The Aftermath

WELCOME FRIENDS

Welcome to How Nev Sees It!

In each issue, you can look forward to three engaging sections that offer a glimpse into my world:

Short Story - Dive into one part of a 4-part series reimagining a classic story or movie, set against the vibrant backdrop of NYC. Get ready for a fresh take that blends nostalgia with modern flair!

Founder’s Update - I’ll share updates about The Santana Company and any upcoming releases/events.

Reflections - Think of this as my public journal, where I candidly reflect on the week gone by. It’s a space for me to process thoughts, insights, and lessons learned.

For today’s issue…

SHORT STORY

The Curse In The Concrete Jungle

Months had passed since the successful inception, and the world had moved on from the sudden dissolution of Genetix Corp. Brooks had retired to a quiet life, spending time with his daughter Lily, just as they had envisioned. The team had disbanded, each member returning to their respective lives, carrying the weight of their actions with them.

Jack, however, couldn’t shake the feeling of unease. The line they had crossed lingered in his mind, and he found himself questioning the ethics of their work. He had retreated to a small apartment in Brooklyn, trying to lay low and avoid drawing attention to himself.

One evening, as he was walking home from a local café, his phone buzzed with a message from an unknown number. The text simply read, “Meet me at the Brooklyn Bridge Park. Midnight.”

His pulse quickened. The anonymity of the message and the late-hour meeting reeked of trouble, but his curiosity got the better of him. He arrived at the park just before midnight, the city skyline shimmering across the East River.

A figure emerged from the shadows, and Jack recognized Marcus. His usually confident demeanor was replaced by a tense, wary expression.

“Jack,” Marcus greeted him, glancing around to ensure they were alone. “We have a problem.”

“What kind of problem?” Jack asked, his unease growing.

“Someone knows about the inception,” Marcus said, his voice low. “They’ve been digging into our past, looking for evidence.”

Jack felt a chill run down his spine. “Who? How?”

“I don’t know,” Marcus admitted. “But they’re good. They’ve already linked us to Genetix and are closing in on the details.”

Jack’s mind raced. If their involvement in the inception was exposed, it would not only ruin them but also dismantle the entire dream-sharing industry. “What do we do?”

“We need to find out who they are and stop them,” Marcus said firmly. “I’ve already reached out to Emily and Ryan. We’ll regroup and figure out our next move.”

The reunion was tense. Emily and Ryan shared Jack’s apprehension, knowing the stakes were higher than ever. They convened in a safe house in Queens, pouring over the scant information Marcus had gathered.

Their investigation led them to a name: Arthur Lawson, a former Genetix board member who had been quietly amassing evidence against them. He had hired private investigators and was planning to go public with his findings.

“We need to stop him,” Marcus declared. “But we can’t just eliminate him. We need to discredit him, make him seem unreliable.”

Jack suggested a bold plan: another inception, this time to plant the idea in Lawson’s mind that his evidence was fabricated, the product of his paranoia and grief over the company’s dissolution.

The team knew this would be their most dangerous mission yet. They would be going up against someone who was already suspicious, someone who might be prepared for their tactics. But they had no other choice.

They tracked Lawson to his penthouse apartment in Manhattan, devising a plan to sedate him and enter his dreams. Emily prepared a new compound, tailored to bypass any defenses he might have.

The night of the operation, they infiltrated his building, disguising themselves as maintenance workers. They slipped into his apartment, and within moments, Lawson was sedated and hooked up to the dream-sharing apparatus.

As they descended into Lawson’s subconscious, Jack crafted a series of dreams that mirrored his real-world investigations but with subtle alterations. In the first level, they planted the seed of doubt, showing him manipulated files and false leads. In the second level, they depicted his private investigators as frauds, feeding him misinformation. By the third level, Lawson was questioning his own sanity, unable to distinguish between reality and illusion.

When they emerged from the dream, they left Lawson with a fractured sense of trust in his own findings. He would hesitate before going public, unsure of the validity of his evidence.

Back in the real world, they monitored Lawson closely. As predicted, he began to distance himself from his accusations, citing stress and personal issues. The threat of exposure diminished, and the team breathed a collective sigh of relief.

However, the experience left them shaken. They had ventured deeper into the moral gray area, further compromising their integrity. Jack, in particular, felt the weight of their actions bearing down on him.

One evening, as the team sat together in the safe house, Marcus addressed the unspoken tension. “We’ve done what we had to do to protect ourselves and our work. But we can’t keep doing this. It’s time to walk away.”

Jack nodded, knowing Marcus was right. They had pushed the boundaries too far, and continuing down this path would only lead to more destruction.

They disbanded once more, each member going their separate ways. Jack returned to Brooklyn, determined to leave the world of dream manipulation behind. He found a job as a freelance architect, channeling his skills into creating structures in the waking world rather than the subconscious.

As he stood on the balcony of his new apartment, watching the sun set over the city, Jack felt a sense of peace for the first time in months. The line between reality and illusion was clear now, and he intended to keep it that way.

The lessons of their inception would stay with him, a reminder of the power and responsibility that came with their abilities. And as he moved forward, Jack vowed to use his talents for creation, not manipulation, knowing that some lines should never be crossed.

New Series coming next week…

Santana

FOUNDER’S UPDATE

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REFLECTIONS

Stretched Too Thin

1. Stretch - January has been a whirlwind of a month for me. I worked 4 jobs in the month and adopted a poor sleep schedule. I’ve decided to drop one of the jobs to focus more attention on the others. This should also help with my sleep. sometimes we don’t know our limits until we stretch ourselves too thin. The good is that we learn what our limits are, the challenge is that we stretch ourselves too thin.

2. Amazing People In The World - The job I dropped is teaching English as a Second Language online. Although I won’t be doing it anymore, I was able to meet some outstanding people all over the world. From Ukraine, to Brazil, to Czech Republic, I was able to meet some great people looking to improve their English. I encourage anyone who’s looking for another source of income to consider signing up to be a Tutor on Preply’s platform. You have the time, you won’t regret it.

3. Locked In - This year, I’m looking to tackle a large chunk of my goals. From getting a new apartment to converting my first book into a play, I’ve decided to lock in. I’m surprised that it’s already January 29th, I feel like yesterday feels like it was the middle of December when I was writing down my goals for 2025. It feels good to be locked in, but it does feel a little odd to pick my head up and see that so much time has passed. But… when you’re working on your goals, you’re not missing out on anything.

January is almost finished. Hopefully, you all have been able to get into a groove and can accomplish your goals for the year.

See you all next week!