Chapter Text

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August 27th 202X

The sky was a void of black as stars twinkled sparsely in the sky. Creatures big and small had long since turned in to rest as they waited for dawns light to return once more. In this dark world, there was a city like any other, and on the outskirts of that city stood a house plain and unassuming. Within that household all but one being that resided here had fallen asleep. That one being who still was awake was a young woman, nearly in her thirties. She sat cross legged on her bed, hunched over and concentrating deeply. Resting on her lap was a laptop that she was typing away like her life depended on it. She made faces at her laptop as she wrote, mimicking the emotions she imagined her favorite fictional characters would be expressing. 

She adjusted her legs to become more comfortable and stretched. The only sound that disrupted her was an occasional thump the washer and dryer made from across the hallway. After what seemed like the hundredth time, she gave a quick glare at the two machines and opted to turn the volume up to the absolute maximum setting. With a sigh she went back to focusing on her writing. Still remaining hunched over, her glasses slipped down her nose causing her to stop again just to push them back up. 

In between the paragraphs of fanfiction that she wrote, she'd switch over to her Discord account and send messages to her friends who still happened to be awake at that moment. One thing she shared in common with her small social circle was that they were all fans of a cartoon called Lego Monkie Kid. She started gushing to one of her friends about how 'super cute' and 'romantic' it would be to have the characters named Wukong and Macaque experience their first kiss cuddled together underneath a vibrant meteor shower. She couldn't help it, the mere thought of this purely hypothetical first kiss made her so excited that her legs twitched and she shook her hands happily.

This pattern of writing, fidgeting and messaging friends continued on throughout the late hours of the night. As the hours passed she started yawning more frequently and that was when she finally took notice that it was already past three in the morning. She stretched one last time before sending her final message to her friends to let them know she was getting tired. She desperately needed to get at least a few hours of sleep. With her goodbyes having been typed out, she set her laptop down on her nightstand. She smiled sleepily to herself, she had made decent headway on her story. In fact, she was on track to having the next chapter finished by the following afternoon. She was ahead of time for her own personally set upload schedule.

Though before she could truly fall asleep, she got up quietly to go the bathroom and relieve herself. When she returned she suddenly noticed how her bedroom felt hot. It was bad enough that she was already sweating. With one swift movement she stripped her shirt so she was just in a sports bra and leggings. She walked over to her window and opened it to allow the cool night air in. With a quick glimpse at the night sky, it seemed almost unusually vibrant and the stars twinkled just a bit brighter. She flicked off her light switch and took a few steps forward so she flopped onto her bed. With one hand she grabbed just her sheet, lazily throwing it over herself as she she snuggled her head into the pillows. She had a bad habit of falling asleep with her glasses on and tonight was no exception. Her eyes closed as she imagined different scenarios in her mind, that might work for the upcoming chapters in her story. Her thought process began to slow, though before she fully drifted of she could have sworn she heard something crackling. Oh well. that could be a problem for tomorrow. Finally she fell into a deep sleep.

❀❀❀

"Unghhh." I moaned as my eyes slowly flickered open. Much to my annoyance, something was pulling me out of my slumber. I yawned as my bleary eyes began to focus in on my surroundings. I was expecting to see my all too familiar bedroom, but instead of the messy floor and four walls all I could see was a sea of brilliant blues and violets with a million twinkling stars. "What the..." My voice trailed off. I had to still be dreaming, right? I looked around slowly, staring my surroundings with confusion as I attempted to mentally comprehend what was going on. Was this some kind of trippy dream within a dream? I rubbed my eyes with my hands and shook my head. I needed to know if I was just simply dreaming or if I was seeing things. I opened my eyes again only to be greeted by the same exact sight as before. Outer space. Why in the world was I dreaming that I was in outer space?

As I pondered the absurdity of my current situation, I heard a strangely familiar crackling noise. 'Didn't I hear that noise right before I fell asleep? Why is it in my dream?' With some effort, I swiveled my body towards the noise. Behind me there was a large crack in the sky. And were those .. golden threads? I tilted my head, as I stared at the hole. I saw a slight movement coming from the other side of the crack. "What is that?" I mumbled. I willed myself to move forward, and I floated closer. Once I was close enough to peer through, I was given a top down view of my own body that was still curled up in bed, and still sound asleep. Okay, having an out-of-body experience within a dream was a brand new dream first for me. I was used to having weird dreams, but this was a whole new level of bizarre. I hesitantly reached my left arm out towards the strange distortion, but I froze after seeing that my entire arm was emitting a soft and almost ethereal glow.

"Wait, what?" I mumbled as I took a closer look, holding both of my hands out in front of me. Not only were they glowing but they also appeared to be slightly transparent. One quick glance at my body revealed that it wasn't just my arms in this state. It was my entire body from head to toe. "I look almost like a ghost." I muttered. Oh yeah, this definitely had to be a dream. There was no way this could real. I paused and blinked slowly as my brain put two and two together. If my entire body was in this state then that meant .. "Why the hell am I naked?" I squeaked, feeling ashamed and embarrassed. Even though I was alone, I still used my arms to cover myself out of instinct. Couldn't I have at least been dressed in this weird ass dream? As if in response to my thoughts I watched as a simple white sundress formed around my body. Even though I couldn't feel any wind, the dress still flowed and softly billowed as if there was some. "Well that's better." I commented under my breath. 

I shook my head, as I looked back at the strange large crack. Okay that was strange, maybe I was seeing things but it seemed much smaller than before. Wouldn't that mean it's slowly closing then? I got a strange feeling in my chest that I couldn't explain. It was that same feeling I'd get whenever I knew I had to make a important life decision. It was a sickening feeling that made me uncomfortable and worried. But what? What was it? What was the choice I had to make? What were my options? I could feel a surge of stress pouring through me as I pulled my hair. I hated the feeling of being put on the spot. "What am I supposed to do?" I asked. 

Go back or stay.

"Go back or stay?" I asked aloud. "Are those my choices?" What the hell kind of dream is this? What is that even supposed to mean? Go back or stay? Wait, was this another way for my dream to ask me if I wanted to wake up or stay asleep? I reached my hand out towards the tear, to my own sleeping body but I hesitated. I could always wake up later, right? I was curious about what kind of dream this was. 

Make your choice.

"I umm .. I .." I bit my lip as I contemplated my options. "St .. stay I guess? Yeah, stay. Why not?"

As if on cue to my answer, the rip began to quickly close in on itself. I began to get a sinking feeling like something serious just happened but I couldn't place what it was exactly. This was too much for me to comprehend. The hole mended itself as I watched on, starting to wonder if I had made the right choice. It was strange that my dream seemed to give me the option to wake up or continue sleeping. Had I somehow made a wrong choice by decided to not wake up just yet? Was it wrong to want to see where this dream led me?

Eventually the hole was gone and there was no more crackling. There was nothing, just eerie silence. I looked around at all the stars and wide open space that lay before me and couldn't help but wonder, 'Am I supposed to be doing something? Do I just wait here until something happens?' I resorted to braiding and unbraiding small sections of my hair. Normally in my dreams it felt like I had little to no control over the things that happened. I usually just reacted to events as they came. But nothing was happening. So I just waited. And waited. As I floated there, I found myself contemplating my existence and ultimately my place in the universe. I wondered what my friends would think when I told them about this in the morning. The more I thought, the more confused I became. As much as I hated to admit it, if I was asleep, why then did everything seem so real? And why did my thoughts feel so clear? Was I finally having a lucid dream?

I groaned. I wasn't sure how much time had passed but all this waiting was driving me insane. I blew a frustrated raspberry. I just wanted answers. However, I got the sense that I wasn't going to get any answers by just waiting here. "Am I supposed to be doing something?" I asked aloud to no-one in particular. I was only met with the more of the same uncanny silence that surrounded me. "Okay, fine!" Feeling exasperated, I threw my hands up in the air. I was going to wake up eventually but in the meantime deep down I knew I wasn't going to accomplish anything in this dream by just waiting here.

I looked around before finally picking a direction. I wasn't sure where I was going but I hoped that I'd get somewhere eventually. And then maybe this dream would become more exciting. I quickly lost track of how much time had passed, not that I knew how much time had passed to begin with. All I knew was that it felt like I'd been drifting for hours and hours. And I was already bored. Honesty, I figured something .. anything would have happened by this point. So in order to keep as much of my sanity intact as possible, I began singing to myself. I wasn't good at memorizing song lyrics so it was just scattered bits of music here and there. Even though I knew I was off-key, I didn't care; okay well maybe I cared a little. This was my dream, after all, so why couldn't I be a good singer in my own dreams?

It felt like an eternity had passed before I finally saw something way off in the distance. "What's that?" I asked aloud. I halted for a moment, debating whether or not it would be smart to approach whatever lay before me. Ultimately my curiosity ended up getting the better of me. Whether I was dreaming or astral projecting, it didn't really matter; it wasn't like anything out here could hurt me .. right? As I drew closer it became clear that I was looking at a planet!

"Oh wow!" I exclaimed under my breath. The planet was a brilliant blue with white swirling clouds. "Ooh!" I gasped, as I recognized that from my vantage point the planet was starting to look eerily familiar. "Waitaminute .. isn't that Earth?" I gasped. I just had to get a better look. I could see greens and browns surrounded by the vibrant blues. Those must be land masses and oceans! It was Earth! I felt so excited that I pumped my fist in the air. Now I was finally getting somewhere. But what was I supposed to do now? I rubbed my chin with my thumb and index finger. "I mean it's not like I'm going to wake up anytime soon. So I guess that means there's no harm in exploring, right?" Realistically within a dream that meant I had all the time in the world to go sightseeing until some outside force actually woke me up.

The whole world was my oyster right now and I could go anywhere and see anything I wanted to see. Japan! Australia! France! China! I felt a sense of giddiness growing. There were so many places I could explore that I wasn't sure where I wanted to go first. I pondered my choices before I decided that China would be as good a place as any to start. "I could always start by visiting the Great Wall and go from there .." My voice trailed off as it finally struck me that I had no clue where I was on the planet. And it wasn't like I could ask anyone for directions. I looked around "Umm .." I shrugged before finally letting out a long exhale. "Oh well." I sighed. I held my hands in front of me and made two 'L' shapes. 'Alright, so this way would be my left, and the other my right. I'll go left since I'm left handed and left is lucky for me.' I thought. 

I began to make my way through the layers of clouds towards the surface of the planet. "You know," I chuckled to myself, "if this wasn't a dream, I'd be scared shitless right now." I looked down at the ground which was miles below me. If this was somehow real I knew my fear of heights would have completely paralyzed me. But then again if this was real I'd currently be plummeting to my death. However, since this was only a lucid dream, I had absolutely nothing to be scared of. Nothing could hurt me.

I continued traveling aimlessly, hoping to spot some kind of familiar landmark but there was none in sight. I passed over land and ocean alike. Something seemed off but I couldn't quite place what it was. I narrowed my brow as I tried to figure out what was so wrong. As if in response to my musings, there was a sudden blinding light coming in front of me. Acting purely on instinct, I blocked out the assaulting brightness with both of my arms. Less than a second later I heard what I could only describe as a roar of thunder that shook me to my very core. It was then followed by a forceful burst of wind hit me square in my chest, which sent me flying backwards.

The sudden explosion and knockback caused me to scream with surprise. I kept my eyes closed even after my floating body stopped moving. I held my breath as I was meet with a lingering moment silence. Finally I exhaled as soon as I felt like the danger had passed. I slowly opened my eyes. I couldn't see anything but splotches of colors, shadows and faint shapes. I shook my head and rubbed my eyes, attempting to clear my vision. "Wha..what was th..that?" My voice cracked. It felt like my eyes were taking forever to adjust, but despite my situation I was able to make out something large was in front of me, I rubbed my eyes and squinted. Even with my diminished vision I could tell that the thing in the sky was golden and glowing. Maybe it was a sigil of some kind? Whatever it was, it was large enough that I could tell it was intricate in design with rings, markings and patterns that swirled all around. As I stared in awe, it seemed like foreign symbols began to appear around the sigil. And those symbols were combining together to make words. The sigil still swirled but was now violently pulsing with energy and I knew something was about to happen.

Just then I caught a brief glimpse of something. It looked almost human shaped. Maybe I was just seeing things? I barely managed to whisper, "Hello?" I waited for a moment before clearing my throat and trying again. "Hello? Is anyone out there?" Damnit! Everything was still so blurry and static-y and my head was hurting. 

The being that was in front of the sigil seemed to suddenly vanish. I couldn't quite make out what happened but before I could even blink it was right in front of me. I jumped from the sudden fear and terror coursing through my body as this creature gave me the worst jump-scare imaginable. In my panicked state I curled up my body as best I could, using my hands to cover my face. 

"Nǐ shì shéi? Nǐ láizì nǎlǐ?" The voice spoke harshly in a language I couldn't understand.

"Nǐ lóngle ma?" I didn't know how to react. Should I say something? Should I do something? I hadn't done anything wrong to make them so upset at me, had I?

"Wǒ zhīdào nǐ néng tīng dào wǒ de shēngyīn. Bié zài wúshì wǒle!" I flinched as the person raised their voice. "Wǒ zuìhòu yīcì wèn nǐ ba, yōulíng. Nǐ shì zěnme lái dào zhèlǐ?"

"Please don't hurt me." I barely managed to squeak out.

"Nǐ néng lǐjiě wǒ ma?" The voice seemed to have softened just slightly and I took it as some kind of sign. I lowered my fingers just enough to look at whomever was talking to me.

Nothing. Absolutely nothing could have prepared me for the extreme sense of bewilderment that overcame me.

I blinked multiple times before rubbing my eyes to make sure I wasn't just seeing things. "No way." My mouth hung open.

I was staring at a monkey and it was staring back at me with intense golden eyes.

"Did .. did you just .. talk?" I asked. I shook my head quickly, as I mentally scolded myself for asking such a dumb question. This is a dream, of course animals can talk in dreams!

"Wǒ dǒngle. Nǐmen bù huì shuō zhèxiē tǔdì de mǔyǔ." I tilted my head with curiosity and confusion as it spoke to me. What was it even saying? The monkey mimicked my earlier action of tilting my head by also tilting his own head.

'Okay I have to admit, that's super adorable.' I thought to myself as I looked at it up and down. I took in every detail that I could. The monkey had ginger fur that covered most of its body and it looked so fluffy. It had a soft peach toned patch of skin .. or fur on its face that surrounded its eyes and stopped around its nostrils. The shape reminded me of a heart. It also had a heart shaped marking on its chest. After looking at it, I fully began to grasp how short it was, just like a small child. I couldn't see any defining gender characteristics which felt odd, but I assumed it was male based on its voice. I noticed that it was also glowing faintly just like I was, and it was also somewhat transparent.

Finally after a moment of silence I apologized with a weak smile. "I'm sorry. I can't understand you." I then continued on with a sigh as I said, "I wish I could understand you." It frowned as I continued talking absentmindedly. "It's been a long time since I last dreamed about talking animals.” I gave a small smile. "You're kinda adorable though." I thought for a moment, "Actually, you kind of look like Sun Wukong from one of my favorite cartoons. It's called LEGO Monkie Kid. Except you know, you look real and not like a little toy made of plastic." I gave a weak laugh. "But of course you have no idea what I'm saying and I'm just rambling at this point. I know this is just a dream but it feels like I haven't been able to talk to anyone in forever and I was starting to get kind of lonely."

I watched as the monkeys ear flicked. Was I annoying it? I bit my lip nervously.

The monkey then turned his neck to look behind him, back at the magic circle. He narrowed his eyes like he was looking for something .. or someone. There was another ear flick, and that's when I realized he was also listening for something. "What is it?" I asked. "Is there something on the other side of that ..." My voice trailed off as I saw his lips pull back into a snarl.

The monkey suddenly grabbed me by the shoulders. “Kuài diǎn! Wǒmen xūyào bānjiā!”

“Hey wait! What are you doing?” I exclaimed in shock. “Gahh! Let go of me!” I shouted I struggled to escape his tight grasp. He was scaring me and out of fear I struggled to break free from his grasp. I wanted to get this strange dream monkey as far away from me as possible. I turned my head away from him and his sharp fangs as I continued wriggling and kicking. "Please! Let me go! You're scaring me!"

"Come on spirit. Unless you want to get yourself captured, you need to move!"

I blinked in surprise and stopped moving. "Wha...what? Now just hold on a second? You can speak English now? How? Why?"

"I can now thanks to my powers of language mimicry. Now do as I say or else .."

I couldn't hear the rest of his words. I was distracted. I saw that there something coming from the swirling magic sigil. And it was coming straight at us! It moved fast and it sparkled like stars. "OH SHIT!" I shouted. I acted quickly and without thinking as I pushed the monkey out of the way from whatever the approaching danger was.

I felt my arms suddenly forcefully and painfully pinned to my sides. I tried but I couldn't free myself. "WHAT IS THIS?" I shouted out fearfully as I looked at my ensnared body. I was bound by some kind of lasso that looked like it was made of diamonds. I felt a cold sweat rush through my veins.

The monkey moved closer to me. "You tried to protect me?" He asked. His harsh voice had softened quite a bite but he still sounded serious. He sounded extremely familiar somehow. But where had I heard his voice before?

I nodded quickly in response to his question. Deep down I knew that I was a coward and yet I acted without thinking. But I wasn't sure why I hadn't hesitated in that moment. Maybe it was because all of this was a dream so I kind of knew that nothing could really hurt me.  "Please help me! I can't move" I pleaded with him.

He grabbed onto the lasso and tried pulling on it but it wouldn't budge. I felt panicked as a sense of urgency was building. "What is this magical lasso? What's going on? What kind of dream is this? I really want to wake up now!"

"It's not a dream." He said sternly as he struggled more with the lasso.

"Okay fine, nightmare then!"

"It's not a nightmare, either!"

Suddenly and without warning, the lasso tightened and it felt like I was being pulled backwards. Correction. I was being pulled backwards. “HELP ME!” I screamed. The monkey reached out and grabbed me by my hands. He was trying to pull me closer and away from the looming magic sigil. "PLEASE! DON'T LET GO!" My voice cracked. The lasso that bound me was so restrictive that the air was knocked out of my lungs. I could feel his course fingers slipping from my own. I squeezed my eyes tight, as I prayed for this nightmare to end. I felt tears forming as I no longer felt his touch and I was pulled through the magic circle.

❀❀❀

“Mhgnnn.” My body had suddenly jolted awake. I opened my eyes only to be blinded by the mid-day sun that I wasn't ready for. 'Shit. Grandma is gonna kill me for sleeping so long.' I thought. The light hurt so bad that I had to squeeze my eyes as tightly as I possibly could. Every inch of my body was aching in a way that was nearly indescribable. Fuck. Was this some kind of full body cramp? Great .. this was just wonderful. The closest comparison that I could make to how I felt was as if I'd been forcefully squished and compressed into a box. Even the act of simply breathing felt extremely difficult. Is this what claustrophobia feels like? Is it possible to feel claustrophobia from your own body? Even though the only motion I made came from breathing, I still felt an overwhelming sense of wooziness accompanied by nausea. I wasn't sure how much time had passed but all I knew was I was starting to feel unbearably uncomfortable and something about my mattress felt off. The texture felt squishy and gross against my skin.

I cracked my eyes open, slowly this time, waiting for my eyes to adjust to the light. I sat up, rubbing my eyes. 'Shit! Where are my glasses?' I realized that I was no longer wearing them which meant the fell of in my sleep. I frantically looked around, trying my best to spot the elusive eyewear that I desperately needed.

Except ..

I didn't need them. My eyes widened as it became clear that I could see everything around me without any kind of visual aid. I had been born nearsighted and yet here I was, perfectly able to see everything around me. And what I saw sent a cold chill down my spine.

'WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS?!'

Instead of the comfort of my messy room and many blankets, I was met with the most unsettling sight anyone could possibly imagine.

I was sitting on a sea of looked like golden human flesh!

I gagged and had to swallow back the sudden bile that built up within me. Ultimately I came to the conclusion that there were only three possible explanations for the situation I found myself in. The first possibility was that I was still asleep and just having a trippy dream. The second possibility was that I must have somehow been given some heavy medication that is causing me to hallucinate the most insane shit possible. The third possibility was that I was actually awake right now and I was sitting on someone's skin. 

My mind began to race with so many questions that I didn't know the answer to. Questions that I wasn't sure I even wanted the answers to. I shook my head, trying to clear my mind. I've never done drugs and I wasn't feeling sick before I went to bed last night, so medication seemed unlikely. I must still be dreaming. Yeah, that's it. I'm just experiencing a dream within a dream. I mean there was no way I actually met a talking monkey that somehow learned how to speak English from me. But deep down a nagging thought crossed my mind. 'If I've been asleep and dreaming this entire time, then why does my mind feel so clear and focused? Wait .. the monkey? Didn't it pretty much say I wasn't dreaming or having a nightmare? No wait that's stupid. Monkeys can't actually talk so I was definitely dreaming then. Just like I'm dreaming now!'

All I knew was that this couldn't possibly be real. This had to be some kind of dream within a dream within a dream! Yeah! That was it! All of this was just some elaborate dream that my mind was making up! The mere thought that I was actually awake and all of this was actually happening to me was simply too terrifying for me to wrap my brain around. I pursed my lips as I clenched my fists. 'Alright. All of this stressing isn't going to help me.' I knew that I needed to turn my thoughts towards anything else right now instead of all these questions and fears that were swirling in my mind. I decided the best place to start would be simply standing up and try to get a feel for my location. 

Through some great effort I managed to stand upright. I teetered for a moment as I worked to gain steady footing. I'd always had issues balancing with my unfortunate luck of being naturally clumsy and accident prone. But for some reason this time everything was entirely different. Even though I was standing upright, my body just felt so weird. I couldn't explain it but my posture didn't feel right. It felt like there was something weighing me down, but at the exact same time my body felt strangely light. And it didn't help that whatever fleshy substance that I was standing on was kind of squishy. I jumped a few times, just to test out the durability of the fleshy floor before determining that it seemed plenty solid. 

I looked around slowly, finally taking in my surroundings. That was when I noticed five fleshy looking pillars right in front of me. 'What in the world?' I looked up pillars that had strange rounded tops. My curiosity got the best of me as I approached the pillars as carefully as I could. With how off balance I felt, I didn't want to risk tripping and falling. As I drew closer, I was able to register that one of them had some kind of writing scrawled onto it. I couldn't read it, but from a glance I could tell that the language must of had Asian roots. That was when I began to pick up a foul scent with my nose. It smelled like ... urine? I gagged, and lifted up my arm to cover my nose with my sleeve. I took a step back with abhorrence. 'Eww! That's absolutely disgusting!'

What kind of dream was this? Then it suddenly dawned on me. This scene in front of me was very familiar, like I had seen different variations of this multiple times over. The writing on flesh and the smell of pee .. that had to mean that those weren't just pillars .. they were fingers! I was standing on someone's hand. But not just any hand. No, this was the hand that encapsulated the universe. 

'Buddha?' I thought to myself as I spun around. My mouth fell agape in awe. Here I was, an atheist standing face-to-face with Buddha. This dream felt so real, almost like it could potentially alter my religious views after I woke up. I had to crane my neck to actually catch a glimpse of his face. Buddha was staring down at me with one eyebrow raised. Or was he looking at Sun Wukong?

Holy fuck! Since this is some kind of Journey to the West dream that had to mean that Sun Wukong should be here! Where was he? I looked back and forth, with excitement. As I looked around trying to catch a glimpse of the mischievous monkey, I felt a strange twitch in my spine that I couldn't explain but I shrugged it off. I continued to scan around Buddhas palm, but sadly he was nowhere in sight. I sighed as scratched my head. My hope that I'd be able to see the Great Sage in my dreams was slowly dying. I felt disappointed. This was bullshit. What kind of Journey to the West dream was this if my favorite character wasn't in it? Seriously, shouldn't the Monkey King be here? As I scratched my head I felt my fingers brush up against fabric.

What in the world?

'What the hell is on my head?' I thought as I grabbed ahold of the cloth, and pulled it off of my head so I could get a better look. I was holding a pale yellow bonnet in my hands that was decorated with a light blue bow. 'Waitaminute .. this is .. then does that mean I'm ..'

I rapidly began to inspect myself, taking in everything all at once. I was wearing a turquoise neckerchief, and a yellow robe with black lining. Over the lower half of my robe was a tiger skin skirt tied to my waist with a blue bow and to finish the ensemble was a pair of red pants and black boots. How had I not noticed this before? Oh yeah ... I was distracted by the fact that my dream started with me waking up on Buddhas' palm. I then turned my attention towards my own two hands. My fingernails were sharp and black like tiny claws. I could see tufts of ginger fur peeking out from my sleeves. I flipped my hands back and forth as I tried to process everything. I began to pat down other parts of my body. My chest was flat as a board, which was a brand new sensation for me. 'I have no boobs? Wait of course I wouldn't have boobs. Sun Wukong was a male in Journey to the West after all.'

Though at that point my curiosity got the better of me. I lifted up the skirt with one hand and pulled my pants away with the other hand. I caught enough of a glimpse of a mans package and family jewels so to speak that I felt my cheeks quickly burning in utter embarrassment. I quickly let go of my pants to cover up the bulge between my legs and patted down my skirt. "Yeah, I'm just gonna pretend I didn't see that." I mumbled.

They say curiosity killed the cat. Well they were right. I was dying inside from embarrassment and now I was regretting my choice. "Why'd it have to be so realistic?!" I whined.

"Whoa." I mumbled to myself as I finally noticed my own voice. "I even sound like a man. Heh. I kind of sound like Sean Schemmel blended with his Mandarin voice actor. Neat." Here I was dreaming that I was Sun Wukong himself. My friends would absolutely eat this up. I'd have to text them as soon as I woke up so I wouldn't forget about what happened in my dream.

"I have to admit, this dream is kind of freaky but also really cool. Are lucid dreams supposed to be this realistic?" I pondered. I didn't often have dreams where I turned into a fictional character, but when I did, the dreams were always super interesting.

That was when I felt a small and involuntary muscle twitch building up at the base of my spine. It extended outwards in a way I couldn't describe, almost like I had a fifth limb. Fifth limb? So did that mean I actually had a tail in this dream? I felt another spasm building in the base of my spine, and I quickly twisted my body so I could get a good look behind me. I couldn't fully see it but I managed to catch glimpses of a tail that flicked in and out of view. Each and every time it moved I could feel it. I caught ahold of the tail ... my tail ... I couldn't help but stare down at it. It was so strange. I ran my fingers along the grain of the fur, before rubbing it against my cheek. I completely soaked in how soft and real it felt. "It's so fluffy!" 

My eyes widened. "If I'm Sun Wukong in this dream then that means I'm a monkey which means ..." My voice trailed off as it dawned on me that there was something else I need to urgently check. I just had to be sure. I adjusted myself so I was sitting cross-legged. I struggled for a moment, as I tugged at the one of the shoes I was wearing. After some effort, it finally slid off, exposing my foot to me. I wasn't sure what I was expecting to find, but I felt like I should have known better. I shuddered with disgust and my toes curled up in the discomfort that coursed through my veins. I just stared helplessly at those weird prehensile hand-like feet that all monkeys have. "Gross." I mumbled as I stuck out my tongue in revulsion. Why couldn't I have dreamt that he had cute paws? Why'd it have to be the hand feet?

I quickly shook my head and moved on to getting a feel for my face in this dream. My ears felt they had quadrupled in size. It felt like fur covered my entire face, but was thickest on my cheeks. My nose felt elongated as it protruded just like an animals muzzle connecting to my mouth. I then opened my mouth to feel unnaturally long canines. I pressed my thumb against my fangs. They were so sharp and almost realis ... "Ouch!" I yelped as I pulled my thumb away from my mouth. I looked down at my hand to see a small bead of blood forming. I watched as the blood trickled down my finger and fall down onto Buddhas hand below. I instinctively put my thumb in my mouth to suck on. But that's when it struck me that I could taste the warm iron flavor that came along with blood. I could feel bile rising up into my throat and then in my mouth that I forcefully swallowed down.

'Hold on just a fucking minute.' With my eyes as wide as saucers, I realized some things just weren't adding up.

You're not supposed to be able to taste things things in dreams!

You're not supposed to be able to smell things!

You're not supposed to be able to feel pain in your dreams!

My body trembled to its very core. Something was very wrong. I could feel goosebumps running up and down my arms as my fur stood on end. I scrambled to my feet. I suddenly became increasingly aware of every little going on within my body. I could feel my heart pounding in my chest as cold beads of sweat ran down my neck. I could feel the weight of the clothes on my body. I felt dizzy and almost like I was going to vomit. Just even the act of breathing felt difficult, like something was compressing my chest.  “Oh god.” I barely managed to whisper. I clenched my fists as my nails dug into my skin, penetrating my flesh deep enough to draw blood. At this point I was beyond freaking out and I opened my mouth to scream, but what came out was an inhuman and animalistic shriek.

I slapped my hands over my mouth. 'Oh my god! What the fuck? Did that just come out of me?' This dream was starting to feel a little too real for my own comfort. And I didn't like where this dream was going! I couldn't be awake! I had to be asleep! This had to be a dream! I ran my hands through my hair clutching at the strands as I panicked. 'This can't be real! This isn't happening!'

I need to wake up!

I have to wake up!

"Wake up!"

"Wake up!"

"WAKE UP!"

I took a step backwards, accidentally stepping on my tail in the process. A shock-wave of pain began to course up and down my spine. I let out a surprised yelp in response. And with the surface of Buddhas palm being as squishy as it was, I lost my balance. I couldn't catch myself as I began falling backwards, ultimately landing on my butt. By this point I was filled with an absolute feeling of dread that I had never experienced before and my stomach churned.

I squeezed my eyes shut as I screamed loud enough for my mouth to run hoarse and dry. I was curled over with my head tucked between my knees. "This isn't real. This can't be happening. This isn't real. None of this is real. This is just a dream. This isn't real." I whispered this mantra over and over, as I hugged myself and slowly rocked my body. I waited for what felt like an eternity, praying that when I opened my eyes next, I'd by laying on my pink sheets and surrounded by piles of blankets and my multiple Sun Wukong plushies. I slowly opened my eyes again.

The red pants and tiger skin skirt were still there.

I could feel my lips trembling as my whole body shook. I was terrified and overwhelmed. Buddha was still watching me with his intense and unblinking eyes. My breathing was shaking and I began crying. I couldn't stop the tears of fear and confusion and overstimulation as I sobbed into my hands. Hot tears rolled down my cheeks and snot flowed from my face. "I don't like this dream!" I whimpered.

Deep down I knew I wasn't dreaming.

"Please. I just want to wake up!" My breathing hitched as I sputtered out, "I just want to go home! I want my mom and dad!"

I felt so helpless, small and insignificant. My ears drooped and new tail hung limply.

Just then a thought crossed my mind. If there was already the graffiti and monkey pee on his hand, didn't this mean I had been forced into the point of the story where Buddha was about to trap Monkey King under Five Phases? Shit! Fuck! Does that mean I am about to be punished for a crime I didn't commit? What do I say? What do I do? I don't want to be stuck under a mountain for the rest of my life! I began to cry even harder at that point.

I glanced upwards again to see that Buddha had started to move. His movements seemed slow compared to my own that it took me a moment to realize what he was doing. He moving his other massive hand towards me so he could grab me. “Oh shit!” I barely managed to whisper. As his hand closer, I felt anxiety welling up from within. I didn't know what to do! What could I do? “No! No! No! Please, stay away from me!” I pleaded. My heart thumped loudly in my chest.

Buddhas enormous hand did not stop despite my begging and it continued its descent, drawing ever closer to me.

'Run!'

Run where?

There wasn't anywhere I could go!

Still, the word was echoing in my mind on loop. It felt like my legs were glued to the ground. His other hand was closing in! Come on! Move! Stupid body! Work with me! By a miracle, my body finally started moving! Even though there wasn't anywhere I could go, I still ran. Fuck! Even though I was never good at running before, this body completely altered my center of gravity, and my tail kept thrashing about wildly. I kept slipping and stumbling every few steps. I knew there was no chance of escape, but I was also terrified of what would happen if Buddha actually caught me! I could feel every fiber of fur on my body standing on end.

I turned to look back over my shoulder, and instantly regretted my choice. Buddhas hand had rapidly closed the space between us. I took one more step forewords only to find that I had miscalculated my footstep and I lost my entire sense of balance. I let out a small shrill scream as I fell to my knees. I scrambled forward as quickly as my body would allow until I reached his pointer finger. Now what? I was at an utter loss for what my next course of action should be. I peered over the edge of his finger for just a brief moment and instantly regretted that choice. I felt so nauseated. I was so high up, that I couldn't even see the ground, just layers upon layers of clouds. I pulled back quickly, my back up against skin. I panted for breath and squeezed my eyes shut. I wasn't sure what to do!

I was so terrified that I just curled up like the pathetic person I was. I brought my knees as close to my chest as possible and I tried my best to cover my face with my hands. I tried my best to appear as small as possible. My tail curled around me and was flicking anxiously and uncontrollably as I yelled, "PLEASE DON'T HURT ME!". I suddenly felt one of his his large fingers touch my head 'Oh shit! Crap! What do I do?' I was scared out of my mind and as if by instinct I let a small hiss. That hiss was full of the fear that was consuming me. My eyes sprung open in shock as I slapped one hand over my mouth. Did I seriously just hiss at Buddha?! My beating of my heart thumped so loudly in my chest I swore I could actually hear it with my ears. I curled up once more as I covered my head with my hands. I was too scared to move, too scared to open my eyes. All I could do was start crying again. I just wanted to go home. I squeezed my eyes tighter than before. "Please don't hurt me!" I tried to say as my voice cracked. More tears began to streak down my face.

I was waiting for the finger that was touching me to bring some kind of horrific pain onto me. Instead my dread was changed to confusion as that feeling of pain never came. Moments passed slowly before I felt the finger that was touching me begin to slowly rub my head back and forth.

Was .. was he petting me?

"Zhēng kāi nǐ de yǎnjīng, xiǎo jiāhuo." The sudden slow sound of his voice to me caused me to flinch and I let out a small squeak. "Yǒu jiàn shì wǒ bìxū qīnyǎn kàn dào." It took me a moment to process that Buddha was speaking in a slow and calm tone. He didn't sound angry at all. 

There was a moment of silence, and I felt a finger on my face. I tensed, but that giant finger was gentle and I could feel it wiping the tears from my cheeks. I slowly cracked my eyes open. Buddha stared down at me and I gulped from haywire nerves. All I could do was simply stare helplessly up at him.

I wasn't sure what Buddha wanted from me. While he was still absolutely intimidating, I was starting to get the strangest sense from deep within me that he didn't actually plan on hurting me. His eyes seemed kind, yet it also felt as if they were piecing straight through me, searching every corner of my heart. Buddha looked deep in thought before he he spoke again. "Wǒ dǒngle. Shēntǐ shì Sūn Wùkōng de, dàn lǐmiàn de línghún què wánquán shì lìngwài yīgè rén."

"I ... I don't understand." I spoke softly. I uncurled myself from my hunched up posture. I didn't know what he wanted from me. Was I supposed to say something? Was I supposed to do something?

"Wǒ duì nǐ biǎoshì zuì shēnqiè de tóngqíng. Kàn lái tā de mìngyùn yǐjīng hé nǐ de mìngyùn jiāozhī zài yīqǐle. Yīgè xīn shìjiè de mòshēng rén bèi kùn zài bù shǔyú nǐ de shēntǐ lǐ." He sighed as he gently touched my mouth, then my ears with one finger.

I tilted my head with confusion. What was he doing? What was that for?

As if to answer my silent question, he spoke once more. "I gifted you the ability to speak and understand Mandarin since it is not your native tongue so that way we may properly communicate."

"Oh." I couldn't think of what to say, so I just looked at him, blinking occasionally.

He seemed relaxed, and after a moment I took a deep breath. I allowed my body to relax.

"Who are you?"

I opened my mouth, unsure of how to respond so I just closed my mouth like a fish. "It is alright child. It's clear to me now that whatever you are .. whomever you are, you are not Sun Wukong."

"It's .. it's Brittney. My name is Brittney"

"Brittney, is it? I see. Now why don't you tell me a little about yourself, little one?"

"I umm ... what do you want to know?" I asked awkwardly.

"Whatever you feel like sharing, outsider from beyond the stars."

I chuckled nervously. "Right. Uhh ..." I shook my head. "Sorry, I'm just feeling very overwhelmed and overstimulated right now."

"I see."

"I mean it's just .. I mean .. well .. you're huge! And I'm not. I feel really, really, really tiny!"

"You are indeed very tiny."

I smiled weakly with a nervous laugh. I rubbed my hand along the back of my fur covered neck. "Well that's good to know." I paused before I asked. "I'm sorry, I just have to know, what's going to happen now? Am I .." My voice trailed off. I wasn't sure what to ask this omnipotent deity.

Buddha was silent. "I won't lie to you, this is a first." He looked me directly in the eyes. "In fact, even with my vast knowledge, I've never known it to be possible for someone to be able to transcend through dimensional barriers. It's fascinating that you weren't reincarnated into your own world and that you wound up here instead. What was your world like?"

"Oh well uhh ... where should I start?" I began to say. "I guess my dimension, I mean my world, well the planet that I'm from is far in the future compared to this planet. Ohh! And my world doesn't have magic either. I guess we sort of have magic, but it's all illusions and ways to play tricks on the mind. It's not real magic. Actually, you might find it interesting to know that you existed in my world as well, except you were just a man that people assumed became a god, but there was no way to prove it. Ohh! Oh! That reminds me! Back in my world, Sun Wukong was a fictional being. To my knowledge almost everything that would exist in this world is actually written as a book in my world!"

"Is that so?"

"Oh yeah." I admitted. "In fact it's my favorite book! It's called 'Journey to the West' in my world. I know it's supposed to be an allegory for enlightenment, but I don't really believe in that stuff. I'm kind of an atheist. Well I mean I was an atheist. Anyways, I loved the novel so much because I thought the book was super funny. And all the characters were so interesting! And of course Sun Wukong is my favorite character in the book! I love how he starts out so cheeky and mischievous but then goes through so much character development! And then of course there's Tripitaka, a lot of people don't like him but I do. I mean in the book he was only eighteen when he started the journey and Sun Wukong kept killing people and just not listening! It's not fair how much people villainize him when overall he seemed like a good person in the story!"

I took a deep breath before continuing my speech. "I didn't care much for Pigsy in the books but Sandy seemed like a great character, except he didn't have very many moments to shine. And I never understood why the White Horse Dragon never did much in the book. I mean he's a dragon for crying out loud! I guess for me the stories were so interesting that I couldn't put the book down! Ohh! And of course I had to watch as many movies related to the book as I possibly could! And I watched some of the TV shows and cartoons. Oh and there was this video game about Sun Wukong that looked so cool! It's called 'Black Myth Wukong'. It hasn't actually come out yet but I'm theorizing the story is actually about the Six-Eared Macaque and how he has amnesia and he was going through similar events to Sun Wukong because he thought he actually was the Monkey King. There's actually whole entire movie that I watched that kinda has a similar plot to my theory that was actually really fun to watch and it was a romance and ..." I paused once I realized I was hyperfixating too hard and monopolizing the conversation with concepts that Buddha might not actually understand.

I chuckled nervously. "Sorry. I umm ... I didn't mean to dump all that information on you like that. I just, well I had very specific interests and when I find something I love I can't stop researching everything I can about it. Then I talk about it almost non-stop with my friends who have similar interests."

Buddha chuckled, "You seem to be very passionate." 

"Yeah. I guess so." I smiled. I guess without even quite realizing it, I had become relaxed enough to be sitting cross-legged on his palm. 

There was a moment of silence, and I looked down catching sight of the singular shoe that I was still wearing. I cringed and scrunched my nose with disgusted. 'Eww it look so weird.' I thought. 'I hate monkey feet! They're so gross and un-natural!' I stretched my foot and shuddered at the way it moved. The flexibility made me uncomfortable and I quickly looked away, focusing on my shirt like it was the most interesting thing on the planet.

"Something on your mind?"

I looked up at Buddha. "I umm .."

"You do not have to be nervous, speak freely."

"I was a human in my world. I was a woman before all this and this is a lot to take in. My body .. Sun Wukongs body .. it's so different." I glanced around for my shoe which I now could no longer find. "Umm his shoe .. my shoe .. and the hat .. where did they end up? I took them off but now I don't see them."

Buddha smiled as my missing shoe and hat seemingly appeared out of nowhere and onto my lap. "I was wondering when you were going to ask about them." He chuckled.

"Thank you." I said with a smile of my own as I speedily slipped the boot on so that way I would no longer had to stare at the weird foot-hand that Wukong had. I was in less of a rush to put on the bonnet that I had taken off earlier.

"Umm … Buddha … sir … can I ask you something?” I already knew the answer deep down, but I still needed to hear the answer out loud.

“You can.” He answered.

“Is this all an elaborate dream or am I really awake right now? I mean, there's no way I could gone from just sleeping in my own home to actually becoming the Monkey King, is there?” I held my breath as I waited for his answer. Deep down I knew what the answer would be, but I still needed the confirmation.

"This is not a dream, little one. It seems that you displaced from your own world and brought into this one." Buddha answered my question patiently. 

"Is there any way you can send me home?" I pleaded.

“At this moment, I am afraid I cannot."

I frowned as I looked down at my hands. "Ohh .. okay."

"Even if I could, it seems as though connection to your old body was broken. You would be returning to a corpse."

What followed was the most uncomfortable silence I had ever felt in my life. Neither of us spoke.

His words weighed heavy on me as it finally became clear that in my thirst to satisfy my curiosity I had brought about my own demise. I was dead. My body back home was nothing but a lifeless corpse. I was just a ghost possessing Sun Wukong. I looked down at my hands as I choked back tears.

'What have I done?' I thought.

After what felt like an eternity, Buddha spoke once more. "I'm sure you're curious about what will happen next?"

I couldn't help but nod weakly. "I'm not going to be punished for the destruction Sun Wukong caused, am I?" I asked. "I mean I had nothing to do with his crimes, after all."

"Those are difficult questions to answer. While you did not directly lay havoc to the Celestial Realm, there is still a price that must be paid. And you are an enigma to this world with potential knowledge that could make you a threat." I tensed at his words. "I do not sense vile intentions from you, however, your story has become intertwined with the story of Sun Wukong, and it is not as easy as you might think to untangle your destinies. For now, the best course of action is for events to play out as close to how they should have went as possible. It was not a destiny you were born for, but will you take up the mantle that has been thrust upon you? Will you protect the reincarnation of Golden Cicada?"

I looked down at my hands. "How can you expect me to able to do this? I .. I don't know the first thing about fighting or using magic! How .. how am I supposed to protect someone else when I don't even know how to protect myself? What if Tang Sanzang gets hurt because of me? Please, you have the wrong girl!"

"Things will play out exactly as they are meant to, child. You just need to try your best."

"Does this mean I'm going to be actually going to be trapped under the Five Phases mountain for the next five to six hundred years? Am I going to have to be all alone for that entire time except when I'm fed iron pellets and given molten copper to drink?" I tensed up at the prospect. 

"Tang Sanzang will need to find you under the mountain, that is something that cannot be changed." He paused before adding. "However, since you brought it up, do you want to eat iron pellets and drink molten copper during this next chapter of your life?" Buddha asked me.

I immediately shook my head. "No! No thank you!"

"Then you shall not eat those things." He responded with the faintest chuckle. "I will speak with the Jade Emperor and explain the matters at hand to him. You don't have to worry, I'll see to it that you are taken care of so you will want for nothing. You will be fed regularly and you will not be lonely. Does that sound acceptable to you?"

I sighed. Even though I felt fear and anxiety over being physically restrained by a mountain, at least it wouldn't be as torturous as I was initially envisioning. "Okay." I nodded slowly. "Do what you must."

Both Buddha and I fell silent. I watched as he shut his eyes for a moment. It seemed like there was something else he wanted to say, but he wasn't sure how to broach the subject.

After what felt like an eternity he finally spoke. "There is a very serious matter we have still to discuss. There is something I feel you must know."

I tilted my head with curiosity. "What's that?" I asked, ready to hear him out.

"It's about your name .."

"What's wrong with my name?" I asked hesitantly as my voice cracked. My entire body was tense. There was something about the way he said those spoke those words that felt ominous. I couldn't explain it, but it was like the atmosphere around us shifted and something wasn't right.

"I am sure you are aware that it is not a name that will exist for hundreds of years. For the sake of the balance that this world is world is kept in, you'll need a new one."

"A new one?" I repeated his words back. "But how .. I mean why .. I .." My voice trailed off as I felt too stunned to speak. "How am I supposed to just pick a brand new name?"

"I will etch a new name for you deep within your soul."

I wouldn't be lying to say that I always hated my name and wished for a brand new one. However, something about they way he said those words sent a chill up and down my spine. I stood up and began to back away from him. "I'm good. I really don't want a new name. Brittney suites me just fine."

"Please understand child, your arrival to this world is an unprecedented event and you are an enigma. Your existence has already begun to alter the very fabric that binds this reality together. If you so desired, you could use your knowledge and newfound abilities to completely rip this world apart at the seams. Until all of heaven can be assured you will not destroy the universe, there is only one path. You must become a blank slate, a brand new soul. Your name .. and your memories of the world before .. they must be sealed away."

'Memories?' My eyes widened with abject terror as the words he spoke sunk in. "No! Wait, please! There has to be another way! You can't take my memories away from me!" I clutched the bonnet close to my chest as my blood ran cold. I continued to step backwards, trying to put as much distance as I could between the two of us even though I was literally standing on his hand. It soon became apparent that there was nowhere for me to go. My back was up against one of Buddhas fingers. "Besides ... " I stammered, stalling for time as I tried to think of anything I could say to change his mind. "Besides I swear I'd only use my knowledge for good! I can use what I know to help keep people safe! I'd never use the things I know to hurt others!"

"I'm sorry. There is no other way." He brought a finger to forehead.

Flashes of memories began running through my mind like a slideshow.

"No! Please stop!" I cried as I begged. "I promise I'm not evil! You have to believe me! I don't want to destroy this world or any world for that matter!"

His eyes were sympathetic, he heard my pleas but he said nothing as his expression grew somber.

My earliest memories began to flash through my mind. Growing up wondering if there was something wrong with me because other humans always confused me. My eventual love for reading that grew because of summer school. All the years I struggled feeling unloved as a middle child. The years I struggled as I became a kleptomaniac. The time I ran away from home. Dropping out of highschool to start working. The many different jobs I've worked. My love for books, music, art and things considered nerdy. Everything, both the good and the bad were starting to drift away from my mind. Different things that made me into the person I am became more difficult to recall as the seconds slipped by.

No! I have to focus! I can't allow myself to forget! I can't!

Buddha seemed thoughtful as he spoke, "Your surname is now Xia, from the character meaning 'Rosy clouds'."

"Stop! Please don't do this! I need my memories! I .. I need .."

Visions of all the friends I'd made swirled in my mind. Their names and faces began to vanish. My family, the people I loved and cared for .. my mother and father, my sisters .. what were their names again? No! I can't forget them! Every moment with them was precious! It didn't matter if the time spent was arguing or loving! Sharing in victory or being there in a moment of sorrow .. I shook my head, grasping at my hair with my hands willing myself to remember who these people were to me. They must have not been important. No I can't think like that! They had to have meant something to me! They must have been dear to me! I don't want to forget them!

Despite my best efforts to fight back, everyone I had ever known seemed to vanish from my grasp. Every memory that I tried to cling onto was ripped from me. It felt like I had nothing left. 

"As for your given name, we'll combine the characters of Wen, meaning 'Cloud patterns' and Jie meaning 'Pure'. As such, Xia Wenjie will be your new name for as long as you remain in this world"

"No! That's not my name! My name .. it's Brittney .. it's Britt .. Bri .."

My legs immediately began to feel like jello and my knees buckled. I feel to my knees as a thick fog had already descended upon my mind, encapsulating every inch of it. With each passing moment, I found it more and more difficult to put together a coherent thought. I just needed to rest for a moment, then I'd be able to remember my name.

I took a deep breath.

What was I doing again?

It was something important.

Something that had to do with me.

Oh right! I was trying to remember my name!

What was my name again?

"I think my name is Brijie?" No. That didn't sound right. "Jie ... Wen ... Jie? Wenjie? Wenjie! I remember now! That's my name! I'm Wenjie!" I felt so proud of myself for remembering that my tail started to wag. Of course, how could I have forgotten my own name like that? Silly me!

I felt a gentle pressure on my head, that slowly rubbed back and forth. I looked up to see Buddha was giving me a faint smile. Despite his smile, his eyes told a different story. He seemed so sad. I wasn't sure what I could say or do to help him feel better. The soft tousles of my fur felt strange, like this was something I shouldn't be used to. Like this was a brand new experience for me. All I knew was that the petting felt comforting. Like it was saying everything was going to be okay. I liked it. I shut my eyes and leaned into Buddhas touch. I began to chirp happily as my tail thumped lazily on his hand.

My body was becoming warm and sleepy. With each passing moment I found it harder to stay awake. I stretched with my entire body, and yawned. Out of politeness I covered my large yawn with my hand. In the midst of my stretching and yawning my hand brushed against my cheek. 'That's weird. Why is my face wet?' I pulled my hand away and sniffed my fingers, taking note that they smelled salty. Was I crying? When did I start crying? Huh. I felt perfectly fine so I shrugged. I couldn't even remember anything that would make me so upset to begin with. 

Buddha was silent as he continued stroking my head. My tail wagged wouldn't stop wagging with each soft rub and I continued to nuzzle my head into his large hand. "I'm sorry, child."

Sorry?

What was he sorry for?

Why was he sorry?

Whatever. It didn't matter.

All I wanted was more affection. 

"You are a threat to the stability of this world. This is the only way to keep the status quo so the world does not fall into entropy."

What is he talking about?

Me? A threat?

I'm not a threat to anyone!

I'm friendly and cuddly! I'm a good girl! Or am I a monkey? Maybe I'm both? If I'm both then what exactly does that make me? Am I mostly girl with a little bit of monkey? Or am I mostly monkey with a little bit of girl?

I groaned, my head was already swimming and I just felt more confused than before.

Maybe it couldn't hurt to lie down for just a little, just until my head cleared?

I yawned once more as I curled up in a comfortable position on the Buddhas hand. Now I just needed a pillow. Oh wait! I could just use this bonnet fell off of my head. I rolled it up so it was roughly a pillow. I began to wonder 'Who does this hat belong to again? Is it mine? I guess it must be mine. Why else would I have it in my possession?'

“Rest now little one.” I heard Buddhas voice say from somewhere above me. His voice was growing distant and faint, and yet I could still feel him rubbing my head. I felt so comfortable, like I could sleep for a century or two. I couldn't help but yawn once more. I was slowly drifting into slumber with an overwhelming sense of peace and safety. My body was surrounded in a warm haze and even though I could barely focus on anything, I could have sworn that I was seeing the glow of thousands of twinkling stars and constellations and shooting stars. I smiled lazily.

The last thing I could hear before I fell into a deep and dreamless sleep was Buddhas voice, “Dream well child from beyond the stars, for when you wake a long and arduous journey awaits. The world will need you. You'll have many new responsibilities that were originally not yours to shoulder but you must shoulder them .. bear these responsibilities well. Protect this world and its inhabitants. But most of all, find happiness."

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