Dreams & Nightmares - A Prequel to Chapter 6

Lights shattered on the ground, glass flew in all directions. The chaotic mixture of screams and murderous laughter vibrated through the narrow passageway of what seemed like an underground tunnel. I could see Harut running with all his might, with expressions of fear and panic, Harut ran with blood stained clothes. His black cloak whipped the air without rhythm leaving nothing but aggression.  He grabbed on to anything he could find to slow down his chasers as if he was afraid of what would happen if he were to get caught. I screamed his name yet he could not hear me, he ran passed me completely unaware of my existence. I followed him until the light could be seen at the end of the tunnel where he stopped.

He pressed himself against the tunnel's wall hiding in the shadows. Blanketing himself cautiously within his ragged black cloak, he closed his eyes, took a deep breath and slowly breathed out controlling all his senses and soothing the ones that could lead him to lose his life. Afraid of whom or what he was hiding from, I imitated his movements. The pursuers appeared, screaming for blood and vengeance. They ran right past us unaware of our presence heading towards the light at the end of the tunnel. Once they had all gone, Harut felt his hands against parts of the wall as if to find something of great importance. He felt through the whole section of that wall until a secret entrance opened. What was going on? Clearly, running through this very tunnel was previously planned. 'Where are you going? What's going on Harut?'

Frustrated with why he could not hear me, I again followed Harut. I understood now that nothing but my thoughts were my own. My eyes followed only the direction that they allowed me. I could hear quiet whispers from Harut, 'Forgive me Father I have failed'. These repetitive words rang in my head and echoed in my mind over and over again. 'Forgive me Father I have failed'. We came to a dead end yet Harut's expressions did not change. I had thought the plan must have failed him yet there was no signs of surprise or shock. We waited for a while, him isolated by my existence and me isolated by my inability to exist. Then, in an instant, I found myself and Harut at a road.

There was a moment of silence where he glared at the road in front of him lost in his own thoughts. I even lost myself, unaware of what was around me, my thoughts took me away too deep in my own mind. With hundreds of memories, Dreams & Nightmares flowing through my mind instantly a mixture of all my emotions flooded in. Confused with which emotion I should feel I remained emotionless. Confused with which thought to hold on to... Wait, what was that? (Rahal Sighs). Out of all those thoughts I wished not to remember, the one thought I wished to forget became that one thought that kept me sane. Her beauty, her elegance, her simplicity, her. My memory of her became my sanity, my sanity led me to insanity for the pursuit of my sanity.

Harut then turned around and froze with fear at what he had ran away from. His fixed expression seemed to be mixed with guilt, regret and sorrow. I also turned around to see what he saw and what I saw was too close to unbearable. I saw a huge city burning in flames, enormous buildings eaten up like dessert by the overwhelming fire that consumed the city whole. With all my thoughts now silenced I could hear the screams of thousands in agony burning from an infinite flame hungry for more. The fire drew closer and closer until they consumed me, the screams getting louder and louder until they constantly rang in my ears. 'HELP! SOMEONE SAVE ME, SAVE MY BABY!' The cries of mothers and children synchronized so perfectly that this new sound became too overwhelming for one person alone. Beside me, Harut fell to his knees in tears. 'This is all my fault, all my fault.' He wept, his hands shielding his vision from this view. I could not help him, I was powerless. When my inability took control of me and when the flames blinded me and the sounds deafened me, when it became too much for me and every muscle in my body froze...

I woke up...

Written By,

Jawaad Saleem