35 - *Dreamscape* 3

Chapter 35

Flange Orphanage, City: Three Prongs Fork, Republic of Shantu, Continent: Barat, the Year 2022, Planet: Grimoire

Black clouds covered the sky. Crackling noises of fire spread everywhere. The stench of smoke and ash stung his nose. It floated everywhere. Someone intentionally destroyed this area.

Not only that but it seemed there was a storm headed right toward that area. Clearly, this place was a magical disaster waiting to happen. Grifton shook his head in bafflement. Someone meddled with the leylines, created a nasty disturbance and now the weather was going to turn downright nasty.

So now what did he view currently? More importantly, where was he? Grifton hovered in confusion looking down at the disastrous sight below him. He took in other details that confused him quite badly. Am I in a war zone or not?

Grifton took stock of everything he saw in the immediate vicinity. The answer appeared to be no, not in a war zone. Though from hints of aggression rising in the emotional static around the worst of the damage. Well, anything could change.

There were so many people milling around that evidence of the origin of the fires and such was going to disappear. That wasn't good. Grifton looked around further. He saw no sign of his siblings and sighed with relief. All right so this had nothing to do with them.

Generally, there would be signs of bombing taking place. Whether magical or physical, when a war occurred there were always signs of attrition, be it buildings, or worse, civilian and military casualties. While Grifton looked around carefully, he didn't see any sign of that. He heaved a sigh of relief.

Fortunately, it appeared that there were no civilian casualties here. It was only physical damage to buildings and their contents. What did this have to do with him though? Where were his siblings?

That's when it hit him. He no longer had a sense of whether they were alive or dead. This couldn't possibly be a scene of their demise, could it? Grifton was almost about to panic at the idea and then shook his head. No, this didn't have that kind of ominous air about it.

Not only that but even if his siblings weren't in the picture, it was possible that they'd simply drifted apart with time. Grifton hadn't managed to get to know his immediate siblings yet. Therefore, how would he possibly be able to get a sense of what their futures were?

He was still dismayed at the possibility and exhaled in frustration. Grifton gnashed his teeth in aggravation. How unfortunate would that be? He didn't want to acknowledge the possibility that his siblings no longer lived. Just the very notion filled him with heartrending grief and made him vanish into the darkness of anguish.

~*~

{Child you need to calm down.} A voice gently reprimanded Grifton. {There is nothing wrong with your siblings. These are all nebulous futures.}

{So, you're saying that they can be changed?} Grifton was slightly relieved though dubious.

The voice was hesitant, unwilling to commit to that possibility. {Maybe, but some potential futures are rigid and cannot be altered.}

Humph, well, Grifton had known some futures couldn't be altered. {So, I can only see what directly affects me, but not the blood siblings I was born with, my quadruplets?}

There was a soft sigh. {I'm only telling you this now to prevent disillusionment in the future.}

Oh wonderful, of course, nothing was going as expected. {Fine, I'm listening.} Grifton didn't care for the sound of that. {I suppose it isn't too much to hope for that I will sometime find my true relatives who aren't going to be completely trashy scumbags?} He was annoyed.

{I'm getting to that part, patience, child.} The voice was insistent on speaking the truth to him. {Those infants with whom you were picked up earlier.} There was a heavy sigh of disappointment from the speaker. {They aren't your true-blood siblings. They're more like cousins who'd been birthed simultaneously.}

Oh well, that didn't bother Grifton too much. He'd suspected as much having noticed that he hadn't really resembled any of the trio in the second dream. {Okay, so what about those oddballs I saw in my first dream?} There was annoyed silence. {You're dense, aren't you? Those three, and five others are your full siblings through your father.} If that speaker could've rapped him on his head it would have. Grifton wasn't amused. {So just how many will there be coming out of the woodwork?} The speaker grunted. {No idea, that woman was prolific. The sire is something of an oddball and a bonafide stalker.}

Clearly, this wasn't acceptable in any echelon.

Grifton wasn't going to be too picky about his relatives at this juncture. {Well, as long as my siblings and cousins don't turn into homicidal maniacs, I don't mind acknowledging them.} He shrugged.

The speaker evidently had enough of the misunderstandings and snapped. {Well, just go back to the dreamscape then and no more whining about not finding your cousins.}

~*~

Without further chastising or warning, the darkness that engulfed Grifton made him grimace. It wasn't comforting at all, but rather ominous and foreboding. Esh, I must've really made her mad. Oh well, par for the course, I guess.

Now Grifton was really curious as to where he'd wind up. Back at the bleak futurescape or somewhere more comforting? He really wanted something that didn't portend a bad ending.

His thoughts went right back to the earlier loop that began that interruption in the first place. Grifton allowed it to continue to the end, otherwise he wouldn't be able to move onward.

They hadn't even had a chance to grow up yet. Grifton put his hands against his temples with a grimace. He was getting a huge headache. Ugh, he didn't want to consider that potential future. Then something else occurred to him.

It also put an end to his fussing that he couldn't just quit completely, clearly to the annoyance of the earlier speaker. Grifton didn't care. He began focusing on a potential that was able to console him after the shock he'd received concerning the individuals with whom he'd been placed within the box. Could it be that the ones I'm seeing are my future siblings who haven't been born yet? Now that did cheer him up somewhat.