Eat the Rich
The calm sound of the waves washed over Martin. He stretched, looking around. This time, he was on a sandy beach in the dark. He glanced from side to side. Looked…normal. Uncannily so, after what he had been through. “This can’t last,” he said out loud. Wearily, he pulled out his notebook.
Martin’s notebook: Well, it’s another new place. No rest for the wicked. I’m assuming that’s why I’m here. It’s some sort of punishment. At least I’m still alive in some form or another, so I’m gonna try and make the best of it.
Flipping to the next page of the journal to continue writing, Martin blinked. There was a note already scrawled there:
Time is running out. Look further.
Martin looked closely at the handwriting. He didn’t recognize it. Flipping to the next page, Martin continued writing.
Martin’s notebook: How did somebody else get this book? Am I being taken somewhere in-between all these different places? I’m not sure. And frankly, I’m fed up with being unsure. Either way, this no longer seems like a punishment, a purgatory, if there’s someone else intentionally communicating with me. Maybe there’s some hope left.
From down the beach came the lights and sounds of a beach party. Martin sighed.
Martin’s notebook: I know, I know, I should go check out what’s going on down the beach. It’s my job, as much as I have one in a place where I don’t get paid and don’t seem to be helping anyone. Maybe this will actually be a nice party where I’m accepted and actually get a chance to relax…but I doubt it. And, I’m sure, if anyone else ever gets to read this…you doubt it too.
Slowly, Martin plodded his way down the beach. Reaching the party, he noted that everyone there was very well-dressed. This was clearly an upper-class party, and he wasn’t invited. He loitered off to the side, trying to stay out of the way, trying to avoid notice. His eyes were drawn to a man standing on the stage with a microphone in hand.
Martin’s notebook: Made it to the party. There’s a guy here, and he’s just calling out insults to specific people in the crowd. Honestly, sounds like a pretty trash party. I’d leave if I were one of the guests. And it looks like some of them are. Let me follow.
Martin followed a woman wearing a blue and white dress closer to the edge of the water, where a couple men were already standing around talking.
Martin’s notebook: You know, maybe this is fine. Maybe it’s just a normal event. That’s gotta happen sometimes, right? Maybe whoever wrote in my notebook actually sent me to somewhere nice… or, at least, not terrible.
Looking up from the notebook, Martin noticed one of the men had tackled another. Pulling out a knife, the man on top started stabbing the one on the ground, covering both of them with blood. Backing away, Martin quickly started running.
Martin’s notebook: Well, that’s that down the drain. Another murder. Another death. They don’t seem to care about me, luckily enough, or maybe they just haven’t noticed. Either way, I don’t care. I’m out of here. What’s with all the violence anyways?
Turning the corner to hide behind a nearby beach house, he stopped. He didn’t even notice how quickly he was breathing. He tried to force himself to calm down.
Martin’s notebook: It’s gonna be alright. I’ve survived so far. It’s gonna be alright. I just need to keep believing that.
And behind that beach house, he curled up and fell asleep.
Power Rangers
Sometimes dreams are more than one’s mind projecting an abstract illusion of what it feels or wants. Sometimes there are anomalies at the root of what we see. This dream was a twisted vision of something that transpired or may have transpired. Time itself is always changing and contorting.
This particular dream was one of a tragedy that occurred centuries before. This is a dream that Mazarine saw, a dream that others have had through time. It wasn’t clear if it truly is a dream or a ripple effect of energy created by the Zeo Crystal itself. It started as Zophram stood at the center of the stars, a hologram to meet with Elders of Eltar. A plea was put forward by Zophram to move the Zeo Crystal to Eltar itself as another attempt had just been made by the Dark Spectre to claim it. The latest attempt nearly claimed the life of Zordon of Eltar, who Mazarine knew much about as his importance to the galaxy was still felt today.
The plea fell on the uncaring Elders who denied Zophram as they had not yet come to a decision of what to do with the Zeo Crystal. That’s when the mood quickly flipped from desperation to anger. Zophram was the Elders Supreme Guardian, tasked with protecting the galaxy. But Zophram knew the Zeo Crystal could end their enemies with ease, protecting countless lives and maybe even prevent the death of his close friend Zordon. Once again, the Elders relied on their platitudes of protection while their own people died.
What came next was clouded, but a few things were clear to Mazarine as he followed Zephram through the vision. Zephram was going to move the Zeo Crystal without their help, but when he touched it, there was a massive energy surge. A surge that changed everything. Zephram of Eltar was dead, but something much more sinister was left in his place. A conqueror whose name was known even now…Lord Zedd.
As if the backlash of the energy surge were real, it awoke Mazarine in his bed in Millennium City in the year 3015. His hand reached out from his bed to grab his Chrono Morpher from his bedside. Mazarine is a part of the Time Force special investigations unit. This dream meant something was going wrong in the timeline.
“I have to go back.”
Save Yourself
Swirling comets turned inside out, posed as the most beautiful planets, and disappeared before their eyes in a heartbeat. Unforgettable views that they would soon forget. Terrors hunting you to bring out your insides and play with them. All the vivid moments that seemed tailored just for them like they always wished. Experiences that no other could live lost in the back of their subconscious forever. That’s all dreams are.
Now Aimée found themself inside some kind of metal fortress. The striking disparity between the placid dreams and the imponent, almost frightening feeling of the cold metal made itself apparent almost instantly. However, the fear could not take over them this time. At this point, they knew the force that led them into this always put them somewhere safe.
Aimée: It seems like some kind of…spaceship. Am I in space? I always wanted to go to space!
They got up and walked towards a door. It opened automatically to reveal a room full of creatures unlike themself, all varied in color, shape, size. Screens hovered above the floor, showing seemingly human people, monsters, and a building.
Through the pages, they found a new annotation made by someone other than them. ‘’Time is running out. Look further’’. Aimée was becoming used to things beyond their understanding, taking just a few seconds of processing before turning the page to start writing.
Aimée’s journal: There’s a humanoid, cosmic-looking shark, and even they seem friendly. They’re some kind of federation. I’m hearing something about a missing human, related in some way to a human person here named Gigi. He has been kidnaped by three aliens that pretend to be heroes for humankind, but they’re trying to destroy it…somehow, this isn’t even the worst place I’ve been to.
Aimée wrote everything as they detailed the rescue plan, which involved a distraction by the sibling of the invaders, Mia, who now worked with the federation. Gigi and the leader went to the three alien’s spaceships to rescue Shawn. Both Mia and Gigi talked before parting ways. The tenderness and awkwardness in their words demonstrated a relationship with the potential for a beautiful love. Meanwhile, Aimée decided to follow Mia to write the events.
The sunset arrived as Mia waited at a beach’s shore where they agreed to meet with their siblings.
Aimée’s journal: Why are they taking so long to come? It feels real off…Wait! I think I see someone coming from the sky? It’s the aliens, they look like people now. Except for the flying part, y’know. They’re landing and…The trap the federation set trapped one of them!
The excitement made them almost scream in support, but that was fortunately contained. Sadly, one of them evaded the trap and was prepared to attack! She grabbed Mia and threw her away to the water. Fear filled the bodies of the brave agents, who were too weak to face the alien conqueror. But then, everyone’s attention turned to the sky. A distant figure eclipsed a portion of it as they intuited what it was: The ship where Shawn has held hostage, and the leader and Gigi infiltrated. The alien they were fighting worried for a reason unknown to the federation until she revealed: The third of them stayed behind to guard the ship.
Aimée’s journal: How are they supposed to survive with her inside? They seem to be too powerful! That must be why they flew the…
As they were writing, their hand suddenly slipped as a reaction to a deafening explosion; in the place of the spaceship was now only an expansive wave of fire. Everyone, even the federation’s enemy, turned silent and froze in place. The explosion’s wave stunned Aimée, who stumbled back until they fell to the ground, trying to come back to reality.
Aimée: Mia…They lost everything. Gigi is dead, their family hates them, they’re alone…I can’t keep doing this. I can’t keep escaping world after world. Seeing people lose loved ones, their whole lives, everything they held dear. Always seeing from a distance…The person I saw in the apocalyptic world. Where the twins were! I must go there. I have to try to go there. Maybe we can decipher what all of this is together.
This time sleep didn’t come by itself. Didn’t caught up to them and force them to leave. It wasn’t a way to escape. This time Aimée was using it for a purpose. If they traveled between worlds unaware as they slept, maybe they could control it, and they were going to try.