“What else can you tell me about your dream? Marvin asked leaning back in his high back chair.
Marvin was a large man, and growled more often then not.
Denver shifted a little, the urge to wiggle and fidget almost too much for Denver to take looking up at that bearded monster, Denver could tell he had not slept in days, neither had Denver, nor anyone else in
“well..” he managed letting out a small breath.
A place he could recall so easily now.
The dream had been plaguing his nights for 3 days now.
But after the first week they had become a nightly routine.
Night after night he would walk the dark hallway checking the doors were sealed.
He knew he had to keep them sealed. There were things in some of those rooms that did scare him still. But he felt safe now sometimes... Better then never he thought.
The struggled breathing of Marvin added to Denver’s discomfort he decided as he was brought back to the lightly cluttered office. Small animal skins decorated the walls. The antlers of a fine caribou hung atop the wall directly behind Marvin’s high back office chair. Drawing your attention to his massive size.
“Denver? What else can you tell me about the dark room?” he said concerned. His beady dark eyes finally cresting over the massive beard jungle. Denver tried not to laugh.
“well..” he started again. “Well I guess for starters its not a room. More like a hallway.”
he said uncomfortably.
“A hallway?” Marvin repeated. “A hallway to where?.” he said leaning his massive size a little more on his modest desk.
A chill wretched Denver’s stomach at Marvin’s question.
He wasn’t supposed to talk about his dream. It felt wrong. It was for him and him alone. He knew that somehow. Deep down in his heart.. an unspoken thing.
But why? He couldn’t say. It was just a weird dream that had stuck with him for a bit is all. He should’ve never told no one about it. This was Terrence’s fault. He knew it.
“I’m not sure. Nowhere maybe?” Denver said shrugging.
Marvin looked down for a moment before taking off his old tattered baseball cap, Native Pride written along the front of the cap in bold red lettering. He ran a hand through his shoulder length hair. Salt and pepper just like his beard.
“Are you alone in this hallway to no where?” Marvin asked once he replaced his cap.
Are there any doors, sounds of any kind, smells maybe? Any additional information would be helpful Denny.” he said almost pleadingly. “We gotta find out whats going on around here kiddo.”
“it’s just a stupid dream. And it just stuck is all.. it’s nothing. What is this all about Marvin? Why am I here? And why do you care about my dreams?” Denver snapped, looking in the mans big brown eyes was difficult for Denver.
He had known Marvin Ghostkeeper all his life. He was a good cop. Proud. Someone who genuinely cared about people. And looking into the old mans eyes Denver could see he was frightened.
“you are not the only one who’s been having strange dreams the past 3 days. Your dream, we need a record of it Denny, and we need a record of what you were doing the night of the light.” Marvin said in his seat and fixing Denver with a serious look. “So it is very important that you’re honest with me today Denny.”
That’s when the dream started” Denver said letting out a breath as he tried to settle his nerves. “Yes, so far the dream all peoples who have been documented have said the same thing. And all occurred at the same time. We need you to agree to record your dream.” Marvin interrupted. “Please Denny. No bullshit. This is really important.”
He could trust Marvin. He knew him. And he knew he wouldn’t betray his trust. It was true everyone had to work together to find out what was happening and why. So the truth, even though it hurt. Even though it felt like his nerves were on fire.
Even though he felt like he’d be locked up as a crazy. He had to be honest right now.
Denver looked about the room a moment trying to find the right words to say.
The pelts and few pictures hung about the room like medals. He knew Marvin and trusted him even. Then why was this so hard..
he just couldn’t put his finger on it. It was like a block whenever he would try to detail something it would simply disappear from the moment he would open his mouth. Like when you think of the lyrics of a song and then try to sing that same song, something just gets lost in between.
Denver knew Marvin must be beginning to become frustrated but he couldn’t help it, he was too. Looking over at the man patiently waiting in his rustic high back chair. He felt guilt tear at his stomach.
“I’m sorry Marvin..” Denver said finally after a few minutes of silence.
“I’m not sure whats happening. I don’t know where to begin..” he said finally feeling more then a little defeated.
“We have already begun Denny, you are in a dark hallway. Are you alone in that hallway? How dark is the hallway? How large is the hallway?” Marvin said still sitting patiently. “Whenever your ready Denny. You are safe here. Take us back to the hallway. Concentrate on one thing at a time.”
As Denver closed his eyes he felt a kind of pull. A feeling of lightness took over him. As the darkness swirled around in his mind and the darkened hallway rushed around him an unfamiliar pressure built in his skull.
When the shadows finally stood still and he felt the strange lightness dissipate. Almost like the feeling you get once an elevator in motion finally stops, but more ethereal. An alien out of body experience.
Denver felt an uneasy stirring in his stomach as he looked around his new surroundings. He was not in Marvin’s office anymore. This was more then a dream, he knew it, deep down somewhere in his soul this was more.
The darkness hid much of his sight in this rather large hallway but not all. Looking around himself he could see a door on either side of him.
These doors he could see in the low light were impressive things. Not just some simple wood or fake wood or whatever. These were steel or iron or some other metal he didn’t know about. These were strong and durable. These were cell doors. He knew it, like he knew this was more then a dream, like he knew he would never be able to explain what he had seen here. There was something more to this, all of it. And Denver was just going to have to do his best to figure it out.. what he could make sense of anyways.
Somewhere deeper in the dark he could hear the faint sounds of water dripping. Denver stood still doing his best to take it all in. He wondered what was happening back at the office. But not for long. He walked to the door on his left. The monstrous thing easily resembled a vault door more then a cell door. There was no handles that could be seen. Denver wished he had a flashlight, matches anything really. His keys and wallet were still in his pockets though, but since the lights interfered with cell service and the internet he had taken to just leaving his phone at home or in his car. One of many reasons folks were so freaked out he had reasoned was the internet interference.
Denny was used to no service though everyone in salmon springs were.
Cursing his luck Denver started feeling around the door, the cold metal providing a quick shock to his unsuspecting finger tips. The door if that was what a person could call it, was surprisingly smooth. Turning to look across from him to the opposing door he moved cautiously through the hazy darkness.
Once Denver reached the other door. A feat that took much longer then merely walking across the short space. He could have sworn the two doors were no more then 10 feet apart..
So why then was he walking for what had to be at least half an hour? Denver couldn’t help but wonder. The urge to call out to the strange haze was strong. The building fear setting his nerves on fire. Breathing slowly he desperately fought down his growing panic. He was pretty sure he didn’t want to make too much noise just in case he wasn’t alone in here.
When he finally reached the other side of the mysterious hallway two things struck him as strange almost immediately. This door was about half the size as the other, and it looked to be made of a different material. This time when he reached out and placed his finger tips to the door he didn’t flinch from the cold bite of steel.
No, instead he felt nothing, a feeling he struggled to understand. This door was made of nothing he had ever felt before. Not hot or cold or soft or solid. This door was at first he thought actually made of wood or wood like material and was no more than an average normal door it seemed. The appearance of the material that made this mysterious second door seemed to shift, and change shades of colour. His brain reeled as his body tried to make sense of this strange material. Of all of this. What was this place? Where was this place? And why was he here?. These questions threatened to bring him to his knees as he stood before the shifting door of strangeness.
He wished this strange darkness would brighten up so he could see. He needed to find a light source. There had to be one here somewhere he figured looking around the dark. The fact that the darkness wasn’t complete gave him some hope though. There had to be some light deeper down the corridor.
A strange mixture of fear and excitement began washing over him. This was scary for sure, he knew that. Honestly he wasn’t exactly sure why he hadn’t tried to wake up yet. In fact the idea of waking up and getting out of this place never even entered his mind until now. And that wasn’t even an option to him, he wanted to know more, he wanted to explore this place. There was so much unexplained.
This was his chance he knew he had to take it regardless of what he might find.. he had to try.
He had been walking for what felt like hours. The darkness began to lighten up the further down the corridor he went, allowing Denver to see this strange place with a bit more detail.
He could see now that the walls were made of a smooth black stone. On either side at random distances apart from one another were those strange doors. The further he went the more random the sizes and materials became. He couldn’t be sure. He would have to go back and inspect the first doors more thoroughly, but he figured the large cold metal door he had first inspected was the largest so far.. and seemingly the least alien of the ones he had seen as well. No door he had come across had had any handle or way of opening that he could see.
Denver shook his head desperately trying to make some sense out of this. How long had he been here? Is he still asleep in Marvin’s office? These questions nagged at him. As the idea of being trapped in this strange place began to plague his thoughts. Still the worst of his darker thoughts the one he desperately tried to to push back seemed like it was the most reasonable. Perhaps this was the tunnel and he was dead, slowly moving forward towards the light.
The thought had unnerved Denver deeply a coldness ran through his body as he shambled onward. The light grew brighter the further he went. Follow the light he told himself as he dredged on. Like a moth he pushed his body forward, hunger and thirst threatened to break him. The seemingly endless trek offered no respite for his bodies need for food and drink. How long had been walking this place? Hours? Days?.
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Denver had always been a little disconnected, still the idea of passing on at the age of 17 was more than a little alarming to him. He had tried to be normal but always felt like he was not quite on the level of others. His grandma Josie always just said “it was his generation, a result of being too plugged in.”
Still though Denver never felt right, he always felt like something was missing, like he was hollow, at least until the light appeared. Maybe it was all connected somehow he had to wonder as he walked on.
The darkness was barely noticeable anymore. But still there, in this strange ethereal way. He just knew deep down in a way he just couldn’t explain. He knew it was there like it was just taking a break.
And the strangest thing of all he thought as he came to a stop. Looking at the darkness of the walls in the light now, he finally noticed that the floor and ceiling was made of that same dark stone. He had not noticed the ceiling or floor as he was walking so taken by the doors and light. The doors continued on along the walls to either side of him seemingly hanging in darkness for as far as he could see.
As he looked back the way he had came, Denver’s brain crashed for a moment. As he struggled to make sense of what he was looking at. The darkness was gone. Still there but gone as well. He could see for what had to be at least a mile or more.
“How!? What!?” he blurted unable to help himself. Grabbing his head as dull throbs of pain pounded against his forehead, and the left side of his skull.
His knees gave out as the pain pulsed almost violently, as if his brain was trying to explode. The pain came suddenly and ended soon after he hit the ground.
The dark stone floor was neither cold nor hot, it was just there. Denver sobbed quietly to himself as he sat face down on his knees. His will was waning quickly as his tender skull began to numb from the sudden assault. Oh what he would have given for this stone to be just a little cold to help quicken the numbing of his head.
“Your will of course my master.” said a smooth voice so quiet Denver couldn’t believe he could hear it.
Denver raised his head from the floor slowly.
His skull ached, but it was more bearable now with the sudden appearance of someone else in this place. Slowly shakily he picked himself off of the floor expecting to see this new addition to this strange little nightmare.
As he stood and looked around himself there was no body to go with that voice in sight.
Was he just hearing things?
“Hello” he whispered into the empty corridor.
“Hello” came the smooth voice in reply.
Startled Denver jumped and began scanning all around himself desperately seeking somewhere that this voice could be coming from.
But where he thought? Where could this stranger be hiding? It was an open space on a straight corridor. At this point the darkness was totally dissipated.
Leaving Denver with no obstruction to his sight.
None of this made sense. Until the voice came again, only this time Denver’s nerves were somewhat ready for it.
“I am here” the voice said.
“Where?” Denver replied
“Here.” it said again.
“I don’t understand! what are you!?” he replied frustration causing his voice to crack.
“I am your servant, and steward to the Gates.” The voice seemed to echo from floor to wall to ceiling as it spoke.
“Well I don’t know what to do with that. You are what? Where are you?”
Denver asked the voice, turning and placing his hand on the wall to his right.
“What is this” he said as the dark stone began to shift beneath his fingertips. The stone rippled like dark water as all around him the once solid stone dissolved into blackness. As the darkness expanded outward. The strange doors began to shift as well, turning in on themselves before speeding out in all directions filling the darkness with star like lights.
As quickly as it had happened, the vastness of space seemed to close in on him. Rushing towards him from all directions the lights re-materialized as nice wooden doors, sporting different shades of solid mahogany and oak.
Stunned by the effect Denver’s legs buckled as his stomach clenched as he wretched the meagre bit of food he had scavenged that morning.
“You are seeing an image created by your psyche, Your new body’s natural response when the Ley Line link was achieved.”
Denver’s sat back on his knees, the dark stone that was beneath him before had been replaced with a quasi solid black vapour.
Reeling there Denver tried to straighten and stand before something new could happen.
As he stumbled over into the solid vapour wall the voice came to him again.
“The Edenian host you have created has many weaknesses that will make achieving your full potential difficult GateKeeper.”
The dark vapour flowed around him from every surface. Denver screamed but it did nothing to stop the darkness. The dark vapour flowed feet from where the stone had been. Quasi solid tendrils of the black vapour licked at his body as he rose attempting to fend off the darkness.
“What are you talking about? Enough! Stop that!” Denver shouted as he swatted in vain at the dancing darkness.
At his command the strange vapour began shrinking back into its less invasive solid stone form again. Denver didn’t know how, but he could have sworn that the alien substance was wounded by his sudden dismissal.
He was in the middle of trying to wrap his head around that idea when the voice’s words finally sunk home for him.
Placing both hands on the new reformed stone Denver took a deep breath before asking the voice.
“What do you mean Your full potential?. You called me master before? If that’s true than I demand you to show yourself. No more games!.”
This was crazy he knew it. But why didn’t it feel crazy? he couldn’t help but wonder as he stood there pressing his hands to the ebony stone waiting for the whisper to return. As he stood there uncertainty growing in the short silence an ache began again in his skull same as before. It started dully a slight pressure beginning on the left side of his skull and moving to his forehead. Denver clenched jaw as the pressure built. He wanted to scream, cry out and stop this. But was too captivated by what he was seeing
The ebony stone shifted under his hand seemed to pulsate. The darkness before him began to flow downward almost like water falling to the floor where it began to pool. Denver stumbled back startled by the now growing pool of the black substance.
The growing pool of mass began to expand upward as the flow from the wall increased to near gushing this strange blackness. After what felt like an eternity but Denver knew was only moments. The gushing stopped and the mass of black swirled, bubbled and expanded. It looked to Denver as if it was struggling to form itself. Continually growing and shrinking, he could see what looked like limbs attempt to form and shrink back into itself. Struggling to stay standing as the ache in his skull grew to near unbearable levels. His legs were weak, he wanted this to stop. But as he watched the shifting mass of black struggle to form he steadied himself. He did this of that he was certain now.
He had to concentrate. He had to commit. That was the first rule of magic. Denver had played Dungeons and dragons with his friends for years. Any novice knew when you used magic you had to mean it. And somehow some way.. Denver was using magic, and he had to mean it.
Taking a deep breath and clenching his fists against the pain he formed an image in his mind. He had to give this poor mass shape. And he had to do it now before the pain in his skull overcame him.
The mass of blackness grew, it’s erratic pulsing stopped, as it slowly began to form. Expanding upwards on two ebony legs the remaining globe of blackness stuttered as Denver struggled to maintain the image in his mind as the globe grew outwards to the right and left of the mass thinning itself to create a humanoid torso, and upwards to create a head.
Denver fell to his knees exhaustion overwhelming him as he gasped for breath grabbing his head in a vain attempt to contain the throbbing pain. Leaning back on his heels he stared up at this new being.
The new humanoid was inspecting itself, stretching out its hands and opening and closing its new fingers. It had no eyes or any other visible features that Denver could see. His mind felt tired like he had been awake for far too long, his limbs felt like the were made of lead. He sat there staring up at this new being that he was pretty sure he just created and was unable to smile or feel anything about it. He just stared simply at it as it tested its legs and feet, moving about seemingly unaware of Denver’s presence.
Lost in his exhaustion it wasn’t until the newly familiar whisper broke the silence that he managed to pull himself out of his stupor.
“I have form.” the voice said as it knelt down to Denver. It’s face made of black, at this distance, so close to him Denver could see the faint wisps of vapour flow about him like a slightly shifting outline. It’s face was devoid of any features.
It tilted it’s head as it looked at him. Could it see? He couldn’t help but wonder as he stared back.
“You are Gorvandra’Fel, 5th son of A’luria The Matriarch of light, Gate keeper of the forgotten.” said the voice as it placed a solid hand on either side of Denver’s shoulders and gently but firmly lifted him to his feet.
The gesture was unexpected, but appreciated. Denver’s ability to stand was definitely questionable. He was drained in a way he never had experienced before. His mind seemed to barely function like he had been awake and fasting for days.
It took a moment for what it said to fully register as he stood face to face with the voice’s avatar. Staring into the black void of it’s featureless face. It’s grip was strong and helped to stead him, Denver feared if it let go he would fall.
“No, I am me. Just.. just Denny..” he managed weakly.
“You are and you are not.” said the voice “You are Gorvandra’Fel, reborn in this Edenian form.”
The voice seemed to change subtly as it said the word Edenian, like it struggled to say it? Denver wasn’t sure what to make of that.
“Edenian, what is that? I am me, just me, just human me..” he said letting his head dip downward as he struggled to understand what was happening.
The lava lamp on his nightstand cast a cool orange light in this new place.
The new place he realized was his bedroom. The messy desk with his unpainted models, and neglected homework actually made him smile for once. He loved making his model armies, and pitting them against his friends’.
Denver smiled as his Mom entered and came over to his bed, sitting down beside him leaned over and checked his forehead with the inside of her forearm, and brushed some of his shaggy hair out of his face.
“Oh Denny, oh my little Denny..” she said as she produced a damp cloth and began to dab his sweaty face with it.
“Mom, W-what happened, how’d I get here?” he said.
She reached over and wiped some of Denver’s shaggy hair from his forehead looking at him. Denver could see a hint of poorly hidden concern cross her face.
“You came home last night, skipped dinner and went to bed. You looked very tired Denny.”
letting out a small breath she gave him a little smile and stroked his cheek with her thumb.
“What happened at Marvin’s office? I know things are strange lately. It’s really important that we stick together and are honest with one another Denny.” she said.
Denny could only stare up at his mother for a short while. He was not used to seeing the more human side of her like this. His mother was on the town council and for the most part maintained a very regal baring both outside and inside their home.
They never seemed to have the greatest relationship not when compared to other people he always thought, but that was just because they were so similar he knew. Even when they didn’t see eye to eye (which was most of the time).
“I- I don’t even remember leaving Marvin’s Office. He asked about my dreams.” he said Trying in vain to recall the night before.
“Your dreams?” she said. “What about your dreams Denny? Is the field different for you?”
the question stumped Denver a minute, he paused looking looking into his mom’s hazel eyes as he realized they had not spoken about there dreams or any of the strangeness that had happened since the flash in the sky 3 days ago.
He felt ashamed of himself for not confiding in his mother or even bothering to ask about her experiences since the flash.
“I’m sorry mom, we haven’t- no I mean I haven’t said anything. My dream I'm in a long hallway full of strange doors. What field are you talking about mom?”
His mother got a faraway look in her eyes at his question, Denver had guessed he had the same expression when Marvin asked him about his dream as well.
His mother took a moment to collect herself before answering.
She let out a small breath. “It always starts with me standing on top a grassy hill. There is a beautiful tree at it’s centre. A large ash tree branching high into the sky into the blue sky above.” She closed her eyes while she spoke, trying to capture as much detail of this other place as she could Denver guessed. He knew the dreams were so vivid it was easy to recall the basic’s but the alien nature of the dream- if it were anything like his were so alien it took a moment to try to explain. He waiting patiently taking his mother’s hand reassuringly. She opened her eyes and smiled at him, these moment’s in there relationship had been very rare he returned her smile encouragingly.
“The tree is large and reaches to the sky, and I am always drawn to it first. I follow the giant branches as they stretch twist and turn in many directions. It is not long after I see the first signs of true wrongness. I see the sun making it’s way in the sky and the moon a barely visible silhouette in the sky and then I notice the other moons for there are three of them. And some are closer then others they veay in how visible they are. I always ask myself how I didn’t see them before. I look around me and I see other people atop the hill all looking as clueless as I feel I look. I do not recognize all of the people I see, But i recognize many. A few of us have been managing to find each other, but not always. It’s so easy to get lost in there.”
“Whoa What!?” Denver exclaimed. “Marvin’s in there too? Like Marvin, Marvin? Who else? Is this a shared dream? That’s amazing!.”
This was unbelievable he thought as he stared up at his mother, he was excited, maybe he wasn’t alone in the corridor after all? Well other than the voice that is. Now it had a body, that much he could remember. Did he really do that? Had he made that thing a body? He had so many questions and felt though he had no answers at all. Looking in his mother’s beautiful hazel eyes he was excited and frustrated at the same time.
“Hush Denny, let me continue.” she said placing her finger to her lips breaking him from his thoughts.
“I often find Marvin, and yes we have discussed our shared dream. Many of us on the council have. And no we do not know why yet, it’s for just that reason why Marvin asked to see you yesterday. No one could find you in the field.” she said patting his hand. Denver nodded as the weirdness began to kind of make sense for him.
The voice had said he was some Gorvandra-fel, and it called him a paragon maybe that had something to do with it.
“It’s like it’s another world Denny, it feels so real.” she said looking off to no where.
“what happens when you find each other mom?” he asked.
“Sometimes we find each other right away and sometimes we find each other down in the field.” Denver could feel his mother stiffen as she spoke of the field.
“what’s in the field mom?”
“Death Denny.” her voice cracked as she said it. She gently pulled her hand back to wipe her eyes.
There was silence for a time as neither of them had the slightest notion of what to say.
Denver couldn’t help but wonder and fear what his poor mother had seen night after night in her dream. He knew his mother was a tough woman. A single mother widowed young and a leader in there small community. Charlotte Johnny was not one to shed tears lightly.
His heart broke for his mother as he sat back against his pillows not knowing how to handle his softly weeping mother.
He felt his own eyes begin to water as a strange flood of emotion threatened to overwhelm him.. rising in his chest. He let instincts take over for once and wrapped his arms around his mother and let the emotions come.
“it’s okay, hush now. it’s okay.” he could hear his mothers soft voice whisper as she tried to console him even as he tried to console her. They were all each other had, and now they needed each other more then ever. He vowed right then and there that he wouldn’t pull away, they had to do better.. he had to do better.