The Visions of Theo

“There weren’t always dragons in the Valley.”

This was what my father whispered after my latest episode. This one was not pretty. I had a violent seizure and collapsed in the garage while leaving for school that morning. My father had found me after he came home from work. I was curled up in a ball, cold and unresponsive, lying on the concrete floor. My father always found a way to rescue me. He always did.

I have always had visions of dragons ever since I was a small child. The fragmented memories were always so vivid in my mind… I swear they were mine. I could hear the creatures breathing and smell the thick summer dew that pervaded the canyons. My visions always ended with a panoramic view of what I call “The Valley.” It looked like the entire Earth, in all its unfiltered glory, paused to see the dragons fly into their home for the night. Is this even Planet Earth? Why do I feel like I belong there? Right along the canyon that overlooks this massive bend. I always woke up to my father, whose eyes were always littered with tears. It was a haunting image of my hero. My only hero. I was always relieved to be back in his arms. This is where I belonged. In his arms, safe and sound in this world.

Living in 2080 on Planet Earth is great but I would gladly trade this world for the mysterious one that haunts me, in a heartbeat. My father passed away three days after he found me on the concrete floor. Everything was a blur at that point. He was the only link I had to this world. Once he was gone, an incredible sadness overtook my entire body and nothing made sense anymore. My father’s brother, Ronan, a fellow scientist at the CIA, took me in and told me I would be staying with him shortly after. I eventually got settled in and found my new life routine. Heck, my episodes even started to subside. My uncle Ronan was fun. He knew what I was going through and tried to inject bursts of joy and love into my life. The first few months flew by and now two winters have passed. I am ok now…I am ok with this life now.

Friday nights are movie nights and Uncle Ronan always falls asleep on the red couch adjacent to his office. I can hear a cell phone ringing, strangely coming his office, which was always locked. I cautiously look around, get off the couch to get his phone, and walked into his office. He never let me come in here. He had a lot of prestigious awards and degrees which were plastered along the wall with old pictures of him and my dad. I noticed a large metal box labeled Project Freedom, the same kind I saw in dad’s office. But dad’s box was always locked securely. Uncle Ronan’s box was left out in the open. There were loads of documents and CDs… Lots of CDs.

“If this somehow had to do with my dad’s death…” I muttered, “I deserve to know.”

Who am I kidding? I haven’t thought about my dad in quite some time now. Why was I always so nosy? What was in those CDs? Curiosity overtook me and I took a few of them and headed to my room. I started with the CD called Leo: Age 8-10. The screen starts off black with a loud, thunderous voice.

“Leo, time for supper, my sweet boy!” A massive man appears accompanied with his deep husky voice. He had a wild beard with a burnt complexion. He had dark, unruly eyes that weren’t meant for peace time. He was barefoot with some kind of large animal hide wrapped over his back. The hide was so thick that I almost missed the bow and arrows fit snugly between his muscular shoulder blades. Was he a solider? A farmer? A ruler? His massive sword, hung around his waist, was fastened to a giant leather belt. It was fit for a warrior king.

I see a small boy running through the fields with a massive dog. His eyes fully locked into the direction of the sky. His gaze closely following the flock of…what appears to be streaks of fire. Where are they? Who are they?

“Please give me a moment, Father! The dragons are about to get settled in!”

“Huh… dragons?” I said to myself in disbelief. All of a sudden, I felt a strange sensation flood my body. I knew what was coming. Another seizure…another vision…I haven’t had these in a while but the foreboding feeling is unforgettable and undeniable. My body contorts and I see a different vision….one that’s filled with pain and sorrow.

I see women and children crying, running aimlessly…Why are their eyes sunken in? Why do they feel broken… why do I feel hopeless? I look up and there is a blood orange sky full of arrows and spears. I see at least ten dragons from the sky, trampling everything in their way as they break ground. What is going on here? The dragons appear to be attacking us. One of the mysterious creatures appear right in front of me. He looks beyond me, lets out a thunderous roar meant for blood and war. I see someone on top of the dragon with a golden spear. He is fully clothed in armor and he appears to be guiding the dragon.

“Leo!!!”

I wake up to my uncle Ronan frantically shouting a name not mine desperate to ensure I am ok.

“Uncle Ronan, what did you just call me?” I muttered.

“Theo…are you ok?” he quickly replies. A little too quickly.

“No Uncle Ronan, I heard you call me Leo. Why did you call me Leo? What the heck is going on? I want answers now!” I began to shout in frustration.

“You are imagining things, my sweet boy.” He remarks as he lets out a nervous laugh and I felt myself become more irritated.

“Uncle Ronan, please… Who is Leo? What are these CDs?”

“Theo, I cannot answer these questions…You can get into great trouble for watching the videos on these. You were never supposed to…”he faintly whispers as he cried into his right arm. Taking his moment of vulnerability, I quickly snatch the CDs from him and run for the window.

I didn’t know where I was going but I knew I was not coming back. I am going to find out who I am, who Leo is, and how the dragons ended up in the valley. Perhaps I was never meant to find that box or perhaps I was not meant for this world. Either way, I am going to find out.