Dreams Always Reflect Reality

Flick!

A single, harsh spotlight flared to life, pinning Ewan in its unforgiving glare.

The light was blinding, making his eyes water, not that he could have shielded them anyway. His hands were bound tightly to the arms of a heavy wooden chair. The air buzzed with a low, judgmental murmur from countless dark figures seated on tiered benches that rose up into the oppressive darkness around him, all whispering and pointing accusatory fingers.

BANG.

At the source of the light, a stern-faced judge, his face a mask of grim authority, slammed a sacred wooden gavel.

“ORDER IN THE COURT!”

“The trial concerning the defendant, Ewan Campbell, and his grievous offenses against Her Royal Highness, Princess Celicia, is now in session!”

“The prosecution, representing the plaintiff, Princess Celicia, may now present its case!”

Flick!

A new spotlight swiveled, illuminating a wooden table bearing a sign that read “Plaintiff’s Counsel.” From behind it, the prosecutor, Ariel Bourgard, rose to her feet. She theatrically pushed a pair of large, black-framed glasses up her nose and began her scathing indictment of the defendant.

“Your Honor, if it pleases the court, I would now like, on behalf of the noble plaintiff, to read the list of Ewan Campbell’s heinous crimes into the official record!”

“Proceed.”

“First, Ewan Campbell is a beast of the lowest, most depraved order! Exploiting his status as her fiancé, he dared to invite Her Highness Princess Celicia to dance, and even had the unmitigated gall to touch her small, tender, and impossibly pale hands! This is an act of unforgivable jealousy… I mean, an act that has unforgivably and irreparably sullied Her Highness’s pristine reputation!”

“Second, Ewan Campbell is a beast of the lowest, most depraved order! He then dared to lure Her Highness into a sealed, private room to be alone with him! This is an act of outrageous jealousy… I mean, this is an outrageously disturbing and predatory act!”

“Finally, Ewan Campbell is a beast of the lowest, most depraved order! While alone with Her Highness, not content with merely breathing the same air as her, he drugged her black tea and committed that… that unspeakable act! This is an act of maddening jealousy… I mean, this is a maddeningly hateful and vile act!”

“In conclusion, Your Honor, Ewan Campbell is a beast! A complete and utter beast! I, on behalf of the plaintiff, sincerely and passionately request that this court sentence the defendant to death!”

“Hmm, I see.” The judge nodded, his face as impassive as stone. “The plaintiff’s request has been noted. Does the defense have anything to say?”

“I object!” Ewan screamed, struggling violently against his bonds. “The prosecutor is clearly biased and driven by personal feelings! This is a malicious, personal vendetta!”

BANG!

The judge slammed his gavel with the force of a thunderclap. “Ewan Campbell, this is not your time to speak! I am addressing your legal counsel!”

Flick!

The spotlight swiveled again, landing on Ewan’s defense attorney.

“Ribbit!”

As the defendant’s lawyer, Mr. Frog stared with wide, bulging eyes and delivered his rigorous and well-reasoned legal opinion.

“Ribbit ribbit! Ribbit! Ribbit!”

“Hmm, yes, yes, I see your point.” The judge nodded sagely. “So you, the esteemed counsel for the defense, also believe that Ewan Campbell is a beast?”

“I OBJECT! WHY IS MY LAWYER A FROG?! AND YOUR HONOR, YOU CAN’T POSSIBLY UNDERSTAND A WORD HE’S SAYING!”

BANG!

“Ewan Campbell, if you disrupt this sacred court one more time, I will pronounce your sentence immediately!”

Ewan reluctantly clamped his mouth shut, forced to watch in horror as his lawyer let out a few more nonsensical croaks before hopping off into the shadows. Well, now he didn’t even have a lawyer.

“We will now hear from the witnesses.”

Witness Number One: Ewan Campbell’s personal maid, Anne.

“Yes, Young Master Ewan is indeed a beast. Every day, he stares at my body with wicked, lecherous eyes. He becomes very excited whenever I wear my maid uniform, and he often secretly hordes my worn silk stockings. As his personal maid, I can attest that this constitutes extremely severe and ongoing workplace harassment!”

Witness Number Two: Ewan Campbell’s own loving father, Duke Rhun Campbell.

“Sigh. To think that such a beast is my son. As a father, I have truly and utterly failed. But rest assured, everyone, I will no longer acknowledge this son! My wife and I will now devote ourselves to the sacred task of creating a new one! As for Ewan… hmph. Do with him as you please. I could not care less about the life or death of a beast!”

Witness Number Three: A certain anonymous classmate of Ewan Campbell’s.

“Ewan Campbell is a beast! Ewan Campbell is a beast! Ewan Campbell is a beast! Important things must be said three times! CELICIA IS MINE!”

“I see.” After hearing all the testimony, the judge nodded with grim understanding. “Well then, Ewan Campbell, do you have anything else to say for yourself?”

“I object! The witnesses are clearly lying! And I’m pretty sure I saw one of those ‘witnesses’ sitting at the prosecutor’s table earlier! She is simply here to vent her own personal frustrations and desires!”

“Hmm. So you are finally admitting that you are a beast?”

“NO, YOU IDIOT! AND AREN’T YOU SUPPOSED TO BE TRYING ME FOR A CRIME? SINCE WHEN IS ‘BEING A BEAST’ A CAPITAL OFFENSE IN THIS KINGDOM?!”

BANG!

The judge slammed his gavel one last time, his voice booming with the finality of doom. “I hereby declare the defendant, Ewan Campbell, guilty on all counts of being a beast! The sentence is death, to be carried out immediately!”

“IT’S ACTUALLY A REAL CRIME?!”

Before Ewan could object again, the shadowy figures in the audience rose as one and surged forward like a black, churning tide. They lifted him above their heads, carrying him toward the execution grounds while chanting in a terrifying, unified chorus, “Beast! Beast! Ewan Campbell is a beast!”

Flick!

The spotlight snapped to a new location.

On a cold, grim execution platform, a noose was already waiting. In the blink of an eye, Ewan was standing upon the gallows.

“No! I don’t want to die! I’m still young! I’ve never even had a girlfriend! I’m only on the second-to-last episode of Magical Girl Madoka! At least tell me if Kyubey dies or not!” Ewan began to struggle frantically as the cold, coarse rope drew nearer.

“Ewan Campbell. Do you truly believe you are not a beast?”

A clear, cold voice cut through the chaos.

Ewan looked up and saw Celicia standing nearby. The judge, the lawyers, the witnesses, and the audience had all vanished. Only she remained, standing under the solitary spotlight, her question hanging in the silent air. “Ewan Campbell, do you believe, in your heart, that you are not a beast?”

“I…”

Am not?

No. To her, of all people, he could not give that answer. After all, he really had done that to her.

“I am…” Tears of genuine, soul-deep regret streamed from Ewan’s eyes. He took a step forward, willingly placing his own head into the waiting noose.

“That’s right! I am a beast!”

“I, Ewan Campbell… am a beast through and through!”

…

“I’M A BEAST!”

With a loud, guttural shout, Ewan bolted upright in bed.

He found himself staring directly into the calm, placid eyes of Anne, who was holding a bowl of medicinal soup.

“…”

“…” Anne stared at him in silence for a long, contemplative moment, then calmly set down the bowl. “I see. Did the Young Master also injure his head? Please wait a moment. I shall fetch the doctor to examine you again.”

“I DID NOT!”