Then a Dream Becomes Reality.



Thomas wakes up at 5 am as he seems to do every morning. He had been in his new home a week and had failed to have decent night sleep yet. The nightmare he had suffered with for the majority of his life was still haunting his sleep. Every morning he would get out of bed and sit on his couch and push his sleep thoughts out of his mind. Geoff had bought food to last him a week so he would make himself some breakfast and then wait for Geoff to arrive to pick him up and take him out to experience the real world. Today would be different. Geoff will be coming to pick Thomas up but to take him to the docks for his first day of work.


Thomas had got himself ready, his uniform was on and he was now sitting waiting for Geoff who was running a little late. Thomas decided to go and wait on the street. As he headed down the well worn carpeted stair he felt some nerves build inside him. ”Stop being stupid!” he thought to himself as he stepped outside for the first time on his own. He waited on the sidewalk for Geoff to arrive. It is a strange feeling for Thomas being outside in the real world, stood on his own for the very first time, so far when Geoff wasn’t about he had just locked himself in his room. People were walking by going to work living there normal day to day lives. Thomas watched them trying to guess there destinations. The man in the fancy suit looks like the kind of guy to be working in one of the big new office blocks downtown, the Chinese families all making their way to work in their respective stores, there was a high population of Chinese people around here as Thomas’ apartment was located almost smack bang in the middle of Chinatown. About ten minutes later Geoff’s car pulls up at the sidewalk and Thomas gets in the passenger side and they pull away.


Geoff: You ready to for your first day at work then Tom?


Thomas: I think so, little nervous.


Geoff: That’s to be expected but you will be fine. It is only your first day they will go through everything with you, get you trained up. You will be settled in no time.


Thomas: I hope so. Hey thanks anyway.


Geoff: For what?


Thomas: Everything, helping out and that, being there for me.


Geoff: No need to thank me man, it’s my job.


Thomas smiled and looked out of the side window. He knew Geoff didn’t mean that, it wasn’t just a job to Geoff. He took pride in everything he had done and Thomas knew that they had become close over the past week that they had been hanging out. Geoff had even done what nobody has ever done before and bought a few of the other guy’s from the orphanage out to spend the day with Thomas down at the pier. It had been a good day although a little upsetting for Thomas when he remembered the look on his mothers face when she left him there 12 years previous.


Geoff: Ok so I need to head home before I drop you at work.


Thomas: Ok.


Thomas hadn’t been to Geoff’s house yet, in fact he didn’t even know where he lived. He presumed he was close by but when they took the exit ready to cross over the Golden Gate Bridge a feeling of dread came over Thomas as all memories of his reoccurring nightmare came flooding back. The nightmare was so vivid even though he hadn’t been there when that women jumped from the bridge ending her life, there was know way certain that he would have known if that woman was his mother. He closed his eyes as they began to cross the bridge. Tired? He heard Geoff say to him at some point but he just ignored him. With his eyes closed he could see the dream again, the mist coming up from the sea below, the women hanging onto the railings leaning herself out, as normal she turned her head towards him revealing her face to be that of his mothers. His nightmare silent scream hurt his throat. This is normally where the nightmare ends but not this time, this time it continued, was it because the bridge has resurrected the nightmare within his awake self causing it to manifest further events? He couldn’t be sure why it was happening but it was. He had dropped to knees on top the bridge the mist still swirling around him when a shadowy figure emerges from the distance. The figure stood over Thomas placing his hand on his head. Thomas looked up to see a large hood covering an unknown face. There is suddenly a flash of light and Thomas jumps and opens his eyes. He must have actually fell asleep as he looks around him and can see he is still sat in Geoff’s car parked up outside a nice little house. ”This must be Geoff’s house” He thinks’ to himself as he tries to force his most recent nightmare out of his head but this time to no avail, he can’t stop thinking about the hooded figure that had appeared for the first time. ”What did it mean?” He was still thinking the nightmare over when Geoff returned to the car.


Geoff: Ah, you are awake.


Thomas smiles at Geoff and rolls his eyes as they pull out of the driveway and head to the docks so Thomas can begin his first day at work. The nightmare was still running through his head as they approach the Golden Gate again. This time partly due to the distraction of the nightmare still playing on his mind and partly because he doesn’t want to fall asleep again Thomas keeps his eyes open. About half way across Thomas looks up from his lap for the first time and out the window, there was mist coming up from the ocean just like in his dream. He continues to look at the city approaching as they start the final quarter of the bridge. Just as they reach then end Thomas almost jumps in his seat. ”It can’t be, stop the car. Geoff slams on the breaks and Thomas jumps out and begin backtracking over the bridge.


Geoff: “Tom, what you doing?”


Thomas looks back but Geoff has disappeared into the mist. Thomas slowed to a stop contemplating whether he should continue of return to the car, was his mind playing tricks on him? He decided to continue on through the mist, his eyesight wasn’t playing tricks on him because as the mist slightly cleared he could see the woman holding onto the rails high above the bay. Thomas quickly began to run to her aid but it felt something pull on his collar holding him back, forcing him to drop to his knees. He looks back behind him as he expected to see Geoff or at least someone stopping him from approaching but there was nobody. He turned back towards the woman just as her fingers slipped and she disappeared out of sight. Thomas let out a scream, he half expected there to be no sound but there was, it was the loudest most piercing sound he had ever heard and even after his throat had felt like it had been ripped open and his scream diminished the sound continued. He held his ears and closed his eyes. It felt like his brain was going to burst inside of his head. Suddenly he felt a hand on top of his head. The noise subsided as he opened his eyes to look up at whoever was with him. ”Who are you?” He said as his eyes focused on the hooded figure of his previous dream. ”I am night-demon, I am here for you.” Thomas who we all now know as Nightmare looks up at the hooded demon with his eyes wide.


Thomas: Me. Why?


Night-demon: You have been haunted almost your entire life by the same dream, the dream we have just witnessed here. After your mother had left you alone on the pier your soul was lost, it needed to be found.


As a child all alone in the orphanage you were growing to resent your parents for leaving you all alone in this large world, for making you feel scared and alone. This was not there intentions.


Thomas: How do you know all this stuff? Do you know what happened to my parents?

Night-Demon: It was I that haunted your dreams with the images you have seen, I know all about you Thomas Kilbane and I have cured your soul of its resentment.


Thomas: How?


Night-Demon: By showing you the truth. Your mother was a caring, loving, perfect soul who had lost her way due to the tragic events that took your father’s life.


Thomas gets to his feet upon hearing of his father. ”My father, what happened?


Night-Demon: He worked at the same docks that you were on your way to start your first day today. There was an alteration between one of your father’s good friends and a couple of others. Your father stepped in to help his good friend. Your father saved his friend from almost certain serious injuries but unfortunately lost his life in the process.


Thomas wiped the tear off of his cheeks.


Thomas: So they didn’t abandon me?


Night-Demon: No they did not, your mother found things difficult after your father, she had no income, and nobody would employ her due to her having a young child to care for. You lived on the street and in shelters; it was no place to raise a child. She knew you would be better off on your own, without her dragging you down and ruining your life. That’s why she left you on that pier and that is why she removed herself from this world.


Thomas: But if she had already given me away, surely she could have then gotten a job, sorted her own life out.


There are still many emotions that you do not understand young man. Your mother could not have left you to live a happy life knowing she could come and find you again. She thought of herself as a bad mother, a mother who was incapable of looking after another person. She had lost all strength and will power once she had lost you father, it had defeated her. In her mind the only way you could survive was with another family looking after you and she had to be gone, forever.


Thomas: I don’t understand why are you here for me?


The Night-Demon steps closer and places a hand on the young sixteen year olds shoulder.


Night-Demon: Your soul was cured in more ways than any I have visited before, I am choosing you as my apprentice. You will walk this land with me, you will force retribution on all that have done wrong and give comfort to all that have been wronged.


Thomas: What if I don’t want too?


Night-Demon: This isn’t a choice, it is a calling. You will be my successor.


Thomas: Your successor?


Night-Demon: Yes, soon my time as a demon of the night will be finished and you will be the one. I will become the power, but for now you’re my apprentice.


The night-demon reaches his hand out towards Thomas who leans back slightly but not enough to avoid the demons hand from resting on his head.


There is a quick montage of images that run through Thomas’ mind.





Night-Demon: Up the wish of the higher power from within the gardens of the great castle of demons you have been chosen. Your clean soul and strong mind have been called upon, now you are my apprentice, soon you will be NIGHTMARE.


There is a blindingly bright flash and then suddenly the mist completely clears from atop the bridge leaving Geoff stood next to his car all on his own. ”What the… Tom, Tom. There is suddenly another flash of light that a loud rumble. Suddenly there is nothing but confusion. Geoff is stood next to his car in the middle of the Golden Gate Bridge. How the heck did get there, he doesn’t know. He is supposed to be picking up a new kid from the orphanage.