[Fanfiction] [xxxHolic] Dreams of Escape
Title: Dreams of Escape
Author: Dark Hooded Eriol the Magician
Series: xxxHolic
Rating: K+
Genre: Horror/Supernatural
Status: Complete
Comments/Warnings: It's scary. Trust me. xposted to xxx_holic and clampfiction
Dreams of Escape
He dreams of running away from the shop sometimes.
It was always the same dream. The recurring dream never left. He was aware that he could wake up at any time but he never did. It was always best to let it play out by itself. He could never extract himself from its grasp.
The line between waking and dreaming had blurred.
oOoOoOo
He was standing at the entrance of the magical shop that grants wishes. The day was sunny and clear. It could’ve been spring, summer, fall or winter. But it was always the same weather. It always starts innocently enough…
Maru and Moro were going to see him off.
He’d take a step out to test the barrier. It rippled but it didn’t stop him. He would leave the property. A sigh of relief would escape him.
While walking, he’d remember something- an insignificant thing but the reasons seemed terribly important- and he would always go back. He would always run back to the shop, enter the barrier and do what he forgot.
It was always the same thing.
He could go farther and farther but he would always come back running.
Back to the shop… Back to where he was…
Watanuki was stuck in a loop. He couldn’t get out!
oOoOoOo
Watanuki Kimihiro lived in Yuuko Ichihara’s shop.
He never remembered where he lived, what he did and when he started. All he could remember was working for Yuuko. The reasons for his memory loss were still unexplained. But he trusted the Witch of Dimensions.
She’d never led him to harm before. Well, not intentionally.
Watanuki wondered where his memories went.
At day he lived and breathed memories that he made. At night he struggled.
So his dreams continued.
oOoOoOo
It was a dark night on a graveyard. There was no moon. A cold wind passed. The fresh black soil felt soft beneath his shoes.
He would look around, scared. Graveyards were filled with spirits. Spirits wanted to eat him. He could hear his heartbeats on his ears. His palms were sweaty. The graveyard was still.
Tombstones with candle wicks and wilted flowers met his eyes. The old trees waved its branches and rustled its leaves. A quick look around him confirmed his fear that he was standing in the middle of a clearing with a huge cherry tree looming above him. Darkness covered what lay beyond these worn tombstones.
He heard the faintest of whispers and the weakest of touches. The hairs on the back of his neck stood up. This was not the best place for him. He had to leave!
Watanuki ran towards the opposite direction. He ran as fast as his legs could take him. The tombstones became a blur. He was getting away.
Tiredness caught up with him. He slowed down and stopped, bent over his knees. A deep breath and he felt he could run forward again. His eyes landed on a familiar shape. It lay just in front of him.
He blinked. His heart and stomach were slipping slowly to his toes. He straightened up.
The row of tombstones looked eerily familiar. The old cherry tree was the same.
Watanuki’s scream died on his lips when a ghost swooped down to strangle him.
oOoOoOo
Yuuko sat beside him. Her eyes were deep and dark. She reached forward and brushed away the bangs that covered his face. The room was quiet. The night was still.
Mokona lay beside Watanuki, worried. It could feel Watanuki’s emotions but it couldn’t do anything. That ability went to the White Mokona. All it did was try to appease whatever it was by lying beside the boy.
She gave Mokona a gentle pat.
“He’s dreaming hard,” her voice echoed in the quiet room. Her eyes stared at her young charge with a mixture of pity and worry.
“Can’t sleep?” Mokona inquired.
Yuuko didn’t need to nod or talk. The black creature immediately understood. The Witch of Dimensions was bothered. She didn’t dare to show or to affirm but her creation knew what was happening.
She was a woman of dreams and predictions, of hearts and thoughts. Her shop existed because of wishes; her existence depended on them. Night was for meditation and for dreaming. So that she would always be prepared.
The summons of the universe cannot be ignored. The balance cannot be tipped. She had an enormous responsibility. If she made a mistake or misjudged the consequences were magnified tenfold. She couldn’t afford to make mistakes. The ripple effect was unstoppable.
When Watanuki dreamed as loudly as this, she couldn’t dream. She couldn’t think. The Witch was helpless to what she felt.
Their long vigil ended when Watanuki awoke.
Blue and gold eyes blinked rapidly. His breathing was fast and shallow, as if he’d been running away from something. His body was shaking. The young man’s face turned towards her, confused.
“Yuuko-san-!” he murmured when she smiled.
“Dreaming of running away, are you?” she said quietly. “It’s frustrating you.”
“H-How do you know?” Watanuki asked, surprised. He didn’t speak of those things to her. “I-I’m sorry.”
“That’s normal.” Yuuko replied with a nod. “To dream that you are running away from someone indicates an issue that you are trying to avoid. You are not taking or accepting responsibility for your actions.”
Watanuki closed his eyes.
She went on as if she didn’t notice his expression. “To dream that you are at a graveyard represents the discarded aspects of yourself. It is also a fear of the unknown…”
He shuddered as though he remembered what happened in his nightmare.
Yuuko said quietly, “To dream that you are stranded, represents your feelings of isolation and loneliness. You are seeking for someone to help and rescue you from your situation.”
Mokona frowned. “Does that mean that Watanuki…”
“I know what it means, okay?” the black-haired boy snapped. “I’m scared of being stuck with my ability forever. The fact that I’ve lost my memories scares me too…”
“Being stranded in the shop means you want Doumeki-kun to save you,” Yuuko finished cheerfully.
Watanuki’s face reddened.
“It’s totally fine. But I don’t think Doumeki-san can save you from your servitude to me,” she said loftily “until the terms have been met.”
He stared at the ceiling with a sigh. Mokona giggled.
Yuuko’s voice softened. “You’ve got to accept that some sacrifices must be made. You must continue to grow. When you’re done accepting your slavery to me then your nightmares will go away…”
Watanuki released a relieved sigh. He smiled at her. She stared, surprised. “Thank you, Yuuko-san.”
“Dream interpretation has a fee,” she said lightly “I want chiffon cake as payment!”
The black-haired boy slumped back in defeat. Mokona jumped away from his grasp just in case he wanted to throw something. Bouncing off the ceiling might hurt him. Yuuko’s laughter filled the room.
The line between waking and dreaming had blurred. Watanuki wondered if dreaming was better than waking because a nightmare seemed tame compared to this.
oOoOoOo
A/N: I based this on a dream. It was very scary. I thought that it would fit Watanuki nicely.