Guard
It's 2 or 3 in the morning. Groggily, I open my eyes.
I'd wake up from my nightmares never too violently or freaked out. I'd have gone as far as I could in my dreams, tried to save the girl, crossed the burning sea, captured the Plink spaceport, punched Sadako in the face. If and when things got too hot, I'd run. I'd run back into Awake as fast as I could because I knew that if I died in my dreams, just like if I died in Canada, it would be for real.
You know when you were little and you'd shut the light off in the hall or downstairs and then, in the dark, you'd run as fast as you could into bed? Running back into Awake feels like that. It feels like there's something behind you and it's both scary and fun to just move, move away from the teeth or claws or nagging insecurities that were coming after you.
But it was okay as long as I ran back in time. I had a contingency plan. A long time ago, I got protection.
"What's up boss? Had fun?"
"Yeah. Punched Sadako in the face. There was a...satisfying crunching noise as I connected with my fist. It was like punching a bag of rice crispies."
"Hur hur hur...dat good one."
"Heh, yeah. Where is she? She was right behind me."
"Caught er by der head. Stuffed er back in der TV. Punched TV."
"Huh. Good job...What did it feel like?"
"...Like punching der TV."
His name is Detritus. He's a full grown rock skinned troll. His teeth are diamonds. He's wearing a war elephant's breastplate. And he makes the couch by the window dip down under his weight when he sits on it.
He gets out of Asleep the same way I do, the same way anything can, through my head.
I'd wake up from my nightmares never too violently or freaked out. I'd have gone as far as I could in my dreams, tried to save the girl, crossed the burning sea, captured the Plink spaceport, punched Sadako in the face. If and when things got too hot, I'd run. I'd run back into Awake as fast as I could because I knew that if I died in my dreams, just like if I died in Canada, it would be for real.
You know when you were little and you'd shut the light off in the hall or downstairs and then, in the dark, you'd run as fast as you could into bed? Running back into Awake feels like that. It feels like there's something behind you and it's both scary and fun to just move, move away from the teeth or claws or nagging insecurities that were coming after you.
But it was okay as long as I ran back in time. I had a contingency plan. A long time ago, I got protection.
"What's up boss? Had fun?"
"Yeah. Punched Sadako in the face. There was a...satisfying crunching noise as I connected with my fist. It was like punching a bag of rice crispies."
"Hur hur hur...dat good one."
"Heh, yeah. Where is she? She was right behind me."
"Caught er by der head. Stuffed er back in der TV. Punched TV."
"Huh. Good job...What did it feel like?"
"...Like punching der TV."
His name is Detritus. He's a full grown rock skinned troll. His teeth are diamonds. He's wearing a war elephant's breastplate. And he makes the couch by the window dip down under his weight when he sits on it.
He gets out of Asleep the same way I do, the same way anything can, through my head.