Chapter 6

I opened my eyes to what looked like a twilight sky framed by trees. It seemed that I really had died this time for doing something stupid, since this definitely wasn't anything like the mother of all ships that I was just trying to get off of. Taking in my surroundings, I found I was in the clearing of a forest that gave off the feeling I would imagine Fangorn from LOTR (if you don't know what that stands for, I'm sorry) felt like. Unlike the clearing the Ents meet in, from said movie, I found a big circular table that seemed something that Arthur and his court of old would meet at. The table looked ancient with many chairs of the same make, except one at the "head" that looked much more like a throne than the rest, interesting.

I seemed to be laying down much of late, so getting up, I looked over myself and was pleased to find that everything was attached where it should be. This was good, but odd also, since I could have sworn I got really hurt from stupidly trying to use an experimental rail gun, but with the time constraints I was under, blowing up the door seemed the fastest way out. Well, you live and you learn, I will make sure to teach my children the lesson "Big weapons aren't just for compensating for something".

The cool air hit the back of my neck, and looking around at the eerie forest that seemed to hide so many secrets, I felt a tingle go down my spine, so I edged my way to the center of the clearing to the table and checked out the throne like chair. The stone table was carved intricately with what looked like tree branches, with every conceivable creature taking refuge in it, from cats to dragons, the table was astounding in its detail. The throne seemed to be much the same, but it seemed at one point to be a much more colorful rendition, due to some faded colors, of the table, with a two headed phoenix with its wings spread acting as the head rest. All in all, it seemed like this place was one of deep magic of some forgotten past.

I looked around again, noting that the sky was getting more colorful as the last rays of sun were leaving a beautiful sunset of reds and oranges over the tree tops. The forest seemed too hazardous to go through tonight, so I decided to take a seat. The throne was surprisingly comfortable, but as I sat for a moment more, I saw a green light start emanating from the table that started to draw me to its center, I leaned forward in my chair to see why the tree carved into the table came to glowing life, only to see the energy blink for a second, then it released its pent up energy that knocked me a back into my seat.

A rushing wind started up, and the trees seemed to dance around the clearing, as from the shadows I could see distinct shapes come from the darkness. As the creatures came into the light of the setting sun, I was amazed. The creatures coming from the forest were some as big as the giants I saw on the way to Solath's lab, others were tiny as hobbits, but weirdest of all, every creature had a version of my face.

A me with glasses and pointy ears said "Greetings, John, welcome to your mind."

"What do you mean?" I asked

The others began to sit as I asked this, a green hulking me sat across from the throne and the chair he sat in adjusted to his huge size, and the other me's did the same, chairs forming to their statures also. An older me with and Albert Einstein hair cut decided to answer my question.

"You, John, are in your/our mind, and the reason you are here is because you/we did something very foolish" Albert me said "when you fired that mass accelerator it was not calibrated right, so instead of the lowest setting you set it on the highest, the recoil launched you through many of the Elf's experiments, injuring us greatly. You/we probably accomplished what we wanted in opening the door, though."

"So, if I'm in my mind I am not dead ... right?" I asked, trying to wrap my head around this.

A pale vampire me dressed up like a doctor to my left, said "As of now you are not dying, John, the nanobots you fell into saw to that."

"Okay guys, I'm getting a bit confused, so lets start this off right, my name is John Burner and I don't have an addiction" the men around the table didn't even twitch, except for one of the hobbit me's giggle, and said something about "Bubbles are soooo pretty in winter???" "umm ... that was a joke."

"We know, 'cause we are you, John" said a handsome looking me with flowing locks, as he looked from his mirror at me. "We are aspects of you, I, for example, you can call me Love."

"Me Anger" said the big hulking creature across from me, wow, didn't know I came in that color.

"I am your Fear" said what looked like just a literal shadow of me in a chair to my far left.

"I'm your ... oooo butterfly, champ, yum yum ... tasty" said the hobbit me that looked slightly deranged, and just ate a butterfly that appeared from nowhere, three guesses at what he represented.

"He is your Insanity, actually ... not your butterfly, and I am called Logic," said the one who looked like the epitome of an intellectual elf that was me, but was sporting glasses and pointy ears.

"I am Creativity" said the one with big front teeth and the crazy haircut

"I am your Instinct or subconscious mind, represented in this form so we may converse" the vampire doctor looking one said.