Great Germany Ⅶ My Father, the Dream

　　"Wake up, Ann."

　　Ann blinked, Ann didn't want to get out of bed, but Ann could hear the rustle of clothes in the closet, it was obvious she had to get out of bed. Ann rubbed her sleepy eyes and yawned as she slowly got out of bed. Her father was standing in front of the closet picking out clothes that she should wear today. She would have preferred to pick out her own clothes, but if Ann tried to do it, he'd just tell her what a horrible fashion sense she had.

　　Ann had already given up trying to pick out her own clothes, even though she was 10 years old already, and thought herself capable enough. Her father seemed to think that she couldn't be trusted with that simple task, so Ann had given up resisting a long time ago. It was much easier than the arguments she would get in when she tried to fight against it, after all.

　　"Take your medicine." My father put on his suit and walked over to the bedside table where there were two bottles of medicine. "Do you remember what pills you took this morning?"

　　"Red is the morning pills, white is the evening pills." Ann counted off on her fingers. "Brown is your pills."

　　"Good girl." He ruffled her hair. "Eat your breakfast, then take your pills."

　　Ann nodded and grabbed her clothes from her father before heading to the bathroom. She didn't know why she needed so many pills, but it didn't hurt to take them, so Ann never argued. Even if Ann did argue, he'd still shove the pills down her throat anyway, so it was just easier to take them when asked.

　　Ann brushed her teeth, combed her hair, and changed into her clothes before heading to the chairs for breakfast. Ann ate her cereal and drank her milk and took her pills like a good girl.

　　"I'm going to go now, Ann, let's play a game first, tell me, who am I?" Father sat down in the chair across the room.

　　"Daddy." Ann answered simply.

　　"What do I look like?" He asked.

　　"A white man with short brown hair, blue eyes, and glasses." Ann recited. "You're wearing a black suit, brown shoes, and you've got a silver watch. You smell like alcohol."

　　"Very good girl. What is my name?"

　　"Edward." Ann said. "My name is Ann."

　　"Good," Edward said as he pushed the plate with the charred eggs and kielbasa toward Ann. "Where are we? Why don't I let you out?"

　　Ann stared at the kielbasa, her stomach twisted at the thought of eating it. It was burnt to a crisp, and Ann didn't know why he did it, but every morning he cooked a plate of eggs and kielbasa.

　　"Don't like kielbasa? It's Polish food." He said. "It's your heritage, eat it."

　　Ann frowned as she looked at the food. She didn't want to eat it, but she didn't want to get in trouble either, so she picked up the fork and cut the kielbasa. The outside of the sausage was charred black, the inside was still pink and raw. She stabbed a piece and put it in her mouth. It tasted terrible, Ann couldn't help but make a face as she forced herself to swallow the meat.

　　Edward couldn't help but laugh and took a handkerchief out of his pocket to wipe Ann's mouth. "Well, answer me, where are we?"

　　"We're in the basement." Ann answered.

　　"That's right." Edward nodded. "Finish your breakfast, then you can play with your dolls."

　　Ann sighed with relief and quickly finished her breakfast. She was happy to be done eating and didn't want to eat anything else for the rest of the day.

　　"Those monsters are starting to get kids and I have to protect you." Edward rinsed his plate with his knife and fork in the sink. "You're very important, Ann."

　　"Okay," Ann said.

　　"I don't understand why they're going after kids, but I won't let them hurt you, so you stay in the basement until I find out what's going on." Edward brushed the dishes. "Remember, if you're found by anyone else, you're declared locked up as a dysfunctional child."

　　"You're the only one who can find me." Ann nodded.

　　"Good girl." He dried his hands. "So you can t leave the basement ... house. There's an epidemic out there with the evil police, so remember to take your pills every morning and evening, and I'll come over at night. What do you want?"

　　"I want you to let me go." Ann said.

　　"No, I can't do that." Edward shook his head. "If you're found by them, you'll be killed. How about a tabletop game with a pot of flowers?"

　　Ann thought for a moment, then nodded.

　　"Good girl, I'll bring it to you when I'm back tonight." Edward said. "Then you can take a nap. I'm going to go now."

　　Edward picked up the plate and went up the stairs. He turned the key in the lock and opened the door, then closed it behind him, leaving Ann alone in the basement.

　　Ann got up and walked around the basement, it was a large basement. Ann's bedroom and bathroom were at the far end, then a separate room for eating and playing, then her father's kitchen, and finally the stairwell closest to the door, where shoes and flower pots were held.

　　There was a table in the eating area, and Ann sat down at the table with her dolls. Her father had given her a set of dolls, one boy and four girls. Ann played with her dolls for a while, then stopped and looked around. She didn't know what to do.

　　Ann put down the dolls and walked to her bed. Ann took off her clothes and got into the bed, closing her eyes to sleep.

　　——

　　When Ann opened her eyes, the lights in the basement were on. She sat up and saw Edward sitting on the side of her bed.

　　"Daddy, are you back?" Ann asked.

　　"Yes." Edward placed a board game next to his bed and held a small white cat in his arms. "I was worried you were getting too lonely and bought a cat."

　　"I like cats." Ann smiled.

　　"Good girl, it's a very smart cat." He said. "It's very docile and will never hurt you."

　　"What's its name?" "I haven't thought about it, you pick a name." Edward put the kitten on the bed. "Don't crush it when you sleep, I also bought a bag of cat food with a litter box. The cat will go potty in the sandbox."

　　Ann picked up the kitten and looked at it. It was a very white cat, with beautiful blue eyes. It was very docile, Ann thought, and didn't even move when she picked it up, so it was definitely a good cat. "What's a sandbox?"

　　"Tubs filled with sand, you'll know if you go out there." He said. "Do you want me to let you out?"

　　"No, I don't want to be declared maniac." Ann shook her head.

　　"Good girl." He ruffled her hair. "Then go ahead and play with your new pet, I'll make dinner." Edward stood up and walked to the kitchen area.

　　Ann picked up her doll and looked at the cat. It was a cute cat, and it stared at Ann for a long time, then curled up into a ball on the bed. Ann reached out and petted the cat, and the cat purred softly.

　　"Ann, come over here for a minute and I'll teach you to cook." Edward said.

　　"Okay." Ann put down her dolls and walked over to the kitchen.

　　"We're going to make spaghetti and meatballs, do you like meatballs?" Edward asked.

　　"Meatballs are nice." Ann nodded.

　　"Alright, first you take some flour, eggs, and breadcrumbs and mix them together with some ground beef and cheese." Edward said as he got out a small bowl, handing Ann a pot. "Then shape it into meatballs, let's fry them first."

　　Ann repeated her father's actions and made a meatball. "I don't understand what you're talking about. What's beef versus cheese?"

　　"Beef is beef, and cheese is cheese."

　　"Why can't I use a bigger mixing bowl?" Ann asked.

　　"Meatballs need to be small and big batches are a hassle to process. I'll be getting a microwave with a TV over later, do you know how to heat up the food in the fridge? Then they'll be ready to go in one place, just heat them up, no need to clean out the pan after." Edward said as he poured oil in the small pot on the countertop.

　　Ann couldn't quite figure out what he was saying, but he was clearly busy talking about something Ann couldn't understand. Ann didn't say anything and did as she was told, mashing the mixture up in the bowl and forming it into a ball, setting the bowl aside and opening the plastic bag, taking out the small cubes of beef, mixing it in with the rest of the ingredients in the bowl.

　　——

　　Ann woke up to the sound of the little white cat on her head meowing. She frowned, her neck and back were sore, and she rolled to her side, only to see Edward leaning over, smiling at her. Ann grumbled and opened her eyes, looking at Edward.

　　"How was your sleep?"

　　"Very tired." Ann said.

　　"Understand, you woke up in the middle of the night and thought the meatballs were ants." Edward said as he carried Ann's pillow over and rubbed it. "Lie down on your stomach."

　　Ann rubbed her sore neck and did as she was told. She rested her chin on the pillow, letting her head settle as Edward pushed down on the pillow. "My shoulder hurts a little, I don't know why."

　　"It's your growth spurt. Your body is growing and you need to rest."

　　"Can I sleep in today?" Ann asked.

　　"Do you think you have a good record of taking your pills?" Edward picked up the white pills on the nightstand. "Have you ever woken up in the middle of the night before?"

　　"Not lately." Ann said.

　　"Has anything been off?" Edward asked. "We don't want any nightmares."

　　Ann blinked and watched the cat roll over in her lap, exposing its white, hairy belly. "I don't know, I had a weird dream yesterday, someone spoke to me in the dark, I told him it was a dream, he told me it was a dream then laughed."

　　"Oh ... Is that all?" Edward rubbed Ann's arm. "Is that all, then?"

　　"Yes."

　　Edward picked up the white pill bottle from the nightstand and observed it. "Developing resistance?" He thought for a while.

　　Ann lay back on the pillow, frowning at the discomfort in her neck and shoulders.

　　"Okay, drink your pills, then take a day off." He placed the cup and the pills in Ann's hands. "Do you trust Dad?"

　　"Huh?" Ann raised the pills to her mouth.

　　"Drink them, or do you want me to help you?"

　　"You did it ... Before." Ann answered. "Are they really vitamins?"

　　Edward clicked his tongue, staring at Ann in surprise, seemingly taken aback.

　　"You told me that vitamins are sugar and don't hurt," Ann explained. "Are they not the same, is there another kind of vitamins ..."

　　"It's vitamins." Edward smiled and patted Ann on the head. "Trust dad, okay?"

　　"Of course, I trust dad." Ann put the pills in her mouth and took a sip of water from the glass. She looked up and Edward was staring at her intently.

　　"Sleep a bit more, I'll work for you until you wake up." Edward ruffled Ann's hair. "I promise I'll fix your shoulder."

　　Ann smiled and lay down in her bed, closing her eyes. Just as she was about to fall asleep, she felt something cold on her cheek. She opened her eyes and saw Edward swiping a gauze around her cheek, and then she was asleep.

　　——

　　Ann reopened her eyes, which were dark and hazy, the red light painting a pale streak of brightness across her bed. Everything around us is fuzzy, and there is a strange smell, hard to tell where it's coming from.

　　Familiar surroundings were gradually revealed, the walls taking on a twisted and distorted appearance, the room dark and silent. Ann opened her eyes in the darkness, her vision blurring and focusing again. The ceiling above her blurred for a moment, then became clear. She was no longer in bed, her legs slightly kicking in the dark.

　　Anne felt like she wasn't in bed again, and was in the middle of a twisted and warped stairwell with a faint glow from the iron door on the stairs. There were no windows or lamps, only a dingy and crumbling stone-like chamber. The stairs continued to twist down into the darkness, and just barely lit by the glow of the rusty door, and covered with yellow blotches of mold and algae.

　　Ann closed her eyes and opened her eyes again, what she saw did not change. Ann looked around, the air and water level were strangely stagnant and humid. her toes hardly touching the stairs.

　　Edward's voice came from the hallway of the basement, but it sounded very odd. "Come here, the vents aren't fixed yet, just wait a few days."

　　Ann sat up and looked at the stairs in front of him. This is definitely her father's basement, she had a similar eerie feeling before. Where was that feeling coming from, where had she seen those stairs before, and more importantly, where did they lead?

　　"Ann, come here, don't stand in the doorway." The strange voice sounded again. "Do you want to go out? What do you think is outside the door?"

　　Ann turned back and sat on the stairs, his heart beating fast. The stench permeated through the air and filled the basement, and a small light came from the corridor just inside the basement door, just enough to faintly light up the steps below.

　　"Don't want me to repeat myself, come here, next time I'll lock the door & not feed you." The voice rang out again.

　　The voice is right, Ann found a trace of familiarity. Slowly, as if in a dream, Ann's brain reconstructed the details of her dream a day earlier, slowly.

　　Ann stumbled to his feet and ran up the stairs and slammed open the door of the basement, revealing the source of the cold light outside.

　　——

　　"Ah!" Ann reopened her eyes, awakening from the odd dream of the afternoon. The cat meowed next to her, the light shining through the closed curtains. Ann got out of bed, dazed, rubbing her eyes, checking the time on the clock at the end of the bed, surprised to find that it had been past noon.

　　A book sat on the nightstand with a torn note. The light of the window slowly spilled into the basement, gradually revealing the appearance of the small white kitten that had fallen asleep on Ann's lap.

　　'Birthday present, a diary for you, I'll be back with a cake in the evening if I make it back, if not, I'll be three days late. There are leftover meatballs with water in the fridge.'

　　Ann shook her head at the unusually messy handwriting of Edward, placing the diary back on the nightstand. Ann got out of bed and walked to the bathroom to pee, washed her hands and face, brushed her teeth and stared in the mirror. Her bleary eyes, short reddish brown hair with long bangs, and thin collarbone-length hair reflected in the bathroom mirror. Ann took a few steps back, noting that her shoulders had grown slightly larger than a week ago, her hips had slimmed down, and her waist had slimmed down. ... Ann turned sideways, frowning in the mirror, wondering if she was growing up? Ann thought she hadn't changed very much, and thought it was just her imagination. She opened the closet in the bedroom and looked for something to wear.

　　——

　　After three days.

　　Ann stood at the base of the stairs, frowning. The door above was locked, this time by a very heavy iron lock instead of the previous bolt, making a loud metallic sound. The only thing left for Ann was to press the buzzer to let Edward know she was awake.

　　Three days had passed, the fridge had been depleted of food and ingredients, and Edward still hadn't shown up.

　　"Dad, are you there? I've woken up." Ann gently pressed the call button. No answer. Ann just now gave up, frowning at the iron door. Ann carefully inspected the iron door, not a spot of rust on it. She kicked at the door, letting out a series of loud bangs, the door didn't move, or make a single squeak.

　　Ann wriggled away and went back to the bed next to the cat, picking up her new diary with the previous box of crayons to write in. Not sure what to write, just write down today's date. Maybe it was a dream? Ann felt quite annoyed when she thought of it, and the cat didn't give her any comfort, lying as it had been on its side, not as cuddly as it usually was.

　　Her stomach drumming with hunger, Ann closed her eyes and drifted into the dream mirror. The warped walls still surrounded Ann, the darkness still swallowed her. Ann tilted his head, confused, the surroundings should be different after the afternoon nap.

　　Maybe it was something I dreamed after drinking the medicine, but ... Ann re-stared at the three different colored bottles of medicine on the bedside table, to take the pills or not to take the pills?

　　Ann rubbed her head, then opened the bottle containing the pills and swallowed the pill. On top of it is just vitamins. After all, she had been drinking these pills for years, it's been a decade now, it couldn't be anything dangerous.