In Memory of Owen (Short Story of Dreamworld)

- Have you seen Owen?

- No, not for a week. Why?

- But you have kept him in your thoughts, right?

- Why should I?

- What do you mean?! I thought you got him. If you were not thinking of him, who was?

- Probably noone. He is boring.

- So, is that enough reason to kill him for? If no one kept him in their thoughts, he is probably gone, girl. Dead. And you killed him because you did not keep him safe.

- I?! Why not you? Why did you not think of him if you think he was so precious?!

- Because I thought you had him. I was counting on you to do it. I got too many people to take care of as is. How could you not care for him? He cared for you!

- What was so special about him? Anyway if he wants to recreate his avatar, he should be able to do it easily enough. It's not like there was much there anyway. Not that I know why he would bother. I can't think of a single special thing about him. He was basically a nobody.

- I can't believe you felt that way about him! He really liked you. The way he talked about those silly flowers of yours, he was so proud of you for maintaining them, almost as if he had created them himself. The way he talked of them it was almost like hearing you when you rave of them.

- I don't know what you mean. What flowers?

- Aha! See! They are gone. You know it takes at least two people to keep a virtual dream construct alive, and aside from you, I bet he was the only one who gave a rat about those flowers of yours. Ha! Serves you right. You should have heard yourself go on and on about those petals and twigs of yours, and what unique color combos you had, and what optical illusions you could achieve with the infusion of wind into that flower garden of yours. Personally I could not get what the big deal was, but you were mesmerized like some kind of flower fanatic. You used to spend hours, you used to spend nights, trying to dose them with just the right nano-ferts and such. And now you can't even remember them. I can't believe it! You better be careful because if you neglect friends like Owen, who is to say, you won't poof out of Dreamworld soon yourself.

- That could not happen! You know that could not happen. Why you know that all it takes is for only one other to keep me in mind, and you've got my backup in your memory, so I am safe.

- Snort! Sorry, but you don't rate high enough. Sure I occasionally think of you, and I had been thinking of you these past few days, and now of course since we are talking, but really like I told you, I got too many people to take care of. You should find yourself someone like Owen to keep you safe. Yes, he may have been boring, but that has its pluses too, since he did not have enough constructs of his own to occupy his mind, so he had plenty of room to keep your constructs in his memory too. He knew that he was not worth much, so he admired you, and thus kept you safe. He admired lots of people. I wouldn't be at all surprised if his passing did not cause others to go too gently into the good night. He may have been the only one who admired some people. Like that witch, what's her name, can't remember her name now. Hmm, curious that, I wonder whether that means she too is dead. I better go check. See some people pass, and even their name gets lost. Owen was lucky that at least his name lived on. Of course, I may have just lost her name myself not having thought of her for a while, but she may still be quite fine as long as someone else was thinking of her. I can't think of the top of my mind of anyone who would though, but then again, they may not have been memorable enough for me. I better go check on her.

- Wait don't go!

There was desperation in the voice of the one who just realized that she may not have anyone else to think of her now that Owen and even her flowers were gone. But he did not even hear her, his mind already on that other witch, the one who was not even important enough to him to remember her name! He might not have been surprised to turn around after he left to find that he had left an empty room. What would have surprised him, however is that once he left that room, he could not turn around again, because there was noone to turn around.