I wrote this out of boredom while reading the webcomic
Zebra Girl. It is also based on Neil Gaiman's brilliant Sandman visual novels.
If you are unfamiliar with any of them this will probably be a little alien, and if so I urge you to go check them out.
Enjoy.
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A tall pale man in a black rope came walking though a long orange void. The very fabric of reality, or the absence of it in this unknown realm seemed to bend to his will. It manifested as an invisible path under his feet. The void suddenly retracted and was replaced by a lush forest with purple trees. The forest was then replaced by a battlefield, then a beach with an otherworldly sunset.
As the beach disappeared, a castle came into view and the man walked up a long path to the widest of staircases.
“Greetings lord Morpheus.”
Above and to either side the gate was guarded by a wyvern, a hippogriff and a gryphon.
“Hello my friends,” said the man in an unnatural, deep and ethereal voice. “Has anything happened while I was away?” He asked.
“Not a one thing m'lord,” the gryphon said.
“Good.”
Lord Morpheus walked through the corridors of his ever changing castle. He was deep in though of nothing at all, meditating as he walked, observing his realm in a state of complete acknowledging without concious though.
It occurred to him that he felt lonely and decided to leave his castle to spend a night with his new lover. He went to the library. His new lover was fond of literature and he thought he would surprise her with a book.
“G'day milord,” Lucien said from the top of a ladder higher than most, ordering the newest arrived books.
“Hello Lucien. I came looking for a book,” Morpheus said.
“A specific or just one?”
“Just one, preferably exciting.”
“For her?”
“For her.”
“I have just the thing,” Lucien said and kicked off the book case sending the latter sliding sideways while he climbed downwards. He stopped abruptly with the wave of a hand and pulled out a book.
“How I Became a Demon and What Followed,” Lucien said, “imagined by a certain alias 'Zebra Girl.'”
“Sounds interesting. I'll take it,” Morpheus said.
“Based on a true story, how nice.” Lucien noted and handed the thick, pocket-sized paperback to Morpheus who hid it in the folds his black cloak which just now seemed to gain a flame design in the rims.
“Shining yourself up are we?” Lucien noted, but he got no answer.
Morpheus once again set out to tread the chasms of the ever changing dreamscape. He walked through a dream of waking up and going to school, smiling to himself as he took the school bus to the city. He passed a dream without any visuals, only sound, then one with only visuals and no sound. He came to a bar and found what he was looking for, a bottle of fine red wine. He then made his way to the planes of the waking and walked up to the front door of an apartment in a god forsaken city block.
He knocked twice and the door opened.
“Hello sweets.” He said and a smile lit his face.
“Come in, I was just about to eat, you want some?” She said and took his hand to lead him in through the dark apartment.
“Actually I do not take much interest in food. Although I would like to watch you eat if I may.”
“Of course you silly man.” She laughed a heart warming laugh and went into the living room. Her presence was great and calming, her voice like the rain on the roof windows and her hair like woven copper. Although, he reminded himself, woven copper didn't look that way.
As they sat down by the small table she lit the candles and began cutting out the chicken.
“You have brought gifts haven't you? I can read you like an open book,” she said giggling with her hands smothered in chicken fat and juices.
“I have. A bottle of fictional fine red wine. Chârteau-Innomé,” he said revealing the bottle, “and a little reading for you.”
“Oooh...” she said while wiping her hands in a napkin. She snatched the book from his grasp and studied it.
“Zebra Girl?” She said as he poured her a glass. “I think I have heard that name somewhere before...”
“You have?” Morpheus raised an eyebrow in surprise.
“Yes, I think it is a tech-support site or similar. She's a local.”
“I am sorry Amy, if what you say is true then I have urgent business. Can you show me the site?” Morpheus stood up and his expression changed from a smile to a frown.
“Of course dear. Are you all right?”
Morpheus rushed down the street the otherwise calm stars in his black eyes was ablaze. Damn it all that he had left such a monstrosity develop without being aware, and then right next to where he spent most of his free nights. He came to a graveyard and noticed an aura of hell fire.
“Damn, this is that thing's work.”
He ran now, a thing he had not done in millennia. He entered a dream of a random person in the neighbourhood and quickly found his way to where its source was.
“Who are you?” A voice spoke.
Morpheus found the dream he transcended suddenly being covered in a red plaid.
“Answer my question or suffer the consequences.” The voice said.
“I am none of your business, and you have quite the nerve to challenge me in my own realm.” Morpheus said and dispelled the barrier with a wave of his hand.
He rushed on and found himself in a forgotten dream consisting of a void both white and black. In front of him stood a man figure in the opposite colour of the void around him.
“Mr. Chalk I presume?” Morpheus spoke.
“Who are you? No! Not you! Tell me, how you found me!” The creature shouted.
“You have been a bad demon, Azrael, becoming a nightmare while I'm not looking. I assume you know what happened to the Corinthian?” Morpheus said as he summoned the powers of the dreamscape of which he had omnipotent control.
“Goodbye, demon, you have annoyed me for the last time.” Morpheus said. The white or black void coiled itself up and in a collapsing motion it crushed the creature in it.
“What was the problem dear?” She said as he stood in her doorway.
“A bad dream.”
Morpheus, Lucien © Neil Gaiman
Mr. Chalk, Zebra Girl, Jack the Plaid © Joe England
