Lucid by L. E. Fred Page A

asleep?” I thought about the question for a bit before answering .
    â€œNo, ” I admitted. “I just turned up, I suppose.”
    â€œYou have the gift of lucid dreaming; don’t deny it , ” Leona said. “You, and your friend Mitch, are like me. We can create our dream worlds. We direct our dreams instead of merely acting in them.”
    I didn’t know what to say. Leona was just telling me what Tiff, Mitch, and I already knew. This couldn’t be the only reason she brought me to her headquarters.
    â€œLucid dreaming has another advantage for you and your friend,” Leona continued. “You both can come and go as you please. Like me, you can create new worlds and affect existing dream realms. You two have been but mere nuisances so far, and I am growing tired of your sneaking around. This is why I brought you here.”
    Great, I thought, I’m being called nosy by a crazy woman in my dreams. I think I preferred my old dinosaur nightmare to this .
    â€œI wish to form an alliance between you and Mitch Stansky. You two may come and go as you please from my resorts, free of charge, as long as you keep out of my business here. I won’t recruit any of your friends or family, and you can live your life the way you wish.” Leona looked at me expectantly .
    â€œWhy did you only bring me here?” I asked cautiously, looking around as if Mitch would spring up any moment.
    â€œOh, well, Mitch had a worse run i n with Serpentine— ” Leona appeared to be choosing her words carefully , “ — a nd you seem to be the more pliable boy.”
    I know the safe thing to do would be to take her offer. In fact, the logical part of my brain was screaming for me to say yes. Then I could dream without worrying whether or not I’d wake up. Also, my friends and family would be perfectly safe. However, the irrational part of my brain that hates the word “pliable” answered for me.
    â€œNo way.” I was very glad it did.
    â€œYou are foolish!” Leona became agitated. “Believe it or not, we do not control the dream realm. Yes, we may create worlds, but there are stronger, more sinister entities that call this world their own . I alone can imprison you in one of my chambers and prevent you from creating a means of escape. I am giving you amnesty. You cannot be forced onto my ships. So, why are you meddling in my business when both of you are immune to my recruitment process?”
    â€œYou mean your enslavement process!” I spat before realizing what I had said. Leona’s eyes flashed dangerously; I thought I saw her pupils contract.
    â€œI am not enslaving them!” She growled. “They have the chance to win their waking hours back, and a good bit of them try. They simply have to provide entertainment — ”
    â€œBy participating in your stupid arena!” I knew I probably should have kept quiet, but I also figured Leona wouldn’t allow me to leave this time .
    All of the frustration from her horrid place plaguing my dreams, capturing innocent people, and ruining good families like Andy’s was now resurfacing .
    Usually, I was good at hiding my emotions, but I guess my dream self didn’t share that trait, and I continued . “I read all about your so called resort in Peru. You were tricking customers into participating in your dangerous tournaments for a free vacation! You also underpaid your workers so much that it was considered slavery. So, what? Jail time in the real world wasn’t enough for you to think that maybe this was a bad idea? You have to just move it to another level, another world, and ruin people ’s lives through their dreams?”
    Leona’s eyes never left mine as I ranted, except once. Only once did she glance at my sword. I was too busy shouting to see what happened, but I’m pretty sure the sword shot out a few sparks of electricity .
    â€œI see you have done your