by Steven Fox
“You remember what you want to.”
“That doesn’t even make sense.”
“Doesn’t it? Let me ask you this: Do you remember the night Talshe first found you, ten years ago?”
“Yeah. People passed it off as an earthquake. What does that have to do with her?”
“What kind of person was your mother like?”
“What?”
“Just think.”
So he did. He had a clear image of his mother there, inside his head. She had long, black-as-night hair and sparkling green eyes. Her smile filled him with warmth, and he could remember her scent—sweet as honey.
“Whatever you’re thinking,” said the fish-Thing, “it’s wrong. Everything you remember is a lie, Jason McKinney.”
“And you would know?”
“I know a lot of things.”
“Okay, then. Prove it. Prove my childhood is filled with lies.” The fish frowned a bit. A smug grin crept across Jason’s lips. “You can’t. You’re lying.”
“No. I can prove everything I’ve said. I was just pitying you. And wondering, How will you react? Will you kill yourself? That would be ironic, wouldn’t it?” The smile returned, and Jason clenched his fists, which were quickly filling with liquid stone.
“Forth,” said Jason.
The fish flailed, its chains rattling. Dust and debris snowed down on the pit. “Don’t say that word!” said the fish-Thing.
Jason glared at it. “Prove yourself right, and I won’t say it again. While you’re around, anyways.”
“Sounds fair enough. But remember: Your word is binding, McKinney. If I prove myself right, you can’t say that word. No matter what.”
“Fine.” But as the word left Jason’s mouth, he felt as though he’d made a huge mistake.
“Good,” it said. “Now, you’ll have to go back to Caindom. I know, we’re sort of stuck inside a giant. But that’s okay. In here, you get a special ability, courtesy of yours truly. Close your eyes and sleep. Before your eyelids shut, though, think about a place back home. You can pick anywhere you like, but I suggest you stop by work. Check in on dear ol’ daddy. He may not be doing so hot.”
Jason pursed his lips. Part of him wanted to say that he didn’t care about his father. Then again, that part of him would be lying. “So, I just go to sleep?”
The fish nodded. “You don’t even have to lie down. Just close your eyes. But don’t forget to think about where you want to go. Like I said, Silver Moon Grocery sounds like a great place to start. Then wake up, and tell me what you saw. I promise you won’t be disappointed.”
Jason didn’t like the idea of closing his eyes while sharing the same space as this green-gilled monstrosity. But he couldn’t help but feel curious. Curious, and worried. “Before I close my eyes…how do you know my father’s in trouble?”
The fish didn’t respond for a few moments, letting Jason’s heart pound in his ears. Then it took a deep breath, and said, “I have my sources. Now, sleep.”
Without further delay, Jason closed his eyes.
And when he opened them, he stood in the entrance of Silver Moon.
The creature hadn’t lied, but that didn’t put Jason’s worries to rest. Lots of weird things had happened in that mansion. The illusion of being back at the parade, on that day…What was stopping this from being an illusion? Everything looked the same: the sales displays lining the entrance, the cash registers just off to the right, the aisles of frozen goods just behind the checkout lanes. But there were no shoppers. There weren’t even any cashiers or managers. He stepped forward, his feet silent against the linoleum floor. He peered around the corner, to the right, where the customer help-desk stood empty. Jason’s stomach clenched. His heart took up residence in his throat, pounding in his ears.
He jerked his head toward the sound of running.
Just on the other side of the registers, down the drink aisle, Len and Mr. McKinney sprinted toward Jason. Mr. McKinney had his wand out, and glanced over his shoulder. There were a horde of paladins with Sirin in the lead. All of their swords were drawn and glowing.
“Go!” yelled Mr. McKinney to Len. “You have to find Jason! He has to see—”
But an explosion of light knocked Mr. McKinney onto his face, his wand skittering across the floor toward Len. She turned to retrieve it, but Sirin lifted his blade and a fiery bolt shot out of the sword’s tip. It struck the wand and shattered it. The ensuing shockwave of destroyed magical energy swept Len from her feet. She thudded on her back, the breath rushing from her mouth. When she tried to get up, Sirin kicked her in the side.
Jason rushed forward and tackled Sirin. But instead of colliding with him, Jason passed through the paladin and rolled a short way. He looked up at Sirin, who held his nose high. His nostrils flared as he sniffed the air. Then he snorted, turning his eyes upon Len.
“Lenmana, apprentice of the Dream Catcher, you’re under arrest for the planned murder of Jason McKinney…an innocent human.”
“He’s not some human,” said Mr. McKinney. “He’s my son.”
Mr. McKinney rose to his knees, his chest heaving, blood smeared across his left temple. Jason stood and tried to punch Sirin, but fazed through him. Again, Sirin raised his nose, sniffing. He turned his body toward Mr. McKinney and motioned to one of the other paladins, who restrained Jason’s father, shoving him to the ground, almost grinding his nose into the floor. Drops of fresh blood dripped from his face. Jason screamed at Sirin to stop, but the paladin walked straight through Jason, to Mr. McKinney. The hook-nosed paladin stooped next to him and grinned.
“His eighteenth birthday has come and gone, and Jason McKinney failed to perform any magic. Despite his absence, Jason is now classified as human. And killing humans is strictly against the law.” Sirin’s eyes flicked to Len. “Punishable by death, even. No matter whose apprentice you happen to be.” His eyes dropped back to Mr. McKinney. “Or were.”
Mr. McKinney tried to struggle, gasping, more and more blood dripping onto the floor. Sirin gripped his chin and jerked it up. Their eyes met, though Mr. McKinney’s were lazy and unfocused. Sirin’s eyes were sharp, calculating. Jason hated those eyes with every fiber of his being. He would give up his life to be able to break that long-ass nose of Sirin’s. Sirin squeezed Mr. McKinney’s face, fingernails digging into his cheeks.
“You will die before her, McKinney,” he said. “For aiding a long-wanted fugitive—the Dream Caller.” And he smiled. “Your wife.”
***
Jason ripped his eyes open. He was back in the torture chamber. Jason’s brow was damp with sweat and his heart was stampeding.
“How was your trip to the store, dear?” said the fish-Thing.
Jason wrenched his eyes shut. “My mother…is the Dream Caller.”
“I believe we had an agreement.”
“Yes. I won’t say…that word. Around you.” A pause, and Jason opened his eyes, staring directly at the fish. “Why does that word bother you?”
“That’s none of your business. But what is your business has been kept from you since you can remember—your true identity.”
“My true identity?”
“Your mother’s the Dream Caller! What does that make you? Why, nothing short of a Dream Caller!”
Jason couldn’t think of what to say. Him? The Dream Caller? It made no sense. He couldn’t summon dreams. He couldn’t even use a simple spell to change his hair color or make plants grow faster—spells Darlene and other magi have known since their elementary school days. Yet, a part of him couldn’t deny his mother. “I remember,” he said, “my mother creating playmates for me as a kid. They were dreams, weren’t they?”
“You bet.”
Then, a thought struck Jason. Hard. “Did I summon Talshe? Leech? The twins? Did I call them into Caindom?”
“No. Not even close.” The fish sighed. “Your mother did it. She used your own dreams against you.”
“That’s stupid. My mother is dead.”
The fish-thing didn’t smile. Its eyes drifted upward, toward the top of the torture chamber. “You know, your mother stole my power. She left me here, helpless. I only came after you because you could help. You probably think I’m your dream. I’m not, but I do know where we can find your mother.” The smile cracked across its lips again. “If you follow the train tracks to its end, you’ll find your mother. Still alive.”
Jason slowly shook his head. “I don’t believe you.”
“Of course you don’t. But I’ll tell you why you should: You were chosen to destroy the Dream Caller. You were chosen to end her terrible existence. And I’m not lying.”
“Why should I believe anything you say?”
Again, the fish-Thing didn’t respond. It sat there, a frown upon its face. Its eyes flicked to the top of the torture chamber again.
“What are you looking at?” said Jason.
“No one would recognize me now. I’m barely half of what I used to be. Worst yet, I’ve been so corrupted by this dark place, by the sorry state your mother left me in. Is this truly any way to treat a king and his guards?” Its eyes flicked back to Jason. “The King of Dreams?”
Jason could only stare, his mouth agape. This Thing was Gelen’s husband? The great, missing king of Visonia? Jason didn’t believe it. Yet what proof did he have against it? Hadn’t the fish already been correct about Jason’s mother? He remembered the vision from before—the man in the suit and the sniffling orb…Could that man be the pathetic creature before him?
“Okay. Let’s say you are the king. Why should I go to the end of the tracks? Why should I find my mother?”
“Isn’t it obvious? She has not only my power, but your power, the Dream Caller’s power! If you absorb the magic she’s been keeping from you all these years, you’ll finally be able to use magic. You won’t have to lose your memory. Yes, I know about that, too. And trust me, it was all part of the plan. Your mother and father waited all these years to void your mind. That way your mother could pass from this world into your body and recover her full abilities. And if you don’t believe me, remember the day Tara Engel died.”
Jason didn’t want to. Not in the least bit. If he did, the stone would start flowing. And since he made a deal with the fish-Thing to not say ‘forth’…
“The day she died, I broke your mother’s spell. The spell that stopped me from talking to you. I tried to help you through your dreams. But your mother twisted them and made me into something horrendous. Even then, she didn’t want me anywhere near you, so she separated your dreams from you. Little did she know that I had enough power to bring them into this world. Talshe sought you out because of me. I made it seem to her that you knew where I was. I’m asking your help. We need you. I need you. Please. Find your mother and absorb her power. End this nightmare.”
Jason didn’t want to trust the fish-Thing, but he couldn’t find a reason not to. After all, his father had been growing more and more distant ever since Jason’s mom died. Especially in the last year, when the Guardian sealed his dreams. Did the Guardian know about his mother? About the King of Visonia?
“My mother loved me,” he said. “Why would she put me through hell?”
“Because you nearly killed her.”
Jason heard the train whistle. A scream split the air, and he clasped his hands over his ears. Even through his hands, Jason could hear the crunch of metal against flesh and bone. The scream cut off, and the wuff-chuff of the train faded into silence.
“And because you weakened her so,” said the Thing, “she desires nothing more than to make you give up hope. Ultimately, she wants you to give up life. That’s why she and your father created the false memories. All of them. Including Tara Engel.”
It felt as though Jason’s heart stopped.
Fake. Tara? Impossible.
But how much did Jason truly know?
“If you don’t believe me, go to your mother and find out for yourself. She’ll try to lie, true. But you’ll be able to tell. Plus, I’ll be with you.”
“With me?”
“I’m going to let you absorb me. Talshe will also be yours. And since Shades is already inside me…Well, you’ll have all your dreams back. How does that sound? You’ll soon be complete. Magic and all.”
Jason could be just like other magi. Even if he was a Dream Caller, he wouldn’t have his memory erased. Besides, he could promise to use the Dream Caller ability for good. He’d learn other magic, too—regular magic that every mage was required to learn in order to pass school. He’d have a lot to catch up on, but he didn’t care. He’d be normal. He’d fit in. He wouldn’t be alone anymore. He nodded.
The fish-Thing closed its eyes, and a light enveloped its frame. As with Leech and the twins, the fish-Thing burst into dozens upon hundreds of lights. They fluttered about Jason like fireflies before settling on his flesh, slowly fading into his body. After the Thing completely faded from physical existence, the mansion glowed. Jason’s feet sunk through the floor and he fell. He floated down and down as the mansion twisted into a funnel then burst into light. The light clung to Jason, melted into him. As more light poured into him, he felt stronger. More confident. But he also felt angrier. Angry he’d been lied to all these years. Angry his depression over Tara had been synthetic, false. Now he didn’t care that his father had been beaten by the paladins. He’d deserved it. And Len? She was probably in cahoots with Mr. McKinney and his wife—let them rot.
Suddenly, Visonia’s shimmering buildings and flying roads appeared. His feet touched solid ground just as the light completely disappeared into his body. He shook himself out, stretching his arms. He felt reenergized. Ready to rule the world. As he turned in the direction of the train station, a voice floated to his ear: “I’m sorry. I failed you.”
Jason glanced over his shoulder. He didn’t see anything except for a few dreams dashing about stark naked.
“Talshe?” he said. After a moment, he started walking toward the station.
***
Nothing happened to Jason as he walked to the train station. He half-expected the roads to catapult him into the sky or for a horde of flying monkeys to rain upon his head. But his walk was relatively normal. If he didn’t know better, he would’ve felt as though he were right at home. He arrived at the station, and the train was waiting patiently, stretching on for what seemed like an eternity in each direction. The conductor stood by one of the doors, puffing on a cigarette. As usual, he didn’t notice Jason until he was upon him. He dropped his cigarette and smashed it with his heel.
“I see your friends left early.”
“Yeah. But I’m not going.”
The conductor lifted an eyebrow. “If you don’t go now, your ticket will be null and void. You won’t be able to go home.”
“I’ll get back. Even if I have to walk.”
The conductor’s eyes narrowed. “Be careful where you step, then.”
With a half-hearted salute, the conductor stepped into the train, slamming the door behind him. A few moments later, the train whistle screeched. Its wheels turned, and it started moving the direction it came, toward the dark station Jason and his friends had come through.
No, thought Jason. They’re not my friends. Darlene’s probably been in on the plan this whole time. Yes, I can’t trust anyone.
The train disappeared into the distance. In the silence Jason heard the soft tip-tap of footsteps behind him. Queen Gelen stood there, at the top of the platform’s steps.
“You absorbed Talshe. And the Thing. I can feel them inside you.”
“Gee, thanks, Captain Obvious.”
Gelen followed Jason’s line of sight, to the opposite direction the train headed. The tracks continued in this direction and disappeared into a dark-purple horizon—a bruised skyline. At this point, Jason felt like one giant bruise, throbbing, hurting. He only wanted the wound to heal.
“You’re going to the Track’s End?” said Gelen.
“Yeah. What of it?”
&n
bsp; “Only the most primal dreams and vulgar nightmares thrive there. What do you hope to find?”
“My mother.”
He stepped toward the platform’s edge, but Gelen’s hand caught his arm. He wheeled around, nearly knocking her over. He glared at her. Didn’t she realize this may be his only chance to truly live a life? Before, he didn’t even think that was possible. After he absorbed his mother’s—no, his power—anything would be possible. Including the perfect life, free of seclusion and anger and desire.
“Why do you glare at me so?” she said.
“Because you’re stopping me from doing what I need to do.”
“What is that, exactly?”
“Absorb my mother’s power. With it, I can become the next Dream Caller. I can be a normal mage.”
The Queen’s eyes narrowed. “That is impossible.”
“What?”
“You cannot become the Dream Caller. It’s not possible. I sense no potential.” Then her eyes widened, and she dropped her hand, backing away from Jason. She clutched the same hand to her chest, as though she might be suffering a heart attack. “I do not know how, Jason McKinney, but you have changed. So quickly you have changed.”
Jason grunted, then turned and located a ladder leading down to the tracks. He mounted the ladder and began his descent.
“Don’t let your greed and envy blind you!” she called out, but Jason didn’t listen. She yelled again, but he didn’t hear her. The platform floated high above him now, seemingly miles away. He set foot on the tracks, and stared down them toward the dark horizon. Lightning danced through purplish clouds huddled on the skyline. He walked toward the Track’s End.
EIGHTEEN
The tracks seemed to go on for eternity, yet Jason didn’t tire. Will coursed through his body, driving him onward. Not even the shadow creatures—nightmares with scaly, purple skin and sickly yellow eyes and black fangs hulking beyond the tracks—deterred him. The clouds had grown darker. Angrier. Jason tasted wet copper, and it hung in the air, weighing upon him. The pressure in the back of his head was a pinprick, but still there. Just beyond the tracks the nightmares scraped their claws against rock and earth, all hidden behind a veil of purple mist, which hovered on either side of the tracks like two great walls. The creatures were sprinting past him, toward his goal, as if they knew. Their grunts and slobbering breaths drowned out the ringing of Jason’s feet on the track’s metal rails.
