Chapter Seven

  AJ sat under the tree, waiting.

  "AJ, it’s not going to work," Justin said.

  "Patience. I’ll explain when everyone gets here," said AJ.

  The first to arrive was Mike. He drove over, so he was relatively fast.

  "Okay, AJ. What’s the emergency?" Mike asked.

  "Have you been home yet?" asked AJ.

  "No. I was out with some friends after the event. Last weekend before I go back to school, you know. Um... is everything okay?" said Mike looking around the area.

  "Actually, I don’t think anything has been okay with me for a while," AJ said. He looked up and smiled at his brother. "But I think it’s going to be. Will you help me?"

  "Of course," said Mike.

  "Hey! AJ!" Zoe appeared, walking toward them in the distance.

  "Zoe? I thought you two broke up?" asked Mike.

  "We did," confirmed AJ.

  She came up, looking worried. "So, what’s wrong? I’ve never received a text like that from you before! Oh, Mike, you’re here too."

  "Zoe?" a voice called behind them. It was Everett.

  "Who the hell is this kid? What’s going on?" said Mike.

  "Great, you're all here. What I sent in the text is true. I need help. What I’m going to say is going to sound crazy, but I’ll prove it. I grew up with sleep paralysis. Turns out the shadow figures I see are real. They come into this world through our dreams and feed off our emotions. No, it’s more like they thrive off it. The longer they stay, the more we lose ourselves in the real world. One is attached to me right now."

  "What? This is why you called me out here?" Mike said.

  "No, he’s telling the truth. I saw them in my dreams. I don’t know how, but AJ was there and got rid of it," said Everett.

  "They are right. I had a similar dream. I felt like a part of me was ripped away when I woke up," said Zoe.

  "AJ, we don’t have time for this. Mom and Dad are going to be mad," said Mike.

  "I can show you," said AJ. Everyone fell silent.

  "Justin, come out," AJ said.

  "I don’t think this is a good idea," Justin said in AJ’s head.

  "Just do it," said AJ. Black smoke began radiating from AJ’s body. His head dropped, and when he lifted it back up, his eyes were pure black.

  Justin smiled. "H-Hi, everybody."

  "What the fuck?" Mike was taken aback.

  "Cool," said Everett.

  "Wow. Wait, did I have one too? Yeah, I remember. You killed it!" said Zoe.

  "I did. But do not blame AJ. We are not meant to be in this world. Believe it or not, I’m just trying to help AJ get rid of the shadow entities. There's only one left."

  "You mean two," said Mike. "Why are you helping him?"

  "In exchange for survival. We only want to exist. Once we defeat the others, AJ agreed to let me exist. And as a fail-safe, he's grown strong. He can choose to get rid of me whenever he wishes. He is capable of great things. You should have more faith in him."

  "Well, I do," said Everett.

  "I mean, of course I do. I just might not say it out loud," said Mike.

  "Well, say it out loud. Here and now. Put your faith in him. He needs you. I saw your dreams. All of yours. I saw the cries for help, the desire for more, the creativity and passion. Then you come back to reality, and you’re ashamed of them. Don’t ever be ashamed to show them to your fellow humans—especially to AJ," said Justin.

  His head lowered, and the black smoke faded. AJ was back.

  "That’s enough of that," AJ said with a smirk. "Okay. I called you here because the last one is attached to my father."

  Zoe and Everett's eyes widened.

  "What?" Mike said.

  "Yes, and he—or it, whatever we call it—is powerful. In fact, according to Justin, he is more powerful than Justin and myself. Justin is scared, and he doesn’t get scared. So, I called you all to help. Please help me. I'm scared for my dad and what he might do to my mom," said AJ.

  "Why didn’t you say this from the start?!" exclaimed Mike. "We need to go right now."

  "What can we even do to help?" Everett asked, looking at the others.

  "First, we need a plan before we go marching over there," AJ said, looking over at Mike. "Next, I’ll have all of us enter my father’s dream. He entered Mom's dream while awake, so I think it's possible for me to do the same into his mind. Once there, it’s a game of will. I’m not strong enough, but if we all combine, I think we can overpower him and weaken him just enough for Justin to absorb him. The hard part is, we’re entering his dream. We won’t know what to expect until we’re in there."

  "AJ, I don’t know about this idea. Even with them, he’s too powerful," said Justin in AJ’s head.

  "This will work. Who’s with me?" AJ said confidently.

  "I’m in," said Everett.

  "I’m in," said Zoe.

  "I’m in," said Mike. "And I may have an idea."

  Back at the house, Adam was finishing up tying Mary in the basement. She was still unconscious. Ripping the shadow out of her had been a strain on her body, but other than that, she seemed physically unharmed. He looked at his cell phone to check for messages, but there were none. His last message was from earlier, from Mike, saying he was going to hang out with friends.

  "Dad, I’m home," Mike said, walking in through the front door.

  Adam walked upstairs closing the basement door and walked over to greet him. "Hey, how was it?" asked Adam.

  "Same old, same old. Oh, Teddy quit his baseball team," said Mike, hanging up his coat.

  "Quit? Really? Why? That’s a shame. His poor dad had such high hopes for him," said Adam.

  "Yeah...his poor dad. Anyway, where is everyone? Where’s Mom?" Mike said, changing the subject.

  "Oh, she’s around. I think she may have stepped out for a jog or something at the park nearby," said Adam. "Where’s your brother?"

  "Oh, he’s around too. I can call him to come home if you like," said Mike.

  "Please do. I’ve been so hard on him. I wanted to talk to him. In fact, it would be helpful if you were there too," said Adam.

  "Sure, Dad. I’ll call him now," said Mike. He took out his phone and dialed his brother's number. "Hello? Yeah, I’m at home. Come home; Dad wants to talk. No, he doesn’t sound mad. Alright, love you." He hung up the phone. "Well, he’ll be on his way shortly—maybe thirty minutes."

  "Thanks. That’s perfect. Hey, can you come down to the basement? I have something I want to show you."

  "Down in the basement?" Mike questioned.

  "Oh, I didn’t tell you. I’m turning it into a man cave for football Sundays." Lied Adam.

  "Really?! Cool. The basement, huh?" Mike said, almost giving it away as he glanced behind Adam. Zoe was peeking in from the door backyard door to the kitchen. Adam almost turned to look.

  "Uh... basement! But Sunday is church?" said Mike.

  Adam looked back at him. "After church, of course, silly," said Adam.

  "Oh, duh. Hey Dad, before we head down there, can you help me with something? AJ was messing around in my room. I’m pretty sure one night he slept under my bed. He left something weird up there. Can you come check it out? I’ve been having the weirdest dreams lately, and I can’t explain it, but I think it has to do with whatever he left."

  "He left something?" Adam’s face showed interest. "Yes, let’s go look," said Adam.

  They both headed upstairs. As Mike entered his room, he went to the back of his room to the drawer. Adam stopped in the doorway.

  "What’s wrong?" asked Mike.

  Adam’s demeanor changed. He looked around, sensing AJ. He looked back at Mike and saw him sweating nervously. His eyes grew black, and smoke started to rise. Mike fell to the ground in fear.

  "Now!" said Everett, who was behind the door. He pushed Adam in and slammed the door shut, revealing that AJ was there too.

  "Mike!" said AJ. Mike got up and ran to his dad. Everett and Mike descended on Adam to pin him down.

  "Justin, now," said AJ. AJ's eyes turned black, and smoke started to rise from him too. Justin was now in control, but he looked scared.

  "I-I don’t know if I can do this," said Justin.

  "You can!" said AJ.

  "What are you waiting for?!" said Mike.

  "I’m so sorry, AJ. He’ll kill us all. I can’t go in there." Justin fell silent. AJ's eyes returned to normal.

  "No! Why are you so terrified of him? Justin? Justin?"

  "Hahaha. This was your half-assed plan?" said Adam. "Please. I invite you into my mind. Better yet, let me take you there." Black smoke blasted out of Adam, and all four of them collapsed to the ground, unconscious. They were now at Adam’s mercy.

  AJ woke up in his bedroom. He looked around. Everything seemed normal. He ran over to the mirror. He wasn’t quite the same—maybe a little younger, around thirteen or fifteen.

  "AJ!" Mike came running into the room. He looked around seventeen. "I’m younger. What the hell is this?"

  "This is how old we were before you left. I think this is how Dad views us," said AJ.

  Clank Clank

  Small pebbles were being thrown at their window. AJ and Mike ran to it and opened it up. It was Everett.

  "Guys! Why am I a fat kid?!" said Everett. Everett was the same age as AJ but a little chunkier.

  "I don’t think my dad knows who you are," said AJ, laughing.

  "Aw man, this is some old-school TV fat-shaming from your dad’s era," said Everett, upset.

  "Wait, where’s Justin?" said AJ. He looked at Everett and Mike, who both shrugged. He ran back to the mirror—nothing. He didn’t feel connected to Justin.

  A beat-up Bronco came storming up to the house. Everett looked and ran inside, scared. Mike and AJ ran downstairs to the living room. No one else was home. They locked the door and hurried to the window to peek outside. Adam exited the vehicle, his eyes already black as the darkness of space. He was dressed all in black.

  "What do we do?" Everett asked.

  "I don’t know," said AJ.

  Adam came up to the door and tried to open it. "Are you really going to make me ask for permission to enter my own home?" said Adam.

  Mike hesitated, then went over to open it.

  "No, Mike," said AJ.

  "What else are we going to do? Let’s see what he’s up to. Don’t worry. We’re stronger together, remember?" said Mike.

  Adam walked in; his eyes fixed on Mike. "What a good son. Always wanting to please your dad."

  "What are you doing here? Where's Mom?" asked AJ.

  "Oh." Adam started taking off his jacket and hung it up. "You can't sense her because she isn't in this house. At least in this dream. Ha. I can give her back to you—for a price. See, I have no intention of staying in your family anymore. But the problem is Justin can prevent that. He is... different somehow. Unfortunately for me, he's hiding. Somewhere in there." Adam walked over and pointed at AJ's head, then sat down between Everett and AJ.

  "Should I move?" asked Everett awkwardly.

  "Who are you?" asked Adam.

  "I'm—" Everett was interrupted.

  "So where is he? He must have given you a hint, a clue?" Adam asked, searching for AJ's facial expressions, but AJ was clueless.

  "What do you mean you don't want to be in our family? You're not our dad," said Mike.

  "Oh, but I am. I feel everything he feels, including his deepest desires. So, I am going to do as I please. But why not both get what we want? You find Justin and turn him over to me, I'll absorb him, and then be on my merry way. No harm will come to you or the rest of your family, and nothing will be able to stop me. I’m not trying to take over the world. I have no desire to help my kind. You can't get a better offer."

  "And what if we don't?" asked AJ.

  "Oh, I don't know. How about I kill your mom?" Adam responded cynically.

  The room fell silent.

  Everett looked at Mike and AJ's eyes. Their eyes were full of blind rage.

  "How do we find Justin?" asked Everett.

  "He can't really hide—not without leaving a trail behind. Follow the trail," Adam said, standing up. "Well, I'll leave you to it. But know, I'm always watching." Black smoke filled the room, and he was gone.

  "So... how do we do this? Did he say follow the trail?" Everett asked.

  "It doesn't matter." Mike’s fist was clenched. "He said he was going to kill Mom. That’s all I need to know."

  "Calm yourself. Remember we sent Zoe after Mom. I'm sure she's safe now," said AJ.

  Mike paused. "Oh yeah, I forgot."

  "It's easy to think this is real, but remember, we’re in a dream. We have some control over it, to an extent. Think of it like a 'choose-your-own-adventure' book. We can move the dream along to our liking, but it doesn't mean we can control the outcome. Look, let me show you." AJ closed his eyes and focused. He then opened his eyes and smiled.

  "So? What'd you do?" asked Mike.

  Everett started bursting out laughing. Mike’s face was now painted like a clown.

  "What's so funny?" Mike asked. He ran over to the mirror. "Oh, ha ha."

  Everett gasped with an idea. He closed his eyes, and when he opened them, he was back to his normal weight.

  "There you go," said AJ. "Now, you try, Mike."

  Mike closed his eyes. When he opened them, he was his normal-aged self. He smiled, but then—Pop—he regressed back to his younger dream state.

  "That was good, and it brings up a good lesson. The more powerful someone's control over the dream is, the more they dominate the dream. That’s why you reverted. This is Adam's dream, and it wants you this way. Next is the most important step—why I brought you here. Let's all focus and try to expand our control at the same time. Remember control is just your will. Believe in yourself. Close your eyes, and let's all focus on one thing: the first clue to finding Justin. Focus. Focus."

  They closed their eyes, trying in their own ways. But it was Everett who correctly thought of the first clue.

  Knock knock knock

  They opened their eyes in confusion. AJ was the first to walk over to the door, the others following behind. AJ opened the door.

  "Zoe?!" AJ said in surprise.

  "Hey, guys," said Zoe.

  "What are you doing here?" asked Mike.

  "I don't know. I was freeing your mom. We got out of the basement, and then... darkness. We ended up here. And there’s something else." Zoe stepped aside to reveal a small girl behind her. Both Zoe and the girl were the same age as AJ. The girl was very shy and hiding behind Zoe.

  "Hi, I’m Mary," said the girl.

  AJ and Mike’s eyes widened in shock. They didn’t know what to say.

  "Do you recognize us?" asked Mike.

  "No. Should I? I’m sorry, I can’t remember anything," said little Mary.

  "Hi, I’m Everett. Pleased to meet you." Everett moved to the front and put out his hand.

  "Oh, nice to meet you." She shook his hand.

  Mike and AJ glared at Everett.

  "Don’t you see? They’re our first clue. Hey, do either of you know where Justin is?" asked Everett.

  "No," said Zoe.

  "Who’s Justin? I’m sorry, no," said Mary.

  "He’s our friend. He’s hiding somewhere. Possibly in this house, possibly in this town," explained AJ.

  "Ugh, this is pointless. Let’s go check your room," said Mike.

  "Um... have you tried the caves?" said Mary.

  "The what?" All four of them said at the same time.

  "The caves. Um, I know I’m just a little girl, but I’m not stupid. There are caves all around the beach. I go there a lot with my dad. He’s an archaeologist. All the kids know about them. If they do not want to be found, your friend is probably there."

  "Where would the closest one be?" asked Mike.

  "Well, the entrance is by the ocean, but the cliffs are too dangerous. But my friend found one entrance. It's not far from here!" said Mary.

  "Where?" said AJ.

  "By this tree in a park. There’s one lone huge tree. That’s where the entrance is. They say gold pirates discovered the caves first and dug tunnels deep inside, all the way to the cliffs. But they got greedy, and one pirate pushed them all over the cliffs. He sealed off the entrance and planted the tree there so he would always know where it was. But before his plan came to fruition, he went back to the caves to retrieve his gold, which had washed away during a storm at high tide. They say he lost it all, and the guilt consumed him. No one has seen him since. Long after he was gone, the tree he planted still grew and remains a reminder of the evils of greed," said Mary.

  "This must be the first clue," said Everett.

  "How have we never heard of this? Mary, will you show us the way?" asked Zoe.

  "Of course! I love adventures! This way," said Mary.

  “Wait. I have heard of this. I’ve heard of a similar story about these caves, but they're long gone in our time. Some kids wanted to go looking for the treasure. They thought it could fix their parents’ financial problems. But a collapse happened in the caves, and they were never seen again. The town wanted to ward anyone from ever looking for the treasure, so around the time I was born, they used dynamite to collapse the caves all the rest along the coast. I had no idea that was this town. That the entrance was our park,” said Mike.

  Everett gulped. “So, it is dangerous?”

  “Extremely. Some say it was no coincidence, but they are booby-trapped,” continued Mike.

  “We have no choice. Mary take us there,” AJ said to Mary nodding in agreement.

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  Mary led them to the entrance. The tree was tall, with many branches. As she pointed at it, the trunk of the tree seemed to split open, forming the entrance.

  "Wow. This is it. I’ve never noticed it before." said AJ.

  "Well, this is probably how it looked when Mom was a teenager. It's grown since then," said Mike.

  "And we are in a dream, duh," said Everett.

  AJ started to walk forward and entered the tree. He felt the tree was hollow and led down to a dirt path lit by torches.

  They walked along the narrow path. As they continued, the path seemed to stretch longer and longer. They walked for what felt like hours.

  "Is it just me, or is it getting darker," asked Zoe.

  "This is strange," said Mary.

  "What is it?" asked AJ.

  "This path. I swear it wasn’t this long," said Mary.

  "How can that be? Maybe the dream is warping it," said Mike.

  "Maybe... I'll try to focus and control the dream. I did it before," said AJ.

  "I'm trying too," said Mike.

  "Me too," said Zoe.

  "The closer we get to Justin, the harder it becomes," said AJ.

  "I think I can feel his power. It's hard to concentrate," said Zoe.

  "Then we don’t have much time. We have to find him fast," said Everett.

  AJ tried to focus, using his mind to make the path shorter. He felt resistance but managed to shorten it.

  "I felt something too. But it is so dark. The torches are not dim, but it is still getting darker," said Zoe.

  "Well then, keep going... Stay focused," said AJ.

  As they kept moving, the path got narrow, but Justin was resisting. He didn’t want to be found, so he was creating puzzles and mazes they had to solve.

  BAM

  It was so dark they walked into a wall.

  "It’s a dead end. It's a rock wall," said Everett.

  "No, there has to be something," said AJ.

  "What the hell?" Zoe said, looking down. There were small pebbles in the dirt that started to glow.

  "What?" AJ looked down. "Are these letters on the rocks? Is this a clue?"

  "Let’s look at it. Maybe we can spell something," suggested Mike.

  "Look at the wall again. There are symbols," said AJ. The drawing on the wall lit up the room. It was a picture of fire, broken chains, and a picture of a humanoid figure.

  "Maybe a password? It could be a password for a secret door," said Everett.

  "Hmm. Let’s start spelling," said Zoe.

  "What could the symbols mean?" said AJ.

  "It could mean anything," said Zoe.

  "Let’s spell out fire. Then maybe the other symbols," said Mike.

  "It’s Prometheus," said Everett. They all stopped and turned to Everett.

  “We just learned of him in class. There are a lot of similarities between his story and you, AJ. He gifted humans with fire to better themselves. He was punished by Zeus by chaining him up to be tortured until Hercules defied his father and broke the chains. Trust me, try Prometheus.”

  "Okay. Let’s see I need an S. Now a U. Dang, where are all the U’s? Got it! I have them all. Here goes," said AJ.

  The rock wall opened, revealing a tunnel.

  "It worked!" said Everett.

  "Well, let’s go," said AJ. They walked into a pitch-black tunnel. It was even darker that the flames of the torches didn’t emit light.

  "Wait, I got it. We can make lights. Look." Mike held out his hand, and a ball of light appeared.

  "Whoa. Nice," said Zoe. She did the same.

  "I can do better," said Everett.

  They looked at him, and his hand produced a flamethrower.

  "That’s a bit much," said AJ. He tried and managed to conjure a flame out of his palm.

  "Not bad, but why would these lights work and not the torches," asked Everett.

  AJ looked over at Mary who was struggling.

  “Are you doing, ok?” asked AJ.

  “Yes, but I don’t know how you all are doing that.” Mary replied.

  “It is a matter of creating. In our head. Let me think. One is one thing you would like to do when we get out of here?” Asked AJ.

  “I want to travel. See the world like my father. Like, the Eiffel tower!” Mary said with excitement.

  “But you’ve never been to Paris. I don’t think you ever been to Europe.” AJ said thinking about his current mother.

  “Exactly.” Mary replied.

  “Right. So, picture the Eiffel tower. Can you picture it in your head?” Aj said to Mary as she nodded in agreement. “Now. Look down at your hand. Picture it there all lit up in lights.”

  “Whoa.” Mary gasped as an Eiffel tower shaped light appeared to glow from her hand.

  "Hey, look," Zoe pointed at the wall. It was a carving of the same shadowy entity.

  "It’s another drawing like the one we saw on the wall before. Do you think they’re related?" asked Mike.

  "If they’re not, then this is a crazy coincidence," said Zoe.

  "What if they aren’t? What if this is to keep us busy and throw us off?" suggested Everett.

  "It doesn’t matter. We’re still in the dream. They’re probably just figments of this world," said AJ.

  "Hey, look at this. It’s a drawing of a man of light and a shadow entity. The shadow is trying to take over the man, and the man is trying to resist. Is that the clue?" asked AJ.

  "There’s some text. What does it say? It looks like a riddle.

  ‘You have a choice. Follow the shadow and find what you desire, or embrace the light and live comfortably forever. Which do you choose?’" read Zoe.

  "What is this even saying?" asked AJ.

  "Wait, does that mean we should choose? To find Justin or can we be free of all this if we choose the light?" asked Everett.

  "I have an idea," said Mike. "As the older, wiser brother. I should take the lead. If we pick the shadow, maybe the path opens up to Justin. We shouldn’t abandon him."

  "What if you’re wrong? What if this is a trap? Then we’ll have lost. It’ll be the end," said Zoe.

  "We won’t. I can feel him. I know this is the right way. Trust me," said Mike.

  "I agree. You’ve always protected me, so I’ll follow you," said AJ.

  "So will we," said Zoe and Everett.

  "Okay then. The shadow it is." Mike said, but nothing happened. “Everybody turn off your lights. Everything.” They all turned off their lights. Mike went off and threw the torches on the ground, stomping them out. The wall opened.

  "I feel a shift in the dream. We’re getting close. Be on guard," said AJ.

  The new path led to a room—a equally dark room, but now they have no lights.

  "I can’t see see you guys," said Mary.

  "This room is weird. I can barely think," said Zoe.

  "Stay focused," said Mike.

  "Hey, guys?" said Everett. "Something is off."

  "Screw this" Zoe turned back on her light. The others followed in her action.

  "I don’t have a shadow, no matter where I shine my light," said Everett.

  "Hey, me too," said Mary.

  Zoe and Mike both shone their lights and noticed they didn’t have shadows either.

  "What does this mean?" asked Zoe.

  "Maybe we should turn back," said Everett.

  "And let this thing hurt my family? Never," said Mike.

  "Let’s move. There has to be an exit," said AJ.

  They slowly moved across the room.

  "Hey, guys," said Zoe.

  "What now?" asked AJ.

  "Look at the walls. This place looks like the tunnels we just walked through. It looks exactly the same."

  "What does that mean? We’re going in a circle. The walls opening up must have been illusions into thinking we were getting closer." stated Mike.

  "So, that means we haven’t really been moving. It’s a loop," said Everett.

  "A loop?!" exclaimed Mike.

  "No way. I can’t believe that. We’ve been moving the whole time. We had to be," said AJ.

  "But think about it. If we’re in a loop, what’s the point? What does this place represent?" asked Zoe.

  "Maybe this is Adam’s mind. Maybe this place represents the cave of the lost pirates or kids, and we are doomed to die here," said Everett.

  "Look!" shouted Zoe, pointing to the wall.

  "The pictures are moving. They’re showing something," said Everett.

  "What does it say? It’s getting brighter," said Zoe.

  "The story, it’s finishing," said AJ.

  "A man with two faces is alone and trapped in a cave. The darkness is creeping in. He has to choose: will he follow the light and be saved, or will he follow the shadows to his desires?" Mary read.

  "It’s the same riddle. What do we choose?" asked Everett.

  "Wait. Look, the pictures are moving again," said Mike.

  "They’re merging. Shadow and Light," said AJ.

  "Is Justin not the same as you?" asked Everett.

  "Look. Now it’s changing. The picture is becoming two men—one light, one dark."

  "It must be mom and dad. Light and dark. Which should we choose? Who do we save? Should we save our dad, or should we save our mom and run?" asked Mike.

  "Save the one you can."

  "Who said that?" asked AJ.

  "Isn’t that what you always do?" another voice said.

  Out of the blankness of the cave, Moro appeared in front of Everett, Senator Stoneman in front of Mike, and Thea the dragon in front of Zoe.

  "Why help him?" Moro said to Everett. "I could have kept protecting you. So many people wronged you, including him."

  "He took you from me! How is he any better than Adam?" said Thea to Zoe.

  "He spreads lies. Happiness comes from strength, and I can make you strong. Strong enough to save her and everyone else you care about," said Stoneman to Mike.

  "You’re wrong. I was only trying to help," said AJ.

  "What are these things?" asked Mary.

  "Stay behind me," AJ said.

  Everett looked back at AJ.

  "What is this? A test? What do you want?" asked AJ.

  Moro turned into a shadow and went into Everett. His eyes turned black, and he regained a shadow in the light. The same happened with Zoe and Mike. The ground rumbled. A light appeared. As the rumbling grew, more light broke through until AJ could see the rocks breaking away. They crumbled until AJ could see the other side—cliffs.

  The three smiled and walked up to AJ. Then they grabbed him and started dragging him toward the cliff. Once past the rocks, he could see the water. It was night, and a storm was raging, making the scene even more chaotic.

  "Let go!" he screamed. He fell to the ground, but they started dragging him by his feet. They dropped him by the edge, and he could see the sharp rocks one hundred feet below. No one would survive that.

  "You," they pointed at Mary, "push him, and we’ll let you go. Refuse, and we’ll leave you trapped here and still push him. Or else you will share the same fate as him."

  Mary gasped as she turned her head and saw the skeleton of the pirate lying against the wall of the cave.

  "I can’t," she said.

  "Why not? This is what he did to us," they said.

  "He didn’t do anything," said Mary.

  "No. I did," said AJ, prone on all fours on the wet rocks of the cave. "I wanted to help you. No, even that’s a lie. I wanted to help myself. I was sad with my life, and I was too scared to admit it. What do I have to be sad about? You all had it much harder than I did, so why was I the special one? I never stopped to think about why Justin was helping me. So, I went along with it, never questioning why I was tearing parts of you away, thinking I was the hero. It wasn’t Justin or the universe affecting you. It was me."

  "What are you saying?" asked Mary.

  "That's what the puzzles were trying to tell me. I am light, and I am dark. But I’m spreading the shadows into this world," revealed AJ.” Justin said he knew but he didn’t want to tell me. They are coming from me. And if I want to stop this from getting worse..." AJ got up and stared off the cliff.

  "AJ, no! Are you insane?" said Mary.

  AJ looked over at Zoe, Mike, and Everett. "Don't worry. I'll go willingly. I choose both. I am darkness and light." AJ started to walk to the edge. He looked down, closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and—

  "Don't," said Mike, his eyes still black. "I was taught to be strong and smart, to stay on the straight path, and happiness and success would follow. But I was so dumb for believing that. And I was too weak to admit it to anyone. You came into my dream and showed me that there’s always another path. I can feel it now. I’m stronger than I’ve ever been before, but it’s a strength that comes from within. It’s the strength of being vulnerable." Mike's eyes shifted back to normal. His shadow escaped him and crawled toward the dead pirate’s skeleton.

  Another hand grabbed AJ. It was Everett. "I was so alone and angry. I didn’t trust anyone, and I thought everyone was out to get me. High school can seem like it’s another dream of its own. But it wasn’t that you taught me any great lesson about being a better person. I saw the loneliness in your eyes, the suffering you go through internally, and the rage. The rage you had. And suddenly, I wasn’t alone. There was nothing wrong with me, just like there’s nothing wrong with you. No more bottling up those emotions. You need to embrace the darkness with the light. And even if it wasn’t you, there are people out there I can talk to who understand. So, I’m extending my hand back to you now. Don’t fight it." His eyes faded back to normal, and his shadow also went toward the skeleton.

  The last person to grab him was Zoe. "I didn’t know how to tell you. No, I couldn’t—I didn’t know how. I wanted love so badly that I said yes to you when you first asked me out. And you made me genuinely happy. You’re a good guy. But I wasn’t in love with myself, and therefore, I realized I wasn’t being true to myself. The darkness in my heart, and the darkness in my mind—I need to explore it. All of it, and accept it with all its faults. I think that’s why we got along. We’re the same. You’re capable of so much love, but you don’t give an ounce to yourself. But bit by bit, we’ll learn to love a little more, and let more people in. And when that happens... I’ll just be jealous of the person who snatches you up."

  AJ stared into her eyes, and they faded back to normal. A single tear crawled down his cheek. They were all right. Her shadow was the last to leave. As her shadow entered the skeleton, it glowed with darkness. As the darkness faded, Justin emerged from within.

  "Justin!" said AJ, running over to hug him.

  "What, did you think I was gone? Did you really forget what I told you? I’m always around. And the real test has just begun. Adam is going to find us, and he will kill me. So, will you let him?"

  AJ shook his head.

  "I’m sorry for running. But in our state, he would have killed me for sure and gotten to you all too. So, I split myself up. But I left a backdoor to reach me. If you all really understood what it means to work together as a team, we have a chance."

  "Yes, we do!" said Everett.

  "Then show me. He’s here," said Justin, looking over to the cliffs. "He was always here, just waiting for me to appear. I’ll hold him back as long as I can."

  "We’re right behind you. But where is he?" asked Zoe.

  "What the hell is that?" said Mike.

  "Is that... a ship?" asked AJ.

  "That’s not just any ship," said Mary.

  A pirate ship was sailing toward them at an unreal speed. Lightning flashed around it, and waves crashed against its hull, but it was unfazed.

  "Well, at least we’re too high up," said Everett.

  As he said that, the ship took flight. Mike glared at Everett as if he had jinxed them. Higher and higher, the ship rose out of the sea. It was now parallel to the cave. It turned left, made a huge loop beneath them, lined up with the cave, and stopped, floating still. A figure emerged on the deck, slightly above the cave’s ground, so everyone had to look up.

  "A little much, don’t you think?" Justin said.

  The figure walked into the light at the edge of the deck toward the cave. It was Adam, but younger—the same age as Mary. He was wearing an eye patch and a long black pirate jacket. He glared at Justin and ignored him, focusing on AJ instead.

  "Well done. I’m truly proud of you. And what's this? Mary?" said Adam.

  "Adam? Adam! What are you doing here? Guys, this is my friend I used to sneak into the cave with—the one I was talking about," said Mary.

  "Of course. That explains our age. The story Mary told us—this is Adam's dream. We are the lost kids. Dad is the one who told me the story. Is this what his subconscious thinks about?" said Mike.

  "Look, Mary. I found the treasure! We all did. Come see," Adam said, reaching out his hand to Mary.

  "Mom. I mean Mary. Don’t!" said AJ.

  "He’s the one trying to hurt us!" said Zoe.

  "No. No, you're wrong," Mary said, looking at Adam. "Adam would never. I know him, and I just met you all. Adam is kind. He protects others."

  She grabbed his hand, and he pulled her up. She gave him a huge hug, then looked back at the others and frowned.

  "Well," Adam said, "you all can come too, or you can go. I’ll honor my word. You just have to leave him to me," Adam said, glaring at Justin.

  "Come with us," Mary said.

  "What about Mom?" asked Mike.

  "Oh, see, I said I’d let you three go. But she’s mine. Wait—weren’t you fat?" said Adam, raising an eyebrow at Everett.

  "Yo, what is this guy’s obsession with that?" said Everett.

  "How about this," Justin stepped forward. "Give them back their mother, Mary, and you leave. Never come back. Never step foot near this family again, and I’ll surrender myself to you."

  "No! Justin," said AJ.

  "AJ, this might be the best deal—with no one getting hurt. Live to fight another day," said Mike.

  "Yeah, AJ. No one will technically die," said Zoe.

  "No. Justin will. He’s a part of me now. If he’s gone, a part of me will be gone forever, and besides..." AJ looked over at Everett.

  "Yeah, screw this guy. We can take him," said Everett.

  "Haha. Cute. You know what? You all need to be taught a lesson. Just remember, no matter how bad it gets, I gave you a choice," said Adam.

  "What? No. Adam!" said Mary, pleading with him.

  He thrust his arm, and Mary went flying toward the ship’s mast. Ropes from all angles of the ship flew toward the pole and wrapped around her, restraining her.

  "Come! I’ll show you. You are in MY DOMAIN!" said Adam. The ship’s sides each opened a compartment—one for each of them. Cannons appeared, already lit. Adam was now holding a sword in the air.

  "Run!" said AJ.

  "Where?!" asked Zoe.

  "Oh my god, we’re sitting ducks in this cave," said Mike.

  Justin ran back toward them. "No! Don’t run. There’s nowhere to go in his domain."

  "Then what do we do?!" asked Everett.

  Justin looked back at the ship. "You already know. You each have a domain too." He changed into a horse from Zoe’s dream and sprinted toward the ship. "You all had your own domains. Focus them together for one goal," he yelled back. He leaped into the air and turned into a hawk from Everett’s dream.

  "Fire!" Adam said, lowering his sword. Five cannons shot out at them. AJ, Zoe, Mike, and Everett all looked at each other, nervous and scared. Then it clicked. AJ was the first to smile, then Zoe and Mike. Everett looked confused, then with awe as he got it. Justin flew right into the cannonball meant for him. Right before they clashed, he transformed into the dog from Mike’s dream. He landed a powerful kick that sent it flying into the sea. The other four cannonballs flew by him, heading straight for AJ and the rest. The cannons were too fast. They descended on the four, creating massive damage to the cave, sending debris and dust everywhere. Adam shook his head in disappointment, then turned his eyes to Justin.

  Justin looked in horror back at the cave’s dust cloud. He couldn’t see them. Were they too late?

  "No. Adam, how could you?" said Mary.

  As the dust settled, four figures emerged. Moro, the cyber wolf, was shielding Everett. He mounted Moro and gave him a nice pat. Justin was overjoyed. He looked at the other clearing dust. Zoe was in her armor with the dragon behind her. The dust cleared around Mike, who was decked out in his Alastair outfit. The last of the dust wasn’t clearing around AJ. Suddenly, the dust blew away by a force from within. AJ stood holding the cannonball. His body was oozing black smoke as if it were an extension of his body. The shadow around his arm formed a huge hand as he tossed the cannonball back at the ship. The cannonball hit directly on one of the cannons, destroying it.

  "Well, this hardly seems fair. Oh, I know," Adam said. He closed his eyes, and black smoke poured around his legs. Black fog filled the ship’s deck, and from the ground, four shadow clones of him dressed as pirates rose up. "Now we seem even."

  "Bring it," said Justin.

  The clones charged at AJ. AJ created a giant fist of black smoke and slammed the first one to the ground. The second one jumped and tried to strike him, but AJ raised his arm and blocked the attack. Moro leaped onto the second clone and started tearing it apart. Everett gave AJ a thumbs-up. AJ spun around and kept charging toward Adam.

  Another clone on the ground tried to stab him. Mike and Zoe jumped into the fight. AJ grabbed the clone’s face and slammed it into the ground. Zoe kicked the one trying to get up, and her dragon breathed fire on the two.

  AJ watched until a voice called out to him. "Hey. How dare you ignore me," Adam said. He raised more clones out of the shadows trying to overwhelm them.

  "Don’t worry. You and I will take him. I won’t let you get hurt," said Mike to AJ.

  Mike charged him. Adam jumped over the ship's railing and landed on the cave floor.

  “Justin, to me.” Justin turned into the Hawk from Everett’s dreams and flew right into Aj merging the two.

  "What are you waiting for, Mikey? Let’s play," Adam smirked.

  Mike threw a punch, and Adam caught it. Mike spun around and kneed him in the face. Adam was thrown back a few steps, but he kept smirking. He put his hand on his cheek and smiled. "That felt good. It’s been a while since I felt a hit. Now..." Adam dashed forward and threw a punch at Mike’s face. Mike blocked the fist with his forearm and grabbed the other.

  "Nice. You must’ve had a good teacher," said Adam.

  "You are strong," said Mike. "But—"

  "You’re not as agile as me." Mike twisted his body and threw him to the ground, following it with a kick to the chest. Adam got up.

  "Wow, you really did learn," said Adam.

  "You are not the same person. My father was a kind man," said Mike.

  "Was he? Or were you blind to it?" Adam quipped.

  "I saw everything. I saw how he was to me. He loved me, and I loved him. But he did things. Terrible things. To me and Mom. But we were all we had for a while, and I couldn’t leave her alone. Still, I always wished someone would save me."

  "And that’s why you’ll lose. I would never wish that."

  "Yes, I know. But he was a different man. Now, I have something you’ll never have. That’s AJ. He saved me and let me leave the house to create a life for myself. But it was broken, and then he went and saved me again."

  Adam’s eyes twitched.

  "I love him. I’d do anything for him. But you—you can’t love anything, can you?" said Mike to Adam.

  Adam dashed forward again. This time, the hit connected. Adam punched Mike’s face hard, sending him flying into the ground.

  "What happened to the great Mikey I knew? Was it all a lie too? I bet you couldn’t even stick up for yourself. You would’ve cowered. You would’ve cried and run. But AJ—he didn’t. He stood up. For me and for all of you. You could never do that because you’re weak. Maybe he was the better child after all. Maybe letting him go is a bad idea." Adam raised his arm, and a sword came down.

  AJ threw the shadow entity over his shoulder and looked back at Mike. Mike was on the ground, and a huge blade was inches from his face.

  "MIKE!" AJ yelled.

  AJ pushed himself off the ground and sprinted toward him. He could only watch helplessly. Adam started to laugh.

  "You know what’s sad? The worst thing is that it’s true. I don’t know how to love. I’m just too broken. But you—you’re not, and yet you still failed. So, what hope do you have?" said Adam.

  AJ got closer. "Stop!"

  "Oh? Do you really think you have control over my domain here? How about you ask your brother?" Adam said, smiling.

  "Wait, what?"

  Adam snapped his fingers, and the sword disappeared. The ground below Mike glowed, and his body sank into it. Adam’s shadows did the same.

  "No! What are you doing to him? Get him back here! Give him back!" screamed AJ.

  "Haha. Look around, AJ."

  "What?" AJ looked around the cave and noticed the fighting had stopped. No one was moving. No one said anything.

  "I’ve frozen time. It’s just you and me."

  "What do you want?"

  "You."

  "Then why did you bring everyone else?"

  "To show you how little they matter. They’re a burden, holding you back. They don’t really care about you—they’re just using you for their own gains."

  "No, they’re not. You’re the one using people."

  "Hahaha. That’s where you’re wrong. They are. You know it, deep down inside. It’s in their nature—humans are selfish. But you’re special. I can fix you. That’s all I ever wanted."

  "You’re insane."

  "Am I? Or are you blinded by these emotions? Look what they did—they put you in this cage. In this hell."

  "They were the ones who were trapped. I was the one who put them there. All because of my own weakness."

  "Yes, yes, that’s the spirit. Now, are you going to give up and join me? Or do I have to kill your family and force you to join me?"

  "Never."

  "Really? Then you leave me no choice. I’ll show you life’s true nature. The ugly truth."

  Adam’s shadow stretched out, reaching Aj’s friends and family. AJ’s family was still frozen in place, helpless as the shadows went inside them. AJ watched as his family started to twitch. Time was moving again.

  "Mom, Dad, Mike, Zoe, Everett—no."

  "AJ," they said in unison.

  "Justin, what do we do?!" said AJ.

  "I-I don’t know," said Justin.

  "I used to think there was no way you’re not my son." Said Adam.

  "You were nothing. You were always a mistake. I regretted the day I decided to have a second child. I should’ve gotten an abortion."

  "But you’ve changed. And I acknowledge that. Join me. All you have to do is stop the dreams—not just here but in real life too. Follow me, son. Drop your domain, and I’ll leave their minds alone. Justin will be gone, and it’ll all be over in a second."

  "No," said AJ.

  "Very well," said Adam. And without any expression, he raised his arm toward them and started sucking the shadows back into him.

  "Ahhhhhh," they screamed in pain, their eyes rolling back in their heads until the shadows were completely out and back inside Adam. They all fell to the ground.

  "What did you do?" screamed AJ and Justin at the same time.

  "Oh, I took their minds," said Adam. "Did you think I was joking?"

  "You bastard! Justin to me." AJ shouted as Just merged with AJ charging at Adam.

  Shadow power clashed with shadow power. Adam and AJ collided.

  "What a joke. I can see the look on your face. You were so close, and yet… Hahahaha. And you're still trying to keep up. You're a disgrace. Look how weak you are."

  Adam pushed harder, and AJ fell to the ground. Adam stepped on him.

  AJ struggled under his foot and looked over at his family. They were lying there, motionless.

  "They're dead. They're all dead. Because of you!" Adam hysterically shouted, stomping on AJ. AJ's shadow blocked the next attack and knocked Adam back.

  "Come on, AJ, get up," said Justin.

  "I can't. Maybe… maybe you should just take over," said AJ.

  "No, AJ. This is your fight. They can still be saved. Just beat him," said Justin.

  AJ looked over at Zoe, Mike, his mother, and Everett. He got to his feet.

  "You know what? You are right. This is your domain. I’m tired of fighting your way. You made one mistake," said AJ.

  "Oh yeah?" said Adam.

  "You reminded me of who I am. A dreamer. And the thing about us dreamers—we dream big," said AJ.

  Suddenly, a giant shadow hand appeared out of the water. Then another. Adam looked up and gasped.

  "What is that?" Adam exclaimed.

  AJ smiled.

  "I don't need a domain. I can take over anyone’s." AJ said as the cave melted away and they were back on the beach.

  The figure was the size of a building. It was a shadow monster.

  "How does it feel to finally feel small. It is so easy to pick on those smaller than you. I'm going to defeat you!" Screamed AJ.

  Adam’s eyes turned completely black. He created a sling and shot shadow rocks at the giant monster.

  "Not today." AJ raised his arm, and the monster swung its own arm.

  "It can’t be…" Adam was knocked to the side, slamming into the sand and crumbling to the ground. The monster's fist was still partially on him. It lifted its hand, and Adam was squished under the hand.

  "Now!" said Justin.

  The monster turned into a huge black ball and AJ hurled it straight at Adam.

  "Goodbye, Dad," said AJ.

  "No! You won’t win," Adam said.

  The shadow was absorbed into Adam's skin, and he started to grow bigger.

  "We can’t fight shadow with shadow," screamed Justin.

  "No, this is the end," said Adam. "I’m going to kill you."

  "You're right," said Justin.

  "Huh? What did you say?" asked AJ.

  "This is the end. It’s the only way." Justin ripped himself from AJ's body and ran straight toward Adam.

  "No! Why?" AJ shouted.

  "Sorry, this is goodbye. Don’t forget about me. I’ll always be a part of you. Die!" Justin screamed, racing towards Adam.

  "Justin! Justin!" screamed AJ.

  "Hahaha," Adam said. He grabbed Justin by the neck.

  "Foolish," Adam sneered.

  Swoosh

  "Argh!" Adam groaned. A knife had been thrown through him. He turned around to see Justin stabbing a sword through him. Justin leaped back to AJ, who was standing behind him.

  "What?" said Adam, confused.

  "That was a good performance, AJ, but I think I would’ve sold it more," said Justin.

  "Noted. I’ll take that into consideration," said AJ.

  "What is happening?" asked Adam.

  "Oh, that wasn’t Justin. I created a clone. You showed me that trick. See, creatives get an idea and—" said AJ as he pointed to the side of Adam.

  "Huh?" Adam turned his head.

  An older AJ stood in front of him, holding a gun.

  Blam! The shot hit Adam’s head, but the hole quickly filled with shadow and healed back to normal. Adam held his head like he had a headache. Then he felt a tug on his pants. It was a young AJ, only four years old.

  "Dad, Dad, can you give up already?" said young AJ.

  "What? No!" said Adam.

  "ARGH!" The little boy screeched and stabbed Adam in the foot with a knife he’d been hiding behind his back. Adam used his shadow to toss young AJ miles away.

  "You said you can’t stand me," said one AJ in front of him.

  "Huh? Another?" asked Adam.

  "So, I figured it out," said another, much older AJ that didn’t even exist yet.

  "I’m going to make you confront…" said the main AJ, staring at him.

  "ALL OF ME."

  A roaring crowd of AJs appeared. Adam tried to concentrate on a solution, but he couldn’t focus. They all charged at Adam, and with every blow, they brought up something that had annoyed their father.

  "Dad, I want to be an artist!"

  "Dad, I am not religious!"

  "Dad, I don’t think I want to play football!"

  "Dad, I got to go potty!"

  "Nooooooooo!" screamed Adam. He tried to harness as much shadow power as he could, but for every AJ he took down, two more replaced them. In the distance, the real AJ was watching. The last thing he saw was Adam's hand sinking into the crowd of AJs.

  "That’ll do it," said Justin.

  "Yeah?" said AJ.

  "Yeah. We just need to wake up. You ready?" asked Justin.

  AJ nodded. He closed his eyes.

  AJ opened his eyes. He looked around. Mike and Everett were unconscious next to each other. Zoe and Mary were unconscious near the entrance door. It looked like they’d tried to rush into the room to help but got knocked out by Adam. Then there was Adam. He was sleeping with his eyes open shaking like he was having a nightmare.

  Black smoke released from AJ’s body and formed a huge shadow figure—it must be Justin.

  A loud screech came from Adam’s body, and black smoke released from him too. Adam’s shadow entity was smaller. It seemed to be on its knees, begging. For a moment, Justin hesitated. Then—

  Swoosh

  Justin drove his shadow arm through the other.

  Another screech let out as the smoke seemed to expel in all directions before quickly retracting into Justin’s body. AJ had never seen anything like it. It was as if the darkness was glowing, though there was no light. Then the shadowy smoke faded, and Justin appeared in human form, looking exactly like AJ.

  AJ got to his feet.

  "Wait, I can see you. And this… this isn’t a dream?"

  "This isn’t a dream. I did it. I made it back to Earth," said Justin.

  "Back?" questioned AJ.