Chapter 25: Saving Paolo

"So what are we going to do now?"

"I don't know. If somehow we can get into the dream world we can stop Somnus."

"But how?"

"I have no idea."

Just then, they heard faint voices around them.

"Help! Help me!"

"Anyone! Please save me!"

"No!"

"That sounds like them!"

"Maybe there's still an opening to the dream world somewhere in this room."

"Yeah, I think so too. But where can it be?"

Cassandra and Raffy turned the room upside-down looking for the opening to the dream world.

"The portal should be here."

"How about in the other room?"

"This is the last place where they disappeared. It should be here."

Then something hit Raffy in the head.

"Hey, what is this? Where did this slipper come from?"

"Raffy, I think you should look up."

Raffy looked at what Cassandra is looking at. Right there directly above him is a portal, an opening to the dream world.

"We've been looking for ages and it's only right there?"

"Guess so. So, how do we get in?"

"I suppose we'll just jump through it."

Raffy pulled one of the beds in the room and placed it below the opening. He placed a chair on top of the bed for them to reach the portal.

"I'll go first. There might be someone expecting us."

"Be careful."

Raffy climbed on top of the chair and jumped into the portal.

"Raffy, are you all right?"

"Yes. Here, let me help you up."

Cassandra climbed on top of the chair, just like what Raffy did. Raffy held his hand out to help her into the portal.

Once Cassandra stepped into the dream world, the portal closed.

"Looks like somebody's expecting us."

"I guess so. Whoever left that portal opened wanted us here."

"Cassandra, where exactly are we?"

"The dream world I guess."

Raffy and Cassandra are inside a white endless void.

"This is the dream world? I expected it to be more like something peaceful or something horrible, not like this."

Then they heard a scream coming from behind them.

"Help! Anybody, help me please! I'm afraid!"

"I think that could be one of your friends."

"That sounded like Paolo!"

They ran towards where the scream was coming from, hoping they would see something.

"Raffy, running is no use. We're inside an endless blank zone."

"I know that, but somehow I feel we're close to him. I just know it."

"Help!"

"Did you hear that, Raffy? That sounded close!"

"I know. But we have no idea where it is exactly."

"Wait a second..."

"What is it?"

"It sounded like it came from the floor."

Raffy place his ears on the floor hoping to hear a scream.

"Help me! I'm afraid!"

"It did come from floor. Paolo's underneath this floor!"

"But how can we get through to him?"

"Let me handle that."

Raffy's hands burst into flames and started punching the floor hoping it would give in.

"Raffy, are you sure of what you're doing?"

"I think so. It's the only way I know that we can get to him."

"I know the dream of everyone in the world is interconnected with each other. So there should be a cutoff point of a dream in every other dream."

"What do you mean?"

"It's like a river dividing two pieces of land. There should be a cutoff point somewhere here but I do not think there is one. I think Somnus planned this whole thing and trapped us somewhere."

"I believe that this is the dream world. Only, this isn't a dream because no one's dreaming it. Isn't it that day dreaming is considered dreaming?"

"I think so. Why?"

Raffy closed his eyes and imagined him and Cassandra seeing Paolo.

"Raffy what are you..."

Slowly, the void where Raffy and Cassandra are at changed into a view where they are on top of a building.

"Help!"

"Raffy, I see him! I see Paolo!"

"Where?"

However, once Raffy opened his eyes, everything disappeared and they were back inside the void.

"Where is he?"

"Everything just disappeared. It's maybe because we have not yet connected with his dream."

"But how can we do that?"

"I have an idea. Imagine us seeing Paolo again. I'm going to do something."

"If you say so."

Raffy closed his eyes again and imagined them seeing Paolo. Once again, the void changed into the building rooftop with Paolo standing right at the edge of the building.

"Is it working?"

"Yes, just keep imagining it."

Cassandra held Raffy's hand and walked towards Paolo.

"Where are we going?"

"Don't open your eyes. Just imagine us seeing Paolo. Trust me. Open your eyes once I tell you to."

Cassandra held out her hand and tried to grab Paolo's clothing, but her hand just went through his clothing.

"Raffy, imagine these things that I'm about to tell you."

"Okay."

"Imagine that Paolo's standing right at the edge of a building. That I am holding your hand in one hand and my other hand is trying to grab him."

"What? Is that what you're seeing right now?"

"Just do it!"

Raffy concentrated on the scene Cassandra told him to imagine. Cassandra tried once again to grab Paolo's shirt, this time, she felt it but wasn't able to grab it.

"Can I open my eyes yet?"

"Not yet. Just a little more Raffy."

Cassandra held out her hand and finally grabbed Paolo's shirt.

"Now Raffy! Open your eyes!"

When Raffy opened his eyes, the scene remained there. They were on top of a building with Paolo on the edge of the building.

"Paolo!"

"Raffy? Is that you? Help me!"

"Here, give me your hand."

"I can't...I can't move."

"You can do it. You don't have to jump. Let us help you."

Cassandra walked over to the edge to see how high they were. To her surprise, they were only a couple of feet high above the ground.

"Raffy, you might want to see this."

"Who are you?"

"Hello, my name is Cassandra."

"That's a beautiful name. Can you help me?"

"You can do it Paolo, you can jump."

"I...I can't. I'm afraid of heights."

"But we're not that high above the ground."

"Yes we are!"

"What is it Cassandra?"

"You might want to look over the edge Raffy."

Raffy looked and saw that they were only a couple of feet above the ground.

"You must be joking."

"No, I'm not."

"Paolo, you can do this!"

"No I can't! I'm afraid!"

"The only way for you not to be afraid is to jump this."

"But I can't."

"Don't worry, Raffy and I will jump with you."

"Really?"

"Yes, really"

"All right. Cassandra, Paolo, when I count to three, we jump."

"Wait."

"Don't worry, Paolo, you can do this."

"Do we jump on three or go?"

"What kind of question is that? Who said anything about going on go?"

"Nothing, I just thought...never mind."

"All right...one...two...three!"

Raffy, Paolo, and Cassandra jumped the building and were in the ground in moments.

"Now that wasn't that bad is it Paolo? Paolo?"

Raffy and Cassandra looked around but they didn’t see Paolo.

"Where could he be?"

"He's back in the room sleeping."

"How did you know?"

"I'm a psychic remember? I saw him in my vision sleeping soundly on his bed."

"So this is Paolo's dream?"

"It's not that bad."

Raffy and Cassandra are standing beside a miniature building surrounded by more miniature buildings. Then they heard another scream.

"Help!"

"That sounded like Pinggoy. Where did it come from?"

"Right there."

Raffy looked towards the place where Cassandra is pointing her finger. He looked amazed when he saw that Paolo's dream had a cutoff point connected to Pinggoy's dream.

"Shall we go then?"

"Yes, we shall."

Cassandra gave Raffy a smile and they went to Pinggoy's dream.