Dream On. Chapter 25: Back at the university.

Previously...

Back at the university

The next days of his Christmas holidays passed by in a blur, Albert tried to find as much time as possible to study, and made time to meet with some of his old high-school friends. He celebrated New Year's Eve with them, but all of them had exams the following week so they didn't stay up until late. On January the third, Albert headed back to the university, the farewells were less emotional this time and his train ride was uneventful. He arrived at the university the following day to find that Robert had taken profit that he had not been there to bury his bed under a pile of notes, notebooks and books. His friend was studying frantically at his desk and didn't even realize that he was no longer alone.

-Hmmm- Albert made a sound to get Robert's attention, but not even like that did he react.- Robert!

The boy turned around confused, as if he did not longer know where he was. He put his glasses back on, and recognized his roommate.

-Oh, hi Albert! I thought you wouldn't be back until the third...

-Robert. It's the third already.- Albert said condescendingly.

-It is? Oh my, I hadn't even noticed.- he replied absentmindedly.

-How long have you been studying?

-Hmmm let me see... I came back on the thirty of December, I had dinner with some people from my class on the thirty-first, and I started studying on the first.

-Ha! Nice way to start the year. So, how long has it been since you've eaten or slept?- he realized that if his friend didn't know what day it was he shouldn't know the time either.

-I'm not sure, I sleep, sometimes, like 20 minutes or so. And I eat, eventually...

-You need to eat real food, now. Get a shower and we'll go eat something at the canteen.

In the meantime he put some order in Robert's mess, not only because it made his head hurt, but because he wanted to be able to sleep on his bed. He was surprised at the amounts of notes that his roommate had. It looked as if he had gone to university for ages instead of for only 3 months. Robert found him finishing to pile his notes.

-Sorry for that.- he said while rubbing his hair dry.- I did get a bit over-excited studying, and I needed to find some notes to check something, and one thing let to another and I ended up using your bed as a second desk.

-Man, why didn't you use my desk instead?- Albert pointed out.

-Mmmm, I hadn't thought about this possibility...

-I still can't believe you're supposed to be the genius...

They walked to the canteen through the snowdrifts. Albert was glad that he had gotten so much thick winter clothing for Christmas, the temperature had decreased at least 10 degrees in two weeks. As cold as it might be, it was nice too, the trees with bare branches that were now covered with snow, the buildings with white icing on top, and seeing all the people wrapped up on winter clothes that made them look like woolen balls, it was a different winter to what he was used too. Inside the canteen there wasn't lots of people. Most of the students had yet to return from the Christmas break, and the ones that had arrived and had decided to go for lunch, were either alone elbow deep on their books, or in pairs talking quietly.

-Hasn't Dalia returned yet?- asked Albert.

-Oh, she has, I think. Well she was supposed to come back yesterday, I guess I'll see her around soon, we have an exam on Monday.

Albert looked exasperated.

-How can you not know if the girl you like has come back already or not?

-Well, I've been studying...- he left his sentence half-said.-Not tuna again!- he complained.

-I see you haven't changed a bit.- smiled Albert.

Dream On. Chapter 24: Truth.

Previously...

Truth

They found their grandmother taking care of the flowers in her front yard. After parking on the driveway behind Lara's car, they greeted her.

-Hello grandma!- said Mayra cheerfully.

-Hi, kids. What are you doing here?- asked her suspiciously.

-We came to talk to our favorite grandma.- her granddaughter replied.

-Come in then.

She took them to the living room, where a fire was burning brightly in the fireplace. They sat on a sofa while Lara took off her gardening gear and brought some tea and cookies.

-I see you've brought the book... have you been reading it?- she asked Albert.

-Well, me... not really, Mayra has been reading it, because I have to study.- he admitted.

Lara looked disappointed.

-Well, at least you're getting to know what does it say.- she replied. - I guess that you came here because you've got questions about it.

Mayra and Albert looked at each other, as wondering who should speak first. Mayra nodded at her brother urging him to talk.

-The book says that it runs in the family... Does it mean that dad had this power too?

Their grandmother stood up and walked to the fireplace, she took an old picture of Mark. She looked at it sadly.

-Yes, he did.- she admitted.- and he was as stubborn as you are, that's what got him killed.

A tense silence sprang in the room. Albert couldn't believe what he had just heard.

-Killed? What do you mean killed?- asked Mayra first.

-He died in a fire, in an accident, while doing his duty.- added Albert.

-No, he didn't. They made it look like an accident, but it wasn't.- she sat down in front of her grandchildren.- Let me explain you everything, well at least everything I know. It all started when your father was around your age, Albert, he was a stubborn young boy who wanted to be a firefighter. I wanted him to go the university, though, and believe me I really wish I hadn't convinced him to go. He met some really dangerous people in there, and he wasn't prepared to fight them.  Because I had closed my eyes to the possibility that my son had the power, and because his was much weaker than yours is and I couldn't actually feel it, I didn't prevent him to what might be waiting for him. Thing is that after his first year he decided to drop off university and become a firefighter. But it was too late, if he hadn't gone there they would never have found out about him, and he would have stayed safe for the rest of his life. However, they were persistent and they kept trying to convince him to join them now and then. There were periods of time when he didn't hear about them for a long time, and then he thought everything was over and that it had only been a nightmare. Just before he died they had been trying to contact him repeatedly, until he finally faced them and told them that he didn't want to have anything to do with them. Then, that fire started in a church, and he went as it was his duty, there were people inside so he risked his life for them. That fire was no accident, someone provoked it to make sure that if your father wouldn't work with them, he wouldn't work with anybody.

Mayra started crying. She didn't remember their father, and, now, knowing that she was denied meeting him because they killed him and that maybe the same people was trying to kill her brother too, it was just too much to bear.

-I hate them! I hate them, I hate them, I hate them!- she said sobbing.

-Well, we do have this in common, dear.- said her grandmother giving her a tissue.- We do have this in common.

-Does mom know this?- asked Albert.

-She doesn't know the details, she knew that your father had some kind of power, but he never did tell her what it did mean. And she doesn't know that he was killed, and that's probably for the best.

Dream On. Chapter 23: Reading.

Previously...

Reading

Albert was studying in his room, he had finally managed to have some time alone, and he decided to catch up with his notes. He had a pile of papers on his right side, and his laptop on his left, and he was trying to make sense of his writing, as he had written everything in a hurry due to a professor who spoke faster than anyone he had ever known. He was focused on understanding it when the door flew open behind him. It was clear that he wouldn't be able to study. He turned around to see his sister carrying the book he got for Christmas.

-What now?- he asked, mildly annoyed.

-I found something that might interest you. Look, here, it says that the power gets transmitted from father to son, although there are some exceptions where women have some power too, although most of them are mainly Sensers rather Dreamers. It would mean that dad was a dreamer too, and that he got it from grandma. That's why grandma can feel that you dream, but she doesn't know what happened in it... - her sister said excited.

-So why don't you have any power?

-I just told you, women tend not to receive it!

-Ok, but are you sure that dad did have it too?

-Look, read: “all males from a family share the power, transmitting it to their sons, there are no known cases of the power arising on a male that did not come from a line of Dreamers”. See? I think you should talk to grandma.- she said closing the book and heading to the door.

Albert was left alone thinking whether it was true that his father had had the power too. He tried to go back to study but his mind kept wandering.

-Dammit!- he told himself after a while.- I need to find out!

He knocked on his sister's bedroom door.

-Get dressed, we're going to see grandma.- he told her.

-Me too?

-Yes, you too, you're the one who's reading the book.

Albert went downstairs while her sister was getting dressed, and asked Asha for the car's keys.

-Where are you going?- she asked curiously.

-I'm going with Mayra to see grandma. It won't take long, I promise.

-Ok, ok, take them, I don't need the car anyway.

-Mayra, hurry up!- he shouted at his sister.

She stumbled down the stairs, while getting a sweater on.

-I'm here! You don't need to shout.

They got in the car and started driving to their grandmother’s place.

-Do you think she's going to tell us everything?- Mayra asked.

-I don't know, but I hope she'll... Have you taken the book?

-Oh, shit! I knew I was forgetting something! Go back!

He pulled off and turned around, when they got to their home again he waited inside the house while Mayra ran for the book.

-I have it!- she said carrying it on her arms.

-Let's go then.- he said restarting their journey.