23 March, 2016

I was at school, but it was unfamiliar to me. Maybe it was FZE? Anyway, I was writing at my desk and I felt it shift, like the ground moved. But I didn't move, nor did anything else. Just my desk. I didn't think much of it.

Later, in passing period, I went up one of the many staircases, and I saw Andrew sitting on the stairs. For some reason I couldn't go to him. It was disturbing.

I landed at the bottom of the staircase, and my foot hit the floor a little harder than usual. Then the building reverberated. Resonated with my foot sound. Groaned. I distantly hear Mr. Messerli yell, "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE!?" as cracks appeared in the walls. I take charge, and evacuate the building. As the walls crumble, I realize it isn't safe near the building or under trees. They can all fall. I make it to the soccer fields, but I'm afraid many of my acquaintances were not so lucky. I sit in the field and cry, wanting to fly away. I rise off the ground, and with much effort and arm flapping, into the sky.

Up into the cloudy sky. Across a wide ocean...

I wake up on the other side as a man with black hair and a short beard. I know this place well; it is Tel'aran'rhiod. Due to the weakening of reality, all living souls have transmuted into dreamwalkers in the flesh. I was in danger, and everyone around me has lost part of their humanity. I was also an Awakener, along with other survivors.

My enemy, trying to burn me from reality, had no name. I will call him Seth. Seth and I had discovered there were two kinds of Breath: blue and red. Possessing more red breath made one evil, while blue breath made one benevolent. Seth had 1000 red breaths; I had 1000 blue. His followers were my old friends.

After many months of shifting between cities such as Budapest, Oslo, Rio, and Kigali, Seth got the idea to chase me by placing his eyes on every hill in the world. He watched for me, his gargantuan eyes following all who came by. I decided to confront him in his own home.

I returned to America, appearing in Greenville, NC. Every building was covered in smoke, and the sky was a dark gray. People in rags crowded alleys. I find where Seth lives. His cronies let me in with no trouble.

As I prepare to confront Seth, I see a white piece of cloth and plastic on the floor in a corner.

"Do you know what that is?" He steps out of the shadows, and regards me calmly. "You've caused a lot of trouble." He pulls up a chair at his dusty kitchen table. Nobody eats now. "Go outside, hold the cloth to people's heads. Return soon."

I abided by his directions, and left the house. As I passed people by, I held the white strip up to the urchins' and beggars' foreheads. It slowly changed colors and registered the amount and types of Breaths a person held. Many times, it was a faint red, if it glowed at all. Most were Drabs.

I came home after not seeing my family for a long time. Since I was in Tel'aran'rhiod, I became my old self. I found my mom, and held the strip up to her. She asked, "What is that, honey?" as it glowed a medium red. I gave her a fake smile. "Nothing at all." and backed away slowly. I went around the corner, and shifted back to Greenville.

"What have you done to people!?"

"They can be Turned if you give breath to them. I collected many Red Breaths from prisons, and distributed them. They are all loyal to me."

This distressed me greatly. I backed out of the house and flew high into the sky. Aiming for the stars.