Gary stirred in his sleep.
That dream had come back again. It was the same dream he'd had before. The one he'd had repeatedly since he was 14 years old...
...About the labyrinth of different rooms, buildings, and worlds, connected by a maze of wooden doors.
Each little world he entered had its own rules and puzzles to solve.
Each little world changed him somehow.... Sometimes he'd become a bird and fly over imaginary landscapes, others he'd be 6 years old again and totally care-free.
Each time he had this dream, the old lady was there, to guide him through the next puzzle or the next transformation that would result from it, or if he got it wrong.
Each time he had this dream, he felt the urge to escape the labyrinth, fearing that if he stayed in any of those little worlds he'd never wake up and be stuck there forever, fearing this more than the bizarre changes that would happen in the next little world, or two, or six, however many it took to reach the exit and wake up. He didn't fear them, he knew they weren't real, he knew that he'd wake up like nothing had ever happened. As a boy, not a bird or anything else. He knew they weren't real, but he was never so sure about the labyrinth of little worlds.
Each time, some routes would change, some puzzles would vanish and others would appear. Each time the labyrinth was different. This time it was very different.
Gary took a deep breath, and addressed the person who had appeared to his left. "Where's the old woman? She's usually here."
"She's not here. I'll be your guide this time, Gary. I think you'll enjoy the change," replied Naryanne. She winked and smiled.
