10

I dreamed my dream. Somewhere in the city, the serpent writhed, and I could feel the vibrations of its bulk as it slammed about in its search for me.

I approached the fryer. I flipped the switch off. I did not burn. I lived my life, feeling the drag of reality, pulling against the elasticity of that false moment. Trying to make it farther than the last time. Trying to live just another good day, another hour, another minute. One more moment of the opposite of my real life. But as always, with every step away from the inferno the pull grew stronger as it attempted to correct this small event which caused cascading changes, unacceptable changes. Behind me, the fires burned. But I plodded ahead, second by slow second. I would not go back. I had nothing to go back to. I would fight the universe. I would destroy it all.

The pull grew until I once again faced that pivot point of perfect balance: my greatest exertion versus the universe’s desire to take the correct shape.

Fuck that. I dug my fingers in. I pulled and strained. I took one more step into that impossible future.

And then…it snapped. I slipped the past’s fingers. The flames receded. I flew, tumbling, confused. Free.