Page 101 of Diluted Truths

It was infuriating. I felt trapped in my own mind, wandering aimlessly through a field with no plan. I couldn’t do anything to fight against Griffin here.

After what felt like the hundredth lap around the cabin, I noticed the door. The door that had a habit of disappearing. It was closed, but maybe I could get in.

I approached the door and placed my hand on the handle.

“Please, please open,” I whispered to myself.

Slowly I turned it, and with my luck it was locked.

“Why is this happening to me?” I whispered while resting my forehead on the door.

“If you move out of the way, I could let you in.”

I turned to see Nate standing behind me. He had his usual smirk on his face. This was a definite plus side to being stuck in this dream. I got to see him. I smiled and moved out of the way to let him through.

I watched as he opened the door with ease and entered the cabin. I followed behind him cautiously. I hadn’t yet seen the inside of the structure in any of my previous dreams. It was rundown here. There was a sleeping bag in one corner, a table and two chairs in the other, and a fireplace between the two. Light filtered in from the top windows, illuminating the space around us.

I jumped at the sound of the door slamming shut behind me. I went to try and open it and once again it was locked.

“Don’t worry about that. When it’s time you can leave. It’s safer here anyways,” said Nate while he took a seat at the small table.

“Safer?” I asked as I sat down next to him.

“They can’t get to us in here.”

“Who’s they?”

He pondered my question for a moment. “I… I can’t remember. I’m sorry. Some days are better than others.”

“What do you mean?”

“You’ll figure it out. Your memories will come and go. It makes the time pass faster, but sometimes slower.”

He was making no sense to me and only adding to my stress and anxiety. I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to block the tears from starting. I could feel myself beginning to panic. I was trapped in a dream, drugged by a psychopath, and had no way of fighting back. I just wanted to go home. I wanted to be with Will. He would keep me safe.

I felt hands on either side of my face. “Hey, you’re okay,” Nate said in a soothing voice. “I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you, Jack.”

I looked at my brother with his familiar blue eyes. They looked just like Vi’s and Theo’s.

“Take a breath with me. Like we used to,” he instructed and I followed. “In and out… Good… one more time… good.”

I continued the deep breathing he taught me when I was only six years old. It calmed me and allowed me to get control of myself. “I’m sorry, Nate. I’m just scared.”

“I know, Jack. I was too at first.”

“What does that mean?” I asked in earnest.

He just shook his head in response. “We just have to wait. It will get easier.”

Missing for Twenty-Four Hours

“I think the definition of insanity is trying the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result.”

I glared at my brother and flipped him off. He proceeded to laugh at my antics. I had been trying to get the door open in various ways for thirty minutes now with no luck.

“I’m bored,” I huffed.

“I know.”