Chapter 1

I had this recent dream. But before I tell you that dream, let me tell you a little something about myself.

I am personally convinced that I can see spirits and ghosts. I've so many sightings since I was in primary school that it's very hard to dismiss them as hallucinations. Friends and seers tell me that I have a 'third eye'.

As a kid (and until now) I always have recurring dreams of being chased or hunted by vampires and ghosts. However, not once have I been caught; I always manage to last through the nightmares until it is sunrise in my dream-world (that's the time the ghosts and the vampires disappear). In my dream-world, I have a great survival instinct. I hide, I run, I pretend to be one of them --- all of these just to survive in the dreamworld.

After I graduated from college (and taking up some special classes with reknowned 'psychic' professors), my vampire dreams took a new twist. No longer was I the hunted. I became the hunter.

For some reason, my dream self is able to weild some holy powers effective against my dream vampires, ghosts and ghouls. I can create a tower of light surrounding myself to ward them off. I can dismiss ghosts with some incantations and a few gestures. I can trap vampires by making some symbols on the ground and leading them to it.

I became somewhat like a vampire/ghost hunter in my occasional dreams of this theme. I'd dream of strangers and friends being shadowed by an unfriendly spirit or a group of vampires. I'll call on my 'holy' abilities and exorcise them while the potential victim remains ignorant of the dream threat. In all instances, I'd assume the role of the indifferent hero.

But not when I dreamed of someone whom I'll refer to as Mr. GO.

In my most recent dream, Mr. GO was sleeping uncomfortably on his bed as if he's having a nightmare. I had a perfect view of his room from the doorway but I had a blurry perception of it. I focused my eyes at the view and with some concentration I was able to perceive the presence of about 8-or-so ghosts clad in dark tattered clothes surrounding Mr. Go at his bed. The ghosts were unaware of my presence.

I could have dismissed all of them with some mumblings and gestures but I kept quiet and still.

I watched the ghosts sway back-and-forth about Mr. Go's bed as if they're building up tension for a certain climax. I could see Mr. Go twitching his head occassionally with his teeth clenched. I could see his hair getting soaked with perspiration.

And then the ghosts disappeared. I saw Mr. Go's mouth open as if trying to scream (or was it breathe?). He remained fixed in that position-- mouth open, arms at the side, legs straight but motionless. And he wasn't breathing.

I let him die in my dream. I didn't save him. It's the first time I let someone die in my dream. From an indifferent hero I opted to be just plain indifferent.

There was no guilt in my soul.