The fifteen-year-old woke up screaming from what felt like a nightmare, eyes full of tears, his heart frantically beating, shaking, and covered in a cold sweat, compelled by immense fear and checking his surroundings. Paranoid and suspicious of unknown danger, wondering whether it was just a dream or reality.
\n\u201cThat felt too real,\u201d he said to himself as he was rubbing his eyes to fully awaken himself. \u201cWhy did it feel like it actually happened? And what was the meaning of it?\u201d
\nHe sat down for a few minutes, attempting to remember his dream, and the more he tried to recall what happened, the more he was bombarded by the memories of that dream, more than he could handle. Suddenly, his mother\u2019s voice from downstairs interrupted his thought process, telling him to wake his younger brother up and get ready before they miss the school bus.
\n\u201cWake up Abe\u2026,\u201d she shouted. \u201cAnd wake Brennan too before you\u2019re late to school.\u201d
\nAbaddon wiped the tears from his eyes and carefully stepped out of his bed. His feet barely able to hold him, he stumbled to the bathroom and washed his face to wake himself up. He looked at the mirror and for a very brief moment, he saw what looked like a scar on his left eye. He jumped back on the floor and started breathing heavily. He tried to feel his eye to check if what he saw was real, but it felt completely fine. He slowly looked back at the mirror; there was no scar on either eye.
\n\u201cCrazy morning,\u201d he said to himself. He looked at the clock and realized that the bus was about to arrive. \u201cCrap! Mom\u2019s gonna kill me.\u201d
\nHe ran to his brother\u2019s room to wake him up. Abaddon usually wakes his brother up with sudden loud sounds for the sake of why not. He always told Brennan that he was a heavy sleeper and that to wake him up, he needed to shout very loudly, which was a complete lie. Abaddon did it for the fun of it, although it was traumatizing to his younger brother.
\nToday, as Abaddon was about to go on his usual malicious ways of waking up his brother, he stopped for a second. For some unknown reason, and for the first time, he chose to wake his brother up calmly and soothingly.
\n\u201cWake up little brother,\u201d he said in a calm voice, \u201cwe\u2019re gonna be late for school.\u201d Abaddon was feeling differently about his younger brother that morning.<\/p>\n
**
\nAs he was walking down the school hall, Abaddon met his closest friend Das as he
\nused to every day.
\n\u201cYou got the stuff?\u201d, Das asked in a low voice. \u201cYeah, I got the stuff.\u201d
\n\u201cAll right, good, because we got some hungry clients on the wait.\u201d
\nThe moment Abaddon heard this sentence he suddenly stopped walking, frozen in place, goosebumps going down his body. His hands were shaking again.
\n\u201cI\u2019ve been through this very moment.\u201d \u201cWhat do you mean?\u201d
\n\u201cI have already lived this moment before.\u201d
\n\u201cYou\u2019ve lived this moment before? Like what? d\u00e9j\u00e0 vu?\u201d
\n\u201cNo no\u2026 it\u2019s not that, I know what will happen next. Hold up, you see the principal\u2019s office?\u201d
\n\u201cYeah\u2026?\u201d
\n\u201cA girl with her parents will come out of there in 3..2..1\u201d \u201cWhat? How did you know that? What a wild coincidence!\u201d \u201cIt wasn\u2019t just a coincidence. I knew it was gonna happen.\u201d
\n\u201cI don\u2019t know man, it felt like a coincidence to me. Anyways, I need the stuff, a lot of people are waiting for it.\u201d
\n\u201cFine, just remember\u2026\u201d
\n\u201cAlways make it quick and only make transactions when no one is around I know I
\nknow.\u201d
\nAs Abaddon was reaching for the packets in his bag, he remembered seeing things
\nnot ending as smoothly as usual. He put the packets back in his bag and said: \u201cLet\u2019s leave it for another day.\u201d
\n\u201cAre you serious? I promised some of our clients that they\u2019ll be getting their stuff today, what am I supposed to say to them?\u201d
\n\u201cJust make something up, anything.\u201d \u201cIs this because of that \u2018D\u00e9j\u00e0 Vu\u2019 crap?\u201d
\n\u201cIt\u2019s not d\u00e9j\u00e0 vu. Bad things will happen if I give you the packets today.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cListen, nothing bad is gonna happen. I always make sure everything goes as smoothly as possible. When have I ever made a mistake?\u201d
\n\u201cUhh, I don\u2019t know\u2026\u201d
\n\u201cYou have to trust me on this. If we don\u2019t deliver today, we could lose our clients forever. Plus, I\u2019ll be extremely careful. No one will notice.\u201d
\n\u201cFine, here are the packets. I\u2019ll see you after class. Do not mess this up!\u201d \u201cI won\u2019t!\u201d
\nPhysically in class but his mind was in a place far away, with sweaty palms, frantically tapping his feet, and his eyes darting around the room. Something was not right with Abaddon. He was hearing a distant voice calling his name.
\n\u201cAbaddon\u2026Abaddon\u2026ABADDON!\u201d
\nSuddenly he was brought back to reality to find the principal\u2019s secretary telling him he wants to see him right away.
\n\u201cPrincipal Brown wants to see you,\u201d she said in a serious tone.
\nImmediately his heart began pounding. His legs turned into jelly, barely capable of standing up. Slowly walking, trying as much as possible to delay whatever unknown danger is waiting for him. The secretary grabs him by the shoulder and pushes him forward to make him walk faster. He enters the principal\u2019s office to find his friend Das sobbing in tears. The moment Abaddon saw his friend in there, he knew that things did not go as smoothly as he was assured.
\n\u201cHello, Abaddon, please have a seat. Do you know why I called you both here? Surely you can make an accurate guess.\u201d
\n\u201cI couldn\u2019t think of the reason why I was brought here,\u201d Abaddon replied in a shivering voice.
\n\u201cAll right, I thought you might say that. So let me refresh your memory.\u201d
\nMr. Brown grabbed Das\u2019s bag and took out the packets that Abaddon gave him and said, \u201cDo these look familiar to you?\u201d
\n\u201cI have never seen those before in my life before. I have no idea what those are
\nand\u2026\u201d
\nMr. Brown suddenly slammed his hand on his desk and burst in complete outrage.
\n\u201cCut the bullshit! I know that the two of you have been selling these filthy drugs to students around this school. I will not allow two punks like you to ruin the reputation of this school.<\/p>\n
Do you have any idea the kind of felony this is? And what it can do to your life? I can make one phone call to the police and you two are done.
\nHe looked at Abaddon and said, \u201cBut you can consider yourselves lucky. The luckiest in the world. If it wasn\u2019t for the respect that I have for your mother Hope, Abaddon, and how much she sacrificed for you to have a decent life, you\u2019d be arrested by now. But she\u2019s already got enough on her plate. How could you do this to her? This is how you reward her for all the that she has been through for you? You disappoint her, and you do not deserve a loving and caring person like her.\u201d
\nSuddenly, Abaddon\u2019s posture changed. He no longer was that little frightened kid.
\nHe said, \u201cDon\u2019t you dare bring my mother into this, who do you think you are?\u201d \u201cWatch your tone with me boy. Do not try me, or I will make that phone call.\u201d \u201cWe all know you\u2019re never gonna make that phone call, and I am sure that my
\nmother has nothing to do with that. The only reason why cops are never getting involved is that the very moment the word gets out that students deal drugs, the reputation of this school will go downhill. I can see it making headlines across this town, and you are not ready for that.
\nAbaddon laid back and crossed his hands and legs with an arrogant smirk on his face.
\nThere was a moment of silence.
\n\u201cGet out of my school, the two of you, you are suspended,\u201d Mr. Brown said \u201cFine! my time was wasted here anyways. Come on Das, let\u2019s get outta here.\u201d
\nDas seemed disturbed by what just happened, but he knew that this was the best outcome regarding the circumstances. When they got out of the school, Abaddon slammed Das by a wall and asked what happened.
\n\u201cHow did you manage to mess this up? It was a straightforward job. I should\u2019ve never given you those packets.\u201d
\n\u201cI\u2026I am so..\u201d
\n\u201cYou\u2026you\u2026you\u2019re what? Incapable is the only thing that you are. A useless punk!\u201d \u201cI\u2019m so sorry, I did everything by the book.\u201d
\n\u201cThen what the hell went wrong?\u201d
\n\u201cI was at the usual spot, behind the stadium where there is a blind spot for security cameras, and as I\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
bag\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou got caught by a security guard as you were reaching for the packets from your<\/p>\n
\u201cYeah\u2026how did you know that?\u201d
\n\u201cI\u2026don\u2019t know\u2026God\u2026this weird dream that I had\u2026it\u2019s like I\u2019ve seen things before<\/p>\n
they happened. I don\u2019t know what to make of it. Never mind. I gotta go now. They probably called my mom, she\u2019s gonna kill me.\u201d
\n\u201cLucky me I live with my grandma, and she doesn\u2019t even know what school I go to.\u201d \u201cGod your life is so miserable. Who loves you then?\u201d
\n\u201cI\u2019m sure she does.\u201d
\n\u201cI doubt it, alright gotta go.\u201d
\n**
\nThe very moment Abaddon set foot in the house; he heard his mother\u2019s voice
\nshouting his name louder than ever. The school indeed called her and told her about what happened. She was furious.
\n\u201cIs it true? That you were selling drugs in school? Tell me right now! Is it true? And don\u2019t you dare lie to me, Abe.\u201d
\n\u201cYes, mom.\u201d
\n\u201cAre you out of your mind? Why? Why would you do such a filthy thing? For what good reason would you go into ruining your life like that?\u201d
\n\u201cHonestly, I wanted to make money.\u201d \u201cAre we that desperate for money?\u201d
\nAbaddon chuckled and said, \u201cIs that a serious question?\u201d
\n\u201cLook, I know that we\u2019re not living a perfect luxurious life, but we are not desperate enough to go through such unlawful roads, you could end up in jail. And that would destroy our family.\u201d
\n\u201cBut I am doing this for our family. Why live like this when we could have the chance to do better, to live better? you need to understand that I can change our life for the better. You\u2019ll no longer have to work a double shift just to barely make a minimum wage. You\u2019ll no longer have to worry about money.\u201d
\n\u201cWhat I worry about is none of your concern. You might think that what you\u2019re doing is going to end up helping us but it\u2019s not true. It will only bring more chaos than we need.
\nNothing good ever comes out of such an evil act.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSometimes a man has to cross a line to provide for his family.\u201d
\n\u201cA man? God, you\u2019re fifteen! What happened to you? I don\u2019t know who you are anymore. I don\u2019t even know whom I\u2019m talking to.\u201d
\nThese last words were repeated in Abaddon’s head, it sounded like someone was saying them repeatedly and louder each time. Trying to run away from the sounds, Abaddon ran to his room without saying a word and went straight to bed.
\n\u201cWould you rather be loved or feared?\u201d \u201c\u2026It\u2019s entirely on you\u2026\u201d
\n\u201cI welcome back my nightmares.\u201d
\nAbaddon woke up the next day screaming from an even worse nightmare than the one before. His heart was pounding, and his body sweating heavily as if he just got out of an oven. He hurried and opened his room\u2019s window to get some air and cool down his body.
\nThis nightmare felt even much more realistic and scarier than the one before. He had to make sense of it. He sat down and tried to think it through.
\nHe thought about how he was able to predict some events that happened yesterday at school. The only reasonable explanation that he could make out of it is the dreams that he\u2019s been having for the past two nights. He realized that they were not just random events but rather future ones.
\nDays passed and Abaddon kept having dreams, some of which would end up happening on the next day or in the near future, while others did not happen.
\n**
\nAfter seven years of seeing future events before they happen, Abaddon has become an unstoppable force. At the young age of 22, he became the dominant drug dealer in his city. His territory was marked and well-known, no one could deal drugs in that area, except for him. The youngest drug lord to ever exist.
\nBetween the ages of 15 and 22, Abaddon became very familiar with the strengths and constraints of his power. The only strength was being able to see the future, which kept him a step ahead of his rivals and made it possible for him to make the right decisions and ensure success. A constraint was that Abaddon had no control over his power, he was a hostage of his own dreams. He would often only get nightmares, which felt too real. In addition, for him to see what will happen in a particular situation, he had to initiate the<\/p>\n
event leading to that situation before going to sleep, otherwise, he could not dream about it.
\nAbaddon has reached the peak of his dominance. Money, power, and control over everything that happens in his territory. However, none of it was enough to satisfy him.
\nTaking over only one territory could not satisfy his giant ego, so he decided to expand his market. The problem was that other territories were under the control of other drug lords, and nobody likes to have competitors in this business. So, simply entering their market and starting to sell there was not an option. He had to get rid of the competition to become the only source of distribution.
\nHe couldn\u2019t yet see in his dreams what potential outcomes this could lead to because he hadn\u2019t initiated the actual planning for it. The following day, he began with his plan with Das who remained loyal to him all these years and is the only person working for Abaddon who knows about his ability. They both began working on their plan to take over the new territory.
\n\u201cSo, we know that every drug cartel has its drug lord who is responsible for all the major drug operations, which include production, sales, and transportation,\u201d said Das. \u201cHowever, there is a very crucial part about the drug cartel that makes it run smoothly and helps maintain its power and dominance\u2026\u201d
\n\u201cThe minor players.\u201d
\n\u201cExactly Abaddon! Those who maintain key connections between drug outposts. The entire thing is like a giant network.\u201d
\nDas added, \u201cAnother kind of these members are what they call \u2018betweeners\u2019. These people are the only link between the legal and illegal parties in the area. For a drug cartel to survive, it relies on its close connections with the law.\u201d
\n\u201cWhy don\u2019t we have these types of people?\u201d Abaddon asked.
\n\u201cWe never seemed to need them. Your ability to foresee future events is what compensates for their absence.\u201d
\n\u201cYeah, I guess that makes sense. That\u2019s kind of a good thing since it saves us money. Plus, we don\u2019t have to worry about their loyalty to us. So, going for the head of the cartel is not the right way to approach this.\u201d
\n\u201cFor now, it is best to avoid it.\u201d
\n\u201cAlright, how can we tackle these minor players?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThey shouldn\u2019t be too difficult to find. I\u2019ve already sent men to locate their positions without raising any suspicion. They should get back to us in a couple of days.\u201d
\n\u201cGood, that\u2019s enough time for me to use the dreams and try to foresee what could happen.\u201d
\nA couple of days later, Das went to Abaddon and asked him about what he saw in his dreams. Abaddon gave him a fierce look and said:
\n\u201c\u2026You know I cannot tell you that, if you know it will alter the future. What is it that you want to know? Is there anything you want to tell me? Because I suggest you do so now.\u201d
\n\u201cWhat did you see? I have nothing to hide from you.\u201d
\n\u201cTime will tell. So, you came to let me know that the men are back.\u201d
\n\u201cYes, they are. Ten outposts scattered throughout the area, five people per outpost, and two out of each five have machine guns.
\n\u201cAll right, good job. I\u2019ve got to go now. I have somewhere to be.\u201d
\nAbaddon thought about his mother, he could not remember the last time he saw her, in real life at least. Although he did not visit much, she was always on his mind. To him, she was the only person who truly loved him. He went back to his old home where she remained, not knowing whether she would want to see him after all this time.
\nHe got out of his car, slowly walked to the front door, and lightly knocked twice hoping no one would answer.
\n\u201cOne second!\u201d he heard from the house. The door opened, and Abaddon saw his mother in real life for the first time in years.
\n\u201cHey mom\u2026\u201d he said in a low shy voice. \u201cAbe! Hi! What took you so long?\u201d
\nAbaddon remained quiet; what could he say to justify his absence? \u201cWould you like to come in?\u201d
\n\u201cYeah\u2026yeah, I would\u2026\u201d
\nHis mother made some tea and peanut butter cookies.
\n\u201cYou used to love these cookies, they were your favorite,\u201d she said with a smiling
\nface.
\n\u201cHa, yeah, it\u2019s been too long since I had these cookies, I missed them a lot.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI hope they weren\u2019t the only reason why you finally decided to pay a visit. How long has it been?\u201d
\n\u201cI\u2026don\u2019t\u2026\u201d
\n\u201cYou don\u2019t know. It\u2019s been five years, seven months, and thirteen days, but who\u2019s counting? But it could\u2019ve been worse, I guess. I am very glad to see you back safe to me. You know I\u2019ll always love you, and I\u2019ll always be there for you.\u201d
\nA moment of silence has passed.
\n\u201cYou look tired my boy, is everything okay?\u201d
\nThe moment he heard those words, tears streamed down his face. His eyes were red and puffy, and his breathing was heavy and labored. He looked defeated and exhausted like he\u2019s been through a lot and can\u2019t take much more.
\n\u201cI can\u2019t sleep at night; I am haunted by my own dreams. I haven\u2019t slept for the past two nights, afraid of living nightmares. I am cursed!\u201d
\n\u201cCursed? What do you mean?\u201d
\n\u201cI\u2026I\u2026uhh, just forget it. I shouldn\u2019t have come here.\u201d \u201cWhy? Talk to me son!\u201d
\nAbaddon sat back down, sobbing and laughing at the same time as if he completely lost his mind. His mother rushed to him and gave him a hug trying to calm him down. After a while, he became calm and went back to his senses.
\n\u201cIt\u2019s okay my boy, everything is okay,\u201d she said as she was caressing his back. \u201cI\u2019m sorry mom, I didn\u2019t mean for things to go this way.\u201d
\n\u201cIt\u2019s okay abe, that is completely normal. This is what I\u2019m here for. Everything is going to be fine.\u201d
\n\u201cThanks, mom, I haven\u2019t felt this much relief in so long.\u201d
\nAbaddon stayed at Hope\u2019s for a couple of hours. They talked and laughed and suddenly all his worries were gone, he felt hopeful again.
\nHe got into his car with a smile on his face and went back to his headquarters to let Das know that he wants to abort the plan. He made up his mind and wanted to retire from drug dealing. This was the only way he could stop having nightmares.
\nWhen he made it to the headquarters, he was stunned to see dozens of his men lying dead on the ground with bullet holes in their bodies. No sign of Das.<\/p>\n
Abaddon took out his pistol and walked slowly and carefully to the warehouse ready to shoot anything that moved in front of him. He unlocked the front door with his key and smashed it open with his foot to be confronted by twenty men, all pointing their machine guns at him. There was no way out for him except for dropping his gun and raising his hands.
\nA guy sitting in a chair who seemed to be the leader of the group stood up and said, \u201cput your hands down man, we\u2019re not the cops. But we are worse.\u201d
\n\u201cWho are you? And what do you want?\u201d
\n\u201cI\u2019m surprised you don\u2019t know me; my name is Zigor. You\u2019ve sent some of your men to spy on me and my operations.\u201d
\nDas walked into the room, and when Abaddon saw him, he understood exactly what was happening.
\n\u201cYou damn traitor!\u201d Abaddon shouted to Das. \u201cI trusted you!\u201d
\n\u201cYou trusted me? More like you used me! You\u2019ve made me your slave from the very moment I\u2019ve known you. Now, it is time for you to pay for the lifetime that you stole from me!\u201d
\n\u201cI swear I will kill you!\u201d Abaddon shouted.
\n\u201cRelax boys!\u201d Zigor interfered. \u201cLet\u2019s keep things under control, okay? I think we\u2019ve killed enough people today.\u201d He said sarcastically.
\nZigor smiled and added, \u201cLet\u2019s play a game, shall we? I like to call this game, \u2018Would you rather?\u2019\u201d
\nZigor looked at Abaddon and said, \u201cif you had to choose, would you rather be loved or feared for the rest of your life?\u201d
\n\u201cWhat?\u201d
\n\u201cIt\u2019s a simple question, just answer it.\u201d \u201c\u2026Feared.\u201d
\n\u201cWow! I did not expect that at all! I thought she fixed you. I guess not. Alright, bring her in.\u201d
\nAbaddon was shocked to see his mother dragged in by Zigor\u2019s men. Her hands and legs were tied. Blood was all over her face and her mouth was sealed. Her face looked beat up and her eyes were full of blood and tears. She was dropped to her knees and grabbed by her hair to hold her still.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo, no, no please don\u2019t do this\u2026\u201d Abaddon begged. \u201cI\u2019ll do anything, just please let her go!\u201d
\n\u201cYou chose this!\u201d Zigor shouted. \u201cBut don\u2019t worry, your wish will be granted, you will
\nbe feared, but you will never be loved again.\u201d
\nZigor took out his pistol and shot Hope in the head. Her body immediately dropped to the ground. Blood squirted out of her head and created a blood puddle around her corpse.
\nAbaddon collapsed on the ground, he covered his face with his hands and began to sob uncontrollably. Zigor grabbed Abaddon\u2019s hands and removed them from his face, he then grabbed him by his face and forced him to look him in the eyes.
\n\u201cLook at me! You did this. Your mother\u2019s death is entirely on you. Now, I don\u2019t wanna sound too greedy, but I\u2019m gonna need to take something else from you. I want one of your eyes, just as a constant reminder to never come close to my territory again.\u201d
\nZigor then grabbed a knife and proceeded to poke it into Abaddon\u2019s right eye.
\nAbaddon was screaming from the immeasurable pain while being immobilized by Zigor\u2019s men.
\n\u201cAlright, we are done here. Let\u2019s get out of here.\u201d
\nAbaddon was left alone with his dead mother. He truly lost everything. He used whatever strength he had left and reached out to his mother and grabbed her hand.
\nAlthough he had nothing left to live for, something in him wanted revenge. \u201cI welcome back my nightmares.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The fifteen-year-old woke up screaming from what felt like a nightmare, eyes full of tears, his heart frantically beating, shaking, and covered in a cold sweat, compelled by immense fear and checking his surroundings. Paranoid and suspicious of unknown danger, wondering whether it was just a dream or reality. \u201cThat felt too real,\u201d he said … Continue reading “Recall”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_ppma_block_editor_authors":""},"categories":[64],"tags":[],"ppma_author":[3],"class_list":["post-1265","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-action-adventure"],"authors":[{"term_id":3,"user_id":1,"is_guest":0,"slug":"m-festaaui-ma","display_name":"m.festa@aui.ma","avatar_url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/65449cb1068226a14ef9126b1a35129494d168d8031b0176a86c009da34bf92c?s=96&d=mm&r=g","avatar_alt":"","avatar_decorative":"","author_category":"","user_url":"https:\/\/trove.aui.ma","last_name":"Festa","first_name":"Monica","job_title":"","description":""}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/trove.aui.ma\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1265","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/trove.aui.ma\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/trove.aui.ma\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/trove.aui.ma\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/trove.aui.ma\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1265"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/trove.aui.ma\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1265\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1266,"href":"https:\/\/trove.aui.ma\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1265\/revisions\/1266"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/trove.aui.ma\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1265"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/trove.aui.ma\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1265"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/trove.aui.ma\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1265"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/trove.aui.ma\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fppma_author&post=1265"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}