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With his prior experiences, it didn’t take long for Sam’s root chakra to absorb the vibrations coming from the two Venusians’ bodies. They were slow, the pulsations slower than most of the techniques he had copied before. The rate of his heartbeats decreased, and his thought processes became sluggish as well. His mind was foggy, and he realized he was on the verge of falling asleep, drifting in and out of consciousness. Instead of resisting, Sam relaxed, allowing his mind to fall into darkness.
Colorless swirls filled Sam’s vision, filling his mind with nonsensical patterns. Eventually, those patterns coalesced, forming vague outlines with varying intensities. It was as if he were viewing his surroundings through his All-Seeing Gaze, but the surroundings weren’t clearly defined. Although he knew was standing inside of Big Fish’s mouth, it was as if he had been transported to another realm. He touched his face, and blinked rapidly when there was no scaly sensation meeting his finger. He took in a deep breath through his nose and exhaled through his mouth, his exhalation unimpeded.
Sam looked down and touched his stomach, not feeling the sloth’s coarse fur. Nothing clawed at his scalp when he tilted his neck downwards either. He raised his legs one at a time before hopping up and down, something he couldn’t do when a metallic koala named Dirt was weighing him down. It seemed like his familiars wouldn’t accompany him when he entered the subconscious expanse. Then, the head of a tapeworm crawled out of his mouth, poking out of his lips to curl upwards and look him in the eyes.
“Hello, Sam,” Nwaps said. “It looks like it’s just you and me.”
Sam’s shoulders slumped, but a second later, he fixed his posture, straightening his back. It was difficult to speak with the tapeworm sticking out of his mouth, so Sam simply nodded in greeting. He looked around but didn’t see Mayor or Toka, and he assumed they entered different regions of the subconscious expanse. It should’ve been a large place considering they could enter the dreams of anyone, including those located outside of Oterra; it made sense for the two Venusians to appear elsewhere.
“Have you been here before, Nwaps?” Sam asked, communicating with the tapeworm through his mind.
“I have,” Nwaps said. “There aren’t a lot of places I haven’t been, and there are even fewer places I’m welcome to visit.”
Sam wondered what made the tapeworm so hated. Maybe it was the fact it could take over the minds of an entire population. Maybe it was the way it popped out of people’s mouths in the most unsettling manner possible. “Is this one of those places you’re welcome?”
“Yes,” Nwaps said. “Those who mess with others’ heads tend to get along with one another, and what do creatures of the subconscious expanse do other than invade people’s dreams and mess with their minds?”
“You have friends here?” Sam asked.
“I didn’t say that,” the tapeworm said as it receded into Sam’s body, still communicating with him through his mind. “Your definition of getting along with someone is different from mine. As long as no one is trying to actively eliminate me, we’re best of pals even if we never interact with each other.”
Maybe the tapeworm’s life was sadder than Sam thought. It wasn’t the tapeworm’s fault it was born doing what it could, so demonizing it simply because it could lobotomize someone and control their future actions was…, well, Sam still thought it was fair. Mind control was a terrifying ability, and if the tapeworm was consciously proliferating to control as many people as it could, it wasn’t a wonder people would try to get rid of it before it became a huge problem. If Nwaps decided to invade his brain, would Raindu be able to pull the worm out? Hopefully.
Sam looked around before taking a step forward. Then, he took another step forward. Sam frowned as there was no feedback to his actions. He hadn’t advance at all as if he were in space, unable to move forward despite his legs walking. Sam sprinted, but that still didn’t help, the scenery remaining the same as before. Sam narrowed his eyes at the vague outline of a building in the distance, and he concentrated on his Sahasrara and Manipura. Walking wasn’t viable, but apparently, flying like the blue avians was acceptable. His surroundings warped and changed, swirling as he passed them. When he arrived in the location he had aimed for, the frown on Sam’s face deepened. The building was no longer located in the same location. Sam turned around, and everything swirled in his psychic vision once more, the layout of the expanse changing into a completely different region from before.
“You’ll never get anywhere with your approach,” Nwaps said. “The subconscious expanse isn’t a place you can maneuver through with conscious actions. Logical thinking is thrown out the window in this dimension.”
Sam nodded his head. “Then, what’s the right way to interact with this place?”
“With your subconscious mind,” Nwaps said.
Sam scratched his head. He had to navigate the expanse with his subconscious mind? If he could do that, wouldn’t his subconscious mind be called his conscious mind? It was his subconscious mind for a reason.
“Let me help you,” Nwaps said.
Sam shuddered as the tapeworm wriggled up his esophagus, past his soft palate, and into regions of his head he didn’t even knew existed. Was the worm trying to get into his brain?
“Stop resisting,” Nwaps said. “It’ll only make it more uncomfortable for you.”
That was easy for the tapeworm to say when it didn’t have something trying to drill through its skull. Sam grimaced as a slithering sensation filled the space between both of his ears. Intense nausea washed over him, and Sam hunched over before heaving. Since he was in the subconscious expanse, nothing came out, but Sam did wonder if he puked in reality. He also wondered if he was going to die because, at the moment, he really wished he would.
Sam’s surroundings shifted as Nwaps voice echoed through his head. “Got it,” the tapeworm said. “I’m manipulating your subconscious now.”
A building rapidly approached Sam—or perhaps, Sam rapidly approached the building—and came to a halt in front of him. The building was made of a white haze, the bricks seemingly translucent but with no details behind them. The Venusians said they could tell whether a dream was a nightmare or a pleasant one based on the feeling they got, but Sam had no clue what kind of dream lay inside the building. There wasn’t a door; rather, there was an arch with a misty veil blocking Sam’s view.
“Go in,” Nwaps said. “This is where your subconscious wishes to go.”
Sam already learned his lesson long ago: when his familiar told him to do something, he did it. Sam grounded his emotions and stepped into the mist. His vision swirled before turning black as if he had closed his eyes. When his vision returned, he found himself in a familiar place. Despite grounding himself with his root chakra, Sam hesitated upon seeing the furniture and wallpaper that had decorated his childhood room, when he had yet to be cast away by his parents. “Nwaps,” Sam said, examining his body which was free from his clingy familiars. “Are you there?”
“I’m here,” Nwaps said, the tapeworm’s voice echoing in Sam’s mind. A chill ran down Sam’s spine as the tapeworm receded from his brain, slinking back down to his stomach. “Whose dream did you enter?”
“Tom!” A very familiar, feminine voice came from outside the room. It was sharp and curt as if the woman who was calling out had enough of Tom’s shit. “I said to pack everything, so why is the living room still so cluttered?”
Sam inhaled through his nose and exhaled through his mouth, focusing on his breath. “If it’s not my younger brother’s dream, it’s my mom’s,” Sam said as he walked over to the desk he used to use. There was a sticker on the corner, a teddy bear holding a donut that Tom had pasted there for fun. Although he was in his childhood room, he wasn’t dreaming, so it wasn’t his dream, right? Then again, the subconscious expanse didn’t seem to make much logical sense, so perhaps he had picked a dream for himself as he slept.
“But, Mom, what about Sam?” a timid voice asked.
“Forget about him!” the feminine voice said. “He’s useless! From now on, you’re an only child.”
Sam scratched his head. If he were to exit the room and beat the snot out of his mother, it’d be okay, right? After all, it was only a dream. However, Sam’s emotions were grounded, and he didn’t have the urge to knock his mother out; it wouldn’t help in any way…, but Sam was in the subconscious expanse for the experience, right? There was no reason not to mess around in someone’s dream for the fun of it. A wry smile appeared on his face as he walked to the door and pulled it open. Since his All-Seeing Gaze was active, he wasn’t surprised by the younger version of Tom, the one Sam was more familiar with, standing in front of his door.
“Who are…,” Tom said, his voice trailing off as his eyes widened. “Sam? No…. Yes? Are you, Sam?”
If this was Tom’s dream, then he probably wasn’t going to remember it after waking up. If Tom did remember, then he’d chalk it up to a dream and nothing more. There was no harm in interacting with him—unless, of course, Nwaps decided to proliferate. Well, Sam wasn’t sure if the tapeworm could control someone simply by making contact with them through a dream. It didn’t seem realistic, but seeing as the tapeworm was the only familiar that was capable of following Sam into the subconscious expanse, he didn’t see why Nwaps wouldn’t be able to hitch a ride out on someone else.
“Yeah,” Sam said, “it’s me, but I’m from the future.”
“Oh,” Tom said and nodded his head. “I see. That’s why you’re grown up.”
“Yeah,” Sam said again. Was his explanation so easily accepted because Tom was in a dream? Whenever Sam dreamed, he never really questioned illogical happenings, simply accepting them and going with the flow. Perhaps it was the same for Tom; after all, the two were genetically related. “Mom is angry at you, huh?”
“Yeah,” Tom said and hung his head. “She wants to leave you behind, but I don’t want to go without you.”
“There’s nothing you can do,” Sam said and shrugged. “Don’t beat yourself up too much about it; our parents are selfish people who’ll always put themselves first. We were just born under an unlucky star.”
“Aren’t we born under all the stars?” Tom asked.
“It’s a saying,” Sam said, “well, it used to be one a long time ago.” A grin appeared on Sam’s face. “You see, later on in the future, I actually become pretty amazing with great talents and great environments conducive for growth, so I know all sorts of random things.” Sure, he might’ve become a pet in Et Serpentium, but he grew and learned a lot there. Any personal trainer would bow down to Ellie to learn her techniques. “You don’t have to feel bad for me being left behind; it’s not like you weren’t hurting as well. Having to meet Mom and Dad’s expectations all by yourself, you might’ve even had it harder than me.”
Tom raised his head and looked Sam in the eyes. “You don’t resent me?”
“I did,” Sam said, “but I don’t anymore.”
“Really?” Tom asked. “What changed?”
Sam shrugged. “I grew up,” he said. “I experienced a lot of things, some good, some bad, and as I learned, I changed.” A sly smile appeared on Sam’s face. “You want to see what I can do now?”
Tom blinked at Sam’s familiar expression. It was something Tom hadn’t seen for a long time. As more time passed and Sam’s body refused to awaken, his smiles appeared less frequently. Even if it was on an unfamiliar face with stubble, Tom still recognized the expression as his mischievous older brother’s. “Sure,” Tom said, a faint smile appearing on his face. “Is it going to be cool?”
“You’ll see,” Sam said. Not even a few seconds passed before he finished speaking when clomping sounds echoed through the hall.
Tom turned his head, and his face paled. “Mom.” Tom’s neck shrank into his shoulders as he turned to look at Sam.
“What are you doing?” Sam’s mom asked, glaring at her second son. Then, she turned to look at Sam. Her eyes widened, and she pointed a finger at his nose. “Who are you? What are you doing in my house? I’ll have you arrested!”
Sam smiled at Tom before pointing at his mother, Iris. He concentrated on his crown and solar plexus chakras, and with a wag of his finger, Iris was lifted a foot off the ground by an invisible force. She let out a shriek as she flailed about like a fish out of water, her limbs waving in all directions as her waist bent from side to side.
“Stop this!” Iris shouted as she struggled to grab hold of something, but there wasn’t anything within her reach she could hold onto. “Stop this, right now!”
Sam waited until Iris’ legs were in front of her before ceasing his actions, causing his mother to fall down and land on her tailbone. Although it was just a dream, Sam didn’t want to go overboard with his actions lest Tom think Sam had developed a cruel streak. “See that?” Sam asked, ignoring his mother while looking at Tom. “If you master your Sahasrara and Manipura, you can manipulate things without actually touching them.” Sam concentrated on his crown and solar plexus chakras once more, lifting himself off the ground. “You can even lift yourself to fly. Blue avians do this all the time.”
Tom’s eyes widened, and he stared down at Sam’s feet before looking back up at Sam’s face, completely ignoring his mother on the ground. “I can do this too?”
“If you train hard,” Sam said and scratched his head. Unlike Sam, Tom didn’t have a talent that automatically mastered his chakras for him. All Sam had to do was learn and practice the techniques while Tom would have to unlock and master the chakras first. “It might take a few years…?”
“Hey!” Iris shouted. “Don’t ignore me! Tom, go call the police!”
“It’s Sam, Mom,” Tom said, looking at his mother who was still sitting on the ground. Her tailbone must’ve been bruised because she was having a hard time standing up. “He came back from the future.”
“What?” Iris asked. She gritted her teeth and climbed to her feet. “The future? How can you believe nonsense like that? He’s obviously a home invader!” Sam’s mom turned her head and shouted behind herself, “Dave! Dave, come quick!” Iris glared at Sam. “Just wait until my husband gets here. He’ll teach you a lesson with his talent!”
Slow, clomping footsteps echoed through the house, and Dave, Sam’s father, came into view, dragging his feet as he walked. “Yes, honey?” Dave asked. “Did you call for me?”
“Why are you so slow?” Iris asked and pointed at Sam while speaking to Dave. “There’s a home invader! You’re lucky he didn’t hurt me yet; if you came any slower, I’d be dead, and it’d be all your fault!”
Dave leaned to the side and looked at Sam. A frown appeared on Dave’s face. “Who are you?”
“It’s Sam, Dad,” Tom said. “He came back from the future.”
“Huh,” Dave said. His brows furrowed. “What nonsense about the future, did you finally awaken your talent, Sam? It made you look older, but that’s just a small side effect. Some talents make you grow extra limbs, so you should count yourself lucky. What can you do? Do you know what rank you are?”
“Dave! What are you doing talking to the home intruder?” Iris asked. “It must be an illusionary talent or something! Do your job as the man of the house and protect us!”
“I don’t think we’re in any danger, honey,” Dave said to Iris before turning towards Sam. Sam’s father scanned Sam from head to toe. “It’s great that you’ve awakened. You can come with us to the center of the city.”
“Dave! I’m not stupid!” Iris said and grabbed Dave’s wrist. “That’s not Sam! He might look like an older version of him, but he’s not our son!”
Dave turned to look at Sam, and Sam shrugged.
“To be fair,” Sam said, “I don’t consider the two of you my parents, so it’s fair for her to say I’m not your son.”
Tom’s eyes widened, and he distanced himself from Sam as his father approached. Sam winked at Tom before pointing at Dave, and the older man gasped as his feet left the ground. He stumbled forward, but instead of falling onto the floor, he tumbled in midair, suspended as if he were in zero gravity.
“Dave!” Iris said before reaching into her pocket. Much to Sam’s surprise, she pulled out a machine gun and fired a hail of bullets at him.
“Sam!” Tom shouted, his voice cutting through the sound of gunfire.
Luckily for Sam, he used Toughen and crystallized his aura just in time, the bullets slowing down inches away from his skin before harmlessly bouncing off. Well, they still stung as they made contact with his skin, but he wasn’t grievously injured. Perhaps it was because he was in a dream that such unrealistic things could occur. Speaking of which, what would happen to him if he died in a dream? Well, even if he died for real, Joe or Werchbite could bring him back to life.