Chapter 8: Taunting Dreams

There was a sweet giggle as Shep rested on the cold floor. He could hear it in the back of his mind as his sight of the world faded away. It was a child’s laugh, a young girl’s laugh. He recognized it all too well. It was Lilly. There was a splash of pink across the dark backdrop of his mind as Lilly came into view. He could see her peacefully running through the park beside him with the beautiful budding spring trees glowing with joy. Her bright face was red, her eyes tightly closed, and a smile spread from ear to ear. She ran with her dog, laughing with her soft, bubbly laugh.

Shep recognized this dream. It was a memory, a memory from his past. A memory…of what his life used to be like. Happiness seemed so far from reach now.

Lilly taunted Shep’s dreams as he slipped from life.

“Results?”

Memories blurred with dreams, enough to cause Shep to wonder what was reality.

“He should be fine. I think that he has recovered from last time.”

He heard voices and he saw faces.

“Well the dog is dead.”

He watched the two people wearing lab coats speaking with each other and he saw the dead canine before him flash through his dreams.

“That could be a problem, but we can work it out. Just a minor…complication.”

His mind rippled and waved like the ocean…

“What’s wrong?”

Questions flashed by and answers did not follow.

“I think it’s time for another test.”

The mystery of his life seemed to evolve into a maze of problems.

“Well, we’ll never know until we try.”

Sadness seemed to loom over him…

“Yes, a little too well.”

As the last of Shep’s dream faded away into the nothingness of his mind, he began to wonder in his curiosity. Why was it that he could not remember his past? Why was he with the coat people? Who were the coat people? Why had Lilly been taken away from him? Why couldn’t he just live a normal, joyful life? Why couldn’t he control his anger? Why had he been de-clawed? How was he to survive? Why was he having strange memories of the coat people? Why didn’t he have any when he was living with Lilly? What was his purpose? His questions seemed to drift away, unanswered and ignored. His curiosity for knowledge was left unquenched, and his spirit was left to rot in sorrow and confusion.

Confusion seemed to be his life.

Then there was a booming sound that echoed through the chasm. It was subtle as it stayed in rhythm. It pounded in Shep’s ears as he tried to decipher it. He soon realized that it was his own heart, pounding his last few moments away. He was dying as the poison seeped into his bloodstream and circulated through his body. His heart was his own timer. Just a little bit longer… He could hear it in his head as his pulse began to slow. He could feel the weakness overcome him, as his life seemed to slip away. The last of his heartbeats came as he released his final breath. Then he was gone…