[Not related to previous post — Ed.]
It was just after midnight when AJ finally collapsed somewhere in a bed. He assumed it was his bed, but he didn’t quite know, nor did he really care. He just wanted sleep before the events of the previous evening had a chance to settle in. Unfortunately, he would not find solace in his dreams either. For even in that dark place where little happened, he actually had quite a vivid dream.
He saw himself, albeit a little younger, suspended from the rafters of some building in a giant birdcage. On the floor below, several brutish beasts with large humanoid frames were jeering and throwing rocks or other small objects at the boy trapped in the cage. The boy didn’t seem to react to the objects being thrown in his direction, other than to hide his face in his hands.
Somehow, despite the jeering and shouting from the beasts in the room, AJ could hear the boy in the cage mumbling, “Why? Why did you do this to me? To yourself?”
Suddenly, the doors to the room opened and AJ saw himself again, except this time he appeared to have whitish hair and was wearing some dark cloak. The beasts in the room all immediately stopped jeering and stood to attention. The new person appeared to have somehow earned their respect, as the orcs all stood in two lines and saluted him.
“You sold us out to the forces of darkness, didn’t you?” The boy in the cage cried out, “Why are you doing this?”
“Oh c’mon, don’t give me that ‘innocence and purity’ bullshit.” The cloaked boy snorted. “These beasts have been given to us to change our world for the better! We’re just growing up and preparing for the future while you pine for the past! You’re supposed to be my conscience, right? Is that why you haven’t shut up when I’m in the room?”
“Because you’re leading this vessel down a path of death and destruction he cannot turn back from!” The boy in the cage stomped inside his cage as best he could, “When he wakes up, we have to make him destroy the ring, or else–”
“Or else what? You’ll finally shut up and stay out of our affairs? You’ve always held me back, but with this ring our vessel wears, your services are no longer required.”
“Dammit, listen to me! This is not a righteous path!”
“And what is? Sitting with our head in a book, unable to make a move or talk to someone just because you won’t give us permission? Those days are over! We no longer need to ask permission, we simply do things! And we are the better for it! If you can’t see the wisdom of our actions, then your services are no longer required!” The boy in the cloak suddenly turned to face AJ, “You can surely see the good things this has brought us, correct? We have weapons, supplies, and an army with the power to use all these things! Is this not what you wanted? The power to change the world?”
“But you can’t accept this!” The boy in the cage pleaded directly to AJ as well, “If you lose your humanity, you just become a mindless drone! You must destroy the ring, destroy it before its influence corrupts you!”
AJ finally woke up and stared at the clock reading 6:00 AM. He walked over to his bathroom mirror and tried to splash some cold water on his face to wake himself up.
He noticed his skin looked a little paler than before, and there was the ring on his left hand, the ring that he had swiped from his father and planned to sell to a pawn shop, but couldn’t quite bring himself to give away. Maybe now, he thought, that position should be reconsidered.
Posted by amendele 
[More than] 30 Days of Creativity 