Hypnos (Epilogue: Twins)

- I was not expecting this to happen.

- Don’t even mention it. This is too crazy!

- I could not say everything I saw and experienced… not in front of them. That seemed too absurd and obscure to understand or explain.

- But we must tell them. It’s not fair to keep this… secret… if we really can call that a secret… from them.

- I need to think it over. We must be careful. They are going to ask us why we did not say anything before… or maybe they’re going to call us “the two madmen”.       

- Ha ha! Time is running, anyway. We must be quick. If what you’ve seen was really…

The young man hesitated for a moment.

- The danger is getting closer and in high speed. And although I’ve never taken this subject seriously, I feel I need to research a little deeper, so I can find out some more details of this implausible story…

***

- Mythology? Do you think I’m stupid? Everyone knows that mythology have always been a way men invented to try and enlighten the things they don’t understand or can’t explain. I can’t accept such a nonsense. I am a scientist and so are you!

- We know it’s not easy. We could hardly believe that too, of course, but…

- Are you in drugs? Did you smoke anything?

The two young scientists laughed. They knew the woman was right. Who would ever believe such a thing? They had to recognize it was a complete nonsense…. Or not…

***

- What are we going to do?

- I don’t know. What are we supposed to do, after all? We don’t even know if that has any real fundament or if it was just a normal delirium in our dreams. This story is so absurd.

- What if we are wrong?

- It’s possible, of course. It’s really possible…

The young man looked at his friend with an expression that exposed his frustration and doubt, associated to the apprehension that what they most feared was actually happening.

- And what if we are NOT wrong?

- Then we need a plan. We both know that no one will support, follow our fears or protect us. Neither will they believe us or protect her…

***

- Mythology! What a pair! These two are definitely crazy!

She giggled, as if the idea was so absurd no one would ever believe or even consider it, but something inside her mind kept on telling her she was wrong.

She felt sleepy. It was long past her bedtime. She had tried to eat her dinner, but it was left almost untouched. She had felt no pleasure in eating that night.  She had cleaned the dishes and put them back in the cabinets, leaving the kitchen as organized as possible, as she used to do every night.

She then turned off the computer, as well as all the lights in the apartment, and went to the bathroom.

When she looked at herself in the mirror, she noticed how tired she was. Her eyes were red and sagged. She had cried, but it was not out of sadness.

There was some kind of a strange nostalgia filling her soul.

“So much to do and so little time”… 

She suddenly felt exhausted. She walked into her bedroom and opened the bedside table drawer. There were many medicine boxes in there. Some were almost empty, others practically untouched.

She closed the drawer without touching any of those tablets, as she had been doing for the last week, after that odd conversation with the two young scientists. 

She put her favourite cotton pyjamas on and went to bed.

The two-room apartment suddenly felt like an immense desert. She turned the bedside lights off and closed her eyes…

***

The extremely attractive young man walked closer to where she was. She knew him from other occasions. He held out his hand, in an inviting and gentle gesture, which the woman easily accepted, as if they were long-time close friends.

For the first time ever she had the courage to talk to him. He had always seemed so distant, powerful and untouchable.

- Will you tell me who you are, after all?

- You know who I am. My name is Hypnos, the guardian of dreams.

- I don’t believe in gods, nor do I worship any live being.

- I would not expect you to, although I am not to be considered a live being.

She almost laughed. She waited. He simply looked into her dark eyes.

- Where are you taking me to?

- Why do you ask what you already know? He is already waiting for us.

- I want to go to the beach… to see the ocean.

- It’s where he is now.

She shivered. There was that strange apprehension unsettling her chest.

- Don’t worry. He is gentle and peaceful. Be calm. There is nothing to worry about… anymore…

He was sitting on the rail, out in the sun. As attractive as his twin brother, he looked more comfortable when she walked closer to him. He smiled. She did not.

- Meet my twin brother Thanatos. He is the one who will take you ahead from this point on. Don’t worry. You won’t suffer, but there’s no way back anymore. He will lead you peacefully and quietly in this journey.

The young man held out his hand.

- Are you ready?

- I’m not.

- Yes, you are. Come on. Walk with me.

And they wandered silently and side by side along the immense beach way.

***

- He must have heard the conversation between the twin brothers, Hypnos, the dreams and Thanatos, the peaceful death and thought they were talking about him… so he lost his mind and despaired completely…

- Do you really think that was what happened?

- I don’t really know and I think we will never know… for sure… will we?

***