Ghosts from the Future

Waking to the sound of birds chirping, I roll over and look at the sunlight streaming through the window. The curtains wide open, and a beautiful sight sitting on the table beneath the window. Leaning on the bench with a book in her hand, Ella looks over it at me and gives me a smile as I stir. Placing it down gently, she comes over and lies down next to me. Smiling, I pull her over to me and wrap my arm around her, meeting her lips with mine. Taking a breath, I look into her beautiful eyes and smile.

"Good morning." Smiling, she gives me a quick kiss and leans back.

"Good morning. How did you sleep." Rolling over onto my back, I wrap my arms around her, and she curls up next to me, her head on my shoulder.

"About as well as expected. I'm so stiff and sore. Death March really takes it out of me."

"I am not surprised. You are not a young man, Oscar. Even trained soldiers think twice before using abilities like the ones you've been using lately." Sitting up, I slide slowly back and lean against the wall.

"I'm also worried about the future. Even if we defeat Saetaen. What then?" Moving over next to me, she lays her head on my shoulder and grips my hand.

"Well, we can work that out when the time comes. Worrying about it now won't do you any good."

"I know you're right. But it's easier said than done. I am sorry for last night."

"It's okay, Oscar. You promised me you would be more mindful in the future, and that's enough. Now come. The day is upon us, and there is much to do. You also need a bath. You smell." Laughing as she gets up from the bed and heads out into the main room, I shuffle over to the edge of the bed and climb into my clothes. Making my way into the next room, my nose leads me to a small feast of fruits and meat on the table. Busying herself in the wardrobe nearby, Ella talks to me over her shoulder.

"I'm heading back to my quarters. There's a few things that didn't get brought over last night. Eat some breakfast, the bath water is still warm. I shall meet you in the King's audience chamber when you're done." Before I can respond, she turns from the cupboard and disappears through the door, letting it close behind her. Sitting down to the table, I have a quick bit before stripping off and heading for the tub in the next room, sliding into the warm water, I let out a relaxing sigh as I feel tired and sore muscles relax. Closing my eyes for a moment, I listen to the sounds of the world outside, letting them wash over me as I relax. Opening my eyes as the sound disappears, I look around at the white room I'm in. Walking forward, I look down in confusion at the clothes I'm wearing. All trace of the bath gone. Looking around, I see nothing but plain white walls and a door set into the wall nearby.

"Come." From all around me, a voice echoes, beckoning me forward. Following it as if I was no better than a rookie police officer, I walk through the door into the next room. Finding myself in a small shack, I turn to look at the door, finding it gone. Seeing a man and a woman in front of me, they sit quietly at the table in the center of the room, enjoying a simple breakfast of fruits. Looking at the man, I find something familiar about him. Smiling, he deftly cuts a piece of fruit apart, holding half of it out to the woman. Laughing, she takes it from him and, eating it carefully, rubs her pregnant belly. Smiling, he leans forward and hugs her tightly. Rubbing her belly with his hand, they laugh and they share a loving kiss.

"A vision of what once was. Before tragedy." Jumping as the voice fills my head and echoes everywhere all at once, the room changes once more. Standing above a grave, the man screams at the sky, tears running down his face. Walking from behind a grave, a young girl creeps around and comes over to the man, clutching his leg. Turning from the sky, his eyes fill with fire, and he lashes out as the scene changes once more. Standing in the sky, I look down at a sight that I can't believe. Large, dragon-like monsters run over the landscaping, burning everything in their path and turning the world into a wasteland. Standing in the middle of it all, the man stares at the sky, laughing uncontrollably as the fires from the creatures engulf him.

"And a vision of what will come to pass. This is the world that Saetaen wishes for. If he is not stopped, this will be his legacy." Shaking, I watch as vines come up from the ground and try to wrap themselves around me. Lashing out with my arms and legs, I try to break free as the vines grab and snap at me.

"Oscar, stop thrashing." Opening my eyes, I take a deep breath and cough the water from my lungs. Looking around at the shattered tub and water running all over the room, I turn and find Ella standing above me, covered in water and a bruise darkening on her cheek.

"Wha… wha…" struggling to get the words out my head sears with pain as the memories sear themselves into it. A dream then. But not like any dream I've ever had.

"I came in and found you submerged under the water. You were supposed to meet me over an hour ago. I came to see what was going on, and then the tub exploded, and you were thrashing around. I tried to stop you and got a bruise for my troubles."

"I'm sorry. I had a dream?" At my confused look, she helps me up from the ground, carefully picking our way past the shattered tub and water everywhere. Wrapping myself in a towel, I take a seat at the desk.

"I must've fallen asleep in the bath. It's not something that normally happens, I can assure you." Holding my head as the pounding pain behind my eyes comes back stronger than earlier, she places her hand softly on my shoulder.

"It's okay. What kind of dream?" Shaking my head, I sit there in silence for a moment as the pain in my head goes from throbbing to searing.

"Sorry, I'm having trouble concentrating with this headache. It's really something else…argh." Falling from the chair as the pain sears through my head, my vision flashes white.

"It begins." The voice from the dream echoes through my mind, and for a second, I see an image of a hand stretching out into a palm-shaped hole in a door. Watching as a spike pierces through the center of the hand, I cry out as pain lances through mine. For a moment, the eyes on each head of the dragon looking creature on the door glow. Twisting its wrist, the lock hisses and disengages, one by one. Each lock clanks home with a sound that reverberates through my entire body as the lock releases.

"Oscar! Can you hear me, are you alright?"

"I can see… something."

"What can you see?"

"I see a door opening. It has a picture of a dragon-looking thing on the door with lots of heads, I think."

"It can't be." As soon as the door opens, my vision goes white, and the pain lessens. Looking up at Ella, my heart fills with dread and the color of white on her face.

"Ella. What is it?" As if snapped from a trance, she leans forward and puts her hands on my face.

"Are you okay?" Nodding my head, I try to push myself up off the ground, but she holds me down.

"Don't move just yet. Stay where you are for a moment." Getting up, she hurries over to her belonging and comes back with a vial of purple liquid. Un-stoppering the vial, she lifts my head up and places it against my lips. Not fighting her, I lean my head back and drink the contents of it, pulling a twisted face as the taste of it hits my tongue.

"That's even worse than the last one you gave me."

Laughing, she runs her hands through my hair, and leaning down, gives me a kiss.

"Give it a few moments, and you should be okay to get up and move around." Getting up, she heads away, and I lie there for minutes, feeling the potion work its magic. A slow, cold, soothing sensation ran down my body from my head to my toes as the pain finally came back down. Pushing myself to a sitting position, I groan as my whole body aches. Coming over, Ella, helps me to my feet.

"You're groaning like an old man.

"I feel like an old man. What the hell was that?"

"If I had to guess, it was a prophetic vision. Get some clothes on, there's something we need to do." Heading to my room, I pull on some clothes and head back out to find her sending off a magic missive.

"I'm ready."

"Follow me." Leading me out of my quarters, we head into the castle.