Onirohora

By Charalambos Mavrommatis

In Onirohora, we are introduced to Constantine, a thirty-three-year-old man at the brink of despair. Life’s relentless challenges have left him without hope, a situation further compounded when his girlfriend Alicia ends their relationship. In a quest to escape his pain, Constantine takes a fateful drive to a place he holds dear, only to meet with an unexpected accident that transports him to a realm beyond the ordinary constraints of time and space.
This magical world, reminiscent of myths and legends, offers Constantine a rare opportunity for a fresh start. In this extraordinary place, he encounters two pivotal figures: a young boy brimming with energy and wisdom, and a cynical old man who has given up on life.
Constantine’s journey in Onirohora is fraught with challenges, as he finds himself in a land where the forces of good and evil are in a delicate balance. A veil of mystery cloaks this realm, where the convergence of religion and technology seeks to decode the mysteries of the divine.
Survival in Onirohora is uncertain. Can Constantine rise against the encroaching darkness threatening to engulf him? Will he be able to harness his inner strength to transform his life and secure a better future? The outcome rests on the resilience of Constantine’s will and his newfound enlightenment in this surreal and transformative journey.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Austin Macauley Publishers
• Release date: Mar 1, 2024
• ISBN: 9781528990578

Charalambos Mavrommatis

Charalambos Mavrommatis is a new author, professional photographer, a family man and a supporter for World Peace. He is a religious man who believes that every single life on Earth deserves to be treated with love and kindness. From his childhood years, he was always watching sci-fi, horror and films based on actual events, as he blamed his mother about it, that she helped him build his imagination. Onirohora is a book that gives messages of life changing and how we can make the impossible, possible.

Book preview

About the Author

Charalambos Mavrommatis is a new author, professional photographer, a family man and a supporter for World Peace. He is a religious man who believes that every single life on Earth deserves to be treated with love and kindness. From his childhood years, he was always watching sci-fi, horror and films based on actual events, as he blamed his mother about it, that she helped him build his imagination. Onirohora is a book that gives messages of life changing and how we can make the impossible, possible.

Dedication

I dedicate this book to my lovely wife, to my new-born son, to my dog-son Elvis and to all of my beloved ones.

Copyright Information ©

Charalambos Mavrommatis 2024

The right of Charalambos Mavrommatis to be identified as author of this work has been asserted by the author in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publishers.

Any person who commits any unauthorised act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, locales, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

A CIP catalogue record for this title is available from the British Library.

ISBN 9781528990561 (Paperback)

ISBN 9781528990578 (ePub e-book)

www.austinmacauley.com

First Published 2024

Austin Macauley Publishers Ltd®

1 Canada Square

Canary Wharf

London

E14 5AA

Acknowledgement

I would like to thank Austin Macauley Publishers, especially the whole team that gave me the opportunity to make one of my most important dreams come true.

Chapter 1

It had been a few days since their last meeting. A sudden fight had taken him away from her, which before that, Constantine had enjoyed every romantic moment he spent with her. An agony was burning inside of him and his heart was repeatedly pounding, he was afraid to hear what he didn’t want to hear.

At that moment, he was in his car, a ten-minute drive before his beloved’s apartment. As he arrived, he got out of the car anxiously, prepared for everything he would tell her after two weeks without having any communication between them.

He rang the bell, and she immediately opened the door. Constantine, still nervous, had gone through the door by showing her a shy smile. Alicia at once responded with the same smile. Therefore, they sat on the couch where for two whole years, they had spent endless hours of relaxation like a body, sharing their love and dreams.

On the same couch now, he was ready to talk to her. His agony went up even more while he waited for her, not to express what he was afraid to hear. She was feeling a bit embarrassed and playing nervously with her fingers, watching his face somewhat restless. So, Constantine made the start.

That day. It was not pleasant at all, right?

Yes! It was not the best day we went through.

Also, the way I behaved was not the right one. But I want you to know that I love you so much and that I don’t want to lose you.

I know! But I have to be honest—

Constantine froze at that moment. He tried to keep his temper until he heard the worst part.

I don’t feel the same. And it’s unfair.

His heartbeat had changed at a sharp rate and he felt his breath cut off as his great fear began to come to life.

What do you mean? You don’t feel anything for me anymore?

I don’t know what to say. At first, I felt very happy. I was having the most beautiful moments with you and I felt in love. Now, it’s like there’s no such a thing.

I see! he said with a sad gaze.

I have fear Constantine, for myself. About what’s happening to you and I don’t know if this relationship could work.

I understand. But—

You did a lot of things for me and you were gentle. You are a good man, Constantine. I think a lot of women would like to have a man as you.

The disappointment he felt in him was even greater at that moment when he began to realise the fact that he had failed again to create a true and meaningful relationship. He had thought many times the possibility that this would happen someday, but without noticing the true reasons, leaving him because she felt unsafe.

So, this is the end of our relationship? he asked her as his eyes were ready to weep, still holding on his temper.

Yes. I’m very sorry, she replied.

After a few minutes without another word coming out of their mouths, Constantine began collecting some personal belongings he had in her apartment while he was co-living with her. Then he squeezed her into his arms wanting to keep one last moment with her.

He left by carrying with him the scent of her perfume while at the same time thousands of memories were awake. When he got out of the apartment’s building, she was watching him outside her porch, with sadness for their last day of their relationship.

Constantine entered his car feeling the great emptiness he had inside him. He started the engine and went to the only destination he could go, back to his parents’ house. As a living-dead, he began to drive to his parents when the sound of his cell phone interrupted the deep thoughts he had in his mind.

He opened it as he was driving and noticed that he had an SMS from Alicia. Please don’t hate me!

He at once replied back to her without any hesitation. I don’t hate you. The blame is on me. I failed to make you love me.

The road was a long distance from his parents’ house, which made his heart-broken thoughts tire his mind. For once again, it was another failed relationship without love, no future and without any chance to fulfil the dreams he had made for him and Alicia.

He always had a dream and goal in his life, to succeed in his work and to create a beautiful family with the woman of his dreams. But at this moment, he felt that none of this would ever come true. Unfortunately, his job was not going well at all in recent times because of the economic crisis that plagued the whole world and still plagues.

The woman he loved till now had not truly loved him, and so happiness for him was still a long dream. His eyes began to swell from the first tear he had shed. He took his car off the road; he pulled over and went out to recover for a while.

The pain he felt was unprecedented and he did not know where it would guide him. His feelings were completely tangled and he felt his head pressed. Suddenly, he felt dizzy, like a drunk who has lost his orientation. It was a deep-wound sensation he once felt after the disappointment he received from another woman.

Another meaningless and failed relationship he had surpassed while he thought he had found his happiness. Again, he paid for his weakness. Alicia had not texted him for an hour; he considered that she would not feel as well at the time. As we know, it’s not easy for anyone to reach the separation with his companion.

Human relationships as they reach to an end are not easy to recover. When he calmed down a bit, he went back to his car. His eyes began to dry from his tears so when he started his car with a less clear mind, he watched every move in the street. He almost reached his parents’ house where his father and mother were not yet aware of the end of his latest relationship.

They were wondering why their son, all of a sudden, was in their home these past two weeks. To avoid the truth, he told them that Alicia’s apartment had to be renovated and so he had to stay for a few days with them, as she also went to her parents’ house.

They both felt shy to stay together at their parents’ house for a couple of weeks. When he arrived and stopped just before his parents’ house, Constantine had both of his hands on the wheel and he was staring at the house; he sank again into his thoughts. The engine of his car was still on.

I don’t know what to tell them! Why is this happening to me? What I did wrong with her?

At that moment, he was thinking about how wrong it would be to show them the weakness that was flowing in him, to inform them about the bad news and to worry them as he did the last time he was hurt. The first time they met Alicia, they were all out to dinner at an Italian restaurant.

They liked her right away when they noticed her kindness and how social she was towards them. His mother described her as an out-of-heart woman.

Constantine was still watching his parents’ house that was lit internally, believing that his parents were currently watching a movie on television. Various thoughts were still bothering him.

Maybe she will regret it. Because she might love me! Maybe she’s still confused for all the shit happening to me.

His parked vehicle, which was a fifteen-year-old Alfa Romeo, ‘Spider’, had unexpectedly started forth for a new direction, outside the city. He thought it was the best he could do, to get away. His new destination was somewhere near to the coast, to a favourite place that he went to calm down and to forget the problems of his life.

The road was dark and he had an hour to reach his destination. The clock on his car was 24:25 a.m. The asphalt was clean and there was no other vehicle beside his. Without noticing, the speed gauge went high. He was violating the speed limit, which was normally at hundred kilometres.

That moment, he exceeded it by speeding more than a hundred forty kilometres throughout his journey. His mind travelled again to the memories he had spent with Alicia, one after the other, everything he spent with her during the period of their relationship, even their erotic moments.

For some reason, he felt that the road he was driving had no end, while listening to his favourite music on a high volume, he felt alone and more immersed in his thoughts, as he was watching the black void of the highway in front of him.

It took several minutes and his speed had gone up even further and abruptly reached a hundred sixty kilometres. Without paying any attention to the danger he was causing to himself and his vehicle, he was not interested in whether a police vehicle would stop him from violating a limit.

But the police at that time did not exist on any point of the highway and so for him, it was free to take whatever speed he could. His eyes went blurred again, but this time from fatigue. He did not hesitate to give himself two crazy slaps to recover as being tired from his wounded thoughts.

He opened the window and a strong wind had penetrated inside his car. The road suddenly started to take a long turn to the left. He turned up the volume of the music he was listening. Now, he found himself more awake and focused until suddenly there was something weird on his path.

His eyes were watching a creature that was completely immobilised as his Alfa Romeo was approaching it with bright lights and at a maximum speed. In great agony, he tried to reduce speed so he could overtake it. But something unexpected happen, the brake somehow lost its function.

When he noticed that, he struggled to reduce speed so he could avoid the dead animal. Constantine did not believe what was happening to him during that moment. He had to find control of his car in seconds. The dead animal was a black sheep who apparently was lost from his flock and unsuccessfully failed to cross the road because of a hit by a truck earlier before the sun set.

His eyes were focused on the unfortunate animal as his car was approaching it. With success, he made a quick twist of the steering wheel and he went through the side of it. In those few seconds, he was staring at the dead sheep as he was passed it.

But as he turned his mind back on the highway, his eyes were wide open when he unexpectedly realised that he had got off road and his car went over a hilltop. The unfortunate sheep seduced him and put him off course. At that moment, he felt panicked. A sweat of agony doused him.

He completely lost control and without any action, he watched his car taking a crazy path in front of a cliff which was leading to the void. Constantine felt that he was close to his death and in those last seconds, he thought about his last prayer to God.

The car was almost at the end of the cliff. Constantine, at that very moment, closed his eyes and was ready to surrender to God’s hands.

My lord, forgive me for all of my sins. I’m ready to surrender into your hands!

Just in those last moments of his life, a bright light captured him and all of a sudden, the atmosphere looked magical. The whole universe had been presented in front of his eyes with such a speed as the years that had passed fast in his life.

Images of his past began to be revealed, originally from an image when he was an infant, when he was a pupil in elementary school, the time he was in the army and other so many images that mattered to him, one image after the other on his way to the eternal life.

His whole life was presented to his eyes before he reached to the end of it. Therefore, the light that showed those life images began to subside. An absolute darkness covered him all around, as if he were alone, like in a large dark room. Besides that, he started to feel cold throughout his body. Why and what exactly was going on around him?

Where am I?

But no one had answered his question, nor could he have known. There was silence in all its glory in the infinite darkness.

It can’t be. Is this Hell? he wondered.

His body was getting rounds and rounds like an Astronaut who flies into Space. He couldn’t understand if that was good or bad for him. If the after death journey will end somehow, sometime or never. Maybe his demons are hiding in this darkness and found a way to reveal all the fears he had had in his entire life. The fear of failure, that he didn’t find true love and success in his job.

Thoughts troubled his mind again but it didn’t take long, when a sound was heard inside the darkness, a woman’s sweet voice.

Strange, he thought.

The woman’s voice sounded kind of familiar. Wake up Constantine. Wake up! She said to him. The cold on his body suddenly stopped and started to revert back to its normal temperature. For a strange reason, he felt his body being in a care posture and lying on a soft large object that seemed to him like a bed mattress. The voice didn’t stop. This time with a strong voice, was shouting the same words to his ears.

Wake up, Constantine. Wake up. Wake up!

At that moment, he made an effort to open his eyes as the darkness began to subside. Its position had been taken by a bright light again. Only this time, the bright light came from the shine of the sun.

Chapter 2

His eyes opened as soon as he understood the sound of calmness. This sound though was very usual for him, especially when he used to spend endless hours either with Alicia or with his friends, every spring and summer. His eyes finally found their sight.

Surprised, he was watching a wonderful endless beach, with the turquoise clear waters of the sea emitting an unprecedented tranquillity. The sweet voice that awakened him disappeared and his ears were hearing only the splash of waves.

The sun as every summer in his country was very keen, which most of the times is not a good idea to be on the beach, even for hours. He tried to move his body from the sand and to build up the power he needed to stand on his feet. He felt like a baby trying to take his first steps and discover the world. When he stood up, he was puzzled looking across the sea.

How did I get to this place? Where’s my car? he thought.

He looked left and right, on both sides of the vast and unknown beach for his car. But in vain, the Alfa Romeo did not exist on it. A strange feeling of joy had flooded him.

Am I alive? I’m alive! Ha-ha. I’m still alive!

A smile of optimism was painted on his face and a feeling of relief was diffused. He was still alive after a bad accident that could have cost him his life. A great cry of euphoria came out of his dry mouth. It was like he needed to yell so much. The whole sea stretched out in front of him, unique, purifying and without much thought, he ran towards it while he removed his clothes.

He went inside and began to swim. At some point, he found himself in her vastness. He felt the waters healing his warm body. He was swimming, enchanted by the beauties of her distinctive seabed. Without expecting it, from the depth of the sea, various species of fish appeared around him.

These fish were unique, which he had never met in the sea. He felt strange because he had never seen so many beautiful different coloured fishes before, wandering in the waters of the land he knew for so many years. Their shining colours gave a special glow that was similar to a goldfish and their size was that of a tuna fish.

Determined, he approached them without any fear of touching them. He expected them to leave in terror, but with surprise they approached closer to him. Suddenly, many fish were gathered and allowed him to touch them with both hands. In a few seconds, they had him surrounded.

Constantine was not quite sure at that moment, if the fishes had a good intent on him or if he would be seduced to an unpleasant surprise. He then began to bathe like a frog under the water of the sea where the strange fishes followed him.

It looked like a science fiction film, like the one of James Cameron movie, ‘The Abyss’ when an alien being surrounded by a civilian diving team as they were searching for a lost nuclear submarine. However, for this very fact it did not seem to him like something extra-terrestrial but something completely natural.

But, as he didn’t expect it, more marine animals were presented to him from the seabed, ending up around him. With enthusiasm, his eyes were focused on all these familiar mammals that he never saw from close, but only on TV. He had once attended a documentary on Animal Channel, describing a place of New Zealand, Kaikoura.

The whole place was described as you were in heaven. This wonderful place had beautiful natural colours everywhere, from lakes, forests and landscapes. You had the ease to see the wild life up close and to approach different kinds of animals.

This is incredible! It’s like I’m in New Zealand! he screamed with a smile.

From these animals, he first stood out countless of dolphins as each of them had a bright colour. Endlessly, they were jumping over the sea wave and swimming around him, seeking for a game to play. Constantine was starting to have fun and feel more alive. Afterward, large and small seals appeared to swim next to him, who persistently demanded his caress.

And finally, various species of whales passed a few meters beneath his feet, taking out ultrasonic sounds that resembled pleasant melodies. At some point, all of the glowing fish began to retreat from around him and went through the bottom of the sea.

Also, the rest of the sea animals began to vanish after the pleasant ‘welcome’ they spread, as Constantine thought, for his arrival to this unknown beach. For the first time, inside of him he felt calm, where his mind was completely clean from his thoughts. He came out of the sea after an hour, feeling the sun have a beneficial effect on his body.

He wore his clothes after he had dried his body from the warm sun and sat on a rock that he had discovered as he had walked a few meters on the beach. He spent some time staring at the calm sea. A unique feeling of serenity began to conquer him. It turned out that the sea was the ultimate drug to wash away from his mind the unpleasant thoughts he had the night before.

A life together forever! Alicia once told him.

A small sentence when Constantine heard it, he had felt great joy in his soul. There was no sadness at that moment, but a great gratitude to God who had kept him alive after this sudden accident. The sun began slowly to subside, giving the sky a unique orange colour.

The first day on the unknown beach was almost over. Memories woke up again in his mind. Like a memory he had last summer. He had Alicia in his arms, where as usual he was caressing her long brown hair, on a beach which was like their ‘own private beach’. Together, they were gazing towards the west.

I’m having a really nice time, baby.

Me too, baby.

You think there’ll be other days like this today?

Of course there will be! And I think we will have even better.

Do you know that I feel very happy when I’m next to you?

No, I don’t!

No? I thought I told you before. Are you sure about this? Or are you mocking me?

Do you see me fooling you, my love? You know I’m not lying, he replied and laughed like a child.

Fool! For a moment, you convinced me! I won’t tell you anything anymore!

Alicia, you also make me happy. Very happy!

Really?

Can’t you see it in my eyes?

The kiss they exchanged was full of passion, a ‘kiss of proof’, of their great love as it looked. The sun had given its place to the stars that immediately adorned the evening sky. The stars were countless, a phenomenon that when a man sees, he thinks of the immensity of the universe.

Absent-minded, he looked at the Ursa Major and Ursa Minor, where he knew the story of these two constellations at the time he was a Boy Scout. He was taught then that the names of all constellations came from ancient Greek mythology. The Great Dipper depicts the story of a beautiful woman who was the mistress of Zeus.

Zeus had impregnated her as he was with all his mistresses, but the difference was that he adored her even more than Hera. Hera had discovered his mistress when she had given birth and thus from her jealousy and from the deception that Zeus did to her, she transformed his mistress and her son into two bears.

Zeus’ mistress took a separate road from her child until they met randomly after years. The two bears were in a fierce mood with each other without the mother recognising her child, and they were ready to attack against each other. Zeus had felt this attack and when he saw that his mistress and his son would struggle with each other, he turned them into these two separate constellations.

Both constellations had a strong glow and Constantine now began to enjoy the night, which for a strange reason had begun to enter quickly. Strange though, was the fact that he wasn’t feeling hungry and not in the mood to look around for food. It was as if he had overcome this need. Instead, he was very sleepy and exhausted. He felt his body weighing on him, so he lay down on some dry branches he had discovered under a palm tree.

The exhaustion that he felt on the first day of the unknown beach and his enthusiasm for surviving, and got away by the Grim Reaper’s teeth, did not yet make him think of his own, if they seek him, if they know he crashed his car and if he’s still alive.

I’ll have to warn them I’m alive! I should just—

He did not endure for long to think about the problem of returning, so he fell asleep immediately. The cool wind on the unknown beach looked deep and penetrated all over his body. It was like an energy that started from his feet and ended up on his face, waving his hair.

The next morning, the wind was warm and repeatedly pounded his sweaty face. The shadow of the palm tree had changed direction and so the sun had embraced him with his rays. Constantine had opened his eyes and tried to understand what was happening. He stretched his body and made a walk to investigate the unknown place.

As soon as he opened his eyes, he had stayed focused towards the depth of the beach. He noticed something. At first, it was not quite so understandable what he saw, but then he noticed the existence of a small figure, of a little boy. It gave him the impression that it was coming towards him. As he saw it, the small figure stopped its course and stayed motionless by the sea.

Hey, you? he yelled.

Constantine with curiosity, he began to run towards the figure above the dense sand of the beach until he reached the point where he first saw it. But the figure was nowhere and this was even weirder.

What the heck? Where did he go?

Right at the point where the little figure stood, his right foot touched an object to its left edge as it was visible beneath the sand. With great enthusiasm, he grabbed the object.

My phone!

His cell phone was off, without any continuous noise from anyone. Without haste, he turned