Hugo was like a seven-year-old child lost in a strange city—lonely, helpless, unable to seek any aid. He wanted to go home but couldn't find the way back, standing on the street corner, wailing in despair. People constantly passed by on the road, but no one was willing to stop for a child. Even lingering glances were stingily withheld, as they hurried past Hugo without pause. The city's bustling and noise only made Hugo's confusion and helplessness feel more isolated and terrifying.
Tears burst forth from his eyes. Hugo bit his lower lip tightly, not letting any sound escape, simply letting the tears stream down his cheeks.
Hugo didn't even know what was wrong with him. The audition for "A Few Good Men" had gone smoothly tonight. He had felt everything was finally on track while moving house that afternoon. But one nightmare that night had pulled him back for the first time to the world before he crossed over, and overwhelming emotions drowned him completely he had no way to resist, only letting tears flood his mind.
Knock knock... The sound of knocking echoed in the quiet, making Hugo spin around in fright. His entire body instantly bristled like a hedgehog in defense mode. Then, two more knocks followed. "Hugo, are you alright?"
It was Joseph's voice.
Because there was only a bed frame on the fourth floor no mattress Joseph was sleeping on the downstairs sofa tonight, while Kal had returned to his previous rental. They'd officially move in after buying furniture at the secondhand market tomorrow.
Obviously, Joseph had been awakened by Hugo's movements in the room and, worried, came to check on him. At first, Hugo instinctively resisted hearing Joseph's voice this world was unfamiliar, and Joseph belonged to it. But Joseph's concern calmed him somewhat. He realized he was now also part of this world, and Joseph was currently his most familiar friend.
"I'm fine," Hugo finally said. His dry throat made his voice hoarse. "Just had a nightmare."
Joseph seemed unsure how to handle the situation. He remained silent for a moment. Just as Hugo thought he'd left, Joseph's voice sounded again from outside the door. "I think I have a dreamcatcher. Do you want it?"
That made Hugo chuckle, though his face was still tear-streaked and messy. Dreamcatchers originate from the Native American Sioux tribe made from willow branches shaped into a frame, with a loosely woven web or spiderweb inside. When Native children had nightmares, parents would hang dreamcatchers by the bed to symbolically trap bad dreams or demons. Later, dreamcatchers also came to symbolize peace and good luck, capable of warding off nightmares and helping people sleep soundly.
"I don't think a dreamcatcher can catch Godzilla," Hugo replied as he wiped the tears from his face.
Joseph outside the door was stunned for a second, realizing Hugo wasn't a child and didn't need a dreamcatcher to sleep. He thought about it, but didn't know how else to offer comfort, so he stiffly said, "There's hot water in the kitchen. If you need some, help yourself." Then he walked back to the living room.
Listening to Joseph's footsteps fading away, Hugo remained where he stood, gazing once more out the window at the peaceful city.
Joseph's interruption had jolted Hugo awake he realized he had just fallen into a delusion. He was now in Los Angeles in 1992 and had just acted in a film. That was a fact. Longing for the past wouldn't help only drown him in memories and leave him with nothing in the end.
He still missed "Death Or Glory." He still missed his parents. He still missed that familiar era. But he couldn't go back. So, he had to bury that longing deep within his memory, then pick himself up and stride toward the future.
Music began to flow slowly through Hugo's mind. The lyrics trickled in rhythm with the melody. He thought of John Lennon and Yoko Ono's famous Bed-In for Peace during their honeymoon in 1969 one of the most iconic pieces of performance art, created to protest the Vietnam War.
Back then, Yoko and John stayed in bed for seven straight days in an Amsterdam hotel, accepting interviews and photographs from all major media outlets. But despite its good intentions, many didn't understand it was even seen as indecent.
For Hugo, though, one of John's famous quotes was etched deeply in memory: "Slip inside the eye of your mind
Don't you know you might find
A better place to play
You said that you'd never been
But all the things that you've seen
Will slowly fade away" Emotions surged in Hugo's chest. The piano intro of Lennon's "Imagine" appeared vividly in his mind, followed by that iconic line. The melody burst forth like a stream.
"So I'll start a revolution from my bed
'Cos you said the brains I had went to my head. Step outside, summertime's in bloom
Stand up beside the fireplace
Take that look from off your face
You ain't ever gonna burn my heart out"
Hugo could clearly feel that since crossing over, his understanding of creativity had deepened. Simply put, his previous creation, "Second Chance," surpassed all his past work in both melody and lyrics. Even more surprising was that he wrote the lyrics in English and they turned out remarkably well.
Tonight was the same. Melodies kept bursting forth in his mind. All emotions positive or negative dissolved silently into musical notes, meandering in his mind before forming sequences, and a tune naturally emerged.
Just now, this tune in his mind could be performed on piano no excessive embellishment or release, like a call from the soul, a gentle whisper threading freely through guitar strings. The music felt lightly luminous, slowly healing the inner pain and entanglement. Strength and inspiration were quietly infused into it, subtly lifting the spirit.
This verse of lyrics perfectly conveyed all the emotions in Hugo's heart. Expressed in a straightforward yet poetic way, even after finishing the song, Hugo couldn't help but curl his lips into a slight smile. The pain and struggle inside him had slowly been released through the melody.
Hugo's mind settled once more. This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity whether for the film, or for the burst of musical creativity it was an opportunity worth cherishing. Since he had already come this far, he could not give up easily. Therefore, he would deeply bury all the longing in his heart, and in this time and space, carry forward the dreams of his parents, of honor, and of himself, until death.
However, halfway through composing the song, Hugo felt things were getting a bit bumpy. The melody still flowed, but the lyrics seemed somewhat rough and clearly lacked the smoothness of the first verse. The chorus lyrics were especially crucial. Many times, a brilliant chorus could elevate the entire song by two whole levels. And what people often call "catchy" refers to the chorus, so it had to be crafted with extra care.
Hugo cleared his throat lightly, realizing that it was indeed a bit dry, so he decided to go to the kitchen for a couple of glasses of water. What's more, he had just broken into a sweat—if he went to bed without showering, there was a good chance he'd wake up with a headache the next day. The body he now occupied already had quite a few issues due to drugs. If he didn't take care of it, it would only worsen.
Hugo quietly pushed open the door to his room and, wearing a pair of cloth slippers, tiptoed into the hallway. But he forgot that he hadn't fully slipped his heels into the slippers, so even though he was on tiptoe, the slipper heels still made contact with the floor, producing sound. This made Hugo grimace in annoyance. He stopped, squatted down, put his slippers on properly, and then resumed walking.
When he reached the living room, Hugo glanced at Joseph, who seemed to have fallen asleep again on the sofa, and only then did he breathe a sigh of relief. He tiptoed into the kitchen. The distance wasn't far, but because he was being cautious not to wake Joseph and had to stay on tiptoe, it felt especially long. By the time he reached the kitchen, Hugo felt like he was sweating on his forehead again.
After downing two big glasses of water, Hugo finally felt the burning sensation in his stomach ease a bit, and the dryness in his throat somewhat soothed. He set down the cup and turned around only to be met with the sight of the living room bathed in blue moonlight, a spectacular view. Outside the window, the black landscape surprisingly had depth, allowing one to vaguely distinguish areas of houses, woods, beaches, and shorelines. The scenery was so breathtaking that Hugo couldn't help but sigh aloud.
Never mind whether the house was too old this kind of gorgeous scenery alone was enough to make one linger. No amount of rent could buy such a view. This was a priceless treasure.
Suddenly, a voice came from the living room, "You should install curtains. With light this bright, no one can fall asleep."
It startled Hugo, and he turned his head to see Joseph sitting up like a zombie. Hugo exhaled with lingering fear. "Damn! Joseph, for a second I thought you got bitten by a zombie."
"Shhh…" Joseph gestured for Hugo to keep his voice down. At that moment, Alex was still sleeping. Hugo couldn't help but make a funny face. This was the other inconvenience of living with roommates. "With your tiny courage, I really should buy you a dreamcatcher."
Uh… Hugo suddenly felt three black lines appear on his forehead.
.....
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