he had had a dream, Hur did

He had had a dream, Hur did.

His eyes would open, early in the morning, he would leap out of bed at a speed that belied his age. He would kiss his sleeping wife on the forehead, hold, and squeeze her hands, and then walk over to her room. He would sit on a chair by her bed, staring at her with love, and at this point, always, his heart swelled up with love. He was stare at her, she would yawn and turn over and slowly, invariably, at some point, her eyes would open. She would smile her tiny smile at him, eyes still drowsy and ask him what he was doing here. He would say he just wanted to spend time with her, heart hanging on to every word of hers. “I love you so much,” he would say, as he’d hug her tight, and then tickle her armpits and she’d giggle. “Do you love mommy?” “So much, so very much.” “Like me?” “I love you different, and I love mommy different. You’re my daughter and there’s nothing more I want in the world. I want to be here for you always. I want to and will do my best to protect you when the world tries to hurt you. I’ll always be here for you.” Here, he’d get a little sad, because how do you explain to your child, who looks up to you, that you will die before they do, and then you won’t be there for them. But then she would smile, a beautiful, full, unworried smile, the kind only children can have, and heart would drown in love.

Hur had grown up with a loving mother, and a father he’d never known. But he’d always felt like his house was empty. His life was empty. This journey had brought him fulfillment to some degree. And then he’d first seen, and later met Acqlimia. And she had been all he was looking for. She had brought joy into his life like the sun brings light to the world at the break of dawn. 

And now as they stood in the forest clearing surrounded by cackling shadows, and glowering fire, faces by a shadowy form that seemed to grow larger as it glided ever closer, his heart was close to bursting. Love, fear, hope, loss. He could not let this happen. She was dancing, eyes closed, her hands shivering a little. The shadow was almost upon her. Hur was a few steps behind her. “No” he screamed, his voice a raging tower and inferno. Louder than everything, mumbling inside his head, voices coming to the surface, escaping, the external sounds being drowned by the internal ones that were being let loose. The shadow faltered. And then everything faded into a blinding light. White and black. Black and white. Purple. Red. Blue. Plethora of smells. Threatening to overwhelm him. Sounds drowning him, cutting off his oxygen, his throat choking. Sensations. Overloaded him. Then nothing. Emptiness, blankness, whiteness.