For the first time in over a month, I finally woke up in the dream world that had been evading my false gaze. I found myself sitting on a glassy cliff side, staring out at the setting sun. That wasn’t a misspeak either, since what I was sitting on was quite literally glass. I couldn’t see it that well because of how far I was, but the entire first section of the mountain is nothing but glass so transparent it made the mountain look as if it was floating. 

As I sat on the cliff of glass, I stared at the beautiful sight just beyond my reach. From where I sat, I could spot the jungle I first came from. How did I manage to get out of that place, anyway? It was so long ago that the memory has vanished into the void. Although, I think I might know how it happened. I just kept walking, and then I left the place. Nothing that radiates any sort of flair or sense of drama. I just walked out without ever looking behind me.

The field of lilac flowers continues to blow in the wind, even with me all the way above them and so far away from their divine smell. They continue to live their lives, even without me, as it should be. Wouldn’t it be weird if people only began their day when I was around? If that were the case, then this world wouldn’t even be real. The only real person to exist would be me. But, I had to look at the flowers around me. I had to acknowledge where I was instead of where I was heading, or where I came from, to move forward. 

The Wall of Lost squirms like the living void it is. When I was at the base of the mountain, all that I could see was the wall. It even took up my view of the mountain itself. I didn’t know how to get past it, but then the voice spoke to me. Whoever or whatever they are, they told me to jump inside the wall, and from there I could get out. Even though I didn’t want to, I jumped inside just for the hope that it could get me closer to my goal.

I didn’t realize what I was getting myself into. Inside the Wall of Lost was nothing but my own failures and mistakes. Everything wrong I had ever done came face to face with me, and I couldn’t look away. No matter how much I wanted to stare away from myself, I held my head between my hands and stared at my past. It’s what made me who I am, so looking away would be a disservice to everyone that got me where I was. 

Thank god I learned from that and would never do that again.

“Why, hello.”

After all, I want to change myself.

“I guess you cannot hear me.”

If I did it again, I would just end up being a massive bitch ass hypocrite. 

“Be quiet and listen.”

“What the fuck do you want?” I shout at the disembodied voice.

“Hostile much?” The voice asked.

I took deep breath after deep breath, calming my emotions. “I’ve just been thinking a lot.”

“I can see.” For some reason, when the voice said that I imagined someone sitting down next to me while looping their arm around my back. “Anything you want to talk about?”

I shook my head. “Nothing really. I just don’t know how to get up this mountain from here.”

No matter where I looked, the only thing my eyes met was the face of a rocky cliff or more glass. There was no path heading up, and not a single rock stuck out enough for me to grab onto. I swore I had supplies, but either I was daydreaming or they got caught in the Wall of Lost, cause I had nothing with me. 

“There is a way for you to climb.” The voice assured me.

“Yeah, I can believe that. I just need to figure out how.”

Suddenly, I heard something snap right next to me. I look to my right, but no one’s there. I wondered if it was possible for a dream version of someone to go insane and hear things, but out of nowhere, the sound of an engine got closer.

It was undoubtedly the sound of a car approaching the mountainside, but that wouldn’t be possible. I’m on a mountain, so driving up here would be near impossible. Then again, this was a dream, so anything feasibly imaginable was possible. However, I didn’t expect the actual way the car would get to me. 

With the power of a rocket powered engine, a car flew into view and circled above me, much like how the clouds circled the mountain. That old Christmas wish I made such a long time ago slowly drifted to the glass floor. It landed beside me, creaking from the landing. 

My eyes widened upon the sight of it. The last time I saw it, it was flying in the sky when I made it out of the jungle. I had completely forgotten about it.

“How could you forget about such a contraption?” The disembodied voice asked.

“Shut up and get in.” 

I may not own a car in real life, but I owned a driver’s license and knew how to drive a car. Why would I need a car anyway if everything I needed was within walking distance? Then again, if something bad ever happened to Harmony, and she so happened to be far away, then a car would help. 

I shook that preposterous thought out of my head right away. Harmony and in danger are two things that don’t fit together in a sentence. If anything, she gets me out of danger. Right now, even though with one mistake I could end up falling out of the sky, she won’t be anywhere around. She can’t enter my brain, no matter how strange it is that I can think inside my mind.

I stepped inside the car and relaxed against the seat. Even though the passenger side door didn’t open, it felt as if someone had climbed into the seat next to me. It didn’t matter. What could a disembodied voice do to harm me? 

“I could take away the car before you get farther up the mountain.”

“Touche.” I said while running my hand along the steering wheel. “How do I start this?” 

I could hear the voice laugh in an annoyingly mocking tone. “You attempt to be all crass with me, but then ask for my help after?” 

I groan and slouch against the steering wheel. “Fine. I’m sorry that I’m smarter than my own mind’s voice.”

“But what if I’m real?” 

“If you’re real, then I’ll swallow a thousand razor blades.”

Suddenly, the rocket sticking out of the truck ignited, and it lifted off into the air. I screamed to high heaven as the acceleration from zero to a hundred took all the breath out of me. Then how could I scream in the first place? There should just be some mysteries left unsolved, shouldn’t there? 

The car looped in the air like a stunt plane, and I mysteriously kept myself in the driver’s seat. Another mystery popped up as despite the car making all those maneuvers in the air, but the steering wheel hadn’t moved an inch. Using as much courage that was left in me, I grabbed a hold of the steering wheel. 

The car froze in the air while the entire vehicle, including ourselves, hung upside down. If I hadn’t been in a dream, then the blood would’ve rushed to my head, knocking me out instantly. Even without a seatbelt on, my ass refused to move from my seat as if it had been super glued to the leather seats. 

“You liked that?”

I took several deep breaths while gathering my thoughts. It took a while since there were quite a few thoughts left to gather. 

“You sound so calm for being so conniving.” I said, clutching onto the steering wheel as if it were the barrier between life and death.

“There is not much fun climbing a mountain without a bit of life and death risk.” The voice chuckled, and I had to hold my tongue before I let an onslaught of choice words fly freely. “You have the wheel this time. Just as a warning, this car will not get you all the way to the top. It will help you get to your next point, but it cannot solve all your predicaments.”

The presence in the passenger seat suddenly disappeared, but not before the car righted itself. I took a deep breath while looking at the sight that lay before me. The setting sun and I met face to face, but we couldn’t meet eyes. Something else was in the way. Something that blacked the sun.

Two wings spread across the sky itself, creating an artificial eclipse. The outer wings shined like starlight, while the further I traced my eyes along the wings, the feathers gradually darkened until it became indistinguishable with a black hole. The center of the wings, the animal or thing that they should be connected to, blotched itself out in the shadow cast by the sun. 

I didn’t know what I was staring at, and I was tempted to drive closer to get a better look at the creature. However, as if it could sense my intent, it flapped its wings and disappeared into the infinite space. I looked to space, hoping to see a glimpse of it, but it flew so fast it had already gone past the limit that my eyes could see. 

Strangely enough, I wasn’t terrified by seeing the creature. In fact, a calming aura wafted over me, helping me stabilize my breathing until I could think clearly once more. Gripping onto the steering wheel, I turn the flying rocket car around. Whatever it was, I pushed it to the back of my mind. If my mind works like it does, then there’ll be another car event. It’ll appear, then disappear just as quickly, only for me to forget it until it comes back. I banked on that happening in the future. 

Pushing on the pedal, the car accelerated. With a gentle instinctual tug of the steering wheel, the car angled upward. I began my mountain trek once more, but this time with a hint of insanity.