Dilemma of Dreams - 16

An adult speculative Christian post-Armageddon fiction
Dilemma of Dreams
Chapter Sixteen: Sixteen
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The others listened as I poured out my heart. I spoke of the joy I had in my Western town. I told them how content I was being Sheriff Mesapher. I did everything I could to stress how I could have lasted centuries, millennium as Sheriff Mesapher. While I was very happy now with things that Sheriff Mesapher never had, I still felt the peacefulness of taking walks around my Wild West town.

Saving Leotion was a no win option. I did not have any real ties to my previous life. Sheriff Mesapher had no wife, no family, nothing but his love of his job and his place in the universe. When I lost my reality, I thus only lost myself. Yes, there were commoners in my town, but they were living their lives and facing the fact that life was not fair. While I did feel a loss for them, I understood that their lot was no different than mine originally had been. While I could list names, none were actually close to me. Leotion would feel the loss of those around him. The collapse of this reality would hit him much harder than the loss of mine had done to me, yet still I remembered being so desperate as to become a little girl. I doubted that Leotion could conceive of any option that would console him.

If we figured out how to save this reality, that would mean that its simple existence would continue. The greater joy and rewards that had come to me would not flow to Leotion. I felt by leaving him here would be condemning him to a lesser existence than what God truly offered. My outfit, my guns, my horse, the fact that I was speaking to the others around a campfire, all were pleasures that I would probably not have ever gained had I stayed Sheriff Mesapher. I thus explained to the others how saving this reality would not be a benefit to Leotion either.

Dimerkess spoke, “I can help you resolve your dilemma, Vetacha. The collapse of the system is bad. It not only had you opting to restart life in a convent, but it has sent many others needing to be heavily pacified in Heaven. I appreciate that you came out the better from your experience, but yours is not the common story. System collapse is not an option.”

I had to agree that restarting life as a little girl was not at all what I hoped to do in my afterlife. I had no complaints with being a young female, but that did not mean that I wished such to happen to Leotion or anyone else. I thus felt better with Dimerkess being able to rule out system collapse, and waited to see if he could further provide resolutions to the dilemma.

“Now, about leaving him here, I am going to accept your testimony that Leotion is happy. Yes, he might not be as happy as he could be, but he is happy. Let us see if we can prevent system collapse, then you can join our team to work on building good realities. With time, we can figure out how to incorporate Leotion’s reality with others to make it a much more vibrant and interactive place. Vetacha, just as you have realized that your town lacked hombres, actual gold in the mountains, and other things, I am sure that Leotion will slowly come to realize that this reality is not all that he feels it should be. Hopefully, as he finds himself wanting more, we can help him achieve it.”

I replied, “You are going to put me to work?”

“Truthfully, the same work you originally came to me to perform. You wanted help in creating your Wild West town, but I made you throw that thing together. I hear you and Peralte working to expand and unite both of your dreams, and see the both of you putting out the work to do so. The lessons that the two of you learn can help others.”

I had spent my original life working. From dawn to dusk I was active with only a break to eat and read some simple literature. Not only did I do my work, but I took on the chores of those that were not able. I did it without complaint, although I did have things that I desired. I never went to God asking for a lack of work, but there was a list that stayed regularly in my prayers. I thus looked to Dimerkess and recited some lines that I had not forgotten.

“Let me see, all for God – check. A chance to get some rest – check. A little luxury – oh, yes… check. I’m in, Dimerkess.”

“Well, Vetacha, you got your work cut out for you. Don’t get worried, because all of us are right here with you. The objective is to prevent this reality from collapsing.”

I looked around at the others while asking, “How much time do we have?”

Dimerkess began to say, “Well, we really don’t…”

“Hell with that!” I turned to Peralte to say, “You knew. When Nintart came to you that day, you knew. You went quietly to jail with him. Every other time you tried to make your case. You tried to explain that you were not breaking any laws. You did everything to resist going to jail, but that day you went quietly. How did you know?”

Peralte replied, “Every other time you arrested me. I had no beef with Nintart. I sort of liked the guy.”

“Well, then… I knew. I remember knowing. I remember rushing to the jail to confront you, because I knew.”

Jeraketh said, “So, you knew. The event was happening. All we know right now is that the event is not happening.”

“Come on.” I put my focus again on Dimerkess. “How many of these collapses do you feel personally responsible for?”

The stare was cold, but the response came quickly. “Eight.”

“Anything?”

“No.”

“Peralte?”

“I am hoping that I am watching you and a miracle at the same time, Vetacha.”

I told Leotion that I would help. I told him that I was his sister, and that I would do the best for him. I told him that I wanted him to be happy. I agreed with Dimerkess that the collapse of this reality was not the best. I also knew from personal experience that what was here was joy, was contentment, was a whole lot more than what was there in the original life. There could be better, but at the moment Leotion was comparing it to something very much worse. I told him that I would want to talk to him, as I felt that we came from the similar pasts. I however really did not want his life to completely parallel mine. While Peralte had tried to help me, I set my mind to actually helping Leotion.

“I am going for a walk.”

A number of voices asked me to where. The next chorus chimed that they would go with me. I made it known that would not happen by putting my fingers in my mouth and whistling. I now heard the sounds of people picking themselves up after my horse raced to my side.

“Saroniel, I am depending upon you. I expect you on my call, but you better be there on my whistle. Understand? If not, I will go before Jesus and complain about you.”

The horse nuzzled me to let me know that it understood. I petted the animal to let it know that I was quite pleased with its response. I listened for other voices to also mention understanding my message.

Peralte rubbed an elbow as he said, “Okay, Vetacha, you are going for a walk. What do you want us to do?”

“You claim to have been recognizing symptoms, and being arrested for attempting to resolve them. One, we need to treat the disease and not the symptoms. Second, really? Do you really believe putting a water-powered mill into the stream will resolve the problem?”

“If you can resolve the symptoms, the patient doesn’t suffer.”

I was actually glad that the man was speaking back to me. We needed to exchange ideas. I wanted those around me to feel that they were also under the gun. I however also did not want anyone working with bad data.

“I wasn’t suffering, Peralte. Leotion is not suffering. Let us thus not worry about the symptoms, but try to see past them and target the actual disease.”

“Well, as Dimerkess said, our success rate is not good.”

“Didn’t you once say that the ladies still had their systems working?”

Dimerkess responded to that one. “They put more thought into their designs. It is usually the men that just slap something together. All of the ones that have collapsed have been the less designed realities.”

We laughed for a time about considering that the solution to our problem would be to have God change Leotion into a woman. None of us thought our Father would, and I think a few glanced up with some concern that He would not find the suggestion humorous. After some laughter, we thus hushed to put our mind back on topic.

Assadra said, “Well, this grass is perfect for me. I can move about slow and stay basically unseen. I am thus going to check on the commoners and see if I can detect something in their lifestyles.”

Peralte said, “I am going to find a place and call my ladies to establish camp. I am then going to relax and go over my notes. Maybe what I see here will match with what I saw elsewhere, and what does not match will somehow provide the additional clue to let me see the underlying problem.”

Dimerkess said, “Okay, it all sounds good. Jeraketh and I will mount up and just run a patrol. We might not be able to respond as fast as Saroniel, but we will be there as fast as we can.”

Having a plan, we all proceeded to put them into action. I took time to look over my outfit and assure that Saroniel understood what I would be doing. Assadra undressed, although did put on her bra. Dimerkess and Jeraketh also checked their outfits, before mounting their horses. Peralte came to both of us ladies. I cannot say what he said to Assadra, but he asked me what I wanted to eat.

“Grub. I am working, so something that won’t take my mind off of what I am doing. A beef stew, soup, something like that.”

“I hadn’t thought about that. Okay.”

I had a thought, and with a smile I asked a question of my own. “Oh, Peralte, can any of your ladies work with metal?”

“Pheloshirra can do some basic blacksmithing. She can take a piece of metal and end up shoeing a horse.”

“Okay. How about making me a badge?”