There is a truth I kept hidden for a time. One that would show the state of the reptile’s mind. A perfect memory has its advantages, however, there is a downside. For someone of his age, to remember every injury in perfect detail, to relieve the death of your loved ones a million times over, it’s agonizing. Normally he struggled, every activity would remind him of something painful without warning. Every time he looked at his own reflection, he had to stare at someone who outlived everyone he held dear. When he was locked up, he couldn’t handle being stuck underground for 75 years; he was forced to remember everything over, and over again. It gave him company, but it also haunted him.
He would hear things, familiar voices that only wanted ill on the reptile. All a figment of his imagination. Without his medication, the voices would be shouting at the reptile. The reptile couldn’t tell the difference between the voices of the people talking to him in real life to the ones in his own head. If there was one thing the reptile was good at, it was that he could hide his mental illness from the world.
In his unconscious state. As his body tried to recover and sang of agony. He imagined himself resting on a soft bed. His face half sunken into a white pillow that he dirtied from the dirt and grime.
Yet what made his heart flustered, what made him crack a slight smile. Was his interpretation and concept of the woman he loved. Laying down next to him. She had fair skin; she was plump with short brown hair that covered parts of her face like she had awoken from a deep sleep. She also wore his favorite lingerie.
‘Hey, Jackson.’ She softly said while she reached for Jackson’s scaled face.
Finding comfort in her touch, he leaned into it, enjoying the sensation of her thumb rubbing against his scarred visage. ‘Hannah.’ The reptile mumbled after he let out a deep sigh, his heart sinking at how deeply he missed her touch.
‘It’s been a while, has it?’ Hannah whispered, her voice soothing to Jackson and warming to his cold blood.
‘Too long… I missed you.’
Hannah giggled before she made a lighthearted joke. ‘I know. And I missed you too, scale guy.’
The reptile smiled as he closed his eyes, he rested on hand on hers to hold her close. To enjoy the sensation of her presence for a bit longer. ‘You know I hate being called that.’
‘Then why don’t you stop me?’ Hannah purred, teasing her love before she leaned close to kiss the reptile’s forehead. ‘You still have kind eyes Jackson, I wish someone would appreciate them one day.’
Jackson opened his eyes to gaze into hers, his hard exterior cracking under her voice. Though deep down, his heart felt a pang of pain from what she implied. ‘I don’t want to leave.’
‘We both know you have to.’
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Jackson’s eyes watered, he wanted to stay with her. To hold her close forever and fulfill his promise he made to her. Desperate, he reached a hand to her face to move her hair out of the way that partially covered her gorgeous smile. ‘Someone else can do it, there is always someone else.’ The reptile protested.
‘No, not everyone can do this,’ Hannah whispered. ‘Remember when you told me you dreamed of a day when there will be no more soldiers, that everyone would be healers?’
The reptile looked down and gave her a nod. He remembered what he wanted a world to be, one without violence and death. Something he believed deeply after growing tired of the constant battles and fights he would subjugate himself to.
Hannah smiled as she caressed his face. She could tell the reptile was hesitant, that he needed confidence. ‘You can’t stop now; we can’t have people before you take up arms. Someone needs to finish this, and it must be you.’
‘I… I don’t want to leave you.’ He pitifully pleaded, his voice trembling before her.
She pulled Jackson close to kiss his cheek so she could lean close to his ear. Her hot breath breezing against his scaled and scarred skin. ‘We’ll meet again, but now isn’t your time.’
As soon as she finished speaking, the reptile gagged and gargled as he awoke in a familiar nightmare. This time, back into the furniture maze of the Ikea complex. He set himself up to puke out blood, he panted as he tried to get his bearings. He reached for his pockets but failed to find his medication that he needed to silence or quiet the voices that plagued his mind.
He let out a pained groan as he stood up, his lower jaw and arm stinged like it had a new layer of skin exposed to open air. Though to his disappointment, he was disarmed, and without his coat or vest to protect him. Only having a single Charge-Spike on his person.
Curious, he went to the kitchen display when he saw blood leak out from the fridge. To his luck, he found a body of a member of the Disposal Unit stuffed inside. Though, the reptile only managed to find a small pocket knife and a revolver he didn’t recognise, fortunately it had three bullets in the cylinder. He knew it wasn’t much, but it was better than having nothing.
With nowhere to go, he journeyed deeper into the complex with his new weapons at the ready. He checked his watch to see he was inside the realm for what could be an hour, or so the reptile suspected since the minute hand was dislodged.
As the reptile stalked deeper and deeper into the complex. Feeling sluggish and weaker after his previous fight and the amount of blood he lost. He found a wall that spanned the entire complex with a single wooden door in front of him. His path was blocked, yet he could tell there might be something of importance behind it. Without any option, he went inside, to mercurially be transported at the other end. Though this time, with only two bullets in his revolver.