Failed Fiction Fantasies

I had a dream last night.

It was the same as it always is. The same as it always has been, every night since I was little.

I'm sitting in my room, surrounded by all my toys. My mommy has just told me that daddy would be home soon, and I've put my stuffed monkey on top of an old wooden chest to watch over me while she goes to make him a sandwich.

At first, there's nothing but silence. I could feel something bad was about to happen, but I didn't know what and I didn't dare get up from my bed to check the time. My eyes were fixed on the window in front of me; a large tree grew just outside and blocked most of the sunlight from filtering through, but there was enough for me to make out some shadowy shapes dancing across my room as the wind rustled its leaves gently.

Then I heard footsteps, heavy boots stomping against the wooden floor outside my room. I jumped from my bed and stood next to my door, which was slightly ajar. The doorknob began rattling violently as the unknown person outside seemed to be struggling against it with all their might.

"Mommy!" I cried out in terror, tugging at her arm desperately. "The monster is here!" She turned around hastily and looked at her son with a look of horror in her eyes - but she couldn't move! Her body had been frozen as if she'd been turned into stone! But why? Why couldn't she move?!

The door exploded open violently, sending splinters flying all over the place. A large figure stood in the doorway; he had long black hair that almost reached his waist, thick dark eyebrows that stretched across his face like claws, and two burning red eyes that glowed like a demon's in the dark night. He wore an old gray trench coat and held a revolver in his hand; he stepped forward menacingly towards my mother who still hadn't moved an inch from where she stood next to me. Then he spoke: "Where is it?" His voice seemed like gravel being rubbed together, deep and loud yet somehow distorted by some sort of evil magic. "Where is it?!" he repeated himself when mommy didn't reply immediately after his first question. He raised his gun towards her head and pulled back the hammer; then he looked at me and smiled wickedly with all his teeth showing...

That's when I woke up screaming! It took me a few minutes to realize where I was and remember that it was just a dream... but now that it was over, I felt strangely calm and peaceful inside. Strangely enough, I wasn't even afraid anymore! Just confused... wondering why my dream had changed while I slept! Wasn't this supposed to be exactly how it always went? Didn't daddy die? Wasn't mommy scared? Wasn't she supposed to be unable [to move]? And why did this monster seem different than usual? And why did he call for mommy not knowing where something was instead of wanting to kill us?

I stared at my bedroom door for what felt like forever; then suddenly the doorknob began moving again... only this time it opened slowly on its own! And behind it stood... myself?! He looked exactly like myself, only older than how I am now! There were no traces of fear or confusion in his face - he seemed happy even! Happy as if he'd just received a gift for Christmas or something! Then he spoke: "Everything will be alright." Those words echoed inside my head; they sounded so familiar! And then suddenly - everything made sense! That's right... this really wasn't anything new at all! It's what happened before! This is how it actually happened with daddy coming home early instead of mommy making him a sandwich!!! This is how they met each other again after so many years apart!!! This is how daddy found out about mommy's powers!!! This is how they fell in love!!! This is how daddy became superman!!! This is how we got our powers!!! This IS our origin story!! Our destiny!! Our purpose for existing!! We're superheroes!! WE'RE SUPERMAN'S CHILDREN!!!!!