Dreamscape

Your story finally came to an end. After all your struggles and all your tears you've finally met the end - you died, then, as all people eventually do. Perhaps you believed you'd find yourself in Heaven. Maybe more likely you thought you'd wake up in Hell. Either way, you were wrong: you woke into a new life. The life you always wanted to lead without the blood and the struggle and the grief.

Only there's something that you begin to find different after a few decades - you begin seeing other people. People who aren't supposed to be there. They seem from a different time or place, like characters from a genre wholly unrelated to your own.

And you have no idea how they got there.

That is where the story begins. . .

Spoiler

WHOO TIME FOR DAD!KRATZER™

Engel pushed his glasses back up his nose, reading the last of a large pile of midterm projects for the German class he taught at the local high school. He'd needed glasses for many years but hadn't really bothered to get them until Elvire finally got sick of his inability to read anything closer than five feet to his face and made him get some. Admittedly, it did help, especially since he was teaching now; correcting papers and homework when he could hardly read it was rather difficult.

He glanced down at his watch. Only five minutes left if he wanted to be able to make it to Adrien's birthday party on time. He'd promised his wife he'd be there to help her with the herd of middle school children that were going to fill the house, and he'd also told her he would help drive said children since she was going to be busy getting the house ready.

A+, he wrote and circled on the top of the page, then produced a little gold star sticker and popped it next to the grade. Engel smiled and looked towards the ebony rosary that dangled from the rear view mirror.

Ah, if only his brother could see him now. After everything, he'd finally managed to have a normal life. A successful one. A sober one. With three healthy children and a lovely wife and a stable job that didn't require killing.

He slipped the key into the car and backed out of the parking lot. Bruno had told him he was going to stay late at school so he could get some homework help from a friend, and then come home for Adrien's birthday, so Engel wouldn't be driving him that day - he didn't quite have enough room, anyways, so it'd worked out for the best.

Fifteen minutes later and his minivan was stock full of sixth and seventh graders along with their backpacks and chatter.

"Hallo!" he greeted as they piled in. "How was school today? Any cupcakes from class leftover?"

"Nein, Dad," Adrien answered. "They all got eaten because Ada stole some this morning."

"Did not!" his daughter protested. At only seven years of age, she was usually the one who got blamed for things by Adrien, since he looked up too much to his older brother.

"Ja, ja, just hand me the empty bag then, your mother's going to kill me if I lose the only insulated one," he said, and Adrien obliged before once more getting distracted with his friends.



Soon enough the herd of school children was pouring out of his vehicle and into his house where Elvire was waiting with a small smile on her lips despite the stress she'd been through all day to get things together. This is what made it all worth it. She grinned up at him as he came up the stepping stones across the lawn that he'd turned into a garden the summer before with the help of the kids.

"How was school?" she asked him as he pulled off his boots inside.

"Ah, well, same as always," he laughed. "You were right about the glasses."

"Of course I was," she said, shoving a stack of paper plates, cups, and utensils at him. "The fruit's in the fridge and the table's in the garage, just fold it out and put everything down like the useful man I know you are."

"Ja, anything for you," he said, quickly getting to work as she went to make sure the kids weren't doing anything too crazy with a small smile on his lips. Nineteen years and he still couldn't believe all of this was real.

Adeline stared at herself in the mirror as she put on favorite pair of dangling pearl earrings. A sense of strange vertigo caused her to pause a moment. Dropping her arms, she peered closer at herself. The eyes that stared back were her own, of course- steady and blue. Her face was also her own, and yet- she couldn't shake the feeling that there was something off about this moment.

Perturbed by the silence in the small bathroom, she started humming to herself as she finished getting ready. A sharp knock on the door caused her to jump slightly, and she reached over to open it.

"Are you nearly done in here? Dejan just texted. Everyone else is already at the restaurant." Marcus leaned in the doorway, a smile of amusement curling on his lips.

"Argh- Marcus! You could have let me know we were going to be late," she glanced down at her watch and pushed him out the bathroom door with her other hand, "what- half an hour ago!?"

He laughed and deftly brushed a hand through her hair.

"Hey, I didn't want to rush you. And no one cares if we're on time or not, it's only the guys and Bella." He swooped down to kiss her cheek. "you look gorgeous, by the way."

With a sigh and a barely-concealed smile, Adeline pointed a finger towards to door.

"Out, out! To the car!"

Grabbing her purse and keys on the way out the door, she followed Marcus outside and claimed the passenger seat of her Volkswagen. She knew he liked to drive her car, and she usually let him.

Marcus slid into the driver's seat and patted his pockets. He looked over, "Did you grab the-"

"Keys, Captain." She passed them over.

"You know, you've still never explained the nickname to me." He started the car and backed out of driveway, glancing at her in between looks over his shoulder.

"Can't we just call it cute and endearing and be done with it?" Adeline raised her eyebrow. Truth was, 'Captain' was just a personal sentiment to her, for some reason. One that she connected with Marcus. It was hard to explain, and not without its fair share of embarrassment.

She boiled it down to whatever gave her the vertigo when she looked into the mirror.



Around the dining table, Dejan, Casey, and Bella picked up the usual incessant chatter, broken up by the soft clinks of silverware and glasses. Adeline sat back and listened to it while she slowly enjoyed her food, a sense of comfort enveloping her.

"Okay, okay-" Casey paused mid-conversation and directed his attention toward Marcus and Adeline. "Something's up with you two. I mean, it's great that you invited us here, don't get me wrong, but we haven't seen either of you in weeks!"

Casey squinted and leaned forward, an air of amusement about him. "You aren't getting married, by any chance, are you?"

The table fell silent, and Adeline exchanged a surprised glance with Marcus. Breaking into smile, she dramatically raised her left hand where her friends could see, the engagement ring there twinkling by the low candlelight. Altogether, the silence was broken and their small group broke into loud whoops and cheers.

"About time!" Dejan hollered, clapping Marcus on the back. "please tell me you were planning on telling us tonight."

"Obviously." Adeline laughed.

"But Bella, I told you not to tell anyone!" she looked over at her girlfriend, who gave her a guilty look in exchange.

"I didn't straight up tell Casey, I swear! He just- tricked me into giving a lot of hints." Bella elbowed Casey.

Adeline continued this happy banter with her friends and her fiance, her cheeks pleasantly sore on account of her constant smiling. At some point, she lifted her wine glass to her lips and caught her warped likeness in the glass. For an instant, the smile left her face as the familiar unfamiliar pang hit her.

Was it too much to ask of herself to just enjoy life's little miracles? Or would she always doubt herself and her reality every time she looked at her reflection?