**EPISODE SEVENTY-ONE**
**THE DREAM THAT DREAMED THE DREAMER**
**Part Twelve: THE CHILD BEHIND THE WORLD**
---
The child...
stood between worlds.
Not on the ground.
Not in the sky.
Not anywhere.
It simply...
existed.
A tiny figure.
Barefoot.
Messy hair.
Holding a banana.
Looking at Tarzan.
Tarzan stared back.
For several seconds...
neither moved.
Then Tarzan slowly raised his hand.
"...HELLO."
The child smiled.
"Hello."
Tarzan looked at Milo.
Milo looked at Tarzan.
Diana looked at both of them.
Nobody knew what to say.
Then Tarzan pointed at the banana.
"IS THAT MINE?"
The child looked at it.
"No."
Tarzan frowned.
"WHY NOT?"
"Because..."
The child looked down.
"...you haven't dreamed it yet."
Tarzan's face became completely serious.
"THAT MAKES NO SENSE."
The child smiled.
"Exactly."
Behind them...
the infinite worlds continued opening.
One universe contained an ocean of stars.
Another contained an endless desert.
Another was nothing but a giant sleeping eye.
Another...
was Tarzan's jungle.
But every jungle...
was different.
Milo stared.
"How many worlds are there?"
The child answered...
"How many can you imagine?"
Milo swallowed.
"That's not a number."
The child nodded.
"Neither is infinity."
The heartbeat returned.
THUMP.
Everyone froze.
THUMP.
The child looked upward.
THUMP.
His smile disappeared.
"Oh."
Milo stepped closer.
"What?"
The child looked at him.
"It's awake."
Milo's blood ran cold.
"What's awake?"
The child pointed behind them.
"Everything."
1. THE WORLD THAT WOKE
The darkness...
moved.
Not around them.
Through them.
Milo felt something pass through his chest.
Diana grabbed his arm.
"Did you feel that?"
Milo nodded.
Arjun looked around.
"I felt it too."
Gandalf raised his staff.
The staff...
didn't glow.
Instead...
the darkness absorbed its light.
Gandalf lowered it slowly.
"That is new."
The Keeper looked toward the infinite worlds.
"They are moving."
Milo stared.
He was right.
The universes...
were drifting.
Colliding.
Separating.
Reforming.
One universe disappeared.
Another appeared in its place.
The girl stepped toward the child.
"What did you wake?"
The child looked at her.
"I didn't."
"Then who did?"
The child pointed at Milo.
Everyone turned.
Milo stared at himself.
"Me?"
The child nodded.
"You opened the door."
Milo shook his head.
"I only opened a door inside myself."
The child smiled.
"That's where all doors are."
The girl suddenly looked frightened.
Milo noticed.
"You know what this is."
She hesitated.
"Yes."
"What?"
She looked at the child.
"This is the first world."
Milo frowned.
"The first world?"
The child nodded.
"Before dreams."
Before reality.
Before time.
Before imagination.
Before memory.
There was...
this.
A place where nothing had decided what it would become.
Milo whispered...
"Then who lives here?"
The child answered...
"No one."
A pause.
"Yet."
2. THE FIRST SOUND
A noise...
came from nowhere.
Not a voice.
Not music.
Not thunder.
A breath.
Long.
Slow.
Ancient.
The entire infinite space...
inhaled.
Milo's eyes widened.
"The world is breathing."
The child nodded.
"Yes."
"Why?"
"Because it is about to dream."
Milo stepped backward.
"No."
The girl looked at him.
"What?"
"We already went through this."
The child shook his head.
"No."
Milo looked at him.
"You said this isn't a dream."
"It isn't."
"Then what is it?"
The child pointed toward the darkness.
"A dream needs a dreamer."
Milo waited.
"And this..."
The child smiled.
"...needs something else."
"What?"
The child whispered...
"A witness."
Silence.
Everyone looked at Milo.
Milo's face went pale.
"No."
The child nodded.
"Yes."
3. THE WITNESS
Milo remembered the words.
A witness.
Someone who sees.
Someone who confirms.
Someone who says...
"This happened."
He looked at the Keeper.
"You said memory couldn't prove reality."
The Keeper nodded.
"Correct."
Milo looked at the Walker.
"You said choice could."
The Walker smiled.
"Sometimes."
Milo turned toward the girl.
"And awareness?"
She answered...
"Awareness lets you see the choice."
Milo looked at the child.
"Then what does a witness do?"
The child stared directly into his eyes.
"It gives reality permission to exist."
Milo froze.
Diana whispered...
"That's impossible."
The child smiled.
"Probably."
Milo laughed nervously.
"Stop saying that."
The child tilted his head.
"Why?"
"Because I say it."
The child smiled wider.
"Maybe you learned it from me."
Milo stopped laughing.
"What?"
The child stepped closer.
"You didn't dream me."
Milo stared.
"You remembered me."
4. THE MEMORY BEFORE MEMORY
Milo's vision...
blurred.
A room appeared.
Small.
White.
Silent.
A younger Milo...
stood inside.
Not the Milo they knew.
A child.
Maybe six years old.
He was sitting on the floor.
Drawing.
A jungle.
A tree.
A man.
A banana.
Milo stared.
"No."
The child beside him whispered...
"Yes."
The drawing changed.
The little Milo drew another figure.
A girl.
Then a scientist.
Then a strange black-eyed man.
Then...
a tiny child.
Milo's breath stopped.
"That's you."
The child nodded.
"Yes."
"But I couldn't have known you."
"You didn't."
"Then why did I draw you?"
The child smiled.
"Because I was already waiting."
Milo looked at the younger version of himself.
The child Milo suddenly stopped drawing.
He looked upward.
Straight at adult Milo.
Their eyes met.
The younger Milo whispered...
"Don't forget."
Adult Milo staggered backward.
Diana caught him.
"Forget what?"
Milo couldn't answer.
The room vanished.
The first world returned.
The child looked at him.
"You remembered."
Milo whispered...
"I don't remember."
The child smiled.
"Exactly."
5. THE THING THAT EATS MEMORIES
A shadow...
appeared behind them.
It had no shape.
No face.
No body.
Just...
absence.
The Keeper stepped backward.
"What is that?"
The child looked at it.
"The Forgetting."
The shadow moved.
Slowly.
Everywhere it passed...
memories disappeared.
Arjun blinked.
"Where are we?"
Diana grabbed his hand.
"Arjun?"
He looked confused.
"Who are you?"
Diana's face went pale.
Milo shouted...
"Don't let it touch you!"
The shadow moved faster.
Gandalf stared at his own hands.
"Who..."
He stopped.
"...am I?"
The Keeper closed his eyes.
The Walker suddenly looked afraid.
Milo grabbed Tarzan.
"Tarzan!"
Tarzan looked at him.
"WHO ARE YOU?"
Milo froze.
"No."
Tarzan pointed at himself.
"WHO AM I?"
Milo shook him.
"You're Tarzan!"
Tarzan frowned.
"WHAT'S A TARZAN?"
The child stepped forward.
The shadow stopped.
The child raised one finger.
"Enough."
The shadow retreated.
Everyone's memories returned.
Diana gasped.
Arjun stumbled.
Gandalf breathed heavily.
Tarzan looked around.
Then...
"WHY WAS I FORGETTING BANANAS?"
Milo nearly laughed.
The child didn't.
"Because forgetting is older than remembering."
6. THE LIBRARY OF THINGS THAT NEVER HAPPENED
A door appeared.
Ancient.
Enormous.
Covered in symbols.
The child opened it.
Behind it...
was a library.
Infinite shelves.
Infinite books.
Every book...
had a name.
Milo walked inside.
He saw:
THE DAY MILO NEVER MET TARZAN.
Another:
THE WORLD WHERE DIANA BECAME THE DREAMER.
Another:
THE UNIVERSE WHERE GANDALF NEVER LOST HIS STAFF.
Another:
THE TARZAN WHO NEVER LEARNED TO SPEAK.
Tarzan looked offended.
"THAT BOOK IS CLEARLY FAKE."
The child pointed.
Tarzan walked over.
He opened it.
The pages...
were blank.
Tarzan smiled.
"SEE?"
The child shook his head.
"No."
The pages began filling.
Tarzan read.
His smile disappeared.
Milo approached.
"What does it say?"
Tarzan closed the book.
"NOTHING."
"Tarzan."
"NOTHING."
The child looked at Milo.
"That is the world where Tarzan never existed."
Silence.
Tarzan stared at the book.
For once...
he didn't joke.
7. THE BOOK WITH MILO'S NAME
Milo saw another book.
It was lying on the floor.
No shelf.
No label.
Only...
his name.
MILO FINCH
He picked it up.
The child said...
"Don't."
Milo stopped.
"Why?"
"Because that book is still being written."
Milo slowly opened it.
The first page contained one sentence:
MILO FINCH OPENED THE BOOK.
Milo's hands trembled.
The next sentence appeared.
MILO FINCH BECAME AFRAID.
He closed the book.
"No."
The child watched him.
"You're not reading it."
Milo looked confused.
"Then what am I doing?"
"You're changing it."
Milo opened the book again.
The sentence changed.
MILO FINCH WAS NOT AFRAID.
Milo stared.
The child smiled.
"You see?"
Milo whispered...
"The book follows my thoughts."
"No."
"Then what?"
"It follows your certainty."
Milo immediately closed the book.
The child laughed.
"You understand."
8. THE AUTHOR
A voice...
came from the shelves.
"Stop."
Everyone turned.
A figure stepped from the darkness.
Human.
Tall.
Wearing a black coat.
His face was hidden.
Milo stared.
"Who are you?"
The figure answered...
"The Author."
Tarzan raised his banana.
"AUTHOR OF WHAT?"
The figure looked at him.
"Everything."
Tarzan frowned.
"THAT SOUNDS LIKE A TERRIBLE JOB."
The Author ignored him.
Milo stepped forward.
"You created this?"
"No."
"The worlds?"
"No."
"The Dreamer?"
"No."
"Then what did you create?"
The Author pointed toward the book.
"You."
Milo froze.
Diana stepped forward.
"That's impossible."
The Author smiled.
"Probably."
Milo's face hardened.
"Stop saying that."
The Author laughed.
"You still don't understand."
"Then explain."
The Author removed his hood.
There was...
no face.
Only a blank page.
Milo stared.
The Author whispered...
"I don't write reality."
He pointed at Milo.
"I write the questions reality asks."
9. THE QUESTION
The library shook.
Books fell.
Worlds flickered between the shelves.
Milo looked at the Author.
"What question?"
The Author answered...
"Who are you?"
Milo frowned.
"That's all?"
"No."
The Author stepped closer.
"Who are you when nobody remembers you?"
Milo said nothing.
"Who are you when your memories are false?"
Silence.
"Who are you when your choices are copied?"
Milo looked at Diana.
"Who are you when the world disappears?"
Milo's breathing became slower.
The Author continued.
"And finally..."
The entire library went dark.
"...who are you when nobody is watching?"
Milo looked around.
Everyone was gone.
Diana.
Arjun.
Gandalf.
The Keeper.
The Walker.
Tarzan.
The girl.
Even the child.
Gone.
Only Milo remained.
The Author whispered...
"Now answer."
10. MILO ALONE
Milo stood in darkness.
No laboratory.
No jungle.
No dream.
No memories.
Nothing.
He couldn't even remember his own name.
He looked at his hands.
"Who am I?"
No answer.
He waited.
Still nothing.
He closed his eyes.
Images appeared.
Tarzan laughing.
Diana smiling.
Arjun running.
Gandalf raising his staff.
The Keeper remembering.
The Walker walking.
The girl opening the door.
The child holding the banana.
Milo smiled.
"I don't know."
The darkness moved.
The Author appeared.
"Good."
Milo looked at him.
"I don't know who I am."
The Author nodded.
"Good."
"I don't know if this is real."
"Good."
"I don't know who created this."
"Good."
Milo looked directly at the faceless Author.
"But..."
The Author stopped.
Milo smiled.
"I know what I choose."
The library shook.
The Author whispered...
"What?"
Milo answered...
"I choose them."
11. THE WORLD RETURNS
A sound...
like thunder.
The darkness shattered.
Diana appeared.
Then Arjun.
Then Gandalf.
Then the Keeper.
Then the Walker.
Then the girl.
Then...
Tarzan.
Holding two bananas.
Milo stared.
"Where did you get those?"
Tarzan grinned.
"I HAVE BEEN BUSY."
The Author stepped backward.
Milo approached.
"You said reality needs a witness."
The Author nodded.
"And now?"
Milo looked at his friends.
"I witness them."
The worlds around them began stabilizing.
One by one.
The jungle returned.
The sky returned.
The stars returned.
Time returned.
The heartbeat returned.
THUMP.
THUMP.
THUMP.
The Author's blank face...
began developing features.
Eyes.
A nose.
A mouth.
A human face.
Milo stared.
It was...
Milo's face.
The Author whispered...
"You finally remembered."
Milo shook his head.
"No."
The Author frowned.
"I chose."
12. THE CHILD'S SECRET
The child appeared beside Milo.
"That was the correct answer."
Milo looked at him.
"Who are you really?"
The child smiled.
"You still want a name."
"Yes."
"Why?"
"So I know what to call you."
The child thought.
Then smiled.
"Call me..."
He paused.
"...Tomorrow."
Milo stared.
"Tomorrow?"
The child nodded.
"Because I don't exist yet."
Diana whispered...
"Then how can we see you?"
The child looked at her.
"Because you're going to create me."
Milo's expression changed.
"How?"
The child pointed toward the infinite worlds.
"Every choice you make..."
The worlds pulsed.
"...creates something."
The child pointed at Milo.
"Every question you ask..."
The stars moved.
"...opens something."
Then he pointed at himself.
"And every possibility you refuse to destroy..."
He smiled.
"...becomes me."
13. THE WORLD OF TOMORROW
The first world...
began transforming.
Trees grew.
Mountains appeared.
Rivers formed.
Cities emerged.
Stars ignited.
Civilizations rose and disappeared.
All in seconds.
Milo watched.
"This is the future."
The child nodded.
"One of them."
Diana looked at the thousands of worlds.
"Which one becomes real?"
The child smiled.
"That depends."
"On what?"
"On you."
Milo shook his head.
"No."
The child looked at him.
"Then who?"
Milo looked around.
Everyone.
The jungle.
The stars.
The infinite possibilities.
"All of us."
The child smiled.
"Now you understand."
14. THE LAST COPY
A strange sound...
came from behind them.
Slow footsteps.
THUMP.
THUMP.
THUMP.
Everyone turned.
The black-eyed Tarzan...
returned.
But he looked different.
His eyes were blue.
His skin was human.
His expression...
sad.
Tarzan stepped forward.
"YOU CAME BACK."
The creature nodded.
"Yes."
"WHY?"
"I forgot something."
Tarzan frowned.
"What?"
The creature looked at Milo.
"How to dream without controlling."
Milo smiled.
"Then dream."
The creature closed his eyes.
A small jungle appeared behind him.
Simple.
Beautiful.
Quiet.
A single tree.
A single river.
A single banana.
Tarzan's eyes widened.
"THAT IS MY JUNGLE."
The creature smiled.
"No."
He stepped aside.
"It's yours."
Tarzan walked into it.
For the first time...
the black-eyed Tarzan disappeared completely.
Not destroyed.
Not defeated.
Accepted.
15. THE GIRL'S GOODBYE
The girl stood apart.
Milo noticed.
"You aren't coming?"
She shook her head.
"Not yet."
"Why?"
"Someone has to stay here."
"Here?"
She looked at the first world.
"The place before reality."
Milo understood.
"You'll guard it?"
"No."
She smiled.
"I'll wait."
"For what?"
"For the next dreamer."
Milo looked at the child.
"Is that him?"
The girl shook her head.
"No."
"Then who?"
She looked at Milo.
Milo froze.
"Me?"
She smiled.
"Maybe."
Milo laughed.
"That's not comforting."
She stepped closer.
"Nothing about awareness is supposed to be comforting."
She touched his forehead.
A tiny blue light appeared there.
"Remember."
Milo nodded.
"I will."
The girl smiled.
"Don't."
Milo frowned.
"Don't what?"
"Don't remember everything."
She stepped backward.
"Leave room for discovery."
Then...
she disappeared.
16. THE NEW MORNING
The first world...
collapsed.
Not violently.
Gently.
Like a dream ending after sunrise.
The infinite worlds folded inward.
One became two.
Two became four.
Four became millions.
Reality...
expanded.
Milo opened his eyes.
He was standing in the jungle.
Real rain fell around him.
Diana was beside him.
Arjun sat against a tree.
Gandalf was examining the sky.
The Keeper was smiling.
The Walker was walking.
Tarzan...
was eating.
Milo laughed.
"Of course."
Diana smiled.
"Are we awake?"
Milo looked at her.
"I don't know."
Diana smiled.
"Good."
Tarzan looked up.
"WHAT'S GOOD?"
Milo answered...
"Not knowing."
Tarzan considered this.
Then nodded.
"FINE."
He took another bite.
"BUT I KNOW I'M HUNGRY."
Everyone laughed.
For a moment...
everything felt normal.
Then...
Milo noticed something.
A small object...
lying in the mud.
He picked it up.
A child's drawing.
A jungle.
A tree.
A man.
A banana.
And underneath...
four words.
I DREAMED YOU FIRST.
Milo stared.
Diana looked over his shoulder.
"What is it?"
Milo didn't answer.
Because beneath the words...
was another drawing.
A giant face.
Eyes closed.
And inside one of those eyes...
was a tiny universe.
17. THE EYE OPENS
The sky...
darkened.
Everyone looked upward.
The stars appeared again.
But this time...
they weren't forming a face.
They were forming...
an eye.
An enormous eye.
Watching them.
Tarzan slowly lowered his banana.
"THAT..."
He swallowed.
"...IS NOT NORMAL."
Milo nodded.
"No."
The eye blinked.
Once.
The entire jungle shook.
Twice.
The river flowed backward.
Three times.
Time stopped.
The child appeared beside Milo.
But now...
he wasn't smiling.
Milo looked at him.
"Tomorrow?"
The child shook his head.
"No."
"Then who?"
The child pointed upward.
"That's not Tomorrow."
Milo stared at the eye.
"Then what is it?"
The child whispered...
"Yesterday."
Milo froze.
"Yesterday?"
The child nodded.
"The thing that existed..."
A pause.
"...before the first dream."
18. THE WORLD BEFORE THE DREAM
The eye...
opened completely.
Behind it...
was another universe.
Older than time.
Older than space.
Older than imagination.
A universe where nothing had ever been named.
No humans.
No gods.
No dreams.
No death.
No life.
Only...
possibility.
Milo stared.
"What happened there?"
The child whispered...
"Someone woke up."
"And?"
"They looked around."
"Then what?"
"They became afraid."
Milo's voice dropped.
"Of what?"
The child looked at him.
"Of being alone."
The eye moved.
The entire universe trembled.
The child continued.
"So they created a dream."
Milo understood.
"The Dreamer."
The child nodded.
"The Dreamer was the dream."
Milo stared upward.
"And the thing that dreamed the Dreamer..."
The child whispered...
"Was the first lonely mind."
Silence.
Diana asked...
"Where is it now?"
The child looked at Milo.
"Here."
Milo's heart stopped.
"Where?"
The child pointed...
not at the sky.
Not at the eye.
Not at the jungle.
At Milo.
19. THE FIRST MIND
Milo stepped backward.
"No."
The child nodded.
"You are carrying it."
"Inside me?"
"Not exactly."
"Then where?"
The child touched Milo's chest.
The blue light appeared again.
Behind it...
something moved.
Milo gasped.
A second heartbeat.
THUMP.
THUMP.
His own heart...
beat once.
The other...
answered.
THUMP.
Milo grabbed his chest.
Diana shouted...
"Milo!"
Milo fell to his knees.
The jungle disappeared.
He saw...
a lonely being.
Floating in absolute darkness.
No body.
No face.
No name.
Nothing.
It opened its eyes.
And for the first time...
thought:
I EXIST.
The universe appeared.
It looked around.
Nothing answered.
So it created a dream.
The dream became a world.
The world created life.
Life created stories.
Stories created dreamers.
Dreamers created dreams.
Dreams created worlds.
Worlds created Milo.
Milo created...
the question.
The question created...
the child.
Milo opened his eyes.
The child stood before him.
"Now you understand."
Milo whispered...
"I am part of it."
The child shook his head.
"No."
Milo looked confused.
The child smiled.
"You are where it begins again."
20. THE QUESTION WITHOUT AN ANSWER
Everything became silent.
Milo stood.
He looked at the child.
Then Diana.
Then Tarzan.
Then the infinite worlds.
Then...
the enormous eye.
He finally understood the terrifying truth.
There was no final dream.
No final reality.
No ultimate dreamer.
Every ending...
was another beginning.
Every answer...
created another question.
Every world...
dreamed another world.
Milo smiled.
The child smiled back.
"Are you afraid?"
Milo thought about it.
"Yes."
"Good."
"Why?"
"Because fear means you understand what you could lose."
Milo looked at his friends.
Then at the worlds.
Then at the child.
"What happens next?"
The child tilted his head.
"I don't know."
Milo laughed.
"Good."
The child extended his hand.
"Then choose."
Milo took it.
The moment their hands touched...
the universe exploded into light.
The eye closed.
The jungle vanished.
The stars became rivers.
The rivers became galaxies.
The galaxies became dreams.
And somewhere...
far beyond everything...
a new world opened its eyes.
A voice whispered...
"Hello?"
Milo heard it.
Diana heard it.
Tarzan heard it.
Everyone heard it.
But this time...
nobody answered.
Because they understood.
The question...
wasn't asking them.
It was asking...
itself.
Then...
another voice whispered from inside Milo's mind.
A voice he had never heard.
A voice that sounded...
exactly like him.
"Wake up."
Milo's eyes opened.
He was lying in a bed.
A white room.
A machine beside him.
A clock on the wall.
8:17 AM.
Diana stood at the doorway.
She smiled.
"Milo?"
Milo stared at her.
"Where are we?"
She answered...
"Earth."
Milo slowly sat up.
"Which Earth?"
Diana's smile disappeared.
She looked at the clock.
Then the window.
Then back at him.
"I was hoping..."
She swallowed.
"...you wouldn't ask that."
Milo looked toward the window.
Outside...
the city was normal.
People walked.
Cars moved.
Birds flew.
The sun shone.
Everything...
was ordinary.
Then Milo noticed the sky.
There were...
three moons.
He slowly turned toward Diana.
Diana whispered...
"Welcome back."
Milo's face went pale.
A tiny voice...
laughed from beneath the bed.
Tarzan's voice.
"FOUND YOU."
Milo looked down.
Two small hands...
appeared from the darkness.
A child crawled out.
Holding a banana.
The child looked at Milo.
Smiled.
And whispered...
"Now..."
A pause.
"...let's dream something dangerous."
The lights went out.
THUMP.
**TO BE CONTINUED...**
Written By,
Ivan Edwin
Pen Name :Maximus.
©All Rights Reserved