Nightmare

A few hours after their conversation with Farah, Jason was sitting in a lobby thinking about what she had said. She had said that Gary didn't say a word to anyone and she had asked him how he knew about Gary. 'I didn't even know his name until Zhou introduced him at the dock. I've only met him once before. I'm a hunter Farah, it's normal to me having better connections with shapeshifters than you do.'

It wasn't a good answer, but it was the best of the answers he could give right now. Jason felt a gaze and turned to the door he hoped to pass soon. The female guard, who was waiting at the door, was watching him with a scowl. When Jason smiled at her gently, her brow furrowed further.

Jason sighed and leaned back at the comfy sofa he is sitting on. He began to look through the lobby, as he had done for the past two hours. A male guard at the door he entered the lobby, a female guard at the door that leads to the Captain's study room, and numerous paintings on the walls for investment purposes rather than beauty.

Buying paintings by artists who were predicted to be famous in the future when paintings were still cheap was not something Jason understood. But Jason wasn't understanding most of the Captain's hobbies anyway.

'I guess I deserved this treatment by coming uninvited. At least they didn't throw me out,' Jason thought. 'There are not many people the Captain has agreed to meet face to face.'

Jason's eyes caught on the painting of a dog and young boy napping in front of the fireplace. It was a peaceful scene painted in soft colors. The image of a certain dog and boy came to his mind. 'I wonder what Eve and Nedim are doing? Making me promise...' Jason smiled and shook his head, 'I hope the boy won't be wasted in the streets.'

The door guarded by the female guard opened with a cry. The two guards carried a beaten man out of the lobby. Jason gave no reaction while waiting for the groaning man's voice to fade away and hoped to be invited to the study. The doors closed again and nobody invited him in.

Jason sighed again and closed his eyes to reach somewhere inside his mind. Now, he was in endless blue and sinking deeper and deeper. He left behind layers within reach of sunlight and continued to sink as the blue keeps to darken. He felt the pressure saying his body was under tons of water, and the coldness touching every particle of his skin.

When he finally reached the bottom, he turned around and saw the woman at that very moment. Her skin was impossibly white, under the water the sun had not touched her for years. The moss entangled in her legs would not let her be carried away by the currents. She was wearing the dress she always wore that did not fit her wide shoulders and long height.

The woman's mouth opened and her lips moved slowly. Jason unconsciously approached her to hear better. A voice he knew well echoed in his mind.

''I... can't... can't breathe... Jason... help...'' The body said and she put her arms around Jason's neck. ''Can't breathe... Jason...''

Jason tried to go back but couldn't get out of the cage made of her arms. ''Breath... can't...'' She said. As soon as Jason thought to breathe he realized he couldn't breathe. Saltwater filled his mouth and nose, it burned his lungs.

'Wait,' Jason said in his mind, 'You are dead, this isn't real.' He felt someone touch his shoulder and he opened his eyes. Without Jason noticing, the male guard had approached the sofa and put his hand on Jason's shoulder.

''Dude, are you okay?'' The guard asked.

Jason inhaled deeply, ''Yes, I was just meditating,'' he said.

''It was like you were drowning, we called out to you but you didn't hear. Are you really sure you're okay?'' The guard said. Jason looked at the man. He looked seriously worried about Jason. Maybe he was a nice person, maybe he was afraid of being punished if the Captain's guest was harmed while he was on duty.

''Yes, I am okay now. I've been in a bottleneck for a while and trying to breakthrough,'' Jason said.

''Ah,'' The guard said. ''Having trouble with your breathing technique?''

Jason smiled and nodded, 'Sigh, you have no idea.'

''You are still young, continue your meditation another time. Let's not make the Captain wait any longer.'' The guard tapped Jason's shoulder and held out his hand to help Jason stand up. Jason accepted the help, then he walked towards the frowning female guard.

''May I...'' Jason was about to say something, but without letting him finish, she opened the door and gestured for him to go in. As Jason entered the study room, the door slammed behind him.