Concrete Jungle

As the temptation of slumber overtook me, I watched from afar as my body moved on its own, laying in the filth of that old and rotting bed. Ever since I awoke from the remnants of that decrepit shrine, everything was wrong. While I was seeing through mine eyes the ashen world around me, I felt as though I was seeing everything from a distance. It was as if I was watching the sight of someone else. I tried to get up from where I laid, but my arm would not move, nor would the rest of me. I had lost control over my body. It was my own body, yet not a single part of it moved on my command. As I was engrossed in the thought, my body suddenly moved, but not by my will, crying out and rolling around like a lunatic as it smothered the black flames. Despite my lack of control, there was still a slight sense of pain that lingered from the chilling burns and open wound upon my palm.

I watched as whoever had taken my body, whilst I was still in it, get up, still clutching the dragon tooth in my scarred hand. The tooth was stained and olden, but I knew its worth, yet I fail to remember why. I hoped in the silence of my floating consciousness that whoever had taken my body would at least notice the same importance I had seen in this tooth. By sheer luck the stranger seemed to notice its value as well, and kept it in the old pocket of my cloak.

Soon I found myself back in front of the dusty house I had already explored before finding myself ablaze. My body began to move toward the faded research. Despite our now shared body, it seemeth that our thoughts are still separate. No matter how hard I yelled through the crevices of my mind, the one in control heareth me not. If this is the case, how could I make myself known to this stranger and tell whoever it was that they have taken my body. I watched as my arm reached for the notes, attempting to bring it out into the ash ridden light. I thought about the ruin piece that I kept in my bag, but I doubt that this stranger would check for it. To my surprise, my body halted and set my bag down, pulling out the beautifully carved piece of rock. The room illuminated in its faint glow, and the stranger began to read through the texts I had already skimmed through. Despite our disconnected thoughts, I perhaps still have influence in my own body.

Eventually, the tides of sleep washed over me, along with the stranger who had made their way toward that pitiful bed. Soon, the world went black, until it was not. I had a dream of a place far from any reality I have ever known. I awoke, staring at an irritatingly plain ceiling. It was dark, yet the deep colors of blue and yellow lights covered the otherwise flat ceiling. I turned my head to see the somewhat wrinkled sheets I slept upon, and the view outside through scattered droplets on the smoothest glass I have ever seen. I got up and placed my bare feet on the cold tiled floor, its beige color and gross pattern present across the entire surface. I stood from my bedding to gaze upon the world outside. Lights of all different colors were scattered throughout my vision from this higher floor. Tall and skinny buildings crowded the space ahead of me, their architecture far removed from what I have ever witnessed. Some where made of stone, some all glass, and others adorned with flaring lights. It was blinding to say the least. I averted my gaze downward to see crowds of people flooding the streets below. Strange shiny boxes with wheels moved past the crowd on their own as the rain splattered on their surfaces. I looked at the strange view for a while, as it was something completely otherworldly.

Finally, I turned from the blinding view and stared into the dark room I had awoke in. It was dingy and clearly not well kept, but clearly it was someone's home. There was a thin, black rectangular box opposite of the bed sat atop a very angular table. Random items, some of which were unrecognizable, were scattered across the floor. Just ahead was a very short and narrow hall that led to a door. There was a large white box with square doors and a shiny pipe next to it atop the counter on the right side of the hall. There was a an open wardrobe revealing the mess of garbs at the foot of the bed, indented into the wall. Where ever this was, I knew I did not belong here. My body began shifting toward the door. I had thought about leaving myself, yet my body moved on its own following a script it was given. My body and mind felt somehow dependent and independent of each other at the same time.

I headed toward the door, opening it to the cold rainy world outside. I ran down several flights of steps, finding myself on the damp ground that I had been staring at through the window. The stone I stood on was one uniform slab of a dark shade of brown. I got a closer looked at the strange metal boxes I had seen, their smooth and shiny details reflecting the colorful lights of its surroundings. I stood still looking up into the sky as crowds of people passed me. I watched the peaks of the abstract buildings before realizing what was before me. It was the sky, dark and silent, but not the dark I had known. This dark was much more soothing and gentle despite the surrounding noise. Rays of light dance across the sky from the tops of several towers, revealing small clouds that were a shade unfamiliar to me. Against the calm dark sky, I witnessed clouds of a whiter, much purer shade than I have ever seen before. All my life, my mother would share tales that spoketh of a sky far different than the menacing dark clouds I have come to know. Her words of white and bountiful clouds were now in my reach, floating majestically in the air above. Suddenly, everything went black, and I felt the force of being awoken throughout my body, reminding me that what I had seen was merely the fantasy of a strange dream.