Sift

This is a dream from a good while back, but I think it's one that'll never leave my mind for reasons you'll understand if you see it through.

I was in a strange world where I was a bug, anthro tiny, etc. It was a world of bug people so there's no giant humans or whatever walking around, just a odd setting thing. Me and a few close friends were charged with sneaking through this mafia boss's base to find some documents and we were crawling through the vents slowly just making our way forward. The mob boss was this giant black beetle in a a pinstripe suit. He had a desk in front of a harsh red siren light and he cut a imposing silhouette.

Protection money, hits, he was in a meeting and me and my team watched quietly until it was time to slip in when he left. I lowered a string front the vent and one by one we infiltrated the r-

Ring. Ring. It's almost time for this Jason to wake up.

Ah. Damn, times up. I'm going to wake up.

The setting froze and I stepped out of the bug!Jasons body, normal human me just folding my arms annoyed as the dream was just getting good and I wanted to see where it was going. Similar, my friends stepped out too. "Well we left them in a good place" "Yeah, they can take over from here when we swap back." "Wonder if we can figure out a way to check in and see if they accomplished their mission." "I dunno I died in one of these and hearing that always freaks me out."

We just casually talked as we walked through the mafia dons walls and approached a strange train station. We climbed aboard and kicked back as the train took off, the group of us just chatting about how this world was pretty wild. I mean, we were bug people for some reason.

As the train sped along it's line I looked out the window, hand pressed on my cheek as I stared at this giant diamond shaped structure. It was bigger than comprehension. It was also pulsating, changing shapes to squares, a circle, back to a diamond. Just various odd movements that were normal to me, and eventually the train took us inside.

There was a sprawling metropolis, almost endless. Shopping malls, hang out spots, arcades, literally everything you can think of. I waved bye to my friends and started walking around past other versions of myself. Not too many, some looked identical, others were just different. There were multiple versions of every single person ever. It's hard to describe but if you were there, there would be multiple versions of you as well although not all assigned to the same place. This was treated as normal and no one made a big deal out of it. It was whatever.

I walked down the steps of a nearby cafe and got a drink, there was another version of me just zoned out in the corner and a handful of people I never met that confused me for other versions of me and we all just kinda laughed.

"I still don't know what this place is called even though we've been here forever." I mentioned, one of the patrons just shrugging and calling it 'the hub'

"It's basic and boring but iunno. Hey you waking up soon?" One patron asked me, I nodded along. "Yeah- was visiting another timeline and got called back. My own body is waking up soon." I mentioned, the group making jokes about how it was hopefully a dull timeline so I wouldn't miss much, which just made me grumble as it was a cool bug spy thing.

"Dude that sounds hilarious out of context, I haven't been able to hang out in any interesting timelines of myself, it's usually boring stuff with barely any changes." One of the guys groaned. I mentioned how most of the time my alternate selves are stuck in nightmare worlds and it sucks shit. I wish I had more normal selves. We all had a laugh and continued talking until one of the patrons noticed that I had a small blinking light on a band on my wrist. "Wait, did the train not block the hub out?"

I froze and looked at the light I hadn't noticed

"Oh shit. I'm going to wake up and know this stupid place exists." I began to panic.

You see, you, me, every person on earth was in this place. Each with countless versions of themselves all tied to a unknown number of alternate realities. When you fall asleep your dreams are actually you looking through the eyes of another version of you- one that's very much real, and when you're about to wake up you hop on a train to the hub, and simply wait to be called back to your body. The hub itself having a rule that you are NOT supposed to remember that it exists, and that the train itself has the ability to seal memories of it away.

In short, it's just a big multidimensional waiting room for a possibly infinite version of people to chill out in before waking up and resuming their timeline. And for whatever reason the trip back from bug world it malfunctioned or something and I was retaining everything I saw while waiting to wake up.

I began to panic as 'shit are there rules against this? Am I gonna get punished?" I rubbed my forehead as one of the other versions of me approached "Nah calm down, it was a problem from the operator so it's not your fault. It'll get written off and it's not like you're going to remember any visits after this. It's a one off thing."

"It's really going to bug me though." I grumbled as one of the guys at the bar just scoffed. "Dude you're going to wake up and be weirded out and thats it. You're not actually going to believe any of this is real. Don't sweat it." They assured. "Besides if you decide to tell anyone no one's gonna believe you that a dream hub thing exists. It'll just be taken as a possibly interesting story at best."

I was still pretty uneasy but they had a point. Nobody was going to believe this, hell I probably wasn't going to and I was just overthinking things again.

Fine, fine. "Yeah thanks guys, I can get in my own head about stuff like this. God it's going to feel weird though. I wonder how long I'll be thinking about all this?" being the last thing I muttered to myself as a light ringing could be heard. "Ah, there's my call. Seeya guys later."

I then woke up in my bed and just kind of sat there very confused. "...That was just a dream right? Like obviously..."

I haven't dreamed about the hub ever again but to this day it stuck out to me due to the whole nature of the conversations I had, and how my own dream was like 'nah you're going to gaslight yourself on this lol'. Just 'that was so bizarre no way it was real... unless...'

I often have extremely vivid dreams, ones that are so life like and detailed it's disturbing how sucked into the settings they are. It's almost got me, no joke, convinced that dreams are peeks into weird alternate realities. So just for fun I figured I'd detail a few as they happen.

Todays entry is the most recent on June 19th

The land was a barren rocky expanse. The sun was bearing down and it was unreasonably hot out. Deadly hot it felt. Thankfully there was nothing on the surface but instead underground were caverns that had azure ponds of water and green glowing gemstones as well as man made pathways leading inwards. I lived in a carved out cavern town and today I got cleared to go to Sunstars Park.

Sunstar, oddly enough, was the name of a super hero. Guy could fly, had a white bodysuit with a emblem on it and a cape that resembled gold foil. Everyone loved the guy, and apparently he made this underground park with his comrades in this time of peace, and people could just come in after making a reservation. Awesome, it was my turn!

The entrance was a gold and creme tiled floor leading into a gigantic dome with what looked to be a clear sunny sky projected overhead. Sunstar greeted us in typical fashion saying that this park was built to give comfort and release to the people now that the outside world had to be abandoned. I didn't care, or find it weird as that's just how life always was- and the entrance to the park was a giant waterslide you had to take down to the main lobby and entrance. The water itself was a sapphire solid blue with orange spots that floated in it, again there was no question as I dove onto it and rode down with a smile. Spiraling into the parks entrance with a wide smile.

Honestly there was too much to see, too much to do. Sunstar wasn't the only hero of the land, he had his sidekicks. A strange ghost user that fought demons with spirits and haunted objects, a rock guy who could summon boulders and toss em, just various powers.

I visited the 'haunted' attraction after a bit and used all my money trying to get some authentic superhero gear or spooky items that the ghost hero used, but they were locked behind the worlds most annoying claw machine with the machines in ghost themed capsules. A few other people got frustrated and left but I stuck it out... until dammit I failed too after getting so close a few times.

Shit.

I kicked the machine lightly and resumed exploring the park full of cheering and chatting until eventually I realized most of the stuff I wanted to do required money and that goddamn claw machine really ate away most of my funds.

Whatever. My home was near the entrance and I'm sure if I left I could get some money and come back in and whatnot without needing another reservation. Thing is I couldn't find a exit to the park. I looked around and saw a couple rides labeled 'exit' but no just... walkway or anything. I was about to ask a park mascot for help when a few friends found me- today was their lucky day too and they were heading out. They explained the only way out of the park was like the way in- you'd take a ride and there's 4 different ones you could choose from. Rollercoasters, another water ride, etc.

I'm scared of rollercoasters but got talked into it and soon we were off.

It was a highly produced ride through all sorts of cool settings with realistic props. Haunted mansions, evil castles, cloudtop lakes etc- all until things took a very serious turn.

In the distance there was this massive gray worm like thing. Several giant mishappen eyes were all over it and it was slobbering as it stuck out of a rock formation- the rollercoaster ahead of us going straight into it's mouth as it pulsated and groaned and devoured it, killing the guests ahead of us as it choked them down without hesitation.

Me and my pals realized that this theme park was feeding it's guests to monsters pretty fast and we tried to get out of our seats and dive onto the land. Panic sets in and oddly my belt keeping me in the 'ride' came undone. We were racing to the horrid giant beasts gaping maw, rows of flesh and broken jagged teeth lined the inside and I fainted.

I would wake up later, besides the coaster tracks and the giant disgusting worm was making nightmarish noises in the distance. Somehow I had escaped being swallowed but I didn't know what to do. This was hell.

A few moments of staring at the horror before me a small gold and white drone carrying a belt appeared. I had seen them around the park before- if a guest was having trouble they'd deliver a tool to help them on a sort of automated service. This one gave me a belt that would let me lightly hover up and down for a bit and guided me back to the park as I was in a restricted area that was staff only. I watched the worm fade from view making its disgusting squelching and burping noises before I came back to the park grounds. Everything felt dark as the drone left. I saw people boarding the rollercoaster to leave, people enjoying the normal rides and our 'hero' greeting and hanging out with the common folk.

He had to know about this. He had to. But he's a superhero, I can't really fight that and I knew it. So instead I started to look for a way to leave through the entrance. Figures there's no way to go back up the water slide, I didn't really want to ride it again so I didn't notice it was a one time deal until now, but whatever. I still had the belt from before so I'd float here and there looking for things to use- and unfortunately I could feel park staff watching me, even overhearing that they should deal with me before I disturb the peace. If I wasn't quick enough to figure something out the 'hero' would be upon me.

Shit shit this is so fucked up I can't stop thinking about that terrifying thing.

I'd eventually find a shed tucked away in the corner of the park, it was pretty run down but it didn't matter as it clearly wasn't intended to ever be seen. Inside I found weapons. Bombs. Strange things. I had no idea what the fuck I was doing as I held the items, but as I was dicking around I heard a radio of a passing park staff say they were no actively looking for me. I clutched a handful of gear to my chest and waited for the perfect moment to slip away when oh god DAMMIT they saw me!! Fuck!!

A chase would break out. I'd circle back to the slide and try to float against the cheering current of people (who looked quite confused to see me) but the park staff was better equipped and coming for me, and a ominous rumble in the air told me that fucking Sunstar was flying to me. I panicked. I didn't have much of a choice and while I wanted to get out I didn't want to hurt anyone. So I looked at the fake ceiling, clicked the bomb and threw it.

There was a explosion and screams echoed out as the ceiling let the light in. Fucking finally I could zip out of there and hopefully get home or... figure something out.

But the park grew dim. The fake lights turned to night. Electricity powered down. People just stopped talking and stared at the thick beam of light.

I did something terrible

Sunstar reached me and I pleaded for my life but he looked tense, he didn't have time to 'punish' me. He just asked why I damned the entire colony for my own preservation. I had no idea what he was talking about and he slapped me so hard I thought my face was going to fly off my body.

Years ago there was... a curse from the sun. There was no other way to put it. The light it provided became too hot for humans to live in. After minutes at best people would liquify into puddles of gore. It's why we lived underground afterall. Something humanity adapted to pretty well all things considered. But that wasn't the end of it. The gore would reanimate and congeal into other puddles, and hellish beings of light would appear. Humanity was quickly ripped in half, devoured, death spread as Earth became overrun with blood and terror, and despite the efforts of mankind we couldn't stop it. Sunstar and others could fight back but even heroes were being torn limb from limb and killed, and so a subset decided to make the colonies we all lived in.

I was baffled, how the fuck was any of this real. What the fuck is the worm then.

It turns out that the worm feeds on people and kills them- but as a favor to it's food source it and it's kind like it project a barrier that lets the rest of humanity stay hidden from the flesh beasts, even those outside of the park. He knew it was fucked up and a awful deal but he had no idea how else to stop humanity from being wiped out wholesale and the 'feeding periods' were long enough inbetween to just be a grim acceptance. I was pissed but I didn't know what else to say.

Luckily I didn't have to say much else as a elongated bone like arm crashed in and pulped a handful of guests mashing them into red smears. A blob like creature with dozens of small mouths suddenly fell in like a meteor of nightmares. Sunstar and his team began screaming for people to hide- there was no proper way out and a fight started with him and a few of his team taking on everything while I just sat there in place empty. I caused this. But what was I supposed to do after everything? Everyone here, including the heroes were going to die.

I wasn't really thinking at this point as that long arm crashed in again, mindlessly slaughtering the screaming masses as I flew towards it with the few items I had left over. I entered the outside world.

The cursed sun was just as it was described. I could feel my skin bubbling, my bones becoming frail. I was going to break in the blinding light but that's when I saw a building in the distance. I had to make it there before I melted, my skin feeling light, I still had it but I crashed through the front door into the limited shade and caught my breath. Sweltering and miserable I was going to die. In the distance I saw Sunstar screaming as multicolored demons gored him. Hell had won.

The building I was in wasn't much help. It was like a odd shrine of sorts. A long empty seemingly endless drop with a platform floating in the middle with a thin walkway to it. There was a chest of sorts and I had no other thing to do. I noticed a few demons had saw me and were coming for me so I went deeper into the shrine- a crackling light stopping the meat like nightmares as I stumbled my melted and breaking body to the box. It stung but I clicked the latches and opened it.

Inside was a white suit with a gold foil-like cape.

There was a traditional brush, a rolled up scroll and a few knick-knacks I didn't have time to examine as that barrier was visibly straining to keep the slobbering hellspawn out.

"We don't know how to stop them. They've killed everyone. They're going to kill us. But if we use the power we discovered ourselves we'd just infect the past. Please god, return to the past. Uphold the status quo until brighter minds find a solution. Don't let humanity die like this."

I'm sure there was more but it was a bit fuzzy as I put on the hero costume and picked up a strange wooden carved box with a ornate black button. I clicked it and a tidal wave of color wrapped around me. The screams of the damned fading into the air as I felt reality itself distort and warp. In a sudden snap back to reality I found myself at the park entrance. There was no hole in the ceiling and a large group of people were staring at me as I floated in front of them. A gothic woman tapped me on the shoulder.

"Jason, Sunstar, stop zoning out. You gotta greet the new guests."

I wasn't sure of the details as reality felt like it dropped out around me and I just stared at the people before me. I was in what seemed to be a new timeline. A new period. I was the hero. I was the person sacrificing all these others to monsters to keep the rest of the population safe. I had no solution to the problem and I had no proof of everything I went through. I couldn't greet these people as my arms hung loose at my side.

What could I even do?

...And then I woke up. Back to the same old mundane world where I ate breakfast and medicine and just thought about everything for a good bit :T