Only Human: Before and After

Chapter 137: June Jackson

I studied Geralt while curled up in one his chairs. He was reading again. I tried to read the cover, but it was gibberish and it would change every time I got another look at it. I couldn't fathom why Geralt kept coming into my dream space if all he was going to do was just sit there and read some nonsense book. Outside of his initial greeting, Geralt didn't say a word to me. He didn't seem to be giving me the cold shoulder. In fact, he looked perfectly content sitting there while I sat here. I tried to leave the room earlier, but Geralt's dream shenanigans prevented me from doing so. I tried to fight him at first, but he was far more skilled at manipulating the dream space and I was afraid of revealing something else about my waking world. So here I sat. Bored out of my mind.

"What are you even reading?" I finally asked consumed by both my boredom and curiosity.

Geralt's crimson eyes looked up from his book at me. "Are you interested in me?" He asked playfully.

I sat straight and scoffed. "No. I'm interested in what you could be reading while keeping me hostage in my own dream space." I spat.

He looked back down at the pages before him. "You're not a hostage. You can leave anytime you want."

"Can I?" I asked skeptically.

"You can try. All you have to do is out maneuver me." Geralt shrugged with an amused smirk.

"That is literally the definition of being held hostage." I said annoyed. He was practically saying I could leave if I could manage to get away from him, but he wasn't going to just let me.

He chuckled. "If you must know, I'm reading my memories."

I softened and tried to read the cover again to no avail. "Your memories?"

"Vampires live quite a long time, and I'll be living longer than the average vampire. Over time, memories start to fade from the conscious mind. Humans forget moments and the early years, but vampires can forget decades. We remember the important things like the moments that define us, or who we can and absolutely cannot trust. I like spending my dream revisiting memories that have gone stale, or even reliving my favorite moments." Geralt explained.

"That's both amazing and beautiful. Would I be able to read your memories too, or is it more of a 'only the owner of this book may understand its contents' thing?" I asked fighting the urge to run over and peak at it myself.

"I don't mind if you read it, but it'll cost you." Geralt warned.

"What will it cost?" I asked.

"Nothing serious. As they say, turnabout is fair play. You would have to let me read your book of memories too." He shrugged.

Yeah, that wasn't going to happen. Who knew what he would be able to pick up from my memories. And he would know exactly where and how to look too. "Nice try, Geralt, but not happening." I said falling back in my chair.

He only smiled and went back to reading. It was hard to see Geralt as the Minister of Darkness when he was like this. He was calm, quiet, and at peace just sitting there. On the other hand, I was constantly changing how I was arranged in the chair trying to ease the absolute boredom of being kept here. Maybe this was a plan of his. He hopes to make me break, but I could wait him out. This was a small price to pay if it meant keeping not only myself but all the people who have cared for me safe.

...

...

When will this dream end! Last night's dream wasn't nearly this long. Could this be Geralt's doing?