[OOC] The Dream
The first thing that he realized was that the moon was out and flooding the darkened forest. The light was so bright that anyone standing there, as he was, would have been blinded. But the moment he grasped exactly what was happening, his reflexes kicked in and he ran desperately into a cluster of trees that had not been penetrated by the moonlight. His breath caught in his lungs as he racked his mind, trying to think of what his next move should be. For this night was without question the 30th of the month, and if he was not careful, if he made one mistake, there was no telling what could happen.
He had to act, and quickly, and so before one more minute could pass, he stepped out from the shadows of the trees. But he was careful not to expose himself to the moonlight; as long as he did that, he would keep his mind and his form. “I have to return to the castle,” he muttered, his voice low and hushed. And having said that, he began to walk slowly through the trees towards the path leading back to the castle where, if his luck held, he could find more secure hiding places from the moon’s light.
But then, the sound of a twig snapping caught his attention. It was a quiet sound, one that he might have missed were he not so alert; but he did hear it, and so he turned around, eyes narrowed and muscles suddenly tensed. His hand grasped for his wand that had been stuck into his belt loop, but it was not there. “This situation keeps worsening,” said the man to himself in a barely audible whisper.
There in front of him stood a great dark shape that was rather like a dog but much, much larger. The man’s instincts and personal experiences warned him that this was not merely a dog. “Who are you?” It seemed strange to ask an animal a question, but the man ignored that thought, as the great shape bared its teeth in what was unmistakably meant to be a menacing grin. The man heard soft padding sounds as the animal moved closer, throwing into sharper relief black-grey fur, pointed ears, and fangs that were glistening with wet saliva. “Who are you?” the man demanded again. “What do you want?”
The animal continued its slow movements towards the man, padded step after padded step. Its grin widened and a bizarre light suggesting bloodlust came into its eyes. Silence fell over the forest, and for what seemed to be an eternity, not a word was spoken. The man and the beast locked eyes with each other, but neither of them moved.
Finally… The creature opened its mouth, revealing more menacingly glistening fangs. The animal spoke, its voice low and soft like a breeze but edged with a hardness unmatched by sound that was in existence.
“I am you.”