Book of Dreams (5 page)

The crystal ball held Kyle’s attention until the eerie chuckles and screeches of the local inhabitants snatched his focus; he was immediately very aware of being alone. His eyes darted about in search of company, but the red mist had grown too thick. ‘So now what?’ he said quietly to Book.

‘Wanna smoke?’ It was a puny, grey excuse for a devilish creature that strode forward out of the red haze. It stood just under a metre tall and was puffing madly on a huge joint. ‘It’s real good stuff.’ It coughed to confirm its claim. ‘Or perhaps a cone is more the order of the moment?’ It pulled a large bong from midair. ‘It’s packed nice and tight, just the way you like it.’

‘Book?’ Kyle queried, but again his guide was out to lunch.

‘Aw,’ the creature waved off Kyle’s concern, ‘Book won’t want any, the bloody goody-goody,’ it advised, holding the joint out to Kyle in offering. ‘But you …
well
,’ it emphasised, motioning to their surroundings, ‘I know how you like a good smoke and, hey … you don’t have anything better to do now, do you?’

‘Um?’ Kyle frowned, for he could hear someone crying in the distance. ‘Is someone in trouble?’

‘How about a bourbon?’ This demon was a deep shade of brown and had a great tyre of flab around its middle that wobbled as it staggered about. It popped onto Kyle’s shoulder to offer a full bottle to him. ‘It’s well aged, the kind of drink you only dream about.’

Kyle shook the creature off and it landed on the ground beside the grey devil. ‘Careful, you nearly spilt the booze!’ It stumbled up to standing. ‘What’s the matter? Don’t you want to party?’ The demon attempted to do a little dance and fell over, which amused the grey demon no end.

‘Party! Did I hear someone say party?’ A third demon, red in colour and very overweight, entered the scene towing a cart piled high with junk food. It was munching on a burger and literally oozed grease through its pores. ‘What’s your pleasure, treasure? Pizza, burger? How about some fries?’

The crying was getting louder; it sounded like someone, or something, was in real torment. ‘Who is that?’

‘What the fuck do you care?’ A green devil appeared on Kyle’s shoulder. ‘You got conned into this ridiculous quest with no idea what you were up against. So, fuck ’em!’ This devil had wings and took to the air to flutter in front of Kyle’s face before Kyle had the chance to shake it off. ‘Nobody gives a toss about you, my friend, except us. You know it, I know it, they know it.’ It motioned to its associates.

Kyle was starting to feel flustered, and the dope and pizza smelt really good.

‘In times of trouble who was there for you? Not those fucking guides of yours, that’s for sure! All they ever managed to do is land you in the shithouse … remember?’ The green cursing devil grabbed the bottle off its boozing mate.

‘Hey,’ the inebriated devil objected.

‘Save some for the kid.’ The winged demon held out the bottle to Kyle and served him a wink of encouragement. ‘There’s only one place you’ve ever felt good about yourself and that was right here with us. Go on, you know you want it.’

Kyle reached out to accept the bottle, but in his hand was the crystal ball that Crystaleyes had given him.

‘
He has yet to even master his physical body, let alone the others
,’ Crystaleyes had said.

Kyle quickly withdrew his hand. ‘Oh, I get it.’

‘What is there to get?’ The flying demon took to the air to be in Kyle’s face again. ‘Everything you’ve ever desired is right here.’

‘I don’t think so.’ Kyle’s resolve hardened and so did the attitude of his demons. ‘I’m pretty sure that it will never be my dream to be sick, fat, bitter and twisted!’

‘Look, you bloody ingrate …’ The flying devil lost his patience and the other three began to close in on Kyle. ‘You can’t just dump us. We are the very fabric of your existence. Where would you be without us? On medication or in a mental asylum, that’s where!’

‘What is there to look forward to in life without your next fix?’ The grey elemental appeared on Kyle’s shoulder to resume the debate by blowing the dope smoke in his face. ‘I’ve seen you go cold turkey and it’s not a pretty picture.’

‘Did you say Wild Turkey?’ The brown elemental appeared on Kyle’s other shoulder, waving a hip flask in his face. ‘Sure thing, we have everything here.’

‘Get off me!’ Kyle shook the demons from his person and the earth began to tremble deep and loud.

‘Oh yeah, we love a bad temper,’ chuckled the flying demon, as it increased in size and strength. ‘It always makes you crave a little something to settle the nerves.’

It was true, Kyle did use his vices to control his angry streak. What else could do that?

Try the thought of something or someone you care about,
suggested Book.

Matt’s infectious laughter began echoing through Kyle’s brain, and the recollection of his mate seized with laughter dispersed Kyle’s bad mood. As he calmed, the surrounding environment stabilised too. ‘Thanks, guys, for all the parties, but after seeing what it has done for you, I think I’ll take my chances on the straight and narrow.’ Kyle looked at the crystal ball, realising the crying was coming from within the ball.

‘We’re losing him.’ The flying demon encouraged his mates to be more persuasive.

‘Thai stick? Mowee-wowee?’ offered the grey demon.

‘No.’ Kyle focused on the ball.

‘Super supreme pizza? Large burger?’ The greasy red demon brought forth his tray of goodies. ‘How about some
chocolate
, or some potato chips?’

Inside the crystal ball, the distant vision of a beautiful beach became visible: the sand, the sea, the rocks, all sparkling blue, as if illumined by very bright moonlight.

‘You don’t want to go there.’ The flying demon attempted to break Kyle’s concentration. ‘It will be hard work, tears, the purging of emotions and facing the horrors of your past … you’re not up to it. Not to mention education. You know how you despise books!’

‘I
used
to hate books,’ Kyle corrected, patting the book that was slung under his arm.

Kyle considered himself a great judge of character, and although he hadn’t been reading this one for very long, it already felt like an old friend.

The crystal ball became the focus of all Kyle’s attention and the world of red haze and demons faded back into the depths of his subconscious. A brief, disorientating, soaring sensation ensued as the vision of the beach seemed to bleed through Kyle’s nightmare and wash it away.

It was not moonlight that lit this place, but a beautiful blue glow that radiated from within the landscape: the sea, sand, trees, rocks and vegetation were connected by each other’s light-filled energy emissions. This mystical emanation then rose in a great mist towards the heavens, which were shrouded from view by the light-filled clouds.

Kyle looked down at himself and was bemused to find that he didn’t seem to be contributing to this great symphony of light, colour and energy. His etheric body was awash with dark, murky colours that dulled his illumination. Nature was extending Kyle its energy: from everywhere the light force extended towards his body, but once absorbed by his murky aura it seemed to vanish into a void. ‘I’m sucking energy,’ Kyle observed, a mite distraught about the fact, ‘and I don’t glow.’

Right on both counts,
Book retorted in all seriousness.
Mother nature is used to being sucked dry by human beings, and yet she continues to replenish your energies, cleanse your spirit and nurture her spawn. She knew what she was taking on when she agreed to play parent to mankind. You’ll start to feel her healing soon.

The smells of the beach were far more potent suddenly, and there was no pollution to detract from the seaside scents. ‘What is this place, Book?’

Your consciousness has taken a great leap up to an astral awareness.
Book sounded rather wary.
And when I say a great leap, I mean vast! This is the part of you where deep-seated emotions and desires are stored.

‘Well, this is sure as hell going to be easier to cope with than where I was.’ Kyle had decided that Book was being overly dramatic, when the sound of sobbing drew his attention to an uncomfortably large, fur-covered beast, which was seated on the sand not far down the beach. ‘I could be wrong about that, of course,’ whispered Kyle, ducking behind a rock.

There’s no need for you to be afraid.
Book sounded surprised.
Don’t you recognise your own guardian?

Kyle’s eyes opened wide in astonishment at the news. Then, as the beast let loose a very loud howl, Kyle was forced to block his ears. ‘Isn’t a guardian supposed to be an angel or something?’

Not where you come from.

Kyle was struck by the comment. ‘You know where I come from?’

Soon you will learn all that I know of you … all you have to do is keep your promise to me.

‘
Goddamn
.’ Kyle, unable to stand the wailing any longer, stepped out from behind his cover. ‘What is wrong with him?’ But with a second look at the enormous beast he thought twice about approaching it. ‘Are you quite sure about this, Book?’ Although he uttered his query softly, it seemed it wasn’t soft enough. The monster stirred and its sobbing ceased.

It growled deeply, as, due to a neck that was virtually non-existent, the beast was forced to turn its large body around to view Kyle. The legs of the monster were longer than a human’s; it rose up on its hind legs to stand about three metres tall. Long shaggy fur of a deep reddish-brown colour covered the entire body and its extraordinarily long arms hung all the way to mid-thigh; the nails of its four fingers were like the talons of a great bird of prey. The beast had a sloping forehead and a flat, black, wrinkled face inset with eyes like deep black bubbles. Saliva dripped from the fanged jaws of the animal as it released an almighty roar.

‘Book?
’ Kyle backed up a few paces, holding Book in front of his face to protect himself from the force of flying sand and saliva. Then the monster fell silent. Kyle lowered his defences to find the monster had calmed down and was looking at him inquisitively.

The beast shuffled towards Kyle, who stayed perfectly still, figuring there was little point in trying to flee. ‘Kyle? Is that you?’ it queried, in a deep, heartfelt voice. ‘Don’t you know me?’

As the monster leaned his face close to Kyle, its tears welling anew, Kyle was astonished to find that he did recognise the creature. ‘Ron?’

The beast nodded, tears of joy spurting from its eyes. ‘That’s what you used to call me when you were a little tyke,’ it sniffled. ‘You couldn’t say Kyron.’ The big woolly critter was overwhelmed with excitement and lifted Kyle into the air to swing him about as though he was still a young child.

Kyle was a bit alarmed by this, though he couldn’t help but share the beast’s excitement.

‘I thought I’d lost you forever!’ Kyron jumped for joy, crashing back to the ground with an almighty thud.

‘My foster parents made me think I’d gone insane,’ Kyle told Ron, and let out a relieved laugh, ‘but finding you would seem to indicate that I was right all along … I am special.’

‘Yes, you are,’ said Kyron. ‘It has been so sad watching you grow up unaware of your calling and thinking that you were all alone.’

‘You know my calling?’ Kyle nearly choked trying to get the question out.

‘Sure.’ The big beast shrugged. ‘You’re a warrior of the Great Spirit.’

‘The Great Spirit?’

‘The guardian of the land,’ Kyron explained, as if this went without saying.

‘The land?’

‘The land of your people!’ Kyron sounded distressed.

‘My people?’ Kyle’s tone dripped with scepticism.

Kyron lowered Kyle to the ground and let him go. The big guy was in a state of shock. ‘He doesn’t remember anything I taught him.’

The medication did its work well, Kyron. It was not a failing on your behalf or Kyle’s,
Book reassured the creature, hoping to prevent another sobbing fit.
We’ve no time to waste on regrets as we must teach him again from scratch … we shall make him remember everything and more.

Kyle’s heart went out to the beast, but he didn’t know what to say. ‘I remember little bits.’

Kyron planted his big furry butt on the ground, overwhelmed by the task ahead.

You need a good challenge, Kyron,
Book encouraged.
You see, Kyle, one of the reasons Kyron is your guardian is that he has a great fear of the first plane, your present home. So while he protects you, he must also learn from you, but when you feel worthless and weak, so does he.

Kyle placed a hand on the great beast’s shoulder, empathising with him. ‘Look, Kyron … I need you, buddy. If only to figure out what the hell you’re both on about.’

Kyron raised his miserable sights to look at Kyle, a glimmer of hope in his eyes. ‘Buddy?’

Kyle smiled. ‘You betcha. We —’

At that moment, a great bubbling sound erupted, which Kyle pinpointed as coming from one of the larger rock pools in front of the huge cliff that towered over one end of the beach.

A strange blue man rose out of the bubbling, turbulent water. His skinny little body was almost non-existent compared to his oversized hands, feet and head. His round face reflected the look of some of the Indigenous people of Australia, with wide dark eyes and a mass of dark curly hair.

‘You wanna know more about where you’re at? Then talk to me.’ The man’s voice had a strong Aboriginal accent as he stood on the water to address them. ‘This is the home of your emotional body. Love, desire, your deepest emotions and aspirations are all around you here … do you feel it flowing through you?’

In a gesture of sarcasm Kyle looked down at himself … and noted that the murky patches that had been stifling his illumination were fading, and he had started to emit the same blue glow as everything around him. ‘Will you look at that!’