You know when you have a dream so good that you really don’t want to leave the comfort of your bed, so you scurry down lower into the blankets, throwing them over your head. But reality keeps interrupting, and you get further and further away from your dream. You whine and throw a little fit because reality sucks and you just want to go back to sleep, but it’s impossible. And of course you’re not really sure if you will ever get that dream again. As mortals, you have no idea that Morpheus has planted seeds in your mind. You’ll get out of bed, jump into the shower, throw on some clothes, eat your breakfast and all the while thinking of that amazing dream you had. You might even say to yourself, “what was going to happen next?” or “if only it were true.”
I’m not sure what Morpheus was up to when he planted the seed of that little spiky-haired blonde in my dream. Though, I have to say, I have been intrigued ever since. I could just go to my son and demand he tell me, but this is a game for him. If I come across as angry, I will never understand the meaning of the dream. With all the festivals I’ve been playing lately, I haven’t had time for my children or Nyx. Maybe Morpheus is acting out? Maybe he’s bored with mortals?
A smile spread across my face. It’s been a long time since I’ve tangled with a mortal. My thoughts went to the blonde in her black leather jacket. Where had I seen her before? The vision of Nyx being pregnant popped into my mind and I shuddered. Maybe it was good we had our own projects going on right now; distance was always a sure method of birth control. I looked at my mortal cell, eight angry messages from Nyx and about thirty or so missed calls. Sheesh. Can’t a God sleep past noon once in a while?
Crawling out of my cave of solitude, it was time to head back to the OA building. I needed to check-in and see what kind of show requests had come across my desk overnight. Not wanting to be seen by mortals, I dressed in the guise of baggy jogger pants and a hoodie. Lowering a ball cap over my head, I stood in front of a mirror. I shook my head, what a horrible look. After throwing on a pair of black sunglasses, I looked like the Unabomber.
Making my way back to the OA building was less difficult in the middle of the night, but now it was near noon and mortals would be everywhere. I made it to the OA building without incident. Stepping into the elevator, I was in a fortress of solitude and was able to pull the ridiculous get up off. The 14th floor wasn’t anything spectacular in my opinion. Being a primordial, I wanted something higher up, with a better view but it was thought, by some, that I might want to be closer to the ground for a shorter elevator ride. It’s like they think I have no patience or something.
The office was dark, just the way I liked it. I retreated to the back where my private quarters were. A quick shower and a new three-piece suit had me feeling refreshed and ready for the day. A quick glance at my schedule showed that I was clear and free, no gigs. That would be refreshing. Since Coachella, I had been booked solid; it would be nice to have a few nights free. The mail pile on the front desk seemed a little larger than usual. A thick envelope from Demeter Law Office grabbed my attention, but before I could look at it, my phone pinged with a message: Nyx. “We need to talk.” Distracted, I threw down the envelope and walked out of the office. I have plans; I’ll connect with her later. A certain son of mine needed a visit.
I had hoped to catch Morpheus in the OA building, but it looked like a trip further south to the land of dreams would deem warranted.
The two large monsters at the outside of the gates protected my son from any unwanted guests, but I was family. I casually strolled by them and into my son’s safe house.
“Son.”
“Father, I’ve been expecting you.”
“Oh? And here I thought this was going to be a surprise visit.”
A smile spread across Morpheus’ face. “Had any good dreams lately?”
“And here I thought you had your hands full with the mortals.” I took a seat next to him.
“Before you start, it wasn’t me.”
“What wasn’t you?” My brow rose.
“The dream; it wasn’t me.”
“Oh?” I said, surprised. I thought for sure Morpheus had his hand in this. But if he wasn’t responsible for my dream, who was?
Morpheus seemed agitated. “Have you seen Mom lately?”
I nodded. “Yeah, sure, the other night at the opening of Nox.”
“The other night?! The opening of Nox was over three months ago!”
“What? No, it was just the other…” starting to feel unsure I counted on my fingers. “…night.”
“Dad, you’ve been absent for months! Mom’s pissed. Things are changing.”
Geez, how long had I been asleep? I rubbed my forehead and put my hand through my hair. Maybe that’s why she’s been trying to get a hold of me so aggressively.
“So this dream…if it wasn’t you…”
“It was Melinoe.”
“Melinoe?” Her name rested on my lips.
“Dad, you need to go home. Go see Mom.”
I was a little distracted and confused. Three months? I had been asleep for three months? I was stuck in that high school for that long? Why would Melinoe do this? The darkness inside me bubbled. I had been so relaxed and rested when I woke up. No wonder. Three months isn’t very long for an immortal, but as a mortal, that could really mess with things. The After Dark. Nyx. She didn’t like to be kept waiting for any length of time. What was happening? I slapped Morpheus on the back and stood up.
“I’ll handle things.” Back at the OA building, I went straight up to the 14th floor and grabbed the thick envelope from the front desk. I pulled out the last thing I would have ever imagined seeing. DIVORCE AGREEMENT. What in the Sam hill? I picked up the office phone and began to listen to message after message from Nyx. “Where are you? It’s been a month.” First, the messages sounded upset and hurt, the last of them ended with “You jerk! This is how you treat me after all these years? IT’S OVER!” Yep, that’ll do it.
Erebus is portrayed fiction writer MK Stoddart. A resident in central Canada, Melissa writes when she can find the time between spending time at the lake and working as a secretary. She is a wife and mother of one.In 2010 Melissa lost a friend when a drunk driver claimed her life. This tragedy inspired Melissa to write her first novel, Living Secrets which will be published in the spring of 2020 by Sandspress Publishing.
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