Dream ✖ 018
[Warnings: Violence and disturbing imagery
Effects: Optional as always but there's a very distinct feeling of panic and rising anxiety throughout, peaking at the very end. This dream is oh so very public, despite Frank not wanting it to be.]
The young soldier tightly squeezes himself into the corner of the fire station's sleeping quarters, pressed between a bed and the wall itself. He focuses on breathing, eyes cautiously darting around where he can see. Something is below him, thumping against the floor. It starts out quiet, slowly growing in force as it pounds beneath Frank's feet.
It knows where he is.
And then it's all without a sound. Everything falls silent and still - no more bumping beneath him, just the sound of his own breath coming in quick gasps through his nose. It's still below him; waiting, plotting his location. Perspiration beads on his forehead, dripping down his cheek and hitting the floor--
And as that pearl of sweat drops onto the plank, the monster below rears its head. Crashing through the floor of the fire station, splintering through the wood, a gargantuan snake lunges for the young soldier - letting out a deep hiss as it narrowly misses its target, Frank diving beneath the bed to escape its jaws. The monster recoils back and shakes debris from its head, pushing the rest of its body up through the hole as it prepares for another strike. Frank scrambles out the other side of the bed, racing towards another corner of the room.
The snake's tail lashes out and swipes the soldier's feet, tripping him and sending him back down to the floor. With the boy struggling to get up, the serpent begins to coil itself around Frank's body, immobilizing him from the waist down as it squeezes him tightly. Writhing and desperately attempting to free himself from the creature's grasp, Frank's heart pounds as he claws at the animal's skin and thrashes around - he can't let this happen, he can't die here. He needs to free himself - just a little more.
Amid his wide thrashing, the snake's grip around him momentarily loosens, hissing and flicking its tongue down towards its prey. That slight gap between the snake's body and Frank's thigh is all he needs - reaching down to clutch the handle of his machete. He tears the blade from its casing, slicing the serpent's flesh open. It lets out a sharp scream, shaking the windows and making the walls rumble as it resonates. Its tail flicks wildly, unwrapping itself from the young soldier's body - giving Frank ample opportunity to lunge forward. With the creature distracted by its own pain, all it takes is a single wide-arching swing of his blade to split across the beast's neck.
Blood sprays from the laceration, the snake hissing and roaring in agony. Its body writhes and twists; its skin being shed to the ground, falling in thick, bloodied chunks. The pulpy mess of blood and hide congeals on the wooden floor, warping the planks beneath it. What remains of the skinless creature now collapses onto the floor, mouth opening to release one final hiss. Its body bucks and thrashes as it falls, coughing up another spray of blood that smears across Frank's face and gets into his eyes.
And finally, the sound is no more. No hissing, no rumbling - just the smell of blood covering the room. But as Frank wipes the gore from his face he realizes the beast he'd struck down was never there at all. Monsters like that don't exist - not even in dreams.
Where the serpent once lay was now a man - laying soaked in his blood and gasping for air. The deep slash through his chest spews forth a constant stream of crimson, the man bleeding out across the floor. Frank is frozen as he takes in the sight, slowly wiping his blood-covered hand against his shirt as he watches the man before him. His pulse racing and pounding in his ears, Frank slowly stumbles forward to look at the person he's struck down.
A violent shiver courses through him as he looks into the other man's blue-green eyes, his brown hair askew and dyed a muddy red from the blood. He can't stop shaking and is unable to tear his eyes away from the sight, from what he's done to the man he held so much respect for.
There was no monster in the room. There was only a Snake.
****
[Frank springs awake, his hands gripping the cushions of the couch he's been sleeping on. Perspiration drips down his face, bringing his hands up to grip his head and tug at his hair as he tries to calm himself down.
With a shuddering breath, he reaches over to the coffee table and takes hold of a glass of water and a few pills, quick to pop them into his mouth and wash them down. He lays back down on his makeshift bed, running his hands through his hair and sighing as he shuts his eyes once more, trying to lull himself back to sleep.
Back to sleep, after having a dream.
He springs upright again, lurching forward to grab his Dreamberry from the end table. The flashing light on the front of the screen tells him everything he needed to know.]
Shit--!
[With an unsteady hand, he scrambles to shut the feed off - the video cutting out as he begins to hunt for a means of locking the dream from public eyes.]
Effects: Optional as always but there's a very distinct feeling of panic and rising anxiety throughout, peaking at the very end. This dream is oh so very public, despite Frank not wanting it to be.]
The young soldier tightly squeezes himself into the corner of the fire station's sleeping quarters, pressed between a bed and the wall itself. He focuses on breathing, eyes cautiously darting around where he can see. Something is below him, thumping against the floor. It starts out quiet, slowly growing in force as it pounds beneath Frank's feet.
It knows where he is.
And then it's all without a sound. Everything falls silent and still - no more bumping beneath him, just the sound of his own breath coming in quick gasps through his nose. It's still below him; waiting, plotting his location. Perspiration beads on his forehead, dripping down his cheek and hitting the floor--
And as that pearl of sweat drops onto the plank, the monster below rears its head. Crashing through the floor of the fire station, splintering through the wood, a gargantuan snake lunges for the young soldier - letting out a deep hiss as it narrowly misses its target, Frank diving beneath the bed to escape its jaws. The monster recoils back and shakes debris from its head, pushing the rest of its body up through the hole as it prepares for another strike. Frank scrambles out the other side of the bed, racing towards another corner of the room.
The snake's tail lashes out and swipes the soldier's feet, tripping him and sending him back down to the floor. With the boy struggling to get up, the serpent begins to coil itself around Frank's body, immobilizing him from the waist down as it squeezes him tightly. Writhing and desperately attempting to free himself from the creature's grasp, Frank's heart pounds as he claws at the animal's skin and thrashes around - he can't let this happen, he can't die here. He needs to free himself - just a little more.
Amid his wide thrashing, the snake's grip around him momentarily loosens, hissing and flicking its tongue down towards its prey. That slight gap between the snake's body and Frank's thigh is all he needs - reaching down to clutch the handle of his machete. He tears the blade from its casing, slicing the serpent's flesh open. It lets out a sharp scream, shaking the windows and making the walls rumble as it resonates. Its tail flicks wildly, unwrapping itself from the young soldier's body - giving Frank ample opportunity to lunge forward. With the creature distracted by its own pain, all it takes is a single wide-arching swing of his blade to split across the beast's neck.
Blood sprays from the laceration, the snake hissing and roaring in agony. Its body writhes and twists; its skin being shed to the ground, falling in thick, bloodied chunks. The pulpy mess of blood and hide congeals on the wooden floor, warping the planks beneath it. What remains of the skinless creature now collapses onto the floor, mouth opening to release one final hiss. Its body bucks and thrashes as it falls, coughing up another spray of blood that smears across Frank's face and gets into his eyes.
And finally, the sound is no more. No hissing, no rumbling - just the smell of blood covering the room. But as Frank wipes the gore from his face he realizes the beast he'd struck down was never there at all. Monsters like that don't exist - not even in dreams.
Where the serpent once lay was now a man - laying soaked in his blood and gasping for air. The deep slash through his chest spews forth a constant stream of crimson, the man bleeding out across the floor. Frank is frozen as he takes in the sight, slowly wiping his blood-covered hand against his shirt as he watches the man before him. His pulse racing and pounding in his ears, Frank slowly stumbles forward to look at the person he's struck down.
A violent shiver courses through him as he looks into the other man's blue-green eyes, his brown hair askew and dyed a muddy red from the blood. He can't stop shaking and is unable to tear his eyes away from the sight, from what he's done to the man he held so much respect for.
There was no monster in the room. There was only a Snake.
****
[Frank springs awake, his hands gripping the cushions of the couch he's been sleeping on. Perspiration drips down his face, bringing his hands up to grip his head and tug at his hair as he tries to calm himself down.
With a shuddering breath, he reaches over to the coffee table and takes hold of a glass of water and a few pills, quick to pop them into his mouth and wash them down. He lays back down on his makeshift bed, running his hands through his hair and sighing as he shuts his eyes once more, trying to lull himself back to sleep.
Back to sleep, after having a dream.
He springs upright again, lurching forward to grab his Dreamberry from the end table. The flashing light on the front of the screen tells him everything he needed to know.]
Shit--!
[With an unsteady hand, he scrambles to shut the feed off - the video cutting out as he begins to hunt for a means of locking the dream from public eyes.]