One
The Dream Gazer
► CHAPTER ONE
(ZHANG YIXING)
Science say dreams are mental activities. Religion say, a prophesy or a hidden message. Society says, a norm. For our clan, dreams equate to lifestyle. Tradition, I may say.
Several hours from this very moment, I will be turning twenty-two. For everyone else, considering the ordinary people or jiandans in particular, it's nothing but a good old reason to blow a candle, get drunk or make a wish. For us dream gazers, however, it is a highlight of our history.
The next instance the sun rises, I will be receiving the gift - being an official dream gazer.
I sit at the middle of the chief's grand hall, listening to the babbling of what they call the Annals of the Dream Gazers. It's really not as grandous as it sounds. It basically embodies the do's and don'ts of being an official dream gazer. Honestly, I don't get why the whole thick compilation needs being read to me. Wasn't the years of education enough to encrypt those tidbits of common sense into my mind?
Inside the hall, rows of chairs and book shelves design the red and grey interiors. On the walls hang the antique portraits of the clan's chief through the years. The last before the present was my grandfather. If only he's still around, I could have looked forward to this event better. He could have been so proud of me. After all, he was my greatest mentor.
At the first front rows are the elder members of the clan - some barely even able to hear or open their eyes. Everyone looks so impassive and straight faced as if I'd be put to prison or sentenced to death rather than being prepared to recieve the gift.
I tighten my jaw to cease myself from yawning. I could have taken my mother's word seriously when he told me to sleep earlier last night.
From where I am, I could see a row of pursed lips or if not, mocking smirks. I know they wanted to laugh, seeing my obviously bored expression. Xiumin, being the eldest among the row of mocking audience, shakes his head and nudges Luhan to keep still.
"Having fun?" Kris mouths as Suho and Luhan gives up in stopping themselves from laughing. Seriously, what is so funny in my situation? I don't find this amusing at all. I swear this is the longest twenty minutes of my life.
If not for the council in fornt of me, I could have rolled my eyes at them.
I almost jumped as the council speaker shut the book close. I watch her as she bow to the chief and return the book to the shelf.
"Zhang Yixing." Mr. Zhou, the chief cleared his throat. "Do you have any concerns that may need to be imparted to the council?"
"I don't have any other concers, chief." I reply, trying my best to hide my boredom and to sound polite.
"Being the late Chief Zhang's eldest and only grandson," another member of teh council began. "We expect a lot from you. Failure to follow the set regulations will entail consequences, you know that. The Zhangs never makes mistakes."
"I understand that, madam." I nod. I shift from my seat as I glance at the clock. It had already been more than an hour.
I take a brief look at my friends, and realize that the mocking row turned silent. I see Suho's eyes about to close and Xiumin, yawning. I imagine the younger ones perhaps playing sports outdoors or jamming into music at Sehun's house. But hey, here we are, sitting with the whole congregation of official dream gazers, counting each tick of the clock before the session ends.
This is exactly why I don't really look forward to receiving the gift as much as some clan members do. To be honest, all I'm ever interested in is playing at some dreams. No pointing of fingers at me though. Luhan and Suho are the typicals to that.
"If you don't have any more concers, then you and all the rest may take your leave now." The chief speaks louder. I wonder how he does that despite his old age. "The council and I will be planning on your first course as an official."
Right! I almost forgot that. At the start of every official's twenty-second year is a primary course. In simple terms, a mission. Bring it on! I'm up for some challenge.
Kris high-fives me as soon as we storm out the hall. Luhan, Suho and Xiumin continues to laugh. If I don't know them, I could have thought they're underaged. When will these kids actually grow up? Well, nobody really cared. After all, we have been labeled as the troublemakers by the whole clan - all twelve of us, that is.
"You should have seen your face," Suho tells me, still laughing. "Too bad, Kris forgot to bring a camera."
"As if that's allowed." I say impassively.
"Seriously, Yixing." Luhan pauses to shake his head. "You just couldn't hide your boredom. There was a neon-lighted signage of I am so bored; end this now. on your forehead while you sat there."
"Are you kidding, Luhan?" Xiumin taps my shoulder. "You looked worse back then. If Yixing's was a boredom signage, yours was definitely a billboard."
If there's one thing I could be thankful for in being with these troublemakes, however, it would be the way they make me feel normal. For them, I'm not Chief Zhang's grandson or the Zhang's successor of all good reputations. For them, I'm just Yixing. Plain simple Yixing. With them, I sometimes forget being a member of the dream gazer clan. With the troubles we have made, all we hoped was feeling how it is being a jiandan - no tradition-tied rules to follow, no council to fear and no dream to take repsonsibility for.
Here's a fact. Dream gazers, official or not, never dream. Sleep is blank for our clan.
That's why we, the twelve troublemakers, bound together. We share the same hope. That is to experience dreaming. We always wonder why jiandans are so hooked on dreams. They say they see images of what they want or of memories they had. We want that, too. We just can't.
"So, whose dream you want to look into first?" Kris asks. "Have some jiandan in mind?"
I shrug. "No one in particular."
"Oh come on." Suho smirks. "Mine was someone I met at work. You see, she became my girlfriend in a matter of days. Have I mentioned manipulating her dreams?"
Manipulating dreams for our own benefit is a prohibition for us, but Suho is Suho. He equates to disobediece and vanity.
"You said that countless of times already." Xiumin smirks. "And you broke up with her in days time as well. My first dream subject is that big obese bully at work. I directed a nightmare at him."
"Come on, Yixing." Luhan rests his hand on my shoulder. "No one in mind?"
"No one." I shrug again. "I'm not even so excited. Anyway," I sigh. "I want to wind up before turning a year older."
I walk away from them and wave my hand without looking back. "I'll be back before midnight. Don't look for me and don't tell mama I'm out."
author's note
Hello. That's been the first chapter.
How is it so far?
Don't forget to subscribe and comment, okay? ^^
Comments