**Episode Sixty Nine**
**THE DREAM THAT DREAMED BACK**
**Part Ten: THE WORLD THAT DREAMS**
---
The heartbeat...
continued.
THUMP.
THUMP.
THUMP.
Every beat...
made reality shake.
Milo stared through the blue door.
The ruined jungle...
was breathing.
Trees moved without wind.
Ash floated upward.
The sky twisted...
like something underneath it...
was turning in its sleep.
And standing in the middle of it...
was the older Tarzan.
Scarred.
Exhausted.
Silent.
Holding no banana.
That...
more than anything...
terrified the younger Tarzan.
He whispered...
"WHERE'S YOUR BANANA?"
The older Tarzan looked at him.
For several seconds...
he said nothing.
Then...
"Dead."
Tarzan's face fell.
"...THE BANANA?"
"The world."
"Oh."
Milo covered his face.
"Of course."
1. THE RUINED JUNGLE
Milo stepped through the door.
Diana followed.
Then Arjun.
Gandalf.
The Keeper.
The Walker.
Finally...
Tarzan.
The moment Tarzan crossed the threshold...
the blue door disappeared.
Milo turned.
Nothing.
No door.
No darkness.
Only...
jungle.
Diana looked around.
"This isn't our jungle."
The older Tarzan shook his head.
"No."
"Then whose is it?"
He looked upward.
"Everyone's."
Milo frowned.
"What does that mean?"
The older Tarzan pointed toward the trees.
Leaves began moving.
One by one...
images appeared between them.
A city.
A desert.
A battlefield.
A laboratory.
A bedroom.
A school.
A hospital.
A wedding.
A graveyard.
Millions of places...
overlapping.
Milo whispered...
"All realities."
The older Tarzan nodded.
"All dreams."
The Keeper looked disturbed.
"Then why is this place destroyed?"
The older Tarzan answered...
"Because somebody woke up."
Silence.
Arjun looked upward.
"Who?"
The older Tarzan pointed at the sky.
"You."
2. THE FIRST WAKING
The sky...
opened.
Not like clouds.
Like an eye.
Beyond it...
was another world.
And beyond that...
another.
Layer after layer.
Dream after dream.
Reality after reality.
Milo stared.
"We've been moving upward."
The Walker shook his head.
"No."
"Downward?"
"No."
"Then where?"
The Walker whispered...
"Sideways."
Milo frowned.
"Sideways through what?"
"Dreams."
The older Tarzan turned.
"Every world believes it's real."
Diana looked at him.
"Isn't it?"
The older Tarzan smiled sadly.
"That depends on who's dreaming."
Gandalf raised his staff.
"And who is the dreamer?"
The older Tarzan pointed toward Milo.
Milo froze.
"Me?"
"No."
He pointed toward Diana.
"Her?"
"No."
Arjun.
"No."
Gandalf.
"No."
The Keeper.
"No."
The Walker.
"No."
Then...
he pointed toward Tarzan.
Tarzan blinked.
"ME?"
The older Tarzan shook his head.
"No."
Tarzan sighed.
"GOOD."
The older Tarzan looked toward the sky.
"The dreamer..."
He paused.
"...is whoever believes they are awake."
3. THE FALSE SUNRISE
A light appeared.
White.
Perfect.
Beautiful.
Diana stepped toward it.
The older Tarzan shouted...
"STOP!"
She froze.
"Why?"
"That's not light."
Milo stared.
"What is it?"
The older Tarzan answered...
"Memory."
The light expanded.
Suddenly...
Diana saw herself as a child.
Milo saw his laboratory.
Arjun saw his home.
Gandalf saw an ancient mountain.
The Keeper saw nothing.
The Walker saw...
everything.
And Tarzan...
saw a banana.
He smiled.
"FINALLY."
He reached for it.
The older Tarzan grabbed his wrist.
"Don't."
"WHY?"
"Because you didn't remember it."
Tarzan frowned.
"What?"
"You wanted it."
Tarzan stared at the banana.
Then...
it spoke.
"Eat me."
Everyone froze.
Tarzan slowly lowered his hand.
"...NO."
The banana screamed.
"YOU ALWAYS DO."
Tarzan stepped backward.
Milo whispered...
"That's not a banana."
The older Tarzan nodded.
"No."
"What is it?"
"A memory pretending to be a desire."
4. THE DESIRE MACHINE
The ground opened.
Beneath the jungle...
was a machine.
Enormous.
Circular.
Ancient.
Its surface was covered with billions of symbols.
Milo approached.
"What is this?"
The older Tarzan looked at it.
"The Desire Engine."
The Keeper stared.
"Who built it?"
The older Tarzan answered...
"We did."
Milo shook his head.
"Humanity?"
"No."
"Then who?"
The older Tarzan looked at him.
"Every creature that ever wanted something."
Diana stepped closer.
"Why?"
"To make wanting easier."
Arjun frowned.
"That sounds harmless."
The older Tarzan laughed.
"It wasn't."
The machine began turning.
Symbols appeared.
LOVE.
POWER.
FREEDOM.
SECURITY.
REVENGE.
BELONGING.
IMMORTALITY.
KNOWLEDGE.
The symbols connected.
Then...
one word appeared.
MORE.
Milo stared.
"The engine doesn't create desires."
The Keeper nodded.
"It amplifies them."
The Walker whispered...
"And eventually..."
The machine answered for him.
"...desire creates reality."
5. THE WORLD THAT WANTED TOO MUCH
The jungle disappeared.
They stood in a city.
Perfect.
Every building was beautiful.
Every person was smiling.
Every need was fulfilled.
No hunger.
No war.
No loneliness.
No poverty.
No sickness.
Diana looked around.
"This is paradise."
The older Tarzan shook his head.
"No."
"Why not?"
"Look closer."
Diana watched.
People were smiling.
But nobody was laughing.
Everyone had everything.
Yet nobody wanted anything.
Milo whispered...
"They're empty."
The older Tarzan nodded.
"The engine removed suffering."
Arjun frowned.
"That's good."
"No."
"Why?"
"Because it also removed surprise."
Gandalf looked around.
"And without surprise..."
The Keeper finished.
"...there is no discovery."
The city began fading.
The people vanished.
The buildings disappeared.
The older Tarzan whispered...
"A perfect world has no room for becoming."
6. THE DREAM EATS ITSELF
The sky turned black.
The enormous eyes appeared again.
But this time...
there were thousands.
Then millions.
Everywhere.
Watching.
Milo stepped backward.
"It's multiplying."
The Walker shook his head.
"No."
"What?"
"Those aren't eyes."
The eyes blinked.
They were...
windows.
Inside every window...
was another reality.
Inside every reality...
another dream.
Inside every dream...
another watcher.
Milo's voice trembled.
"It's recursive."
The Keeper nodded.
"Dreams inside dreams."
Diana whispered...
"And who's dreaming the deepest one?"
Nobody answered.
Then...
the oldest Tarzan spoke.
"That's the problem."
Milo turned.
"What?"
The older Tarzan looked at him.
"We don't know anymore."
7. THE PERSON OUTSIDE THE DREAM
A sound...
came from behind them.
Footsteps.
Slow.
Human.
Everyone turned.
A man walked through the trees.
Ordinary clothes.
Ordinary face.
Ordinary shoes.
Nothing remarkable.
Except...
every time he stepped forward...
the world changed.
One step...
rain.
Another...
sunlight.
Another...
snow.
Another...
night.
Milo stared.
"Who are you?"
The man smiled.
"I'm awake."
Diana frowned.
"Where?"
He pointed upward.
"Outside."
Everyone looked at the sky.
Milo whispered...
"There's an outside?"
The man nodded.
"Of course."
The Keeper asked...
"Then why are you here?"
The man smiled.
"Because..."
He looked at the older Tarzan.
"...he invited me."
Everyone turned.
The older Tarzan froze.
"I did?"
The man nodded.
"Long ago."
Tarzan stepped forward.
"WHEN?"
The man smiled.
"Before you existed."
8. THE BANANA THAT REMEMBERED
Tarzan stared.
"WHAT DID I INVITE?"
The man pointed toward the ground.
The banana...
was back.
But now...
it was glowing.
Tarzan looked offended.
"I DON'T TRUST THAT BANANA."
The man smiled.
"Good."
Milo stared at him.
"Why does it keep appearing?"
"Because Tarzan remembers it."
Tarzan frowned.
"I REMEMBER MANY BANANAS."
"Not this one."
The banana began floating.
Milo suddenly understood.
"It's a symbol."
The man nodded.
"Of what?"
Milo looked at Tarzan.
"Comfort."
Tarzan blinked.
"BANANAS ARE COMFORT."
Diana smiled.
"Apparently."
The man looked toward Milo.
"And that's why you're dangerous."
Milo frowned.
"Me?"
"You question comfort."
Milo smiled.
"I question everything."
"Exactly."
9. THE QUESTION THAT BROKE REALITY
Milo stepped toward the man.
"Who dreamed the first dream?"
The world shook.
The man stopped smiling.
Diana looked around.
Trees were bending.
The sky was cracking.
Gandalf whispered...
"Do not ask."
Milo stared.
"Why?"
The man answered...
"Because questions create possibilities."
Milo continued.
"And possibilities create choices."
"Yes."
"And choices create worlds."
"Yes."
Milo smiled.
"Then..."
He looked directly into the sky.
"...who chose the first question?"
Silence.
The heartbeat stopped.
THUMP...
No more.
Everything froze.
The man looked terrified.
The older Tarzan whispered...
"You shouldn't have asked that."
Milo stared.
"Why?"
The man answered...
"Because nobody knows."
10. THE UNANSWERED WORLD
Everything disappeared.
No jungle.
No city.
No sky.
No ground.
Nothing.
The travelers floated in absolute emptiness.
Diana whispered...
"Where are we?"
The man answered...
"Before the first answer."
Milo looked around.
"What does that mean?"
"It means..."
The man paused.
"...the universe hasn't decided what your question means yet."
Arjun looked at him.
"Can we leave?"
"Yes."
"How?"
The man smiled.
"Answer it."
Milo frowned.
"Answer what?"
"The question."
Milo looked toward the darkness.
"Who chose the first question?"
The man nodded.
"Yes."
Milo thought.
Diana waited.
Gandalf waited.
The Keeper waited.
The Walker waited.
Tarzan...
raised his hand.
Milo looked at him.
"What?"
Tarzan said...
"I HAVE AN IDEA."
Everyone sighed.
Tarzan continued.
"WHAT IF..."
A pause.
"...NOBODY DID?"
The universe...
shuddered.
11. THE FIRST UNCHOSEN THING
A tiny light appeared.
Smaller than a star.
Smaller than a thought.
It floated between them.
Milo stared.
"What is that?"
The man whispered...
"Possibility."
The light expanded.
Inside it...
was nothing.
No desire.
No expectation.
No choice.
No purpose.
No dream.
Just...
possibility.
Diana whispered...
"That's the beginning."
The Walker shook his head.
"No."
"The beginning of what?"
"Everything."
Milo understood.
"The universe didn't begin with a choice."
The Keeper whispered...
"It began with the ability to choose."
Gandalf smiled.
"Potential."
The light pulsed.
THUMP.
The heartbeat returned.
12. THE DREAMER WAKES
The enormous eyes appeared again.
But now...
they were everywhere.
The First Dreamer looked at the light.
Then at the travelers.
Then at the man.
It whispered...
"What is that?"
The man answered...
"Something you cannot predict."
The First Dreamer trembled.
"Destroy it."
Milo stepped forward.
"No."
The Dreamer looked at him.
"Why?"
"Because it's not dangerous."
The Dreamer stared.
"It could become anything."
Milo smiled.
"Exactly."
The Dreamer shook.
"Anything..."
It whispered.
"...is chaos."
Diana stepped forward.
"Or freedom."
The Dreamer looked at her.
"Freedom hurts."
Diana nodded.
"Sometimes."
The Dreamer whispered...
"Then why choose it?"
Diana smiled.
"Because..."
She looked at the others.
"...we didn't choose comfort."
13. THE OLDER TARZAN REMEMBERS
The older Tarzan suddenly dropped to his knees.
Milo rushed toward him.
"What happened?"
Tarzan looked up.
"I remember."
"What?"
"The door."
Milo froze.
"Which door?"
"All of them."
The older Tarzan looked terrified.
"I opened the blue door."
Milo frowned.
"You opened it before?"
"Yes."
"And?"
The older Tarzan looked toward the sky.
"I saw the thing behind the dream."
"What was it?"
He swallowed.
"Me."
Tarzan stared.
"YOU?"
The older Tarzan nodded.
"Not me as I am."
"Then what?"
"Me..."
A pause.
"...after I became the dreamer."
Everyone went silent.
14. THE FUTURE DREAMER
Milo stared.
"You become the Dreamer?"
The older Tarzan nodded.
"I thought I was saving everyone."
Diana asked...
"From what?"
"Reality."
Arjun frowned.
"Why?"
"Because reality kept hurting them."
Gandalf lowered his staff.
"So you created a dream where nobody could suffer."
The older Tarzan nodded.
"And then..."
The Keeper finished.
"...they stopped living."
The older Tarzan looked at his younger self.
"I became the thing you are fighting."
Tarzan stared at him.
Then...
he smiled.
"THAT SOUNDS LIKE A TERRIBLE IDEA."
The older Tarzan laughed.
For the first time...
genuinely.
"Yes."
15. THE DREAM THAT DREAMED BACK
The First Dreamer suddenly spoke.
"Then you understand."
Milo looked upward.
"Understand what?"
"Why dreams must control."
Milo shook his head.
"No."
The Dreamer frowned.
"Then why?"
Milo pointed toward the older Tarzan.
"Because dreams aren't meant to control reality."
Diana nodded.
"They're meant to inspire it."
Arjun added...
"Reality doesn't have to become the dream."
Gandalf smiled.
"It merely needs to remain capable of becoming something."
The Keeper looked at the tiny light.
"And that's what you fear."
The Dreamer whispered...
"Yes."
The Walker smiled.
"Then perhaps..."
He stepped toward the light.
"...fear is the final dream."
16. THE CHOICE OF THE DREAMER
The First Dreamer looked at the light.
Then...
at the travelers.
"What happens if I let it exist?"
Milo answered...
"We don't know."
"And if I destroy it?"
"We don't know."
The Dreamer stared.
"You truly don't know?"
Milo smiled.
"No."
The Dreamer became silent.
For the first time...
it experienced something unfamiliar.
Not desire.
Not expectation.
Not fear.
Something else.
Uncertainty.
The Dreamer whispered...
"I don't know."
The universe trembled.
The tiny light grew.
Diana smiled.
"You're learning."
The Dreamer looked at her.
"Is this what freedom feels like?"
Diana nodded.
"Sometimes."
The Dreamer smiled.
"Then..."
It opened its hands.
"...I choose not to know."
17. THE COLLAPSING DREAM
Reality exploded.
Not violently.
Beautifully.
Every dream...
began separating.
Cities returned.
Jungles returned.
Mountains.
Oceans.
Homes.
Stars.
People.
Memories.
Possibilities.
The layers of reality...
unfolded.
The travelers watched.
Milo laughed.
"We did it."
The Keeper shook his head.
"No."
"What?"
"We didn't."
The Walker smiled.
"The Dreamer did."
The First Dreamer was disappearing.
Diana reached toward it.
"Where are you going?"
The Dreamer answered...
"To dream."
"Of what?"
The Dreamer smiled.
"I don't know."
And vanished.
18. THE WORLD AFTER DREAMING
Silence.
Then...
grass.
Real grass.
Under their feet.
Milo looked around.
They were standing in a jungle.
Their jungle.
Green.
Alive.
Rain falling.
Birds singing.
Tarzan looked around.
"My jungle."
Diana smiled.
"Yes."
Gandalf touched a tree.
"Solid."
Arjun looked at the sky.
"Normal."
The Keeper laughed.
"Nothing is normal anymore."
The Walker looked toward the horizon.
"It never was."
Milo smiled.
Then...
he noticed something.
A banana.
Lying on the ground.
He looked at Tarzan.
Tarzan looked at him.
Both stared.
Tarzan slowly picked it up.
He inspected it.
Then...
ate it.
Nothing happened.
Tarzan smiled.
"REAL."
Milo laughed.
"How do you know?"
Tarzan shrugged.
"I DON'T."
He took another bite.
"THAT'S WHY I LIKE IT."
19. THE PERSON WHO REMAINED
The ordinary man...
was still standing there.
Milo approached him.
"You're still here."
The man nodded.
"Yes."
"Why?"
"Because someone has to remember."
"Remember what?"
The man looked toward the sky.
"That the dream existed."
Milo frowned.
"Who are you?"
The man smiled.
"Someone who was awake."
Diana stepped closer.
"Are you leaving?"
"Eventually."
"Where?"
The man pointed toward the horizon.
"Another dream."
Milo laughed.
"Why?"
"Because..."
He smiled.
"...someone is dreaming a question."
The man began walking away.
Milo shouted...
"WAIT!"
The man turned.
"What's the question?"
He smiled.
Then answered...
"Can a dream dream itself?"
And disappeared.
20. THE QUESTION THAT REMAINED
Nobody spoke.
The jungle was quiet.
Too quiet.
Milo looked at the others.
"What does that mean?"
Gandalf smiled.
"It means we have another problem."
Tarzan raised his banana.
"GOOD."
Diana laughed.
Arjun looked upward.
The sky seemed normal.
But somewhere...
far beyond it...
something moved.
The Walker noticed.
"You saw that?"
The Keeper nodded.
"Yes."
Milo looked up.
"What?"
The Walker pointed.
A tiny crack...
appeared across the sky.
Not black.
Not white.
Blue.
Like the door.
Milo whispered...
"Not again."
The crack widened.
A voice came through.
Soft.
Familiar.
Human.
"Hello?"
Everyone froze.
Tarzan slowly raised his banana.
Milo grabbed his arm.
"Don't."
Tarzan frowned.
"WHY?"
"Because last time..."
Milo stared at the sky.
"...we answered."
The voice spoke again.
"Is anyone there?"
Diana whispered...
"Don't answer."
Silence.
The voice waited.
Then...
it laughed.
Not cruelly.
Not angrily.
Almost...
playfully.
"Good."
The sky opened.
And something...
stepped through.
A little girl.
The same girl from the sleeping world.
She looked at them.
Milo's face went pale.
"You."
The girl smiled.
"I told you..."
A pause.
"...the dream was waking."
Diana stepped forward.
"But it already woke."
The girl nodded.
"Yes."
"Then what are you doing here?"
The girl looked around the jungle.
"I woke up too."
Milo stared.
"Then..."
He swallowed.
"...where is the Dreamer?"
The girl smiled.
She pointed at Tarzan.
Everyone turned.
Tarzan froze.
"ME?"
The girl nodded.
"No."
She pointed behind him.
Tarzan slowly turned.
There...
standing between the trees...
was a figure.
Tall.
Silent.
Holding a banana.
It looked exactly like Tarzan.
Except...
its eyes were completely black.
And it was smiling.
The girl whispered...
"The Dreamer didn't disappear."
Milo stepped backward.
"Then where did it go?"
The girl answered...
"Into the dream."
A pause.
"Your dream."
The black-eyed Tarzan took one step forward.
THUMP.
The jungle shook.
Another step.
THUMP.
The sky darkened.
Another.
THUMP.
The girl smiled.
Then whispered...
"Now..."
She looked at Milo.
"...the dream is dreaming you back."
The black-eyed Tarzan raised his banana.
And spoke...
in Milo's voice.
"RUN."
The jungle...
opened its eyes.
**TO BE CONTINUED...**
Written By,
Ivan Edwin
Pen Name :Maximus.
©All Rights Reserved