Rapid Eye Movement.

It's the part of sleep where your eyelids flutter and you begin to experience visions...visions that some people believe can be interpreted.

Some people think these visions are the byproduct of the brain having nothing better to do while the body rejuvenates itself.

Most people, intelligent or not, call them "dreams".

This one, I think, is mine. No, it's not like I didn't know I had a dream, it's just that I'm not sure if this was real yet. If it was, then this was vivid, bright, and powerful. If it wasn't?

The world's an even more fucked up place then I could ever imagine.

*The sudden noise wakes me from my bed, where I find Suzy sleeping serenely. Damn, she's beautiful 24/7. It's got to be a crime for something like that to happen. There's no action in the house, but it's the noise from the outside that wakes me. I roll out of bed, still in my basketball shorts. I grab my Angels t-shirt from off the chair, and I throw on my beach slippers. I've gotta look somewhat decent, I'm a celebrity, y'know? So I grab my Angels cap (brand new...Suzy just gave it to me), and I walk down the stairs. Getting out there, I get even more shocked and suprise when the first person to see me when I get out into the beach...is Tempest?

Tempest: Hiya! C'mon Jon...you're gonna be late! Hell, I'm already late!

Jonathan Storm: Tempest...what are you talking about? It's 2 AM! My flight doesn....

Tempest: Don't ask questions, Jon...c'mon! We're late!

*So I trust her...and she runs past me...and begins to fly? She flies up my stairs, into my house, and through my kitchen. What the hell? I run through, going after her as best I can. That child like giggle makes me less angrier than I'd normally be should this happen with anyone else. Finally through another door, she heads for my garage. I get there just in time...she's starting my jeep...oh God, she's starting my jeep! I don't know if this was voluntary or the reaction of seeing someone in the driver's seat of my "baby", but I run into the car, taking the passenger's seat. She smoothly pulls out of my driveway, and then proceeds to drive at a mind-boggling speed. Perhaps this is why Chris does all the driving? But I let her drive...I don't have much of a choice. As we head farther and farther from the home, I realize that someone important is missing from the car now...Tempest. I could give you an audible scream, but all it would be is useless, time consuming, and a waste of my voice for later. Yeah, I'll need plenty of it. So as the car gets closer to a cliff, I prepare to say goodbye to each and every one of you. I want you to know that you've all been my friends, no matter what...*

Jon? Are you there? C'mon...wake up...Jonathan, don't do this, man...please...I know you better than this, wake up!

Storm: *groggily* Huh? What? Wait, aren't I supposed to be dead? My jeep came off a cliff because Tempest...

*So my head hurts, and I look up. Who do I see? Well...I'd be lying if I told you I wasn't shocked and suprised to tell you that the person is none other than Lance Sterling. And this is just getting even more confusing...*

Lance Sterling: C'mon kid...wake up...you can't sleep this whole time.

Storm: Lance? What's going on? You've got to know something...

Sterling: I've got all the answers kid, but the point of you being here is to figure them out for yourself. I mean, *chuckles* you're "The Greatest"! At least that's what you say, right? Christ kid, you don't even know who you are or what the fuck you want. One minute, you're a fuckin' pop star, and now, all you are is someone with some issues. That's why you're here. That's why you can't go until you understand them all. So anyways, get out into that world, and find yourself some answers. I'll give you a clue. Find your pals in this little world, and I'm sure you'll survive. You'll learn a thing or two about yourself along the way. That's all I can do for you now...but I'm sure you'll pull through, after all...you managed to beat me.

*Sterling chuckles at me...god, I always hated when he did that. It made me think he didn't take me seriously...jackass. He does flash the ole' "Sterling Silver" smile, and as I walk away, that's all I see left...that damn smile. "The brothers, the party animal, the non-conformists, and the Queen", eh? I wonder what good THAT will do me...so I walk around this little world. It's not under the sea, that's for sure. It almost kind of reminds me of Oz...but not really Oz. I'd say Wonderland, but that'll get me sued...copyright infringements, y'know? Don't you hate it when people get so damn cryptic? It makes you wonder...really, it does. Anyways, I sit down, and the sudden rush of somebody spearing me knocks me down.*

Phoenix: Oh God, Jon...I'm so sorry...please don't leave me.

*Darrin Stearns, otherwise known to the HWF fans as Phoenix. Close as a brother, but the little angst-filled one you deal with in high school. I understand him all too well. So he helps me up, and I dust myself off. I grin and hug the man before we start walking and talking.*

Storm: Darrin, are you okay?

Phoenix: I'm more worried about you...you need your head on straight! We all need you!

Storm: Who's this we, Darrin? I mean, it's just us this weekend...

Phoenix: The Circle needs you, Jon! I mean, we're all lost without you right now...

*So we sit down at this campfire, right? Anyways, I get there, and I see Havoc and Inferna. They all look to me in a child-like wonder, like I'm supposed to have any better of a clue of what's going on in this crazy little Ozzerland than anyone else. But, and this is a pretty big but, Sterling did tell me to find my friends...guess this is step one.*

Havoc: Boss...c'mon now! I'm getting impatient.

Inferna: Jonathan..I mean, you led us this far...where do we go from here?

*They all look at me. They want an answer. An answer to what? Dammit, I just don't know...and for the first time in my career of being a leader, I open up my lips and say...*

Storm: I don't know guys! I mean, I just don't know! I've got so many other worries on my mind! Like how the hell I'm going to beat Gavin and Trey! Like what I'm going to do to make sure that I win King of Violence! You're asking me to give you answers I just don't have. I have to seriously think this over. What you're asking me is to provide each and every one of you answers to a question I don't understand. I don't know what's going on in this noggin' of mine anymore. I lost one of my best friends in Gavin...I just seperated from MY WIFE! Now here I am, trying to advise a psychopath, a guy who lost all his self-esteem, and a girl who I'm not even fully convinced loves me, yet I live with her! Havoc, Darrin, Suzy...I'm just a little fucked up right now, m'kay? I don't know what's going on in your heads, or mine even.

Sterling: And now you're getting somewhere!

*The whole scene just freezes, Havoc, Phoenix, and Inferna frozen in place, along with the flames of the fire....pretty cool, huh? Well, it would've been cool, had Lance Sterling not shown up. It kind of ruins that whole "special effects" thing...even though Lance is one of his own. Remember that reference? Anyways, he comes up to me, and sits down by the fire, motioning for me to join him there.*

Sterling: So...have you gotten the point yet?

Storm: Yes and no, Lance. Are you trying to tell me this is about my head?

Sterling: Couldn't you tell? Jon, you see...look at yourself. Every time something in the HWF happens, you have to have an answer, be it wrong or right. You've made these people believe that you're going to be their saviour, but in all reality, you're no more different than they are. You're lost and ordinary...and ordinary's just not good enough to go through the next two weeks. You need something abso-fuckin'-lutely special. You need to get new perspective...after all, you won't just be facing the HWF's finest this Saturday, but the EWA Elite all next weekend.

Storm: But I need to have all the answers, Lance...I'm Jonathan Storm!

Sterling: You're really stupid, you know that? You may be Jonathan Storm, but you don't need every answer...you just need to relax and get a grip on yourself and reality. You can't lead them anymore. Sure, you can devise and scheme...but you'll never be their leader unless you can command the respect you think is rightfully yours. Put some confidence in what you say and do...it couldn't hurt. You walked the walk against me...show them how you did it.

*And with that, Sterling gets up and walks away. Before I can stand up and catch him, we unfreeze and rewind...huh? Deja vu...*

Inferna: Jonathan..I mean, you led us this far...where do we go from here?

Storm: Listen...and ya'll are going to listen f*cking well and good. This weekend, you're going to go out there and not just beat every stinkin' person that gets in your way...but you're going to annihilate them. You're going to make them beg and scream for mercy, because this is our house...the HWF is our playground, and we're just letting everyone us play around in it. Havoc and Suzy? Just beat people. Don't mess around, just hurt them. Darrin? Snap out of this and kick some ass. I don't want you playing "weakest link" on this team, because I know better. Like I said, Trey can have his porch, because we've got the whole f*ckin' yard.

*There...that was easy...or was it? They all fade away, except for the fire. Well, I guess that was easy. Easy enough to bring Tempest back, driving a Vespa. A Vespa, for those of you who aren't aware, is a little Italian scooter. They're pretty spiffy. Anyways, back to the action.*

Tempest: Hiya! C'mon Jon...we got more work to do! We're late!

Storm: Are you heading towards the Heart of this world, Tempest?

Tempest: It's my next destination, Popboy! C'mon, I'll give you a lift.

*I reluctantly hop on the Vespa....and with good reason. It's true, it's true, she's really a crazy driver.

Rapid Eye Movement.

Damn, it gets kinda trippy, don't it?

I guess Lance is The Cheshire Cat, and Tempest's The White Rabbit...care to guess who our Queen of Hearts is?

I dunno...do I care?

Next destination: my heart. I'll find some answers hopefully...but if it's anything like I think it is?

I'm going to have a lot more questions.