Gilean's Awakening

By Gilean - Wordsmith

Chapter 1

I awakened to a mystery.

Often, I am told, a dreamer awakens to the dream and is quickly accepted into the society, and often is told about the dream by a knowledgeable Dreamer. Not I. When I awakened, there were none in Threshold. Granted, this was mainly due to the time that I awakened. A much later hour than most dreamt then, and today still. The events that transpired that evening were far from the peaceful awakenings of most.

Upon entering the dream, I traveled through the areas of Underlight long left deserted, as many of the newly awakened do. Soon, I arrived at what would soon become a familiar sight, a single room with portals leading to Threshold, and all of the houses. Looking around, I decided to enter the chambers of the Keepers of the Eternal Shadow, as I was intrigued by their name.

Traveling through the portal, I was greeted by an empty room. I explored the room, to see if there was anything contained therein, but found naught. As it was my first night in the dream, I was still a little disoriented. After a short while, I decided to continue exploring Threshold. I journeyed for some time, passing through rooms and hallways, all blending together in a repetitive blur, constantly looking for someone. A severe feeling of dread was building inside of me, as I could find no one.

Continuing onward, I found a stairway I had passed many times before, and reading the sign designating it as the Library of Souls, I made up my mind to enter hoping to find somebody, anybody.. Upon entering the library, I was immediately drawn to a beaming pillar of electric light, burning furiously inside the library. Without thinking, I stepped towards it, and was transported into the pits.

Confused, and by this time, completely disoriented, I began wandering the pits. Soon, I found myself descending a long staircase, feeling a deep seated feeling of dread. Rounding the foot of the staircase, I was shocked to discover a claw repeatedly pulsing in and out of the ground. Still overcome with immense dread, I continued onward, resolutely set to explore this strange new world I had entered.

At the bottom of the staircase, I entered a small room. Displayed all around were archaic symbols, which I soon realized were the symbols of all the houses of Underlight. Quickly exploring this, and discovering it desolated, I prepared to leave. However, some feeling compelled me to stay. I began investigating some of the surroundings, as I couldn’t bring myself to leave yet. There was something mysterious about this room, but I couldn’t distinguish what exactly.

Without warning, he appeared.

As I stood there in the room, a dark figure took form in front of me. Not an abyss figure, but one completely black. Darkness that draws your eyes into it, and looks as if they will never escape. If I hadn’t been filled with dread before, I would be now. I fell backwards, and grasped the wall, backpedaling all the way to the back of the room. The dark figure completely took form, (as far as I could tell...) and turned to face me.

He had no discernible features..his face was as black as the darkness that had continually filled my nights before. At that instant, I would’ve sold my soul to have the dreamless nights that had constantly plagued me back again. He stepped towards me, and I, frozen with fear, could do naught but lay there shivering on the cold, dead floor. Then, the figure began to speak in a dark voice..

"Child of darkness...."

I gasped at this new communication. His voice reminded me of the dread cold of the deepest winter night. This very utterance chilled me to the soul.

"Child of darkness..." he repeated, in that deep, cold voice.

"I..I...I am...I...I am...Gilean.." I finally stuttered out, unable to discern as to what he was questioning.

"Gilean, child of darkness..." he stated, continuing face me. He had no eyes, but I could tell that he was staring at me. No, not at me, THROUGH me...through me to my very soul. Could he see the torment that raged within my soul? His voice had chilled me completely..

"Gilean...you have awakened to a new world..." he stated, as with an air of finality.

"Y..yy..y.yyess.." I managed to utter, still quaking with fear.

Suddenly, I realized that I recognized his voice..a voice which haunted my waking hours, and now seemingly would haunt my dreaming hours, too. A voice, which upon hearing it, instilled me with a fear so complete, that I couldn’t answer for a very long while. Now, I was more scared than I had been since I first awakened. A voice, though altered insanely by the dream, was still recognizable.....the voice of...of...my father.

Chapter 2

My father was a good man. At least, he tried to be. He worked in the stables at the castle. Granted, our king was not a kind ruler, but I don’t think that gave my father the reason to act the way that he did. Many nights, he would return from the stables angry. Mother and I could tell when that was, and tried to be leaving to go shopping, or visiting when he arrived home. However, tonight, it was different. Father came through the door in a pleasant mood, it seemed. Looking back on that, I can see now that he had finally had enough of the stable master's overbearing behavior, and the excessive demands of the king. He had snapped, and neither mom nor I noticed it.

He walked through the door smiling. I should’ve noticed that something was wrong at that point, as he never came home smiling... Mother ran to him to give him a kiss, and after a short kiss, they walked together into the dining room. I sat down my books, and followed, prepared to eat a hardy supper, before returning to my studies. The court wizard Kal’thor had promised to take me on as an apprentice if I could have the three tomes memorized by our next meeting.

We sat down at the table, and mother brought in the food. Supper passed without much noticeable occurrence, and, upon finishing, I asked to be excused, and returned to my studies at the other end of the house. I sat down, and opened the first tome, and began reading to myself..."....afrturi selk me slak klisanta....afrturi selk me slak klisanta.."

A shadow appeared over the book, blocking the light. I looked up, and father was standing there.

"Aren’t ye gonna help yer ma clear the table, ya lazy bastard?"

"Sure, da.." was all I got out, before I was knocked off of the chair, and sent sprawling across the floor.

"She makes clothes fer ya, she makes yer food.." he talked, in an insane editorial fashion, nearing me. He grabbed my tunic, and lifted me off the floor. "I work all tha damn day to bring muney home.." he continued, tossing me into the dining area, "so you cen be fed..an have muney ta sendja to class wit that dumb jerk ufa majishun.." He kicked me in the stomach, and I rolled from the blow. "You honesly thin that you kin lern to do that stuff, you idiot?" He grabbed my legs, and launched me into the living area again. I catapaulted against, the wall, and felt my left leg explode in pain. My whole body ached.

"Yer a stupid baturd that won’t amount to nuthin...a waste of muney, and time." He grabbed me by the hair and tunic, and carried me over to the door, kicking it open with a brutal swing of his heavily muscled legs. "Go sleep outside with the other asses, Gil." He launched me out, head over heels into the mud. The rain slashed down like needles on my skin. He shut the door, banishing the last of the remaining light.

I don’t remember how long I lay out there in the rain, until I finally found the strength to pull myself into the shed beside the house out of the rain. My leg hung limply from my body, completely useless. Every time I tried to move it, the pain flashed, and I nearly passed out. Sometime after the moon passed halfway across the sky, I heard footsteps, and reflexively cringed, thinking that my father hadn’t completely banished all of his stress.

I was immensely relieved to see that it was my mother. That meant that he was asleep, for she wouldn’t have dared to come assist me if he wasn’t. She said nothing. She didn’t have to. No words were exchanged between us, as she looked over my leg, set it, bandaged it, kissed my forehead, and returned to the house. I sat outside the rest of the night, and finally fell asleep about an hour later.

Chapter 3

An hour later. Tonight. I never believed that I would meet him my first night in this wondrous world. But, it seems like fate was playing with a stacked deck. And, as I looked up at him, I realized that he may be the master in the waking world, but I’ll be damned it I was going to let him ruin both of my lives. The inner chill that had earlier possessed me changed to a dull burning flame of hate.

I think that he noticed that a change had come over me, as I could tell a change in his attitude. The dread chill voice continued to speak, but my anger had overridden any effect it ever could have had on me.

"So, you finally awoke. Bout time. Of course, I never figured that an idiot like you would’ve been able to dream, but, well, surprise, surprise, here ya are.."

"Yes, father, I am here. And what are you going to do about it?"

I percepted a movement, and saw that two things had appeared in his hands. I didn’t recognize either of them. All I knew was that something bad was about to happen. A flash of light appeared, and blazed towards me. Acting reflexively, I jumped clear. I heard the sound of a blade being drawn.

"You stupid, ungrateful little bastard..." The voice continued..."it’s not enough I gotta teach you lessons in the real world, but it looks like I’m gonna have to do it here, too.."

He ran towards me, and I took off running. I ran through portal after portal, clear out of the pits. Behind me, the whole way, I heard his footsteps behind me, gaining on me. I took a portal, and entered the world outside of Thresh. I was desperately looking for anyone to help me. I ran with no destination, no hope..I just ran to get away from him. I came upon a bridge, and just as I was about to clear the other side, and escape through another portal, I felt a pair of strong arms grab me from behind, and swing me around. I was grabbed by the neck, and picked up. I kicked and screamed, but to no avail. He carried me back to the middle of the bridge.

"So, you ungrateful bastard..if yer not gonna respect me here either, I might as well just get rid of ya..." He said, holding me out over the bridge railing. The water swirled far beneath my feet.

I finally gave up in desperation, and screamed out all my frustration.

"YOU JERK!!! I HATE YOU!!! WE ALL HATE YOU!!! YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO TERRORIZE ME AND MOM LIKE THIS!!! I’LL KILL YOU, I SWEAR, I’LL KILL YOU SOMEDAY!!! I WISH YOU WERE DEAD, YOU ASS!!!"

I screamed in total frustration, and exhaustion, and with all my heart. I screamed utter nonsense, and curses, and everything I could think of. And, all the while, he held me in the air, laughing. I kicked and swung my legs in the air, but to no avail.

Suddenly, without warning, his grip faltered. Slowly, his fingers began to loosen. I slipped from his grasp, and was about to fall into the swirling depths, but luckily, managed to grab onto the ledge. I waited for him to grind his heels on my fingers, but nothing happened. I looked up, and he appeared to be locked within an internal struggle, thrashing and swinging all over. He slowly dissolved into a fine mist, which soon blew away. I had no idea what had happened, but I knew that I had to get out of there. I pulled myself up onto the bridge, and stood. I thought struck me.

"He’s going to wake up. He’s gonna wake up, and kill me in my sleep! I gotta wake up!"

I kicked myself, and pinched myself, in vain attempts to wake up from this nightmare. I finally resigned myself, and sat down, and relaxed, thinking of how much I wanted to wake up. Slowly, I fell asleep, and then, woke up again in the real world.

When I awoke, I saw a figure in front of me. I jumped into a defensive position reflexively, and crumbled to the floor as soon as I put weight upon my good leg. I was completely at his mercy. I looked up, resolved to meet death in the eyes.

I saw my mother standing there. I saw my mother standing there, with a bloody dagger in her hand, and tears in her eyes. It slowly dawned upon me what had happened, and why father had disappeared. He was dead. We were safe. Forevermore.

References

• https://web.archive.org/web/20030228234223/http://www.underlight.com/files/docs/Gileans-Awakening.doc