Losing control
Albert was feeling especially tired that evening, he was surprised because he had just had a coffee, and usually it would wake him up rapidly. However, that day, he was just feeling more and more asleep, he thought that maybe the effort of studying while keeping up the protective barriers was already taking its toll and that the best thing he could do would be going to sleep.
-Are you going to sleep already?- asked Robert surprised as he saw him changing into his pajamas.
-Yes, I wanted to study some more, but I'm really tired.
-Good night, then.
He got into his bed and fell asleep almost instantly. It was a peaceful dreamless sleep at first, but it changed. He started dreaming that he was back in his hometown. As soon as he realized what was happening he tried to stop it, to wake up, but he was completely unable to. It was not a bad dream, though, but he knew that he was putting himself and the others in danger by dreaming. Yet, he could not do anything about it, so he thought that if he was careful nothing would happen. Additionally, he did miss dreaming. So he dove full in inside his dream.
It was a nice dream, he was back home and his father was still alive, so that must have been when he was five because his sister was still a baby, just before his father died. He dreamt that he was playing with his father as they had used to, and his mother was in the kitchen baking cookies. They smelled terrific.
-Dad, I want to go see the fire station!- he heard himself say with a children's voice.
His father would take him to the fire station almost every week, but Albert loved that place and he always wanted to go.
-We will have to ask your mother if she lets us go. Go ask her!
Asha smiled from the kitchen and winked an eye to her husband, now that Albert saw it in dreams he realized how much they had loved each other. Little Albert walked to his mother and pulled her apron.
-Mum, can we go to the fire station? Please.
Asha kneeled in front of her son and smiled messing with his hair.
-Sure, why not? But if you take too long I'll eat all these cookies myself.
She stood up and kissed her husband. Then Mark took little Albert by the hand and they both walked to the fire station. When they arrived there Albert immediately jumped into a fire truck. It was his favorite thing in the whole building. Also, his father's co-workers would give him candy and teach him things about the fire station.
It was a really good dream and Albert loosened his attention a bit. Being able to see his father again was an unexpected gift that he wanted to profit as much as he could. All of it was full of fond memories, he didn't think anything wrong could happen.
His father was showing him some new equipment they had just received when the alarm started ringing. Everyone got on the move and Mark made sure that they were not disturbing anyone. One of his co-workers approached him.
-Mark, you might want to come.- he said grievously.
-Why?
-Because the fire is in your house.
Albert tried desperately to wake up as he saw how himself and his father got on a fire truck and headed back to their home. When they arrived the fire was roaring and Asha was crying on the top of her lungs as a couple of neighbors prevented her from entering again the hell that her house had become.
-My daughter! My daughter is inside!- she said fighting against the hands that had her prisoner.
The firefighters started trying to put the fire off, but it would only burn higher. Albert was beside himself, how could that be happening to him? He saw his father getting inside the house without any special protection, in a futile attempt to save his daughter's live. Unexpectedly a wall collapsed, and Albert was sure that it had collapsed on his father, just like when he died in real life. Asha screamed harder than ever falling on her knees, she could not even articulate any longer it was just anguish and pain. Then Albert felt something change as if there was someone else in the dream, and he saw how his grandmother appeared out of thin air. She looked as in the present day, so he knew it was the real her trying to do something to help him regain control of all that.
-Albert, you've been drugged, I am almost sure of it. Don't do anything, it will only make it worse. I'm going to save your sister.
She helped herself to a fire hose and got herself wet with water from head to toe, after that she faced the flames. She returned shortly after with a bundle in her arms, and her clothes and hair on fire. She was severely burned all over her body and collapsed just after handing Mayra to her daughter-in-law. Albert ran to his grandmother just to see her open her eyes and look at him.
-Albert, this is worse than I thought. You'll need to be strong, you'll need to fight, but whatever you do don't give up, don't let her win. - she held her hand to her grandson when he took her she shuddered and died.
Albert started crying in his dream, and he was sure that he was crying in reality too. He was blaming himself for all that happened, afraid of knowing the consequences of it all in real life, when he heard a soft whisper.
-I told you, you would regret your decision, didn't I, little rabbit?
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