Children of Morpheus

Chapter 11

    I paced down the stairs and made coffee. Then the back door swung and thudded, Dean came in from the  back door in the kitchen and sat. He took a sip and smiled. He followed his gaze in me over the counter and whirl back. We sat in the dining room and had a chat.

    Finding out about the demons, the Dream Realm, and Morpheus talking to me is something I never imagined. And having this connection to Morpheus kinda cool. I don't need shears, I can just create anything that I want.

    I told him that I know where the Key of Fire is—in Alderwright. So I'll be taking off soon. He insisted on coming with me but I said I had it under control. I hoped I can handle it.

    I drove my blue 4 seater convertible car and drove over at Chad's late grandfather's. Since the manor was owned by his family, I need to take him. Their house  in Silver Keyshade has this  medieval theme poured all over it with a few modern touches, near the cemetery. Where I saw the dog sticking its head through the iron gates.  

    I rang the door and heard a voice behind, it opened, revealing Chadwick wearing white long-sleeved polo folded below his elbow, and blue jeans with a shoulder bag. His blonde hair was dyed with a small shade of black that looked good on his white skin.

    “Hey! Let's go!” Someone yelled behind me. 

    I know that voice. I know that annoying voice from somewhere. I looked at Chad as he bit his lips and looked down shaking his head. I know that he only does that when he's here. I looked back and saw Alexander sitting on the passenger seat with his arms waving widely. His face has this big and annoying grin that always ruins my day. Correction, that always ruins everyone's day.

    “I call shotgun, Chad!” He shouted. 

    “Where do you think you're going?” I grilled walking towards my car.

    “I'm coming with you.” He replied then strapped his seatbelt. “Remember our last journey together, alone. Just the two of us, side by side against evil.” He smiled.

    I rolled my eyes and looked back and saw Chad halting his beaming face. Well, he tried to but he's failing badly. I turned back to Alexander and looked at his big brown puppy eyes, trying to pierce his soul. But he just smiled. 

    I think I know why everyone likes him. Its his annoying big eyes.

    “Chad, can you talk to him?” I looked back and saw Chad raised both of his eyebrows. 

    He nodded.

    I stopped and turned. I glanced at the bush and saw a butterfly. I followed it as it flew deep inside the forest. Silver Keyshade is surrounded by thick and dense woods the gave its natural eerie effect and air. I turned back, ran towards them and saw Alexander stood on the seat.

    “I can't believe he managed to talk him out.” I said, smiling.

    Then he moved and sat on the back seat. That's a big down for this day.

    “He's coming.” Chad said as he popped open the front of the seat. 

    “What the—” I snapped.

    “I'm sorry, he got something on me.” He replied as he pulled his bag off from his shoulder and put it beside his feet. 

    I jumped in and took a U-turn and drove all the way to Ekron's diner. The streets were busy that day. I stationed the car beside the establishment as the three of us stepped on the sidewalk and pushed the door that broke a ring. 

    The place was packed. All booth was taken, even the seats in the counter. Murmurs and laughter took over the place with a clanging of utensils and scraping plates flew and annoyed the air.    

    Then I saw Emma helping out the new waitress. The waitress looked haggard as a pendant came swinging in her neck. It looked familiar, I said to myself. Emma looked at us and point us at the end of the counter. I glanced and saw Sebastian talking with a new guy as I came over to say hi. 

    “Oh, Rafael this is Anthony. They moved here a month ago.” Sebastian said with a smile. 

    “Anthony. Anthony Decivious.” He raised his hand towards me. 

    “Rafael. Rafael Williams.” I greeted him and shook his hand.

    Alexander pats my back that made me spin. They raised the paper bags and moved along the door.

    “Nice meeting you, Anthony,” I said. “I need to go to Alderwright,” I looked to Sebastian as I waved at them and they waved back.

        Then I bolted out of the diner.

    We drove back to the main road and brought the food out of the bag. I held my vanilla shake with my hand while I drove. Chad ate his fries with Alexander. The hood of the car was down with the rushing wind came flowing. And the sun shining over us, like watching us as we bobbed our heads with the music playing in the radio..

    As we came closer to the mountain, the wind blew dead leaves as we took a sharp curve. The scattered sunlight reflected on leafy hands of twisted trees that leaned over making a canopy. Shaded underneath, with dancing leaves on the asphalted floor as we went speeding by.

    “Can we pull over on that side?” Alexander asked pointing at the road. “I need to pee.” 

    “Why didn't you go when we were at the diner?” I asked in a soft but firm tone.

    “Duh,” he replied rolling his eyes. “Because I didn't need to go back then. But I really need to go now.”    

    I rolled my eyes and gave a hard sigh.

    I moved to the side and parked. Alexander stood and jumped out of the car and ran down behind the trees. I whirled the knob to change the station of the radio. 

    Then a scream snapped, which made us jerked and look behind. The earth shook as the scream continued. Then Alexander cried out, running towards us. The ground quaked as we heard branches snap and thud with flocks of birds flew away from the crashing as he kept going on.

    “Turn on the car!” Alexander commanded yelling as he gets closer. “Turn on the car!” He kept going. 

    Then a tree dropped on the road then pull back inside the forest. I turn and twist the key, the car growled while Alexander jumped in. A huge branch landed far behind the car that stretches in the forest, then it jumped in the ground and shook the earth. Then a tree monster starts running towards us as I hit the pedal and run. 

    Its feet were huge roots that quaked the ground as it ran. The hands were branches, that cracked and snapped while it moves, and the body was a huge trunk with leafy limbs behind it. Its head was a fractured plank that made a face, with a carpet of moss spreading throughout its body. 

    “What did you do?” I grilled at Alexander while the three of us kept looking back. “What did you do!”

    “I just peed! Okay!” He cried out while Chad was intensely gripping at his seat. “I just peed! Nothing else!”

    I kicked the clutch, then jerked my hand to shift the gear and stepped on the gas. The car dashed like the wind as I steady my arms on the wheels. My heart was trembling and so as my body. The monster threw its stretching hand and landed on the road beside us. 

    The car swerved to the right. 

    “Murderer!” The tree monster screamed in a deep and husky voice.    

    “Who did you murder?” I grilled him, looking at the mirror to see the monster. "Just tell me the truth, Alexander! What is he saying!" 

    “The fairy!” Alexander cried out. “The fairy that I killed!”

    “So?” I asked as I kept my eyes on the road.

“I think that is a treant, they served as a guardian to nature and fey folks.” He explained. 

    The treant threw its arms again behind us that made the car bounce. Then branches like rope slithered like a serpent. The car suddenly stopped that whipped our heads up front. We grunted. I kicked the gas while our heartbeat drove out fast. Vines start growing around the car, towards Alexander and wrapped him like a stick with wild vines, slithering bottom to top.

    “Rafael!” He called out and grunts in pain. 

    Chad stood up and grab one of the vines. He breathes in and closed his eyes, he then breathes out. He opened his eyes that change into the color black. Deep, and dark void, kind of black. Then the vines started to dry and wither away that dropped Alexander to the back seat.

    “H-how did you do that?” I asked with astonishment. 

    “Demon-blooded.” Chad replied. “Wait, did Sebastian or Emma told you that we have demon blood? Even Alexander knew.”

    “What! No one told me!” I yelled in surprised tone.

    The monster shrieked and ran towards us as it rumbled the ground. I stood and raised my hands and focused. They began to glow red, then flames shot out and danced towards the treant. The monster shielded himself with his huge arms and took a step back 

    “Dreamer.” The monster called in a deep crackling voice. 

    The monster raised both of his arms and smashed it on the ground that caused a small quake. I shook and fell from the car door. My knees and palm broke my fall as I felt my warmth blood sliding.     

    The monster roared and dashed towards me. With pain coursing in my body, it's hard to focus. I concentrated on the water that will push the treant. Then water spurts out of my hand that narrowed right to the monster's wooden chest. But it kept coming. . .

    “You need to go, now!” I screamed as I kept my concentration. “Alexander, find the wand in the cellar. It has red rocks on it.” I tasked.

    “No, we won't leave you!” Alexander argued. “We'll stay here and help you!”

    “Ch-chad, take my keys and drive, ” I commanded. “Now!” 

    Chad sat on the driver seat as I stood there shooting out water from my hands as the splashing came soothing in my ears. The car growled as I looked at them and nodded. He nodded back and saw Alexander with water in his eyes. Then they drove quickly as I stopped and quickly ran into the forest. 

    “Dreamer!” The creature called again.

    I can feel the treant was following me because of the heavy footsteps behind me. My heart was drumming wildly as I start to panic and gaze around. All I can see are humongous trees surrounding me, I will never know if one of these trees are just like him. . . This is a bad idea!

    My knees are aching while I forced myself  running deep into the woods. I jumped, ducked, and darted trees and logs. I looked back and still, I can hear it. Then a sharp crooked branch was hanging in the side of a tree that cut my right cheek, I felt the heat flowing out.

    I stopped for a moment to catch my breath. Then a snap broke that made a bird flew in the air, and away from it. My body jerked around like something is gonna pop out in any seconds. I walked towards where the bird flew away and the branch snapped again.     

    I sat on the log to rest my legs, then I felt like someone is watching me. I know there are a lot of trees around me, and maybe it's one of them. But I feel that this is much smaller than those tree monsters. I quickly turn my head and saw a man wearing a green cloak running behind the trees.

    “Hey!” I called.

    I followed the cloaked man. I felt like I didn't stop running throughout my life. Even before everything is happening right now. I stopped and slouched to catch my breath. 

    Then it happened. I felt a quick but intense pain in my abdomen. I looked down and saw branches like claw pierced my body and drenched in my blood. It pushed through my insides while the roots grew slowly with leaves.

    I can feel myself hovering as if I'm flying away. I suddenly tasted my blood, then coughed out, as my vision became a blur and faded away. . .