The Mind Manifests Chapter 6



  Everything was a blur that only gradually came into focus. I looked around, and I was in a giant cylinder. Next to me on both sides, were various creatures, all in cylinders of their own, each of them giving off a faint glow, each of a different color. I looked at myself, I was glowing green and had a body covered in scales. I looked beyond the tube, and saw two people talking.

  "Are they ready to ship yet?"
  "Yes, we started the fusion cycles in all of them, they're all ready…but where's my payment?"
  "Right here."

  A bright blue flash, and one of the two people fell to the floor, the other holding a gun of some kind.

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  I woke up with a shout, breathing heavily, I had fallen asleep in the back of the truck. We were just now pulling into the driveway. I saw David giving me a worried look "You alright? You seemed to be having a nightmare."

  "Yeah, I'm fine."

  I stretched a little, thumping one of my wing elbows into the top of the truck cap. "GAH, dammit." I rubbed at it, that hurt a lot. David just was just giving me a quizzical look, so I asked him "What?"

  "I didn't think dragons could get beat up so easily."
  "I think I just hit a nerve…whatever…I'll be glad when I'm in a bed, I need some actual sleep."
  "Yeah, everything will look better in the morning."

  The truck stopped, and Mom and Dad got out, meeting James halfway to the house, even with my keen hearing, I couldn't quite make out what they were saying, not like it mattered, I knew they were talking about me, especially with how he kept glancing over at the truck, though I doubt he could see more than shadows through the tinted windows.

  The Three of them came to the back of the truck and opened it. I had to squint a little at the rush of light. And When I could see clearly again, James was awestruck. After a moment of silence, I stepped closer to the tailgate "What, no hug?" I walked on all fours, hopping down from the truck and standing back up on two legs, stretching.

  "Golly Bum, you really did! How'd it happen?"
  "This."

  I held out my necklace, the glow barely visible in the direct sunlight, and he looked at it wearily for a second, before asking "Where'd you get it?"

  "Meteorite."
  "Really?"
  "I thought Mom and Dad just told you."

  Dad cut in "All we said was that you turned into a dragon and needed a place to stay where you wouldn't be seen. I guess your hearing isn't quite that good after all."

  "yeah, yeah, yeah…Look, I'm really tired right now, can't I just go get some sleep?"

  James just started walking back to the house "Sure, you can use the guest room."
  "Thanks…I guess."
  "What's that supposed to mean?"

  I looked up from staring at the ground to see him giving me an odd look "Oh, sorry, I've just got a lot on my mind, this is a lot to take in, I'm still coming to terms with it."

  "I can imagine, well either way, just head on in, the kids are at school and Teresa's off with her mother somewhere"

  I turned to head back to the truck, realizing I left the backpack, and David was right behind me. I smirked, and took it from him as he said "Don't let yourself get all worked up, you taught me that, all the bad stuff always passes, remember?"

I shouldered the backpack, and replied "I Hope you can get along without me."
  "Don't worry, I'll manage."

  With that, I headed back to the house, and I heard the truck start back up. By the time I was ducking through the front door, it was driving away.

  I went straight to the guest bedroom, dropped my backpack and took my necklace off, setting it down on the bedside stand, then without even pulling the blanket over myself, I just laid down and curled back up into a ball, and went back to sleep.

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  I came to surrounded by flames, I frantically looked around, and saw the other creatures again, though some of them seemed to be broken somehow. I struggled to get away from the fire, but my body seemed paralyzed, I could move my gaze around, but nothing else moved, I actually couldn't feel my body, even though I could see it.

  A sudden gust of air hit me, and I, the other creatures, and the flames, began flowing down a hallway at high speed, eventually getting sucked through a small opening. I drifted away, spinning in space, and I managed to get a look back at where I had come from, and I saw a space ship, the hull rittled with holes, and weapons fire being exchanged between it and another ship. Both ships had pirate emblems, the only thing I could think is that they were both fighting over the same treasure.

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  I woke up with a jolt, and I was face to face with Brenda. "Uhhh…hi?" As I uncurled, I realized something, I could smell olive oil. I sniffed my arm, and my scales were covered in it. I just smirked and looked up at her "Did you really do what I think you did?"

  "I had to be sure you weren't no demon."
  "Well thanks for not going for the shotgun."
  "Where'd you get that crystal, who gave it to ye?"

  I looked at where I had set the crystal, and it was gone "Brenda, what did you do with it?"

  "I locked it away, where it can't do no more harm, now who gave it to you?"
  "Dammit, Brenda, Nobody gave it to me, I found it, and if I don't get it back, I'm gonna start feeling sick in only a short while."
  "You're just addicted to it, I'll get you over that just like I got James over his cigarettes."
  "Brenda, this isn't like ciga-"
  "That's the devil speaking! you hain't getting that thing back! It's cursed and it's turning you into a demon!"

  I couldn't help myself, her religious zealotry was getting rather annoying, I sat up and demanded "Dammit, Brenda, I don't know if I've ever heard a more ignorant statement! You know nothing of the crystal, where it comes from, how it works, or even the exact extent of my dependency on it! The whole world isn't all angels and demons, the fact that I didn't burst into flames when you rubbed olive oil on me in my sleep, which, by the way, is creepy as hell, should be proof enough that the methods it uses aren't evil!"

  "It's my duty to keep Satan out of this house!"
  "GOOD! You do that! But I'm not Satan, I'm not a demon, I'm not evil, and being accused of such really pisses me off!"

  I stormed past her, and into the bathroom, grabbing a towel and wiping the holy oils off my scales, leaving them even shinier than before. I stopped when I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror. I stared into it, I saw the anger in my eyes, the bared fangs, the furled brow, the narrow slit eye pupils. I saw what she saw, I saw how she could see a demon in that. I looked like a dog about ready to bite.

  I sighed, and turned around, seeing her mumbling while reading a bible. I walked over to her, and spoke softly "Sorry, I didn't mean to blow up at you, I know you're just trying to do what you think is right, but I need you to know three things, one, that Crystal is not evil, satanic, witchcraft, et-cetera. Two, I've been going through a lot with this change, I'm having a lot of stress to deal with. Three, if you don't give me that crystal back, there's every possibility I could die."

  She looked up from the bible with a scowl "You may have James and my Daughter fooled, but I ain't, I know you're trying to take over Daniel's mind, you demon!"

  "For the love of god, Brenda, does nothing get through to you?" I just walked past her, taking note that the house was empty except for her "…Where is everyone?"

  "They went shopping, I stayed here to cleanse this house of the dark shadow you brought with you."

  I just sighed again, there was no getting through to her. I just headed to the back door "I'm going outside for a bit, don't worry, I'll stay in the back woods, and I'll be back before sundown." Before listening for her to have a chance to speak again, I rushed through the door and closed it behind me.

  I just leaned against the side of the house for a moment, and put both hands on my face, rubbing my snout and my eyes, this was just what I needed, Brenda being convinced I was a demon. And I knew I had to get that crystal back from her, but how? Duh, my "radar" sense, once I start needing it, I can sense it, I'd have to wait until I started having withdrawals, but until then, I needed to go for a walk to clear my head.