Page 42 of Levi

Even though Levi had never been one for hard exercise, he began to jog. Now that he knew the anxiety inside him could only be cured by getting to his destination, he wanted to get it over and done with. The strange thing was running didn’t seem to tire him out.

Even more strangely, his focus kept changing. Sometimes his eyes were far above the grass, the mountain in full view on the horizon. Sometimes, his vision shifted, and he was in the grass, the high strands waving above his head as they rustled with untold secrets.

As he approached the mountain, his path fell into a shadow. He kept jogging, happy that his dream was enabling him to run without getting tired.

Then, a massive tiger appeared before him.

It was huge … bigger than any tiger he had ever seen. It opened its jaws and roared at him, the sound enough to shake him down to the bone.

But he was not afraid. He knew the tiger had not come here to eat him. He smiled at the big cat like they were old friends.

“Hello, there,” he said softly. Levi bent down and extended a hand. “Old friend, do you know how I can get back to Hannah?”

The tiger stared at him, its eyes deep pools of shimmering liquid gold. It turned its head to look over its shoulder, then brought its gaze back to Levi, purring loudly.

Levi realized that the mountain was right behind the tiger, and a long, jagged path was cut into the dark rock. The peaceful sky had become stormy, with flashes of lightning streaking across the shadows and thunder rumbling around the peak.

“Up there?” he asked. The tiger blinked its wide eyes in response, then turned to take the pass.

Levi hurried to catch up, slowing once he was even with the tiger. It was huge, taller than his hips. Its coat was bright and shiny, its muscles huge and powerful.

He still couldn’t be afraid of it. It was like an old friend he’d always known but somehow never seen.

As they ran, Levi experienced the strange shifting of vision again. Sometimes, he walked alone and wondered where the tiger had gone. Other times, it was the tiger who walked alone, and Levi seemed to be watching it from a great distance.

His own line of sight often shifted up and down, just like it had when he was running through the long grass. He didn’t understand any of it, and the longer this went on, the more uncomfortable he became.

The tiger looked up at him and blinked, a low rumble emanating from its throat. He reached out and patted its head, feeling a disturbing sensation run through him as he did. The beast gave him a knowing glance, and Levi felt fear trickling through him.

If this is a dream, why I can’t wake up?

He really wanted to, now. He’d had enough. Levi had a feeling, though, that he had to get to the top of the mountain. He wanted to run, but a thick cover of cloud descended on them as they reached the peak. Levi could barely see, let alone run.

The tiger guided him through the shifting cloud. It was far thicker than any mist or fog Levi had ever seen, and it had real substance as he pushed through it.

Suddenly, the tiger stopped. Levi ran into it, feeling a strange sensation run through his body as he did so.

The clouds pulled back. They were on the very top of the peak. Levi walked to the edge, seeing terrible and beautiful lands laid out around him. The place was breathtaking but dangerous.

Then he heard something behind him. The tiger roared, its voice full of menace. He still wasn’t afraid of it. Even as the creature ran straight at him, he was not afraid of the tiger.

He was afraid of the drop behind him, though. Surely the tiger knew they would both fall if it jumped at him? He had no time to think and no time to move.

The tiger hit him in the chest with its massive paws, the force of its jump sending them both tumbling over the edge. Levi had a brief sensation of impact in his own body, a golden strength flooding his veins.

Even though he was still falling, it was through the darkness. There was no mountain, no plain, only him.

Where is the tiger?

In response to his question, a great roar rose in his throat. He felt it resonate through every fiber of his being. It felt like pure power, utter menace, and unstoppable strength. He roared again, feeling the thrill of his own voice echoing around him into the void.

I … am the tiger.

There was a jarring jolt that shook through his entire body. Levi’s eyes opened, and he cried out, his hands flailing as he tried to stop his fall. It took him a few seconds to realize that he was safe in a bed and not plummeting through a void or running up a dangerous mountain.

Levi shook his head, trying to clear it. The dream had been so real. He could still feel the strength of the tiger inside him, the power of its roar.

As his emotions began to subside, Levi looked around and saw that he was in a small, bare room. It looked a bit like a hospital, but not quite. There were machines hooked up to him, monitoring his vitals. He left them alone for the moment … he didn’t want to alert anyone that he was awake.

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