Weird Vision

Chapter 25 Weird Vision

After their simple strategic planning session, Rick and Leo made their way to the bustling Gee City train station. The air was thick with the scent of coal smoke and the excited murmur of travelers. The grand archway of the station loomed above them, a testament to the city's ambition.

They approached the ticket booth, a long line of people already snaking away from it. Rick took his place in the queue, Leo standing patiently beside him. The wait gave Rick time to think, to mentally review his plans. He had to ensure every step was meticulously executed. The thought of Jenny crossed his mind, and a pang of concern hit him.

When it was their turn, Rick stepped up to the counter. "Two tickets to Metro Mee City, please," he requested. "Overnight train. First class."

The ticket agent, a stern-faced woman with a neatly tied bun, looked up. "First class will be a substantial amount, sir. Are you sure?"

Rick simply nodded, "We need comfortable travel. It's a long journey."

She quoted the price, which, while indeed substantial for their era, was a mere fraction of their recent winnings. Rick paid with a wad of 1,000.00 Poh bills, the sound of their crispness echoing slightly in the quiet of the booth. The agent counted the money, her eyebrows slightly raised at the amount, and then slid two ornate train tickets across the counter.

As they walked away from the booth, tickets in hand, Leo whistled softly. "First class, huh? We're really going all out!"

"Only the best for our venture," Rick said. "A comfortable journey means we arrive refreshed and ready to work." He clutched the tickets, the anticipation of the journey, and what lay beyond, building within him.

"So, when are we telling Jenny?" Leo asked casually, interrupting Rick's thoughts.

Rick stopped, turning to face Leo. His expression became serious. "We're not. Not about the real purpose of our trip to Metro Mee City, anyway."

Leo looked surprised. "What? Why not? She's your girlfriend, Rick. She'd be excited to hear about this."

"Precisely," Rick said, his voice firm. "And that's why she can't come with us. This trip isn't a vacation, Leo. It's a… business venture, and a potentially dangerous one. We'll be dealing with large sums of money, and we need to be extremely careful. Bringing Jenny along would put her at unnecessary risk. I can't let that happen."

Leo's initial surprise gave way to understanding. He already knew of the danger, but he just did not recognize it as he had not experienced it before.

"You are a very thoughtful boyfriend…" Leo patted Rick on his shoulder.

"Exactly," Rick confirmed. "Once word gets out that someone won a million Poh in the lottery, it won't be long before unsavory characters take an interest. We need to be discreet, and that means keeping a tight circle. Jenny is… she's not equipped for this kind of situation. And I wouldn't forgive myself if anything happened to her because of me."

"I understand," Leo said, his earlier excitement tempered by the gravity of Rick's words. "So, what are you going to tell her?"

"I'll tell her I'm going to Metro Mee City for a few days for a 'secret business venture' I've been working on. Something that requires my full attention and discretion. She'll be skeptical, but she'll understand that it's important. She's a smart girl." Rick felt a pang of guilt at the deception, but he knew it was for her own good. He just couldn't risk her. The future without her, the lonely years he had endured, made him fiercely protective.

…

With their train tickets secured and their plans firming up, Rick and Leo decided to head back to Bee City. The afternoon sun was beginning its descent, casting long shadows across the streets. They boarded a local bus, the journey back a quieter affair than their trip to Gee City. Leo, though still excited, was now more pensive, absorbing the weight of their grand undertaking. Rick, too, was deep in thought, a long and challenging road ahead, but he was determined. He had a chance to rewrite his past, to save Jenny, and he would seize it with both hands.

…

Rick's eyes fluttered open. The soft morning light filtered through his bedroom window, casting a warm glow on his familiar surroundings. He blinked, the remnants of the dream slowly dissipating, leaving behind a lingering sensation of bustling train stations and the crisp feel of Poh bills. He looked at the bedside clock. 6:00 AM. Exactly seven hours. He had slept from 11 PM, after returning from his past-life adventure, until now. The consistent duration of his dreams, a bizarre yet comforting constant, was a clear indicator that his nightly excursions into the past were indeed real.

He stretched, feeling a peculiar mix of mental exhaustion and renewed vigor. The dream had been intense, filled with significant steps towards his ultimate goal. The money, the train tickets, the crucial decision to keep Jenny out of the immediate danger – it all felt incredibly real.

Today, Rick decided, would be a day for the present. He had a strange urge to visit his old ancestral home. It had been a few days since he had last set foot there, the property now lying vacant and somewhat dilapidated after his family had not visited it for a long time and they had moved to their grander residence in the city center. A nostalgic tug pulled at him, a desire to reconnect with a simpler time.

He dressed in comfortable clothes and drove his sleek, modern car through the familiar streets of Bee City. As he approached the old neighborhood, a sense of quiet anticipation settled over him. The trees were taller, the houses a little more weathered, but the essence of the place remained.

This is at the outskirts of the city. A place away from the city's bustling life.

Then, he turned onto the narrow street where his old house stood. The car went up the slanted road, but as he neared, Rick slammed on the brakes. His eyes widened in disbelief.

The old ancestral house was… different. Hugely different.

Where once a modest, single-story structure had stood, there now loomed a two-story building. The original simple concrete facade had been replaced with what looked like sturdy brickwork on the ground floor, topped by a second story with larger windows and a newly tiled roof. It wasn't just bigger; it was grander, more substantial. The paint was fresh, the trim immaculate. It looked like a well-maintained, prosperous family home.

Rick stared, dumbfounded. A wave of confusion, then concern, washed over him. He knew his actions in the past could possibly alter the present, but this was a physical manifestation on a scale he hadn't fully anticipated. He had only been dreaming himself back for more than a month, and already, his childhood home had undergone a complete architectural overhaul? It was baffling.

What in the world have I done? he wondered, a knot forming in his stomach. His immediate worry was that he might have inadvertently erased or negatively impacted his family's future. What if this change meant his parents hadn't lived there, or that his brother Erk hadn't grown up in the familiar confines?

But then, a different emotion began to bubble up. A spark of excitement. This transformation, however unsettling, was undeniable proof of his influence. It meant he could change things. He could improve the lives of those he cared about. If he could make his humble childhood home a grander, more secure place, what else could he achieve? Perhaps his future self, with the knowledge of past financial successes, had invested in his family home, or perhaps his past self had done so under his guidance. The possibilities, though daunting, were also thrilling.

However, before he could fully immerse himself in this exciting conjecture, a strange sensation began to creep over him. His vision, which had been perfectly clear moments ago, started to dim. The vibrant colors of the street seemed to mute, and a faint grayness crept in from the edges of his sight. Simultaneously, a dull ache began in his head, slowly intensifying, particularly behind his eyes. It felt like an invisible vise was tightening around his skull, pressing down on his optic nerves. The initial excitement quickly gave way to a growing sense of unease, then alarm. The pain escalated, a sharp, piercing discomfort that made him wince. He instinctively squeezed his eyes shut, trying to alleviate the pressure, but it only seemed to worsen. The world around him spun, and a dizzying wave of nausea washed over him.

His last coherent thought before darkness consumed him was a desperate plea: What's happening to me?

…

Rick awoke with a jolt, finding himself sprawled on the lush green lawn in front of his old, now transformed, house. The morning sun, though still bright, felt gentler on his face than the harsh, oppressive light he remembered just moments before. He pushed himself up, his muscles aching slightly. His head still throbbed, but the intense, blinding pain had subsided into a dull ache. He blinked, trying to clear his vision, which still felt… off. Everything seemed sharper, more defined, yet at the same time, there was a strange, almost ethereal quality to the air.

He looked around, disoriented. It was definitely still morning. He must have blacked out. But why? As he slowly regained his bearings, he noticed it.

Wisps of black smoke were gently rising from various objects around the old house. A faint tendril curled from the cracked brick of the old well. A thin plume wafted from the rusting iron gate. Even the ancient, gnarled mango tree in the corner of the yard seemed to exhale a faint black vapor. It was subtle, almost imperceptible against the bright morning light, but it was there. And it was profoundly weird.