I opened my eyes and was welcomed to a world of color. I stood on a gravel path covered in glistening red, orange, and brown leaves. I could hear the roar of cars as they raced down the road in the distance. On either side of the path where old, gnarled oaks with the same colored leaves as the same ones on the path. Dew covered grass blades tipped over from the previous nights rain while bright, blossoming flowers stood taller than ever.

As I walked forwards on the path, I spotted a puddle up ahead. I closed my eyes and inhaled deeply. Now was the moment of truth. I walked forward ten paces and stopped. I had done this enough to know when I was in front of the puddle. I exhaled, looked down, opened my eyes, and saw myself, with my black, ear length bangs, icy blue eyes, skin seemingly whiter than paper, and semi-muscular body type. And, of course, the boney, leathery wing on my right that could belong to either a dragon or a bat. And I saw the tear run down my face.

Every night, I had one of 2 dreams that where always the same up until this point. In one dream, when I looked in the puddle, I would see myself with a beautiful white as milk, feathery wing on my left. I would walk a little farther until I saw my house, a two story wood building painted orange with a green door, shutters, and roof with my moms white mini-van parked in the garage. My mom would be gardening when my dad would open the door, calling us in for dinner and releasing the fantastical smells of whatever dad had concocted in the kitchen, and then i would wake. But today I had seen the bat wing.

I walked forwards, ready to face the music. And despite the fact that hot tears streamed down my face, which should have clouded my vision, I could see crystal clear. And then I saw it. My mother, with her icy blue eyes that where identical to mine, waist long blonde hair, and hourglass shape, running out, screaming "Jacob, run!" And then the explosion threw us off our feet, and sent us flying. When I looked up, all's I saw was a black haze and grey smog, but once it cleared, I saw what had haunted me for 2 years now.

My house was a pile of rubble, engulfed in flames so hot I couldn't feel the sweat that should've been rolling down my face since it immediately evaporated. In the middle of the rubble was a man wearing leather armor with straps all around the torso and steel helmet with eye sockets reminiscent of a dragons. If you've ever seen the second HTTYD, then his armor looked exactly like hiccups.

My father was dejectedly curled up on the floor off to side, with a crimson stain on the back of his shirt. I didn't need Einstein to know that the mans blood covered katana in his right hand had done that to him. As my mother tried to crawl away, the man stalked towards her and put his foot on her back so she couldn't move. He raised his sword... and I woke up.

I wiped away my hot salty tears and remembered. Yes, remembered, because those weren't just dreams. They were my memories, and the part that never actually happened was when I looked in the puddle to determine what dream I had. And I cried. I cried and cried and cried until I no longer could.