Present day:
Inside Alisha's Corp members lodge, a stunned Kiya sat speechless. Alisha's story of the past had just begun but it had already had a huge effect on Kiya. The dream realm in particular reminded her of a movie she once watch, was never one of her favorites.
"You know this dream realm really reminded me of 'Alice in wonderland' movie. It was not my favorite because of the weird magical stuffs represented in the movie. Now you really want me to believe the story of a place that sound just like the movie?"
"Kiya dear, believe it or not, the lucid dream world is real. I have always been there since my encounter with my Dad.. uh, well, his ghost." Alisha clarified.
"Don't you think if perhaps he a kind of initiated you into some kind of witchcraft?" Kiya asked in a concern tone.
"Did you hear yourself Kiya? Here is a girl holding the most powerful weapon in the universe in her bag, asking if I have been initiated into witchcraft simply because I can walk into the Lucid dream realm.. huh?"
Kiya smirks.. "So you still do the lucid dream thing?" Kiya asked.
"Yes!.. even last night. I was with him."
"Wow! That is cool I guess"
"Can I continue telling you the story?"
"Yes please!"
"Alright.. let continue from the hotel room back in the past."
Aliya got back with a bottle of water she intended pouring on Alisha's body laying still on the bed but to her greatest surprise, she saw her daughter sitting upright on the bed.
"You are awake?" she asked in a shaky voice.
"I was with him" Alisha calmly said.
"Who?"
"Dad"
"Matthew?"
"Yes! Matthew.. Your late husband and Matthew my late father." she answered rather nonchalantly.
"B-But that is impossible" Aliya stammered.
"Not when he has the ability to walk into our dreams just to be with us., Yes it is possible."
"Matthew died few years ago Alisha.. you know it.. You don't joke with things like that." She began to sob.
"Come on Mom.. I did not mean to make you feel emotional. I am telling you the truth. I spent the entire night with Dad in the Lucid dream world, uh, realm.. whichever. But he was there, he first came here, he zapped my consciousness off my body and took me into the dream world" Alisha explained.
"So you mean to tell me that Matthew is alive but exist only in dreams?" Aliya intelligently asked.
[Alisha Busted in excitement] "Thank you Mom.. you got the gist now. I always knew you are too smart not to believe what I am telling you."
"Even if I do believe you, I don't see how that changed anything. Matthew should show himself to me if he truly cares. I was his wife."
"Mom don't think like that, Dad truly cares.. He told..."
"This discussion is over." Aliya angrily interrupted.
Alisha [..]
"Get up, freshen up, dress up, let get out of here and let pretend we never had this conversation."
[Moody] "Ok Mom."
Aliya and Matthew met at a motor park some years ago, while travelling from Lagos to Abuja, Nigeria. It was love at first sight kind of thing. They dated for few months, courted for fewer mouths and boom!.. they got married. It was a blissful experience for both of them. They always say that love at first sight doesn't really workout, but those two, they proved that old statement wrong. Their love increased day by day until heavens blessed them with a beautiful baby girl whom they name Alisha after Mathews favorite oil painting, a painting he spent mouths working on. He named the painting Alisha because that was the first name that sprouted from his intuition to his brain and now, he named his daughter the same.
Matthew's ability to understand arts and to paint hyper realistic paintings gave him a kin mind, a laser focused Will and an intelligent brain . These qualities added to his handsome face and his amazing enticing smile made Alisha fell on her face for him. The same qualities let him effortlessly manipulate the Lucid dream realm almost like the Sandman himself. Their married life was beautiful, their family brooding in grace, their daughter growing in the favor of the Creator and of men, and just when Alisha thought she could hold on to that unending happiness, Boom! Matthew died in his sleep. His dead wrecked her world, devastated his young daughter and got his heart broken into uncountable pieces. Alisha almost got drowned in her tears, for many months she cried, she locked herself in her own sorrowful world, but, for her daughters sake, she had to overcome, she had to let go of the painful past and move on. She continued her life carefree of sadness, she didn't bother being with any other men, her only concern.. Alisha. What she didn't know is that Matthew never left, he find his way back to her and their daughter Alisha and the few years he died, he stuck to them, he was always with them but only in their dreams. When she thought she has forgotten him and the sorrows he left her with.. his name resurfaced again, only this time from her daughter's mouth and through the weirdest means.. lucid dream!
Aliya and Alisha met with the other group members they came with. They were excited for their first day in C.A.R as explorers and hikers. They headed to the nearest forest to start their first exploration. When in the forest, the group leader decided to split the groups into two so that they all could enjoy the adventure closely. Alisha was placed in group one, while her mother Aliya in group two. They didn't like it that way but because there was nothing they could do, they had to adhere to the leader's decision. Alisha's group went west, and west is the part of the forest that is rocky and hilly, while Aliya's group headed to the eastern part of the forest which is full of valleys and different kinds of water bodies.
Aliya's group travelled further into the forest, passing through valleys and moving around water bodies. The adventure was quit more than what they expected, painful but enjoyable at the same time. When they reached a place they needed to rest, Aliya decided to have some time alone at a near by pool. She missed her daughter, she only wished they were placed in the same group so that they could enjoy their Mother-daughter relationship as always. She sat on the ground, very close to the natural beautiful Crystal clear pool. The pool in fact fascinated her so much. She couldn't help but wonder at it beauty.
"You are by far the must amazing place I have seen here dear beautiful pool." She said. "Let me wash myself in you if you wouldn't mind." She spoke to the pool as if a human.
Afterward, she took of her clothes, walked slowly into the pool, the pool's temperature was enchanting, she couldn't help but gave herself up to the enchantment of the water.
"Hah" she sighed.. "What a sweetness, I can stay in here for forever."
"You wouldn't want that.."
Startled.. Aliya pulled her head out of the water, turned left and right but could see no one.
"Who said that?" she asked.
"Get out of the pool.. Now"
"Who are you?" Aliya shouted.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the forest, everyone gathered around Alisha as she laid on the ground. Two minutes ago, while walking on the rocking ground, she stumbled on one of the sharp stones and fell. Out of shock, she went unconscious. While the other group members tried their best to bring her back to consciousness, Matthew visited her. He took her consciousness into the lucid dream world to have some time with her. While there, Alisha angrily asked her Dad.. "Why did you bring me here?" "I wouldn't have brought you here if it wasn't important" He replied. "Ok.. am calm now. Why did you bring me here?" she still asked. Matthew walked closer to her, he held her on her shoulders.. "Your Mother is in trouble" he said.
"What? How?" Alisha asked.
"Right now as I am taking to you.. She just got into the pool of Nenkeh."
"What is that?"
"Nenkeh is an enchanted pool which once someone gets in, they can't get out until they grow old without them knowing"
"What?" Alisha screamed.
"Yes! Your mother is in there now and she is already enjoying the pool, I need you to call her other group members to go there right now and pool her out if not.. It only a matter of minutes before she stayed there forever."
"Ok but why won't you just tell her to get out?" she curiously asked.
"Because she won't hear me.. her mind is too clouded with too much worries. Worries of you and herself and even the loss of me.. she won't hear me."
"Did you try?"
"No!"
"Please Dad, go and try while I try to communicate her group members to go help her out."
"Ok, I will go right now.. but please wake up now and make that phone call, Aliya's life is in your hands"
Few seconds after their conversation in the Lucid dream realm, Alisha's body shook on the ground. One of her group members shouted.. "Her body shook, I think she's awake"
All the other group members rushed back to be around her again; "Give her some space, she need air" one of the group members shouted.
The moment Alisha opened her eyes, she got up like a wild lion.. "Where's my phone?"
"It in your backpack" their group leader answered.
"I need it please, I need to call the other group.. My mom is in trouble"
"Ok.. Someone go get Alisha's phone" the leader commanded.
In the pool of Nenkeh, Aliya couldn't understand the voice talking to her. The pool wouldn't allow her to, it just want to keep her inside her waters.
"Aliya please get of the water" the voice persisted.
"Who the hell are you and why do you want me outside of this sweet water?" she angrily asked.
"It me Matthew"
"Matthew?"
"Yes it is me talking to you and I need you to get out of the water.. Please". Matthew pleaded.
"Oh don't you dare.. I know Matthew is dead, so whoever is speaking right now is not Matthew. You are just a jealous voice trying to pull me out of this sweet pool, and you will never succeed." Aliya blurted.
On hearing what Aliya said, Matthew began to give up on salvaging the love of his life. And just when he was about to get into the point of despair, his hope got risen again after hearing footsteps of people coming. He knew they must be her group members, he knew Alisha had called them to come and save Aliya. A smile flushed through his face.
While still in the pool, a thick rope fell upon Aliya, went round down to her waist. She felt herself being pulled out from the pool. She couldn't believe it, she started screaming and fighting to get back to the pool. "Leave me alone, I want to stay here" she shouted. But her pleas fell on deaf ears. The women in her group wouldn't let one of them be eaten by an enchanted pool, they did all they could till they dragged her out.
Three hours later, the two groups came together in one place to camp in the forest. For Hours ago before they started their journeys into the unknown, they agreed to meet at a particular location in the forest. Aliya sat quietly on a small rock looking into the distant mountains, while the other group members set up tents. Alisha saw her Mom sitting alone and decided to check on her.
"Mom are you ok?" Alisha asked.
Aliya was a little startled by the sudden sound of her daughter's voice but she pretended she wasn't. "Yes I am Ok my dear" she replied.
"Alright.. I saw you sitting alone and decided to check on you."
"Thank you Alisha."
"You are welcome Mom"
She gave her mom a shoulder to lean on, she'd always did so and she promised in her heart she won't let anyone split them into different groups again.
"He came to me" Aliya suddenly spoke.
"Who" Alisha asked.
"Matthew" Aliya answered.
"I was waiting for you to say it" Alisha said.
"You knew he would come to me?" Aliya asked surprised.
"He came to me first to inform me that you were in trouble.. That you got into the pool of Nenkeh."
"The pool I went in? Is that what it called?" Aliya curiously asked.
"Yes it is" Alisha replied.
They both sat quietly looking into the distance together. But it wasn't long before Alisha broke the sudden silence.
"Don't worry Mom, I won't stay an inch away from you again" Alisha assured.
"Me neither" Aliya readily agreed.