Anomaly Identity Novel Prologue: Forgotten Dream

“No!” Lincoln shrieked, standing back up and standing beside his newside friends. Poppy, Zere, Andrea, Lily, and Rose all stared at him in marvel, but he ignored them. He hadn’t come to free the princesses. There was a personal score involved in this fight...and he was going to even that score. “You killed Abraham! You killed my brother!”

The masked face stared back emotionlessly. “Is that what you think? Well, to an extent, it’s true.”

“So you finally admit it!” Lincoln hissed.

“I admit to nothing,” the man countered. “Look around. Five girls? Why aren’t there any princes involved in this adventure? How come all your companions are females? Because you’re dreaming, and of course you’re going to want a complicated love life in your dreams!”

Nothing this man made sense to him. “I’m...dreaming?”

My powers, my adventures...my friends? It’s all fake? Am I insane?

“Yes!” the man exclaimed, finally eager. “You finally get it! I’ve been trying to help you all along!”

“Then who sent all the monsters after us?” Lincoln wondered. “Who’s been trying to kill us?!” 

The man was silent for a moment. “I can show you. But you have to trust me, and you have to come alone.”

“We can’t trust him,” Zere hissed. “He knows he’s outmatched. This is a cheap trick.”

“What if it’s not?” whispered Rose. “The monsters will still come, and we won’t have the Masked Man to help us figure this out. We need to take this chance.”

“He said we’re a dream,” Andrea countered. “There’s no way this guy is sane. I think he believes he’s helping us, but he’s really attacking us...which means we need to fight him.”

“Even if it’s a trick, or a trap, or a bad idea,” Poppy mussed, grinning, “it’s another adventure. And I’m not sure about you guys, but I’m not ready to let Lincoln go just yet.”

Lincoln and Lily both hesitated. He considered asking her for her advice, but her already knew what she’d say. They were mentally connected, after all.

Accept his help. We can’t beat him on our own, anyways.

Lincoln looked down guiltily at the sword. His bluff had worked, but it did complicate issues. He stepped forward and accepted the Masked Man’s outstretched hand. As the man pulled him through a portal, he heard Zere cursing at him, and he heard Andrea shouting at him to stop. But it was too late.Good luck, Lincoln, Lily’s voice said. Come back when you’re done.