Proxy (The Dreams of Reality Book 1)

by Gareth Otton

  “I don’t think he was lying. Let’s just go along with it.”

  “I don’t like it,” Charles protested, but he fell in line as they walked toward the car park.

  The only thing between the wall and the building was a single lane road that circled the building. His ghosts followed him, growing quiet as they remembered where they were. It must have been an odd experience for them, being as visible as any other person.

  They reached the car park without incident. Though built from the same black stone as the rest of the building, it looked like any other car park. There were less cars, and the floors were cleaner, but it was still a series of painted white boxes and concrete ramps.

  “I don’t see any cameras,” Tony said, breaking the silence and causing Tad to jump. He hadn’t realised he had stopped walking. Tony must have thought he was looking for cameras.

  He wasn’t.

  He hesitated because of the impossible to ignore presence. It was only as he stepped past the threshold of the carpark that he noticed it. It was the feeling that had driven him away from the building before. The presence had grown so subtly that he missed it until he was standing right on top of it.

  It was vast beyond imagining and impossible to get his head around. It was the same feeling he felt when he reached for his power, but magnified a thousand… a million times over. There were no words for what he felt waiting within the building.

  For the first time he thought about calling an end to their adventure. He wanted to get Jen and run.

  He couldn’t do that. He had to get this over with. He was also curious about what waited within. He was both afraid and attracted to that strange presence. As he took his first step into the carpark, he knew he had to see what it was with his own eyes.

  As Randy said, there was no one to stop them. All three levels of the car park were deserted, and there weren’t any cameras. Tad wondered whether it was arrogance or some other reason Joshua King didn’t want digital security. It wasn’t important, he just needed to be thankful.

  Tad remembered the double doors from Dinah’s memories. There was a black box beside them for keycard access. If things would ever go wrong, it was right then.

  Tad held his breath and swiped Randy’s keycard in the slot provided. The half a second gap before the beep of success stretched on forever.

  There was no alarm. Just a beep, a green light, and a second later the sound of a heavy click as the locks unbolted.

  Tad looked to his ghosts and they at him. Nothing needed to be said. They lived in each other’s heads and didn’t always need words to communicate. Tad knew they were thinking the same thing.

  This was the point of no return.

  Tad was the first through the doors, Charles the last. The poor ghost hesitated for what seemed like minutes before he summoned the courage to cross the threshold. The click as the door shut behind him made him wince as did the surprise of feeling Tad’s hand on his shoulder.

  “You alright?” Tad whispered.

  “I will be. Let’s go find your girl.”

  Tad had to fight not to laugh. “She’s not my girl.”

  “Whatever you say. Lead on you lunatic.”

  Tad turned from his friend and faced the strange corridor with no doors. It had creeped out Dinah, but Tad was just intrigued about what waited deeper in the building. The presence had grown unbearably strong, and it felt like it was calling to him. He was afraid of what it might be, but at the same time was desperate to find out.

  All too soon they reached the end of the corridor and stepped into the reception. On their right were glass doors that lead outside. To the left were double doors and answers. There was no keycard entry, no lock at all. There was just a handle waiting to be turned.

  Tad took a breath, reached for it and opened the door. He stepped into the darkness beyond.

  The moment he crossed the threshold that darkness became absolute. He knew the door was still open and there should be light coming through, but there wasn’t. He had somehow stepped into a world of complete shadow.

  If it was the world of Death, then he found that fitting.

  His friends were just as surprised as he was. They each gasped as they stepped through the door and were silent afterwards. Tad winced as the door clicked closed behind him. It seemed abnormally loud in the silence.

  “What is this place?” Tony asked, his voice hushed with awe. “I’ve never seen anything like it.”

  “Nor I,” Charles admitted. His voice was not filled with fear as Tad expected, but wonder. “I have never seen colours so vivid. It’s beautiful.”

  “What? Colours?”

  Tad couldn’t see them look at him, but he felt it. He had a sinking feeling that his worst nightmare was coming true. He saw nothing but darkness, but they could see him.

  “Please don’t joke, that’s not funny,” Miriam said. Her words a reprimand, but the worry clear.

  She had reason to be worried. They were already on a fool’s mission, they needed Tad to stand a chance.

  With a sinking feeling, the last of his hope faded.

  “I can’t see,” he said and was appalled by the panic in his voice. “I’m blind.”

  34

  Sunday, 30th November 2015

  01:12

  “What do you mean you’re blind?” Charles asked.

  “It usually means he can’t see anything, you idiot,” Tony snapped. “What makes you think now would be different?”

  “Shut up you two,” Miriam said. Tad felt a soft touch on his arm but didn’t flinch. He knew it was coming. He spoke before Miriam could.

  “I’m okay,” he said. “Just panicked for a second. It’s not as bad as I thought.”

  “You’re not blind?”

  “I'm blind, but it’s like when I’m asleep. I can’t see, but I know what’s going on.”

  “You'll be okay to keep going?” Tony asked.

  “I’ll have to be. The door seems to have vanished.”

  The silence was accompanied by his ghosts looking back the way they came. Each wore a frown and Charles was close to panic. Tad laid a hand on his shoulder before he went too far off the deep end.

  “What is this?” Charles asked. “Where’d that door go? Where are we?”

  “I’m not sure about the door, but I'd guess Emily was right. King has brought down the barriers between life and death.”

  “You mean we’re dead?”

  “No… well yes, you lot are. But I think we've stepped into the world of Death.”

  Tony was looking around.

  “It’s not what I expected Death to look like. I mean, maybe the red sky belongs here, but it doesn’t look scary.”

  “Red? Are you colour blind? That’s clearly purple.”

  Charles laughed. “You’re both wrong. That sky is the most wonderful orange I’ve ever seen. It’s like all the sunsets the world has ever known have been collected into one stunning vision.”

  Tony snorted. “How many times have we got to tell you, you’re not that Charles Dickens? Stick to history and leave that poetic stuff to creative people.”

  Tad could sense an argument coming and interceded.

  “I expect you’re all right.”

  “How can we all be right?” Miriam asked.

  “What’s the first thing we teach new ghosts? Your reality is what you make it. It’s only fitting that Death would be that concept on a larger scale.”

  “So you’re saying the sky is red, purple and—”

  “Filled with the light of a billion sunsets,” Tony finished for Charles, earning himself a smack around the head from Miriam. “Ow. You know what. One of these days I’ll do that to you and you'll see what it’s like. Ow! Stop hitting me.”

  “Shut up, both of you.” Tad felt like the only adult amongst children. “Have you forgotten where we are? This place may be weird and not what we expected, but we're still in King Tower. Or maybe where King tower used to be… uh… I don’t know how this works.
What's important is that this is still a dangerous place. We need to be on our guard and stop shouting.”

  Tony was looking around. They stood in a field of lush grass that rolled on to infinity, and they were definitely alone.

  “It’s not like anyone’s in a position to overhear us, Tad.”

  Tad shook his head. They were alone, but he knew the rules were different here. Things could turn on them any second. He was about to say as much when everything changed.

  He turned, facing away from his ghosts. The door was not there, but where there had been endless fields of grass, there was now an outcropping of rock. It grew silently behind them, taller than any mountain. At the base of that outcropping was a huge cave that was filled with impenetrable blackness.

  “Holy shit,” Tony gasped, staggering back a step. “That wasn’t there before, was it?”

  None of them had missed it, it was impossible to. It had simply appeared.

  “Should we see what’s inside?” Miriam asked.

  “No need. It’s coming to see us,” Tad answered.

  “What do you—”

  Charles was only half way through his question when they saw it. Tad had felt it only seconds earlier and was suitably awed. It was massive.

  “No way. That’s awesome. Is that really a dragon?” Tony asked.

  Tad shook his head. “No, it’s a nightmare.”

  The creature he sensed was not a dragon, but a massive ghost. It was as featureless and spectral as any of the mad ghosts he had faced, but grown to an impossible scale.

  Just as with the sky, he knew this creature was different for each of them. He didn’t ask what the others saw. That thing before them was either their biggest nightmare or something they felt they couldn’t overcome.

  He had a feeling that if he wanted to find King, he would have to go through that.

  “What do we do?” Charles asked. “Could we run?”

  “Where?” Tad replied. “We’re penned in.”

  Sure enough, when Charles turned he was facing a large stone wall. On further inspection they found themselves in the bottom of a huge canyon.

  “That’s just creepy. A place shouldn’t be able to change like that without telling you.”

  “This is Death, Tony. Expect the unexpected.” Tad took a step forward but stopped when Charles grabbed his hand.

  “What are you doing?”

  “I’m going to fight that thing.”

  “You can’t fight that. It’s huge.”

  Tad shook his head. “We all knew this wouldn't be easy. But I think I know how we can get through this.”

  “How?” Each ghost asked together.

  “This place is based on perception. Everything is what you want it to be. Don’t forget that. Down there I see a ghost. A fucking massive ghost, but it’s still just a ghost. Banishing ghosts is what I do. I have to believe my gift can work even on something as large as that. So if you'll excuse me…”

  He shook himself free of Charles’ grip and ran towards the huge spectre that waited just outside the blackness of the cave. It remained where it was, guarding the entrance to its den and watching him approach. It was thirty feet tall and just as wide, a cloud of shadow in most places but the odd human feature appearing in white at random spots. There was no face that Tad could sense, but he knew it was looking at him.

  With each step he concentrated on schooling his terror. This was all perception, he had to believe he could deal with it.

  He reached for the power he had been born with. The moment he touched it he knew he could deal with this being. King was right. This place was the source of their power, so it only stood to reason that in this place, their power would be unimaginable.

  However, even with that much power and belief, sensing something that big coming for you can shatter any confidence you might feel.

  It exploded forward, trailing shadow in its wake. The ghost covered the distance between them in a heartbeat, but it was not as quick as Tad’s thoughts. He called upon that vast reserve of power within him and, as he always did, used it to force sanity upon the deranged spirit… only, nothing happened.

  He knew he had done it right, knew the power had connected, but the ghost shrugged it off as though it was nothing. Tad dove aside at the last moment to avoid being struck. He hit the ground and rolled, which hurt, but not so much as the ghost’s passing did.

  If strong enough, the ghosts in his world could chill with their presence. This one didn’t just chill him, he felt the freezing burn of ice as it formed in his clothes. It was so strong that Tad felt as though he had just stepped onto an icy tundra. The feeling did nothing to help his confidence.

  “Tad!” Miriam screamed from somewhere in the distance. He cast his senses out and knew they remained against the rock that penned them in, waiting to see what Tad could do.

  They weren’t in danger. Miriam was screaming for his attention as that ghost had turned and was coming back.

  Tad felt a moment of despair. How could he defeat this creature if his power didn’t work on it? It was a nightmare beyond…

  The answer was in the question. It was a nightmare, not a true ghost. If it was a nightmare, then it had no human spirit to revert to, it was just a spectre and nothing else. He couldn't force sanity on something that had no sanity to begin with.

  He rolled again as it struck, this time doing his best to ignore the icy feeling but knowing that on the next pass he would be dead. The temperature had dropped lower than he could survive. Already he was fighting uncontrollable shivers, and he felt numb everywhere.

  He sensed the creature turn again for one last approach. Once more Tad reached into the ocean of power he felt all around him. This time he applied that power in a new direction, and this time it worked.

  The creature froze as though it had been turned to ice by its own touch. The shadows stopped flickering, and all forward momentum stilled. It was trapped by Tad’s will and it was starting to glow.

  The familiar light grew from its core, banishing the surrounding shadows until all that remained was a glowing skeletal figure that was lit by an inner light. As always the glow grew so bright, Tad knew his ghosts would be looking away.

  He felt the touch of that light like the first rays of the morning sun. It was warmth, and as it exploded outward from the destroyed creature, the icy feeling vanished from the world.

  A moment later the four of them were alone again at the bottom of the canyon. His ghosts ran to his side.

  “That was amazing. How did you do that?” Tony asked. What must that brief battle have looked like to him? Tad smiled as he imagined it from Tony’s point of view, a battle with a dragon, and shook his head.

  “I told you, it’s all about perception. I just had to believe it was a ghost that could be affected by my power. The trick is to not let yourself doubt.”

  “Easier said than done,” Charles noted. Tad had to agree. It was the first lesson all ghosts needed to learn, but one that no ghost ever truly managed, no matter how long they were dead. It was too hard to let go of the limitations that are hard-wired into people during life.

  “Should we expect more things like that?” Miriam asked.

  Tad nodded. “That’s not what worries me though. I’m more troubled about getting lost here. I’ve got a feeling this place is every bit as big as our own world, if not infinitely bigger. We need to find a way to seek out Stella and get her out of here.”

  “How do we do that?” Charles asked. “I’m still trying to figure how we get out of here. Have you forgotten the door to this place has disappeared?”

  “There must be a way out,” Tony said. “Otherwise King wouldn’t be able to come back to the real world. We just need to find that too.”

  “I think if we find King, the rest will come to us.”

  His ghosts shared a nervous look in response to Tad’s words. In the following silence, Tad searched his mind for a way to find Stella and King. He thought about going into the cave the nightma
re had been guarding, but had the suspicion it wouldn’t work. That was the expected path, an entry into a maze that had been constructed just for them. It would lead nowhere.

  King had done this. Tad knew that in his core. King had somehow mastered this world and had set this up to… what? Test them? Stop them reaching him?

  Tad wasn’t sure of his motives, but knew deep down that they couldn’t find King and Stella by looking in the same way they did in the real world.

  So he tried something different. He looked internally, seeking his connection to this place and the power he got from it. Through that connection, like with his dreams and his power in the living world, he gained instinctive knowledge. He dove into the ocean that was his power in this place and drew memories of Stella in his mind.

  It wasn't hard. As crazy as the last few weeks had been, Stella had made an impact. She was the one positive surprise to emerge from the craziness. The hard and dangerous predator that Tad had first seen her as, had slowly morphed into a friend, maybe even more. He’d be lying if he said thoughts of Stella hadn’t occupied his mind, and he wasn’t surprised that the image of her came quickly.

  He submerged himself in memories of her, both good and the bad, and slowly he felt it work. The more memories he recalled, the stronger he got a feel for her presence. He focused on the aspects of her that were uniquely hers. She was strong, determined, funny when she wanted to be, and smart. He remembered looking into her eyes as she told him of her past in that cafeteria. He’d seen the real her then, the vulnerability of an abused child and the strength of the woman who had put that past behind her.

  Those vibrant blue eyes had reflected Stella’s soul, and as soon as Tad realised that, he found the key to finding her. Suddenly he knew exactly where she was, and the secrets of this world revealed themselves to him.

  Not only did he find her, he knew how easy it was to get to her. It was just a matter of thought.

  A startled curse from Tony along with Miriam and Charles’ sudden gasp brought him back from his recollections of Stella.