered it all, his work as an enforcer for the Organization, the organized crime in Dark city, his meeting Isabelle, their happy moments together, the life and promise of a future and one shotgun blast that ruined it all. Jack couldn’t remember what he did after Isabelle was murdered. He remembered he lived in the mountains, led a peaceful life growing pumpkins and raising an stray cat but he couldn’t remember how he got there. Everything between that night his love died and waking up one morning in a cabin was a blur.

            Jack clutched his head tightly with his hands. He tried to imagine what he did. Did he run home and drunk, did he murder everyone in the Organization, did he move to the mountains right away and build a cabin from wood he chopped down himself? None of it seemed real, he couldn’t remember doing any of those things. Just as Jack was in the middle of his crisis a tall thin man walked into the bar. The man was dressed in all black and wore a black cloak over his shoulders. His hood was down and besides the cloak he was wearing modern clothing. “Jack, you need to wake up” said the man. Jack looked up and saw the man. the bar was empty, not even Old Carl was there. The place was quiet, no music, no clattering in the kitchen, only silence. “Who are you?” Jack asked slowly.

“Death” Replied Death. ‘Death’ was a tall, pale, thin man in his early thirties wearing modern clothes, with white hair and pale gray eyes. “Yeah, sure. As far as everyone tells me I am death, not you” Jack replied. The man smiled and closed his eyes, then vanished.

            It began to rain again outside. Not the harsh pouring rain from before, but the light misty rain that somehow makes everything look nicer. Even Dark city at night seemed a little friendlier with this rain. Gentle rain pattered against the window. Mist drifted through the air. All was still and quiet except for the rain outside. Jack sat in silence as he listened to the rain outside. The quiet drops rhythmically hitting the street as the light of the city reflected off of the mist in the air.

            “What did you do that night?” Death asked. Its voice echoed through the room. Jack felt a pull on his heart as he started to remember. “I went back to the apartment. I was filled with rage and pain, I didn’t know what to do with myself so I drank until I passed out” Jack replied as his eyes began to tear up. “Then what?” Asked the voice again. “I kept doing that. I didn’t go to work and I barely left the apartment. No one came looking for me and I was too broken up to get revenge” Jack replied.  “Then one night you went Isabelle’s grave stone. You were drunk, you cried and you fell asleep. Then you dreamed of a happy life away from pain and suffering. You blocked out the pain and moved to a mountain top. That is where you are now, asleep in a graveyard. All of your memories of Dark city are real. But you never did move away, you stayed in the city you grew to hate and you let it grind you down. Maple town, the autumn forest and even that black cat all exist in real life. I gave you that dream. You dreams were just painful memories until I planted fiction into them. To give you hope. You can live that dream, peace and quiet far away from this Dark city. I can help you…but you must help me” Death said, its voice soft and reassuring at first but grew darker as it spoke.

            Jack woke up in a graveyard. He took a deep breath in and began to move. Gentle rain drifted down onto the graveyard, it was still night. Jack had tears in his eyes and his clothes were drenched from falling asleep in the rain. He remembered every second of his dream and the last words he heard from the voice of death. “What do you need me to do?” Jack asked in a shaky voice. “Kill” Said the voice of Death. Jack showed an evil smile and then lifted himself up. He looked down and realized he was leaning on Isabelle’s gravestone for support. “You are always helping me” Jack said allowing himself one last moment of sadness.

            Jack wore a green trench coat with the buckles undone, a gray long sleeve shirt, black jeans, black combat boots and black leather gloves. His dark brown hair was wet from the rain so Jack ran his hand through his hair to dry it. Jack’s hair was long and pushed back making him look like a maniac.  His green eyes shone bright with determination.  Jack picked up his hammer from the ground and held it in his hands. He was ready for revenge.

            Jack left the cemetery with a quick pace. He was headed downtown to the Boss’ main base of operations. As he walked down the street he kept noticing a face floating over his shoulder. It was the face of death, with a skeleton head and black holes for eyes. If you stared into the eyes of death you could lose your soul right there. Jack only saw this face in the corner of his eye and when he looked the face was gone. He knew Death was following him though. He couldn’t decide if that made him emboldened or nervous.

            “why are you helping me? You promise a future for me like in my dreams and the price is for me to kill the Organization boss and take revenge. That’s everything I want, what do you get out of this?” Jack asked as he continued his pace with his hammer held firmly in hand. The few people out on the street that night parted or crossed the street when they saw Jack walking through. “Your former boss is more than he seems. He is a devil who feeds off of the pain and suffering of men. I don’t get involved in the affairs of men but this needs my attention. Unfortunately if I wanted to fight him myself I would have to kill everyone around him. I am not allowed to take humans lives before their time. If their time runs out or another human cuts their time short, I take them then, not before” Death replied though its voice was calm, Jack felt a chill down his spine as Death spoke.

            “How am I supposed to fight a demon?” Asked Jack, wondering if he got in over his head. “Some demons are stronger than humans, some are not. Your boss is not. He is a lesser demon, with the strength of a human. He relies on guns and human weapons to fight. Do not let your guard down though. He might have a trick up his sleeve if cornered” Death replied.

            Jack walked quickly down the street as rain fell onto the city below. Thoughts of revenge, demons, death and Isabelle stole his focus. As he neared downtown he saw glowing orbs floating in the distance. Orange glowing orbs bobbed up and down by the edge of the city then floated off. Jack wanted to go follow them, they had a strange alluring nature. “Stop! You still need revenge, I cannot let you go dying now. Those lights lead people into the Haunted Forest every year. The closer it comes to Halloween the worse it gets” Death’s voice said. Jack stopped walking and shook his head. “I feel like I would know that. I did grow up here” Jack replied.

Jack’s memory was still fuzzy, probably because he was still drunk. Jack felt like he was still walking in a dream though. He was awake but he kept thinking back to his cabin in the mountains, it all seemed so real and the Dark city seemed like a bad nightmare that wouldn’t go away. “Will I ever see the cabin in the mountains again? Will I actually have that life?” Asked Jack. “Yes, rid the world of this demon you call ‘boss’ and I will make sure you get your cabin” Said Death.

Jack finally reached the base of operations for the Organization. It looked like an abandoned factory on the outside. Jack looked up at the top floor where he knew the Boss would be waiting. “Do I deserve a quiet life if I just keep killing? I would do anything for Isabelle but does killing in her name settle anything? Will it bring her back?” Jack said out loud. He wasn’t really asking anyone and knew she wouldn’t come back but he had grown tired of killing and yearned for the life of peace that he had in his dreams. “Your old boss is a demon. A literal demon and I choose you to kill him. If you walk away he will continue hurting people, making more victims and causing more pain. Your soul is stained from killing but that demon boss of yours raised you and put you on the path. So you are one of his victims just like all of the people you killed are victims of yours. I don’t need someone to think about this problem. I need a hammer, blunt crushing force. Now go!” Death explained. Death’s voice boomed when it said “Go”

Jack steeled his nerves. Now wasn’t the time for doubt or thoughts of warm beds and autumn days. Now was the time for revenge. Jack was an assassin, a hitman, an enforcer and all around psycho in his past life. Jack new it was time to bring that all back one last time. Jack kicked open the front door and broke off one of the door’s hinges.

Jack walked into main room, which looked like an empty factory, this was also part of the disguise. The main factory room was dark, the only light was from the street lights outside that came in through the large factory windows. The sound of rain echoed outside. the rain began to beat down harder, thousands of drops pelted the building and the strong winds shook the fragile windows.

Jack walked across the room to an old wooden door that looked like it led to an office or storage. The door opened and a guard wearing a suit and tie emerged from the doorway. He was sent to investigate the noise and found Jack standing before him.

The guard was shocked, he looked as if he had seen a ghost or maybe he was scared because he knew he was about to die. The guard saw Jack, standing tall with an insane grin and a fierce look of murder in his eyes. Jack had his hammer raised over his head and the guard pulled out a gun to shoot. Before a shot could be fired Jack slammed his hammer down onto the guards skull, smashing him into the cold concrete floor.

Jack walked into the base through the old wooden door. The inside of the base was all decked out with new furniture, metal doors, reinforced walls and stylish gold and marble statues. The first room had guards all with guns. Jack slammed his hammer down on the first guard that was by the door then threw his hammer at the guard across the room. A third guard drew his gun but Jack was able to grab a gun from the first guard and fire at the third. Jack’s hammer was lightweight enough that it could be thrown and swung quickly. Jack was an agile person and carried his hammer around ever day, so the crushing weight that it did have never slowed him down.

Jack had made it into the base of the Organization. His path for revenge wasn’t over yet. Jack readied himself for the battle ahead.

Where my Dreams take me - part 3 Into the Dark city

            Night had settled on the land, rain continued to pour down on the autumn forest. Jack walked through the forest, sore and exhausted. As he walked he noticed the trees change from bright Autumn colors to dark brown leaves and eventually to bare trees with black gnarled roots. Jack had stumbled into the last remains of the dark forest. The dark forest was a dangerous place filled with wild animals and twisted trees. The Dark Forest is the result of corruption from dark magic spilling into a previously healthy part of the Autumn forest. The Haunted forest, which was now known as the cursed land was the source of the dark magic and corruption that tainted the surrounding area turning it into the dark forest.

            Luckily for Jack he was able to spot a city beyond the dark and twisted trees. Slowly the corrupted Dark Forest was being cleared away in development of cities and roads. Despite aggressive development, the Haunted forest, which was located on the edge of the city, was not touched. Too many workers, hunters, explorers and people in general went missing in that cursed place. The wildest beasts of the forest were nothing to be afraid of compared to the ghosts, spirits and demons that lurked in the Haunted forest.

            Jack walked in the rain toward the city. The dark, twisted trees parted to make way for a large brightly lit city, full of towering ominous buildings and seedy streets. From a distance the city was a beautiful sight, the city lights from the buildings and traffic shined like a beacon in the dark night, but as Jack walked closer he saw the city was unwelcoming and dangerous.

            He approached the city from the forest, he climbed over a fence, walked through a parking lot and ended up on the sidewalk. Jack needed to find someplace that was still open even at this late hour, so he could get directions or maybe even a ride home. As he walked he realized everything was open. This city was very different than his home in the mountains and that forest village were everyone went home at 9 o’clock.

            As strange and foreign as the city was, Jack somehow knew his way around. After a few minutes of walking he found a bar called “The lousy dame” It was a dive bar that no one in their right mind would visit. Jack went in, he felt compelled to go. When he entered the bar he saw it was a dimly lit room, with most of the place being taken up by a large bar and bar stools. A few old booths lined the back wall. The bartender was an old guy with a beard. He might have been old but he looked like he could hold his own in a fight. He had the appearance of someone who used to either box or wrestle when they were younger. Some muscles don’t go away.

            The bartender walked in “you must be lost” he said with a sneer. “Heh, yeah actually. Uh..were am I and could I use your phone?” Jack replied. The bartender’s face stiffened. “Yer in Darkcity. Formerly Dark Oak city. And you are standing in my bar, the Lousy dame. Just figured I’d mention that too ‘cause you look brain dead as well as lost. Also no you can’t use my phone. Only custumers use my phone”  The bartender replied.

 Jack smiled, trying his best to be friendly despite being called brain dead. “Well then I will have a beer a shot of whiskey, a basket of pumpkin fries and some chicken fingers” Jack replied. “Also I would like to use your phone” He added with a smirk. The bartender gave Jack a second look as if trying to place his face somewhere, but then walked into the back kitchen to get Jack’s food.

            Jack was hungry but he wasn’t sure why he ordered all of that stuff. He didn’t want to get drunk. He could have just had a beer, used the phone and nursed his beer as he waited for a taxi. “That’s an awfully specific order” Said a large man as he walked up next to Jack. “Yeah? No one order the chicken or pumpkin fries before?” Jack asked, trying to stay light hearted. “No, they don’t, because pumpkin fries aren’t on the menu, only people that know old Carl order them. He says they are a pain in the ass to make and only makes em for friends” said the large man. “Well it must have been a lucky guess. Who are you?” Jack asked the large man who was now looming over him.

            “Galose Rigs, and you are Jack the hammer” Said Galose the large man. He leaned down and Jack saw his face, which looked like it was in a permanent sneer. Galose has jet black hair and olive skin, he wore a trench coat over a bullet proof vest and a dress shirt. “My name is Jack but I don’t know…” Jack began to say but then Galose smacked the silver hammer that Jack was doing a poor job of concealing under his coat. the hammer flung forward but Jack caught it mid air, spun around kicked Galose so hard that made him fall backward then Jack raised the hammer above his head ready to slam it down on Galose. This all happened in a second and Jack moved out of reflex not rational thought. “Don’t touch my hammer” Jack said with a sneer. Then his face shifted from frightening to confused. “MY hammer? When did I ever buy a hammer?” Jack muttered.

 Galose, who was not afraid of anyone, was now on the ground shivering. He was thought he was going to be executed by Jack. “You kill people Jack, that’s not something you can just forget” Galose said after he got his nerve back. Galose had seen Jack murder people for less and smacking Jack’s hammer was up there on punishable offenses.

            Old Carl the bartender came back out with a Jack’s food and drink and was now wearing a smile. “You know Jack, I thought you were a lost bumpkin the way you were acting. I recognized your face but your attitude was way off. I didn’t know you enjoyed practical jokes so much” Said Carl as he set Jack food down. Jack was now sitting at the bar trying to remember his old life and Galose had left.

            “you know me?” Jack said in a shaky voice. “Yeah a’course I do. You’re my best costumer. I worried you would stop coming by after…you know” Carl said but trailed off. “What?” Jack said looking up with concern. “Isabelle…died. She died Jack, you did know that, right? I mean I heard you were there. I heard…well don’t worry what I heard. You just relax and eat and drink. It’s on the house. You rest up. Did you really need to use my phone” Carl said then began to smile as he mentioned the phone, remembering Jack’s hilarious ‘joke’. “No, it was a joke. I just haven’t been myself lately” Jack replied with his head hung low. Carl nodded solemnly. “I know my boy, I know. You two were set to be married and everything. I-I am really sorry” Carl said and then went back into the back room kitchen.

            Jack began to remember everything. He remembered his past but his present seemed hazy. He remembered Isabelle dying. He saw her gunned down by their boss. Jack was worked for a criminal organization as an enforcer. He grew up in Dark City, he was raised by the Organization and then became their strongest and deadliest member.

            Jack remembered he had just come back from a job when he saw Isabelle. She was beautiful, Tall, red hair with blue eyes. She was standing confidently in front of the big boss. The most ruthless man in the city besides Jack himself and Isabella stood unwavering as they spoke. Jack walked in and heard them talking. She had just joined the Organization for money. She had skills as a thief but knew she needed support to stay out of prison and get the bigger jobs. Her joining wasn’t supposed to be permanent but if the Boss likes someone, he doesn’t want to let them go.

            Jack went out of his way to talk to Isabelle on a regular basis. When she was around he let himself relax. He could be a nicer version of himself when he talked to Isabelle. They connected instantly and after a year planned to get married.

            “We should just run away, Jack. Get married and get out of the city” Isabelle said as she stood on the balcony of their fourth floor apartment. Jack slowly got dressed, as he talked “I can’t just leave, the work pays well. Besides where would we go? Run off to the mountains? I grow pumpkins and you raise kids?” Jack said with a sarcastic laugh. He put on his gray t-shirt, black jeans and black combat boots then walked toward the balcony. “Why would we leave?” Jack asked as he tried to soften his voice. He spent his days delivering death threats and orders, so when he was with Isabelle he had to consciously make an effort to not sound like an asshole. “I joined the organization to make money, I made money, now I need to leave. I don’t want to live in Dark city all of my life. Do you?” Isabelle asked. Jack grabbed his dark green trench coat and put it on then walked to the balcony. “No, I suppose not. The boss isn’t going to be happy” Jack said as he pulled Isabelle close. “The boss is never happy” She said. “You never answered my question. You wanna be pumpkin farmers and raise kids in the mountains?” Jack said with a sarcastic smile. “Ass” Isabelle said, she punched his arm and then kissed him.

            Months later Isabelle and Jack went to the Boss’ office together. “No, I need you both for an upcoming job. Besides you are two of my best employees” said the boss. He was an overweight man who had a taste for expensive suits, flashy furniture and naked woman paintings. Jack didn’t like being around him.

            “You say this every time we try to leave. You promised this wouldn’t be a permanent position for me. We both made money from me working for you. We both made out well, now let me go” Isabelle said. She knew everyone who worked for the Organization needed the Boss’ permission to leave or they would be hunted and dragged back to Dark city. “I can’t risk losing both of you. I can’t count on Galose or Big Davy to do Jack’s work and most of my professional thieves are small time” The boss said. Then he hesitated “One of you can go. Not both” He said then slapped his palm down on his marble and gold desk. “One not both. Take it or leave it” He said.

            Jack turned to Isabelle “You go, I wanted to stay anyway. This can still work” Jack said. “No, both of us. Jack worked for you his whole life. You don’t own him or me. We are leaving.” Isabelle said. Guards stood in her way to keep her from leaving the room. She gritted her teeth. This organization was pushing her patience. Without another word Isabelle grabbed two daggers from her belt and stabbed one into each of the guards. She jammed her daggers into their necks before they could even pull their weapons, or scream. The boss pulled out a shotgun from under his desk and fired it as Isabelle.

            Jack went to jump in the way but was tackled by guards wearing suits and ties. Isabelle only had enough time to turn before she was blasted by the shotgun blast. Blood splattered the white and gold walls. Jack threw the guards off as fury built up in him. “You didn’t have to do that! HOW COULD YOU” Jack yelled. The guards tried to restrain him but he pulled out his hammer and swung it through the air. It hit the first guard and shattered his skull on impact. The second guard was kicked to the ground before he could get close enough to attack, then Jack finished him with a downward hammer drop to the skull. Blood and brains splattered the floor and ceiling. The Boss put his gun down. “Feel better?” He asked coldly. The other guards didn’t even attempt to attack.

"Feel better?! I won't feel better until I split your head like rotten fruit!" Jack yelled then tried to lift his hammer but Galose acted quicker and broke an end table over Jack's back. Jack collapsed on the ground and was carried away.
  “Keep on eye on him. Like I said before I can’t risk losing both of them. He will come around. Jack had nowhere else to go. We are his family” The boss said to one of his goons.

Where my Dreams take me - part 2 Into the Rain

            It was another beautiful day on the Autumn Mountain. The sun was shining, the air was crisp and the birds chirping. Jack walked out of his cabin and stretched. He was wearing his warm coat over a long sleeve gray shirt. He had his normal black pants and brown work boots. Jack went to a tool shed behind his cabin to get an ax. It was a clear day, but Jack heard the rumbling of thunder in the distance and decided to chop some wood for his fire to stay warm on what might be a stormy night.

            Jack opened the wooden shed door, the old metal hinges creaked as it opened. The shed was big enough for Jack to stand straight and walk one step inside. Tools were hung up on the walls and his axe was on the floor with the handle leaning against the corner of the shed. When Jack leaned down to get the ax he spotted a large hammer resting in the other corner. It was the same size as Jack’s wood chopping axe, but it was shining like silver and the handle was made from the same shining metal as the head. The bottom of the handle had a black grip. Engraved just above the black handle were the initials “J.H”

            Jack stared at the hammer, it looked so familiar but he couldn’t remember where he had seen it. He went to touch it when he heard a clash of lighting sound over heard. The rain was getting closer and Jack had errands to do outside. Jack grabbed the ax and went back to the front yard.

           

            Karu was waiting in the front yard, she was playing with one of the pumpkin stems. When Jack yelled at her she bit down hard on the pumpkin then ran off into the house. Jack sighed. He inspected the pumpkin to find it hadn’t been pierced. Luckily Karu was small and her teeth weren’t that sharp.

            Jack began chopping wood in front of his house. He lined up the piece of wood on an old tree stump that he used as a chopping block then brought his axe down hard. Jack forced his axe downward but heard a man cry out. Jack saw a flash of a rainy day in a dark city, a man’s face cried out in horror as a hammer came down and crushed his head. Jack was horrified by this image and his body jerked. The ax missed the wood and chipped off a piece of stump. Jack dropped his axe and ran back to the tool shed. Dust shook from the walls as he pulled the doors open quickly. Jack grabbed the hammer to examine it closely.

            Jack saw another flash, like a memory. It was a man with long wild hair in a long dark coat standing in the rain. As the rain washed away the bloodfrom the concrete, the man smiled, it was a twisted grin. What little light there was in that Alley was reflected off of a bright shiny silver hammer. Jack remembered this happening. He could see it so clearly. The dead man looked familiar too. Jack felt like he had been close to the guy who was killed. Jack began to wonder if this was why he moved to the mountains to get away. Jack’s mind was fuzzy when he tried to remember that far back. He remembered he had been betrayed and then went on the run. Did he steal the silver hammer for himself?

            Jack left the shed holding the hammer. Light rain began to hit the ground. Jack walked out into the rain, lost in thought. When he looked up he saw a woman walking into the autumn forest. No one ever came up to his cabin, so this woman being here was strange. Jack saw another flash, an image of a woman’s face. She had light red hair and blue eyes, her skin was white like milk and her smile was warm like a roaring fire.

            “Isabelle” Jack muttered. He didn’t know how he knew that name but he knew she was important. He ran toward the forest. The rain began to pour down harder and harder. The sky was dark and stormy, the beautiful autumn trees swayed and creaked in the wind. The clouds formed a shadow over the forest making it hard to see. Jack went into the forest and didn’t look back. He held the metal hammer in both hands as he ran. The hammer was sturdy but surprisingly light.

            “Isabelle!” Jack shouted into the rain as he ran deeper into the forest.

Rain poured down from the treetops and Jack was soaked from running in the rain. After a few minutes of running Jack stopped. He was out of breath and he hadn’t seen Isabelle since she first entered the forest. Bright autumn leaves littered the ground, but seemed dark from the rain and clouds. The trees swayed as if the forest was alive and the rain continued to pour down. Thunder rumbled overhead and a second later lighting struck the forest with a loud crack. Jack saw one of the trees shatter and explode. The sound was so loud it was disorienting. Jack stumbled backward and tripped over an old tree root. He landed on his back and hit his head on the ground. Luckily the ground was soft from the rain. Jack stared up at the sky as rain continued to pour down on him, unrelenting, uncaring. Jack gripped the hammer and stood up. He was soaked and muddy and worst of all he wasn’t sure how to get back to his cabin. He wasn’t watching where he was going as he sprinted into the forest and the whole mountain was covered in trees.

            Tired, sore and feeling foolish Jack tried to make his way home. through the forest and into the rain.

Where my Dreams take me - part 1 Into the Autumn Mountains

Up in the mountains was a forest as beautiful as it was old. In the forest lived a man named Jack. He led a peaceful and solitary life away from the bustling city streets and the loud noises.

The bright autumn forest sat nestled under the big blue sky. Sunlight gently shined down on the land. Beautiful red, orange and yellow trees filled the forest. In the middle of the forest was a clearing. The ever-growing forest surrounded a patch of yellow and green grass, at the center of the clearing was a wooden cabin. An old rustic home with a red roof, a red door and made from the dark brown wood of the autumn trees.

            Wood smoke gently poured from the brick chimney. The smell of wood smoke mixed with the cool autumn air. Jack stepped out of the small cabin and took a deep breath in. the smell of wood smoke and the fresh air of the outdoors invigorated his senses. Jack had shaggy brown hair, scruffy brown facial hair, bright green eyes and pale skin. He wore black pants, white shirt, brown work boots and a green coat that was resistant to rain and wind, perfect for the misty autumn weather of the forest.

            Jack walked over to his pumpkin patch, which he planted beside his house. He smiled to see that his pumpkins were growing nicely. He had twenty pumpkins growing healthy and strong in the mountain air. A black cat named Karu walked up and jumped on one of the pumpkins. “Karuyami the Black cat of the mountains” was her full title given to her by Jack. Jack found her as a kitten when he was building his cabin. She was alone so he took care of her. They had been friends ever since.

            Karu balanced on the pumpkin and stared at Jack. One of her eyes was bright green the other was yellow. Karu meowed at Jack so he would pay attention to her. “Come on now Karu, get off there. I don’t want to loose any pumpkins to your foolishness” Jack said sternly. But then smiled and patted her head.

            After tending to his pumpkins, Jack decided to go into town for supplies. He was a beginner at growing his own food and the first thing he planted was pumpkin seed. So until he learned to grow other kinds of food he would have to make weekly trips into town.

            Jack walked down the side of the mountain. As he walked he thought about how he probably needed to get a car, or a motorcycle or maybe a horse. The walking didn’t tire him out, but each trip to town took a long time to get there and back. He didn’t mind the view though. On his walk down he saw the other mountains, all covered with trees. Most of the trees had changed colors for the Fall. Mountains covered in bright red, orange and yellow. The warm colors were a nice sight and the cold mountain air was refreshing. Jack loved the smell of the fresh air that you can only get high up in the mountains. After walking for a while Jack arrived in Maple town.

Maple town was a quiet town, with nice people and a big autumn tree that grew up taller than the houses. Jack loved seeing how much the tree would grow and change ever time he came down. One of the villagers had planted the tree in their backyard, they must not have realized how big it would get. The bottom of the tree was hidden by fence but the top could be seen easily. It was different colors all at once. The leaves green to yellow to orange to red, all evenly spread out and all on one tree.

            Jack walked through the town and saw people selling their freshly grown apples and homemade cider. He wasn’t in town for that but decided to try a little of each. He paid for the apples and cider and put them in a bag he carried on his back, As he walked around town he felt a sense of peace. He thought he could only feel such peace when he was alone, hidden away high in the mountains, but the people of Maple town were good decent people. He felt comfortable around them, which was a feeling he had not experienced in a long time.

            Jack had a great deal of thinking to do as he walked back up the mountainside with his bag of supplies. He enjoyed living alone in his cottage, growing food and raising Karu, but he also missed having neighbors and friends. Jack remembered why he moved to the mountains, people were always as nice as they seemed and sometimes trusting someone could be a deadly mistake.

But if Jack were to move back into a town or city, it would be Maple town.

Joseph Stephens and the Early Arrival

It was September and heat continued to oppress the city. Joseph Stephens was out for a stroll around town. The sun was setting and Joseph hoped that the night would bring a much needed break from the heat.

July the spirit of summer yawned as the lights grew dim. The night rolled on but she refused to go to bed. July wore out her welcome in many ways. She stayed up late some nights, keeping the heat going until the early hours of the next day and often would stick around well into September, leaving Patches the autumn spirit with a short season.

The sun finally set and Joseph looked up into the sky at the giant summer spirit. “Hey July, you going to bed?” Joseph called to her. “No, I think I will stay up! The night is still young and all of the people of the city want to enjoy the nice weather for a bit longer. Who am I to deprive them of my radiance?” July said to Joseph. Joseph sneered “yeah sure ‘nice’ weather” he muttered. While it was true many people in the city enjoyed warm weather and some even enjoyed the humid weather, it wasn’t true that the whole city enjoyed July. In face the city was pretty split up over all the seasons. Nice weather meant something completely different depending on who you asked. Joseph would suffer the summer and was rewarded with Fall and spring. Some people would wait all year for summer and hate when winter arrived. Joseph’s problem was when summer was supposed to start leaving and instead decided that everyone loved her so much that she should stay until winter arrived.

The street lights in the city turned on as the sun finally set. Building lights, street lights and car lights illuminated the city. Turning a city of concrete into something a little nicer, something a little more pleasant to look at. The air was slightly cooler without the sun hanging over the sky but until July went to bed the persistent heat would remain.

Music started to play, each note lingered in the air as it was played, like a slowly drifting leaf on the wind. The music was soft and slow but as it went on became more ominous. The slow melody was joined with quieter more rapid notes. Like someone striking the keys of a piano as someone on stage tried to play a relaxing melody on a violin. The sharp keys continued until it drowned out the soft melody all together. The street lights dimmed, the car lights went black and the city block lost power. Lights went out everywhere within that city block. A cold wind blew, it was freezing like the icy hand of death reaching out. It felt cold like the breath of old man winter. Joseph looked around in the dark. Joseph didn’t think Winter wouldn’t try to arrive this early, but he wasn’t sure.

“w-who is that?” July called out in fear. The music started to get louder and louder. A black cloaked figure soared through the air and with him he brought frigid cold air. “Halloween has come early to this town and Death has come early for YOU!” Said the cloaked figure. A skeletal hand reached out from the cloak and pointed at July. July quaked in fear “N-no! You can’t! My father is the sun! you can’t threaten me!!” July shouted back trying to calm her fear. “The sun cannot help you here. It is night and I bring the darkness on my heels” replied the cloaked figure. “You can’t! I am an immortal spirit” July protested. “Your soul will be especially delicious” Replied the figure. Red eyes glowed from under the hood as he looked up at July.

            “Why have you come? Why me? Why now?” July asked in a panic. “You have over stayed your welcome, you bully the seasons into ending early and starting late. You only obey those you fear and you only fear two things. Winter…”the cloaked figure said slowly then he pulled down his hood revealing a skeleton head with burning red eyes. “…And DEATH!”

July shrieked “No! I will leave, I will be good I swear!!!” July said and then jumped so hard that she soared straight into the air and didn’t come back down. Joseph watched Summer disappear into the sky as he smiled with a devilish grin. The cloaked figure loomed over the city, its red eyes burning so brightly it could be seen from the ground. “Happy Halloween everyone!!!!” Shouted the cloaked skeleton, then it began to cackle like a mad man. Trees twisted into black Halloween trees and Jack o lanterns sprouted from the ground, their faces already carved and their candles already lit.

Joseph began to laugh too. The madness was contagious and the heat of summer had been getting to him. The city block turned into a Halloween city, with spirits walking the streets and Jack-o-lanterns on every street corner. Thick tree roots grew over the street lamps and the light from the street lights emitted an eerie green glow. Car lights were now purple, like black light and all of the houses and buildings had a warm orange tint to their lights. Cold air rushed through the city but then calmed down. The air became breezy but not cold. It felt like late October on Halloween night.

The skeleton spotted Joseph Stephens and soared down to meet him. “You enjoyed my work mortal?” Asked the skeleton. “Haha, Yes I did sir. July had it coming and Halloween can’t come soon enough” Joseph replied. Realizing this was all harmless fun. People were scared but no one got hurt. The skeleton laughed, its laugh echoed through the air as if it had been carried on the wind. “We already have two Czars of Halloween mortal, if we didn’t I would offer you a title on the spot” Said the cloaked Skeleton. “So who are you anyway? At first I thought you were Patches in Disguise” Said Joseph. “I am a Grim Reaper, one of many, son of Death herself” The grim reaper said. “I am also friends of Pumpkin Patch, or Patches as you call him and a fan of Halloween” The Reaper added.

Joseph stood in amazement “Oh! So that wasn’t for show then? You were going to kill July? Also what about the city, will it stay like this?” Joseph asked. “No, I just wanted to scare her. Also don’t worry about the city, it will return to normal by the crack of dawn. The weather will be more of a pleasant early September as well. The heat should stay away as long as July doesn’t come back” The Grim reaper explained.

“well I have actual work to do, I can’t goof off too much, I am on the clock” The grim reaper said “Oh, do spirits have time and schedules like humans do?” asked Joseph. “No, don’t be a sucker. We live forever, why would we need time. Its just an expression that I say when I have to leave” The grim reaper laughed, then he vanished.

 Joseph felt weird about being mocked by the Grim Reaper. Maybe it was a honor? Joseph wondered if all the Grim Reapers were jerks who loved Halloween.

The night went on and Joseph Stephens stayed outside as long as he could. He went home to get a jacket, he bought a coffee from the local coffee house and strolled through the Halloween city block. He greeted the spirits, who were all very friendly, he marveled at the twisted trees and glowing Jack-o-lanterns and enjoyed the cool autumn breeze on his face. Anyone with a fireplace began to light fires and the smell of wood smoke drifted through the streets. Joseph had a feeling of bliss and wished every night could be this good.

Joseph Stephens enjoyed his autumn night and as he walked home he could faintly hear the sound of soft music playing.

Where do your Dreams go?

            Where do your dreams go when you die?

I have never been one to fear death. I’ve led a life of hardships and pain, both physical and emotional. My life has not been all bad but my worst experiences could be written and sold as horror stories. When nightmares consume your childhood what is so fearsome about death? Nothing. Death scares the young and the healthy. People have their reasons why they want to live but the real reason is primitive survival. The human brain in all of its complexity still operates from basic desires. A human wants to live so that it can reproduce and make more humans. All species need this urge to survive. Growing up sick and in pain alters your brain. Its natures way of saying “You wont reproduce so death is ok. You are allowed to die” This might sound cruel but anyone who has seen a nature documentary will know its true. Nature effects humans just the same as it effects animals.

            I am now afraid to die and strive to live. One day I found a light in the darkness. It was a boundless imagination that led me to my love of fantasy. I played in the fictional worlds of others. Humans created video games and books, they used their brains for something more than basic desires. They created these worlds and I was lost and entranced. In these worlds the hero won, the darkness could be fought and if you believe hard enough nothing can stop you. Memories of life funneled through creative process and turned into dreams. The Dreams written down and turned into fiction and the fiction sold and consumed. Once consumed the fiction is released back into dreams and stimulates the mind. The mind then begins to create its own dreams and its own fiction. What if that tree was sixty feet tall and contained an entire village of elves? Its not sixty feet tall and only birds live in it, but what if? What if the world was a better and more magical place? What if people got along? What if trying your best actually made a difference? The thoughts in your brain turn and focus. Your experiences color both your fantasy and reality. How you perceive people depends on how you were raised just like if I told you to imagine a drugtor you might think of something totally different than someone else. Others may just realize Drugtor is a word I just made up and not bother imagining anything.

            So where DO dreams go when you die? And why does my ability to imagine a dragtor make me want to live?

            Well I honestly do not know where dreams go and that is why I fear death. In my head I have my memories, story ideas, characters, dreams, goals and a whole library of random animal trivia. Its precious to me, I can recall times that I spent with my friends or family, moments long since passed that my brain keeps preserved for as long as I live. Happy moments and memories that make me smile to this day. I can create fictional worlds and characters in a day, I can imagine those places and if I close my eyes I can see every single place I have ever written about. I fear death because when a person dies, what happens to those precious memories and all of the stories they haven’t written yet? My fear is that they simply go away forever.

            Great authors through the ages wrote stories that are still read and enjoyed hundreds of years later, but what happened to the stories they didn’t write? All of the possible life they could have breathed into the world is now gone. All that remains is their stories, echoes of a mind that could create anything out of nothing.

            I do not fear not existing, not breeding, not being able to eat hamburgers, I fear not being able to tell stories.

            So what if I had to answer to my own question? What if I just wrote a happy ending? What if?

            When you die your dreams live on with you. The stories you wrote continue to entertain the living but all of the worlds you create in your head, the characters that are all secretly part of your own personality, your dreams, your wishes and all of the memories you hold so dear from your life, they go with you. They all travel with you to the next world.  a world of peace and happiness and a world where the heroes won, the darkness could be fought and if you believe hard enough nothing can stop you.