8(With help from Evanescence's "Bring Me To Life" in italics.)
"How can you see into my eyes like open doors...
Leading you down into my core...
Where I've become so numb, without a soul, my spirit sleeping somewhere
cold...
Until you find it there and lead it back home..."
Miike awoke with a gasp, his eyes emanated a dazzled glow as he tried to regain his breath. In his hand he clutched the multi-colored jewel. Mike's eyes shifted from the ceiling to the prism, the powerful dream had caused his entire body to shake, and he could still remember the climactic vision vividly. Regaining control over his body once more, Mike sat up slowly and wiped the sweat from his brow. His hair was dripping with sweat and the entire room felt stuffed from extreme heat. Mike stood up and went to the bathroom, his stride quick, for his body felt baked. A cool shower would do just swell, he thought quietly to himself as he opened the bathroom door and began stripping down.
As Mike let the crisp, cool waters run down his body, his mind began to remember the remarkable images of the dream he just had. Mike was mesmerized by how the dream seemed to take him on a joyride through history, from a ballroom party in Elizabethan England to a war-weary battalion in the Great War. As varied as each scene was, there was but one thing that held them so closely weaved together. The eye. Mike slowed his pace with the soap as he thought about it, beginning to feel entranced once again. The eye that seemed to speak directy to him, mysterious chants and songs of beckoning. Mike closed his eyes as he suddenly recalled one of the Eye's oracular verses.
"Wake me up...
Wake me up inside...
I can't wake up...
Wake me up inside...
Save me...
Call my name and save me from the dark...
Wake me up...
Bid my blood to run...
I can't wake up...
Before I come undone...
Save me...
Save me from the nothing I've become..."
"Yo Kimster! Hand me that chisel will ya?" Brandon hollered towards Mike. It was woodworking class, the last period of the day and by this time Mike was exhausted. Not only had the dream left him with barely enough energy from which sleep is supposed to bestow, the long day of school also took his toll on Mike's poor mind and body.
"Sure." Mike said softy, and tossed him the chisel in which the street tough kid quickly caught in mid-air. He tilted his cap as a friendly gesture and walked away. Although Mike had no such desire to work, the dwindling state of his grade for the class tempted him to get off his butt. Mike rolled his eyes at his own advice, but quickly arose and sauntered off to the wood cutter. As he raised his unfinished project, a stool in the making, he felt a sudden slap on the back.
"Wassup with you today johnny? You seem tired as hell." His woodworking teacher exclaimed, a short and plump old man whose "beat the heat" attitude seemed to lighten up the otherwise dull classroom. Mike shrugged as he wiped the sawdust from his shirt. As he put his project away, the last bell of the day rang. With a sigh of relief, he strolled off with his backpack slung over his back. Then suddenly, Mike felt a sudden blow to the head. He faltered backwards and tried to balance himself. The shock still lingered, Mike soon realized it was a splitting headache. His eyesight began to blur as the migrane began to increase, and then a streaking flash before he saw nothing.
"Frozen inside without your touch, without your love, darling, only you are
the life among the dead..."
The janitor kicked open the entrance as he whistled the tune to a song he liked since the days of his youth, He sighed as he began his long mop on the school hallways. The work was hard, but it was all about the money. It was always about the money. Unexpectedly, he caught sight of a young boy who was sprawled on the floor and quickly rushed over to help him.
"Hello? You okay there boy?" The old janitor tapped his cheek as he kneeled down besides him. A groan escaped Mike's throat as he grimaced from the aftershock of the mental anguish he had experienced earlier. Mike opened his eyes and stood up. He still felt somewhat biazzare from the mental skirmish, his body exhibited symptons quite similar to those who came out of a bad coma.
"Yeah, I'm fine. Thank you." Mike said softly as he tried to stand. The janitor also stood and helped him up as janitor offered to get help but Mike declined, he didn't want anymore attention than he had recieved, the incident had shaken him more than it did to the janitor. Mike left quietly, he was quite disturbed through the whole thing and wanted to disappear from it as soon as possible.
As he made his way out of the exit, he strolled through the parking lot in a mellow pace, basking in the April sun and the cool, spring breeze. Mike felt a tap on his shoulder and turned around to see a silly grin. It was the grin of his friend Luiz, whose short black hair fit his even more diminutive stature. The appearances of the two were quite different, Mike being tall and olive skinned while Luiz was a head shorter and more light toned.
"Yo, wassup man?" Luiz gave his usual greeting in a thick Portuguese accent. Didn't surprise Mike at all, and he replied composedly.
"Me, I'm good. So waiting up for your mom again to pick you up?" His voice was peppery, and a confident streak could be seen on Mike's face. Luiz was equally impressive. Their auras together matched, it was no doubt they were great friends.
"Yeah." Luiz replied, as he was watching the cars coming in and out of the school property.
"So can I come over?" Mike asked, with a hopeful look on his face. His eyes shone of rapport and friendship. It was clear Mike was a willing friend wanting companionship.
"Nah." was the immediate answer. At this Mike began to be upset, it was nothing, but Mike was sensitive and his emotions got the better of him.
"Fine... But, come on man. We barely hang out anymore." With that, Luiz responded with an uncaring shrug. At this, Mike became even more aggravated. He knew Luiz had a loner's style branded closely in his personality, Luiz would play Dark Age of Camelot day in and day out. Mike opened his mouth to talk, he was stubborn no doubt. However, Luiz heard the honk of his mother's Jaguar. A luxury of Luiz's father, a stock broker, that he well provided for his family. Luiz ran off with a wave and Mike turned around and walked off irritated.
School had definitely ended for the day as all the students had left and the parking lots were already half empty. The uplifting breeze swirled around Mike, as if almost magic, and his permed, colored hair flowed gently through the wind. As Mike stroked his hair back, he felt the same mysterious enchanting again. He froze as he heeded the haunting hymn.
"All this time, I can't believe I couldn't see...
Kept in the dark, but you were there in front of me...
I've been sleeping a thousand years it seems...
Got to open my eyes to everything...
Without a thought, without a voice, without a soul...
Don't let me die here...
There must be something more...
Bring me to life..."
The spectral aria seemed to end as Mike opened his eyes and unclenched his sweaty hands. Something pulled him to turn around, like a tug from an invisible hand. He was suprised to see Espen. Espen was looking good as always, he wore a tight white shirt which proudly displayed his buff build his goatee stretched outwards as he smiled.
"Hey amico! It's nice to bump into you again." Espen grinned and seemed genuinely delighted to see him. Nevertheless, Mike was suspicious that glint in his eyes hid a secret, and that discouraged him to fully trust him. He merely gave a slight smile and a nod. Although Mike was usually friendly to people, for his longing for friendship had gottten the better of him in many occasions, however, this seemed different. Something inside of him told him he could be trusted, but deep inside another part of him seemed to go wild. That suspicious feeling Mike would sense whenever something was hidden. A hidden what? That he always questioned himself but could not get an answer.
"So... How's.. um, how's that jewel I gave ya at my shop Mike?" Espen asked, with his deep Romanian accent also hinting to an uneasiness about something. Mike shrugged, he pulled out the jewel and Espen was relieved to see it again. A smile of undescribable release radiated from Espen. However, Mike began to feel another seeping pain coming into his brain. It was quite familiar.
"Oh shit. Not again!" Mike cried out as he clutched the jewel in one hand and his head with the other.
"What's wrong amico?" Espen grew care-worn, and moved towards Mike.
"No, no I'm fine. It's going away." That wasn't exactly correct, it wasn't going away but it wasn't as worse as it was earlier. He then heard the same song again. This time he knew where it was coming from. Mike's eyes widened as he heard the melody louder than before.
"Now that I know what I'm without...
You can't just leave me...
Breathe into me and make me real...
Bring me to life..."
"It's this thing!" Mike yelled out, holding the jewel out in front of Espen. He jerked back surprised, not expecting this at all. "What does it want from me? What do you want?" Mike asked it ardently, a look of pure frustration and confusion. However, he was not afraid. The jewel replied, in that same haunting song.
"Bring me to life...
I've been living a lie, there's nothing inside..."
Mike looked towards Espen as he grew still. It seemed he knew, but he could not say a word. He looked towards the jewel and Mike finally understood what the jewel was saying what it had been saying all along.
"Bring me to life..."