#dreamstalker

Something fluttered above her, casting a dancing shadow across her face. She blinked against the harsh light above, lifting a hand to block it out before sitting herself up slowly. The world spun a little and she blinked, rubbing her eyes, before taking a glance around. She was still in Morgan’s house, laid out on a daybed. Niamh slept peacefully next to her, the little patter of her chest going up and down as she did. But as she looked around again, she found the house empty. 

“Professor?” she called out tentatively, her voice cracking as she did so. The anxiety that was building in her stomach only increased when she realized her voice echoed. It shouldn’t have done that in a house, right? Sliding from the bed, she made her way into the kitchen, but found it empty. Just a cold tea pot, and two cups, filled but never drank from. 

“Professor?” she tried again, a bit louder this time. But still there was no response. Bex swallowed hard and made her way towards the front door, checking each room along her way. But the house was empty, a hollow shell of itself. It didn’t feel right.

Something wasn’t right.

The door creaked open in the eerie silence, louder than it should have been. The world outside was hazy, as if a fog cloud had rolled in and permanently nestled itself over the town. Even Bex knew this wasn’t normal. She almost slammed the door shut again, wanting to ignore the strange things going on, just like she always did. But before she could, something fluttered above her head again and she jumped, swatting at it, only stopping when she realized it wasn’t attacking her. 

It was a small bird, with sharp talons, a sharper beak, and eyes that she felt like she might have recognized. It landed on the railing outside and squawked at her, a high pitched noise she’d never heard before.

It took off in the next second and Bex flinched, startled. “Hey-- w-wait!” she called out, taking off after it. Somehow, she felt drawn to it. Her feet pattered against the ground, sloshing in something wet, despite there being no rain clouds. She slowed to a stop and looked down at her feet. Mud coated them, splashed up her legs as well. It was caked to her tights, and she knew without even having to check that they were ruined. A dread filled her-- she couldn’t come home in ruined clothes again. Her parents would be livid.

Oh, fuck-- her parents. She needed to go home and let them know she was okay. She hadn’t checked in yet. She turned on her heel and headed straight for her house. It didn’t even occur to her to find a ride. She blinked and in the next moment she was outside of the gates, staring up at them. They seemed taller than usual, towering above her, almost like a prison cell. Slowly, she pushed through them and headed inside. “Hello?” she called out tentatively, and her voice echoed through the empty halls. “Mom?” No response. “Dad?” Nothing. “...Vanessa?” 

Suddenly, the world around her grew dark. Bex recoiled into herself and looked around, but the little birdy was nowhere to be found. She was alone again. A booming thunder shook the earth around her and she shrieked, jumping out of her skin as she took off, running as fast as her flats would let her. Maybe if she ran far enough, she could escape the darkness. Maybe if she ran fast enough, she could leave it all behind. 

But every turn she took, the darkness followed. Just when she thought she was free, it was there again, consuming everything behind her. She ran and she ran, but it always caught up. She ran down Main street, she ran to campus, she ran until she didn’t recognize where she was. Her feet tripped on themselves and she face planted into a pile of leaves and mud. The darkness began to creep up around her and she turned on her side, curling up.

“Stop it,” she cried, “please, stop it. Go away, go away! This is just a dream. This has to be a dream.” Hands clasped over her ears. Voices were whispering to her. They were ringing in her ears, she couldn’t make them stop. She’d heard them before, in her head. When she’d been at the library, or walking down the street, or at the store. She always heard other people’s voices, ever since she was little. Her parents had told her to never tell anyone, to stop talking about it, to ignore them. And so she had. She’d done what they’d told her to and she’d ignored it and now it was coming back to haunt her.

And then, through the voices, a softer, more familiar one. “Bex?”

Bex’s eyes opened and the darkness disappeared. Sunlight was streaming in from the treetops above her, and even the fog seemed to have lifted a little. She could hear the trickle of a nearby river.

“Mina?”

But Mina wasn’t there. She was alone. Bex could feel the disappointment deep inside of her. But before she had time to wallow in the feeling, that stupid little bird from before flew right at her. Bex swatted at it again, and this time it circled her head a few times, nipping at her hair. “Hey!” she called out, turning in circles to try and grab it. “Stop that!” 

It gave another caw, in a lilt that almost felt as if it were mocking her. “Hey!” she snapped. It grabbed her hair again and tugged and took off. “Hey, wait!” she called out, and began to give chase. Around her, the trees fell away. It was only when she felt something sticky on her shoe that she looked down and realized the mud had turned to...ice cream?

She stopped mid-stride and glanced around. Cotton candy was growing on the trees, and there were giant pizzas floating in the sky.

“This...this is a dream,” Bex said to herself in a nervous giggle. “This has to be a dream.” Somehow, she missed the darkness. She missed the dark and the voices and the fear because at least they were familiar. This was...insane. Totally, and utterly insane.

The little sparrow like bird swooped back in as if to snap Bex from her daze and tugged on her again before taking off. She shook her head and blinked. Right, she was supposed to be following the bird. Right, she knew that. She knew that? How did she know that? However she did, it was better than staying here. She turned a blind eye as a house cat the size of a lion took a casual stroll down the other side of the street, a child placed happily upon its back, and focused back on the bird instead.

It led her down a familiar street, to a familiar driveway, back in the woods. Bex had only been there once, but it was a place she would never forget. As she rounded the corner, and left the strange fish rain and pizza clouds behind, the Vural cabin came into view. The little bird that had led her here landed on the fence in front of her and tweeted gently. Bex looked up at the cabin, fog swirling around it, the light from inside casting eerie shadows on the mist. She glanced at the bird and even though this was a dream, she realized why she recognized its eyes.

“Nell,” she muttered. Whatever was going on, Bex knew she’d been led here for a reason. She could just feel it.