There was no warmth in a world of dream. His mouth was muffled and he could not speak, he could not hear for his ears were deaf, but he could see. He could feel the sand on a beach beneath his hand, the yellowish surface reaching out into the endless horizon where the surface of water appeared like a mirage in an empty desert. The sky was bleak and there was no color and sat in this derelict world as rain seeped into his boots, he curled up on the shore all alone as he gazed out to where the wind came. It was a feeling not unfamiliar but he felt hated having been abandoned and though it was a brief scene, it revived many of his harsh, forgotten memories. When he blinked, his dream changed again and he was transported into another world but it was a reality that he had never seen before. Something in him seemed sure that it had happened only that his mind could not recall when or where it was. He was sitting on the stone floor at the foot of a couch in front of a hearth that was oddly like the one in his grandparents’ home and he realized that a fatherly figure was holding onto his shoulders though certain he had never met him before. Young, his body emitted a warmth that he had not felt ever and his every sense was seemingly put into overdrive as he could feel the cold of the floor, the warmth of the flames, and the hot of the blood that was coursing through him. Beside him were two other children, boys his age who behaved so differently they would not have understood one another. Captivated by the fire, one was often looking for trouble as he reached for the flames before being held back by his grandfather who often had to scold him to sit still. Another behaved more than his age, almost as if he was musing, his distinct eyes staring into the hearth. Their faces failed to come to light but when he suddenly turned to him, Julien remembered and the unlocking of his past shocked him awake.
Plunging into the sea, his body sinking, his spirit and soul tried to keep him alive. He clawed for the surface where the light was when a hand reached down for him but he began to lose his consciousness as water flooded his lungs. His mind was being taken away as he slowly accepted his fate but the arm did not admit defeat. It reached deeper and grabbed Julien by his collar and with the strength of a lion, it dragged him back from the depths and he resurfaced from the waves. Reflecting the nearby flames of the sinking frigate on his face, his savior was Lev, gritting his teeth as he held onto Julien, trying not to lose his hold. Arber had wrapped himself around Lev’s waist to anchor him down and as they both let out a cry, they yanked and hauled their comrade aboard. In his waterlogged clothes, Julien rolled onto the floor, his eyes closed and his face giving no signs of life. Regardless, having seen his friend been rescued from the cruel sea, Arber shouted at the bridge and the engines of the ship began to churn out columns of smoke again. The propellers whirred and spun and the sloop set sail, fleeing the scene before the flagship could turn their guns on the mice-sized vessel.
Afraid that he had drowned or had succumbed to injuries that he could not yet see, Lev knelt down beside the corporal and listened to his breath that was weak but present. “Julien!” Worried that he would not wake and had gone into shock, he slapped him on his face. “Wake up!” He yelled with Arber kneeling beside him, ready to restart his life.
Luckily, Julien’s eyes moved and his mouth opened as if he wanted to say something but when he realized that he was no longer in his dream, he paused and slowly woke. Gently being brought back into reality, he saw his comrades’ gladdened faces who saw that he was largely unhurt except for the cuts and burns on his back. Lev sighed out of relief and collapsed onto the floor, leaning against the tower of the ship.
Arber rose, brushing his soaked hair to the side. “What now?” He began to plot their course of action, already thinking several steps ahead.
Lev stared at Julien who was quietly lying on the deck of the ship, the rain not bothering him. “We have to return to the city…” The corporal told his comrade. “We can’t leave them there.”
It would have usually taken some thought before the lancer would decide for something as risky as his suggestion but Arber nodded in agreement in an instant and hurried himself to the bridge to inform the pilot, prepared to convince him in any way possible even if it required some violence. Having heard the door open and slam behind him, Lev returned to Julien and lowered his head, hot from within that was filled with dismay and burden as if he had wronged the world, but silently, he did not let off a single noise nor did he utter a single word about his pain for he did not wish for anyone to share it with him. Laying before Lev, Julien rested, having relived years of his missing memories in a few seconds, remaining partially deafened by the blast as his ears rung unstoppably. He wondered if the children he had seen were alive and were staring at the same ceiling as he was that was the gray afternoon sky.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZmBrhGLNnf
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