Act One Scene Two - The Dream Within A Dream
My eyes open. Slowly. Smoothly. I feel no pressure on them. Or my body for that matter. Everything is white. Is this heaven? No it cant be. I`m not dead yet. Even if i am, i dont think i`d be going there, God forbid. Wait... everythings a blur... its clearing. Yess... I can see clearer now. Everythings coming into focus. Slowly.. very slowly... Aah yes.. its a house. I recognize it. I dont remember it. But its like i know it. It has a small porch or verandah, with a light hanging from the top near the door. There are stairs leading up to the porch, and a small driveway that leads up to the stairs after forking towards what looks like a garage. And there`s grass on the lawn in the front. Green, wet grass. Its misty but not that cold. It could be dew. The grass seems so fresh its unnerving. I make my way to the door, not noticing anything but the house. Maybe its out of focus. Maybe i`m not supposed to focus on it. I make my way up the steps as they crank under my footsteps. I reach the porch and make my way to the door when i hear laughter. No... its giggling. A little girl. Giggling. I remember that giggle. I know that... from far back. I turn around to find nothing. The porch ends with a railing, and then it`s white beyond. The laughter`s gone now. I`m certain i heard it. I make my way to the door and turn the knob. The door is open. I make my way in. There are stairs at the front, a bit to the side and attached to the wall. And there`s a hallway. There`s also a small room beside the stairs. A small WC or something. Ive never been to this place before, but i think i know it. I make my way up the stairs, but the stairs dont make much noise. Maybe its the carpet. Maybe its because they recognize me. On the first floor there are three doors, but i unconsciously move towards the one on my left. I open it. It has black wallpaper. I move towards this small book rack and find an old tome upon the rest of the books, which seem like ordindary modern textbooks. I pick the old tome up. Its cold to the touch. Surreal. A chill runs up and down my spine, temporarily rendering me motionless as i hold the tome in my arms. It has a silver cover, with beautiful engravings on it. Maybe its heavy because of that. I turn the book over and look at a star-shaped insignia on the back. I feel the outline with my fingers. Its beautiful. Its cold, harmful, but soothening. Delightful cold. Bearable pain. I look closely at the star again, and drop the tome as soon as i realise that its the Pentagural. I step back. I just held a book of the Necronomicon. I want to open it but i dare not. I exit the room and walk downstairs. As soon as i reach the end of the stairs, I look to my right. The living room. Carpeted with a light brown, fur carpet, cream white wallpaper and an Elizabethan-era landscape on the wall amidst elegant lighting decorations and a fireplace, I yearn for the comfort of one of the sofas, yet i cannot move. But i turn to my left. I look at the wall to the left side of the stairs ending and see a mirror. I didnt notice that while i was going up the stairs. I look at my reflection. I cant describe what I see. Its me... yet its not. I touch my face, and my counterpart in the dimension in front of me does the same. I run my fingers through my jet black, sleek hair, and my reflection does the same. So its me after all. I`m wearing a business suit. A crisp white shirt with the sleeves rolled up to the elbows, and a black tie and black pants. I have a small beard under my lips. My elbow moves higher as i feel my face, and i see someone standing behind me. Its a woman in a milky white dress which looks like a nightgown or a dress or something. I catch a glimpse of her face, and i see a tinge of crimson as well. I turn around and there`s nobody there. But there was. I know it. I saw it. I`m not going crazy. I did. I did see it! I registered the face in my mind. I remember that face too. I recognize it, but so very vaguely. But why did i feel red. It wasnt ordinary red. It was red that makes the body shiver and lose all senses for a few moments. Blood red. Those eyes, that hair, that deadened look... Where have i seen it before? I turn back to the mirror to see myself again, but this time i see no-one behind me. For the first time in this anomaly i`m feeling scared. My lips move. I try to make sounds. I dont hear them, but i`m confident i`m shouting. I`m calling out to someone. Why cant i hear my own voice? Wait... Wait... Its a woman`s name... what is it... what is itt?? i run to the room opposite to the living room. Its the kitchen, with the american-styled breakfast table that looks like its a lunch diner. The stove, the fridge, ah! here`s the back door. I shuffle out of the back door and enter another lawn. I see some bushes, well kept, and a lawn mower and gardening tools next to it. Why is the sky so white? Is it going to rain? There are no clouds. And this cold breeze... brrrrr! And i hear creaking. Slightly rusted metal making noises. I shift my eyes onto a little swing in the corner of the backyard lawn. Its still moving. I run up to it and hold it to rest. The chain is still warm; somebody`s been here very recently. The wooden hedge is just behind the swing, yet i cannot make anything of whats beyond that. Why is it so damn misty! I look at the swing`s wooden seat and yell out again. Again a name this time. Wait... its not the same name... Yes its a girl... but not the one from before. Now! I just heard it again! I yelled out to the woman i was yelling for before... My heart starts beating faster, skipping a few beats along the way as i run to the front yard. I`m on the road in front of my house, and i see trees opposite my house. My house? Where did that come from? How do i know its my house? I turn back to look at the house again. Yes there it is. Is it mine? I yell out again and turn towards the trees, leaving my former question unanswered. I run towards the trees, which start looking to me like a forest. I run and i run till i`m out of breath but i dont stop. I stop dead in my tracks as i see a blackish blur move past me. I steady myself and look to my left; where the blur went. Its a crow. No.. a black raven. Perched on a thin lifeless branch, on one of thousands of lifeless, leafless trees, staring at me with cold hard eyes. I return the stare, though i feel like i`m hooked on looking at the raven. I slowly move towards it, staring at it, concentrating, waiting for something to happen. The bird does not stop looking at me... wait... its look at something behind me. It lets out a shrill "kaww" and flexes its wings, as if showing off its wingspan. Then it flies towards me, brushing past me with its feathers and flying over my left shoulders. I turn around as i try to avoid the raven`s claws and the raven has suddenly disappeared. I see a little girl, maybe 7 or 8 years old, in a white dress standing a few paces away from me now. Her eyes are black, maybe too much eyeliner. She has a pale, lifeless expression on her face. And shining, beautiful black hair running down her shoulders. I can see tears rolling down her eyelids, on her cheek... And she looks down, and looks up again, and smiles at me. Oh My God... she has such a beautiful smile... I cant help but stare and look back. I gaze at her cute smile as she stretches an arm towards me. She wants me to hold her in my arms. She`s calling me... what is she calling me... what are you saying, child... i cant hear you.. speak up... . I move towards the baby girl with both arms outstretched, when suddenly she starts moving away from me. No, she`s not turning around, she isnt running away... She`s moving back, as if retracing her steps. But her legs are not moving. She`s moving away from me. I start running towards her but she`s moving too fast. Her smile grows as she signals me to come near her, and i muster all my strength to move towards her. I trip on something and fall. I look up and wipe the mud off my forehead. I look at the little girl, and try to reach her with my right hand. In extreme desperation i cry out to her. My lips move, i can sense myself making noise, but i cant hear myself. The girl`s expression changes. She starts crying as she moves away faster than before. And i see the raven swooping down from a branch high up on a tree to my left, crowing fanatically, aiming at my face with tremendous speed. And suddenly i see nothing. The black of the raven`s wings. Pure black. I cant tell if my eyes are open or not. I move my arms, trying to get the raven out of my face and run after my little baby but my arms seem to do no good. Wait... my little baby? Is all this about me? My house... my baby... what is going on. Get out of my face you stupid bird! What the h... oh no.. i cant breathe. Somebody. Help. I cant breathe. I gasp. I wheeze. Everything is so black. Its like the void is choking me. Somebody help.. somebody... please... help...

Act One Scene Three - The Nightmare that Holds The Dream. And Vice Versa
I wake up. Its still hard to breathe. Im choking on my own breath. I can feel my insides blocked up. I can taste my blood in my mouth, and i spit it out, but nothing comes out. I sit upright, and then turn to my left, resting on my elbow as i cough my lungs out to make way for some oxygen. I close my eyes, and regain my senses. I can see now. I can hear myself now. It was all just a bad dream. I feel someone shake me. Its Julia.
Julia : Whats wrong?
Adrien : N.. nothing.. nothing.. just had a bad dream
Julia : Are you sure you haven`t been drinking?
Adrien : noo.. NO!! Ofcouse not! You know i dont drink! What makes you say that!
Julia : Well, for starters, you`re lying a few blocks away from my house on the main road.
Adrien : Eh... wonder how i got here... help me up will you?
Julia : What happened? You look awfully sick man. You okay?
Adrien : I told you man. I just had a bad dream. I`m fine. Could use some tea y`know.

Julia heaves Adrien up, and they walk towards her house. The sky is still white. There is thick mist a few paces away again, rendering the objects beyond invisible. I can make out the asphalt, the road, very vaguely the houses, their boundary walls on the either sides. I keep walking, and everything`s quiet. I turn my face towards Julia to talk to her yet i dont see her. Maybe i`ve left her too far back. I turn around, hoping to find her. She`s nowhere to be seen. Her house is just around the curb, next to the empty plot. Maybe she`s home already. Man! I`m slow.. I turn around once more to make sure she`s not behind me, and i move towards the turn. Suddenly i notice the empty plot isnt empty anymore. Its full of trees again. Dead, leafless trees. Pale brown wood, like something sucked out their living juices. I turn around. There is no road. No asphalt. No House. Trees behind me. Trees again. I turn back. Trees. Scary, thin-branched trees. Aaa! A black blur ran past me again. I look to my right. The same raven. I`ll follow you this time. I wont lose track of you. The bird took to flight again, but i followed it. My head towards the sky, i follow the raven intently, but i trip on a twig and fall again. This is getting too corny. I need to act less stupid. I need to find out whats going on. Spitting the muck out of my face, i look to the sky again. Encircled by trees, i can make a small black speck. Its the raven. And its looking at me. It lets out a shrill kaww again. I hear leaves shuffling. Its strange, since i dont see any leaves around. Muck black, pale brown trees and ghost white sky. No green. No leaves. In a moment, hundreds of ravens take their places on the trees encircling me. I should feel afraid. Maybe they`re going to attack me. But i dont step back or try to run or anything. Suddenly all of them start crowing in unison. They`re crowing at me. They`re talking to me. And the noise gets louder and louder. I cover my ears, shut my eyes tight. I seem to have drowned all the noise, and i slowly open my eyes. I see a log a few yards away from me as i let go of my ears. The same raven is sitting intently on it, looking at me. Wierdly enough, i can tell this one from the rest. And its like its calling me over. Calling me over to look at something. I walk up to the log and see an arm. A human arm. Two bodies, one adult and one child, with their backs up. Both in ghostly while gowns. I can smell blood. I can smell my own fear. I can feel my eyes beginning to bleed and my forehead is getting sweaty. The blood seems to have dried in the mud, but the two bodies are lifeless. Strangely enough, i can tell that the woman was the one i saw in the mirror and the girl was the baby calling to me. I call out to them as i move over to touch them. I cant hear myself now. I`m calling out their names, but i cant hear myself. I hold the woman`s body by her left shoulder, and turn her over. She had her arm on the baby, and the baby`s body automatically turned over as well. Both faces revealed. I finally know who they are. I`ve had a long hard look. I know who they are. I remember. I can tell. No. This cannot be. No. No! This cant be. Please no!. Nooo! God NO! Please!! Dont do this to me. Please.... no...... NOOOOOooooooo!!!......

I wake up in a sweat. Its still hard to breathe. Im choking on my own breath. I force air inside my lungs, sucking oxygen with all my energy. I can feel my insides blocked up. I slam on my chest, hoping to unblock it, but to little avail. I can taste my blood in my mouth, and i try to spit it out, but nothing happens. I sit upright, and then turn to my left, resting on my elbow as i cough my lungs raw to make way for some oxygen. I close my eyes, and regain my senses. I can see now. I can hear myself think now. It was all just a bad dream. I just had my worst fears realised. Ive had these dreams for five years now. And for the first time i`ve found out everything. I`ve understood it all. Understood, realised and confronted my worst fears. But who blinked? Who cares. Its quarter to eight. I`m getting late... Better get ready...