547 SERVICE / Dreamcatcher
Title: Dreamcatcher
Fandom: 547 SERVICE
Characters: 春善 x 刑
Genre: General
Table: One
Prompt: 020. Love + stranger in a dream
Word Count: 1589
Rating: PG
Summary: Haruki is trapped in a dream world that turns into a nightmare.
Author's Notes: I have a good feeling this will be the last I'll see of me for another good while.
~ All the things one has forgotten scream for help in dreams.
-- Elias Canetti ~
020. love
She had had the same recurring dream ever since she was little.
It was a place she loved to visit, and somehow she would always be transported there even when she saw other dreams.
She would wander along a forest path. The wind would blow the same way and the leaves would sway the same direction. She would wear the same yellow dress and brown shoes, and the sound of her feet crunching against the rocks would be like a song she could sing to. The path would be endless but she would keep walking, mystified by the woods and the strange sense of protection it seemed to wrap around her.
It was that same, singular path in the forest, but over the years she had returned to walk on it felt like she was stepping on new rocks and passing by new trees. She would never tread the same steps, and whenever she looked back it felt like looking back at a moment in time.
She had been walking that road for as long as she could remember, but not once had she seen any other form of life there. No animals, no houses. Not even any insects on the ground nor birds in the sky. Strangely enough it would always be a cloudy afternoon in spring. It felt like being in a time capsule every time she revisited those woods.
Several months ago the forest began to change. The leaves began to turn yellow. The path she always walked on would start being cluttered with fallen leaves. Her dress had turned into a shade of magenta. For the first time in her dreaming life, autumn had arrived in her forest.
Despite its recurrence, she didn’t dream every night, or at least she wouldn’t remember it anyway. But as the leaves began to turn brown she would return to the forest more often. When her path finally disappeared under all the fallen leaves, she was already there every night.
She only started dreading that dream a few weeks ago. Every time she would sleep she would always go back there, and despite knowing it was only a dream, it was becoming as inescapable as reality.
By now winter had fallen upon the forest. The leaves were gone and she would be treading on nothing but snow. She would be so cold with only her dress on, which was now a crimson red. She had always been alone in that forest, but now she would start to hear voices in the wind. She would see shadows passing by the trees, but they would always be gone when she turned around.
She no longer knew where to go but forward, waiting for nothing but her next waking hour. Much to her horror, time would seem to pass by more slowly, and each sleep would be deeper than the last.
Soon she could no longer hear the alarm clock. She would always wake up minutes later than the previous day, and unless somebody shook her, she would never wake.
Such was her worsening condition that she refused sleep whenever she could. It did not help that a prolonged state of fatigue had fallen upon her, and fighting rest was becoming more and more futile. She started either staying at her cousin’s place or asked someone to come over. She no longer wanted to sleep alone, fearing she would never wake anymore.
One night as she continued walking in the snowy woods, she stopped as she heard a crunch of snow behind her. She saw no one when she turned around, nor any footprints that would’ve given an existence away. She stood there for a while, waiting, listening to the wind, but there was nothing. It felt as if she was all alone again.
She had only started to walk again when she heard a branch snap. She saw a shadow pass by behind the trees like a blur.
“Who are you??” she called out. “Show yourself!”
Tears began to form in her eyes. She was just so tired of this. What was her dream trying to tell her? When was this going to end?
She heard the snow crunch behind her again. She turned around and saw a cloaked figure in black.
She stared at the figure before her. It looked like a person, but it was so fully covered that she didn’t know whether it was a man or a woman.
“Hello…?” she warily called out. “Who are you?”
The figure lifted its head. She saw a pair of light grey eyes staring back at her. Its intense gaze made her feel naked and vulnerable.
“I’ve never seen anyone in these woods before,” she uneasily said in its silence. “What are you doing here?”
“Everything here is all inside your head,” It finally spoke in a deep, rich voice. “You should know that best.”
“Show me your face,” she ordered. She heard his low chuckle.
A strong gust of wind suddenly blew past her. She closed her eyes at the painful cold that kissed her face.
When she opened her eyes the man was gone. She suddenly felt a tingle down her spine, and realized he had moved behind her.
The wind was still blowing, parting the cloth from his face. His hair was as white as the snow around them.
“You…” she whispered in realization. “You’re…”
“You can end this now, right here,” he said. “Just come away with me.”
Haruki...
She turned at the sound of her name, but the wind drowned out the voice into a faint echo.
“Haruki,” The man before her said. She faced him again.
“Where?” she replied, creasing her forehead. “Where are we going?”
“Anywhere.”
Haruki...
“There’s no time,” he said. “We must leave now.”
“Wait,” she uneasily answered. “But I don’t even know you.”
“Do you wish to stay here forever? You won’t wake up anymore.”
Haruki, can you hear me?
“Ignore the voice,” The cloaked figure said. “The woods are tricking you to remain here.”
It seemed the more she remained undecided the more forbidding the man in black seemed. His bright gray eyes seemed to be gazing through her with burning intensity, growing more impatient and unyielding in her silence.
“It’s now or never,” he said, offering his hand. “We need to get out of here.”
Wake up! Open your eyes!
“I…” she murmured. The wind began to blow hard. It felt like suddenly being thrown into a raging blizzard. Snow pelted endlessly on her skin and blinded her vision as she fought to remain standing in the storm.
“Take my hand now!” The cloaked figure shouted.
Her senses were shutting down on her, and her last remaining instinct led her to step back. She saw the anger in his eyes, and knew it would prove colder than a thousand snowstorms.
The wind immediately stopped howling. She began to sink to the snow beneath her feet as he watched her fall deeper and deeper.
“This world can’t stop me,” he said. Ice began to settle in her veins as she struggled to look up at him with half her body already submerged in the snow. “We’ll meet again, in your waking life.”
She closed her eyes in painful acceptance when the snow reached her neck. The man was gone when she opened them again.
The cold and the snow began to choke her. It felt as if icicles were stabbing her lungs. Despite her weak and numb state her body convulsed for dear life. She thrashed in the cold as darkness began to engulf her vision...
Haruki!!
She bolted upright on the bed, gasping for breath as her heart hammered wildly in her chest.
“Fuck, thank God!” She felt a warm and firm hand on her shoulder. “Are you alright??”
She almost screamed at the snow-haired man that was on her bedside, until the last colors of her delusion faded and there was no one else but Kei before her.
“You looked like you were having a goddamn seizure,” he said, looking shaken himself. “I thought you’d never snap out of it.”
“I’m fine,” she breathed, wiping the cold sweat off her forehead with a shaking hand. “Just a... bad dream, that’s all.”
“You sure?” he worriedly frowned as he stood up. “Let me get you some water, okay?”
She grabbed for his wrist and gripped it tight. Kei froze in his stance.
“I-I’m sorry,” she stammered. “I just don’t want to be alone right now.”
“I understand,” he said, sitting back down as he sighed. “I heard from Shin about your sleeping problems lately but I didn’t know it was this bad. Someone should really be here to watch you. Thank God I came over.”
“Where’s Shin?” she swallowed.
“He just went to the convenience store,” he frowned as he placed a hand on her arm. “Look, are you really sure you’re okay now?”
She jumped when she thought she felt his ice cold fingers, but that too, was just a part of her imagination.
“Jesus, are you sure you’re alright?” His eyebrows met in concern.
“Yeah, I’m fine,” She tiredly massaged the bridge of her nose. “I’m just stressed, I suppose.”
“If there’s anything you need, just let me know,” he said. “I’ll be here.”
His gray eyes seemed lighter as moonlight filtered through the window. She watched him gaze at her with the shadow of that same intensity on that cold, winter night.
We’ll meet again, in your waking life...
the end
Fandom: 547 SERVICE
Characters: 春善 x 刑
Genre: General
Table: One
Prompt: 020. Love + stranger in a dream
Word Count: 1589
Rating: PG
Summary: Haruki is trapped in a dream world that turns into a nightmare.
Author's Notes: I have a good feeling this will be the last I'll see of me for another good while.
~ All the things one has forgotten scream for help in dreams.
-- Elias Canetti ~
020. love
She had had the same recurring dream ever since she was little.
It was a place she loved to visit, and somehow she would always be transported there even when she saw other dreams.
She would wander along a forest path. The wind would blow the same way and the leaves would sway the same direction. She would wear the same yellow dress and brown shoes, and the sound of her feet crunching against the rocks would be like a song she could sing to. The path would be endless but she would keep walking, mystified by the woods and the strange sense of protection it seemed to wrap around her.
It was that same, singular path in the forest, but over the years she had returned to walk on it felt like she was stepping on new rocks and passing by new trees. She would never tread the same steps, and whenever she looked back it felt like looking back at a moment in time.
She had been walking that road for as long as she could remember, but not once had she seen any other form of life there. No animals, no houses. Not even any insects on the ground nor birds in the sky. Strangely enough it would always be a cloudy afternoon in spring. It felt like being in a time capsule every time she revisited those woods.
Several months ago the forest began to change. The leaves began to turn yellow. The path she always walked on would start being cluttered with fallen leaves. Her dress had turned into a shade of magenta. For the first time in her dreaming life, autumn had arrived in her forest.
Despite its recurrence, she didn’t dream every night, or at least she wouldn’t remember it anyway. But as the leaves began to turn brown she would return to the forest more often. When her path finally disappeared under all the fallen leaves, she was already there every night.
She only started dreading that dream a few weeks ago. Every time she would sleep she would always go back there, and despite knowing it was only a dream, it was becoming as inescapable as reality.
By now winter had fallen upon the forest. The leaves were gone and she would be treading on nothing but snow. She would be so cold with only her dress on, which was now a crimson red. She had always been alone in that forest, but now she would start to hear voices in the wind. She would see shadows passing by the trees, but they would always be gone when she turned around.
She no longer knew where to go but forward, waiting for nothing but her next waking hour. Much to her horror, time would seem to pass by more slowly, and each sleep would be deeper than the last.
Soon she could no longer hear the alarm clock. She would always wake up minutes later than the previous day, and unless somebody shook her, she would never wake.
Such was her worsening condition that she refused sleep whenever she could. It did not help that a prolonged state of fatigue had fallen upon her, and fighting rest was becoming more and more futile. She started either staying at her cousin’s place or asked someone to come over. She no longer wanted to sleep alone, fearing she would never wake anymore.
One night as she continued walking in the snowy woods, she stopped as she heard a crunch of snow behind her. She saw no one when she turned around, nor any footprints that would’ve given an existence away. She stood there for a while, waiting, listening to the wind, but there was nothing. It felt as if she was all alone again.
She had only started to walk again when she heard a branch snap. She saw a shadow pass by behind the trees like a blur.
“Who are you??” she called out. “Show yourself!”
Tears began to form in her eyes. She was just so tired of this. What was her dream trying to tell her? When was this going to end?
She heard the snow crunch behind her again. She turned around and saw a cloaked figure in black.
She stared at the figure before her. It looked like a person, but it was so fully covered that she didn’t know whether it was a man or a woman.
“Hello…?” she warily called out. “Who are you?”
The figure lifted its head. She saw a pair of light grey eyes staring back at her. Its intense gaze made her feel naked and vulnerable.
“I’ve never seen anyone in these woods before,” she uneasily said in its silence. “What are you doing here?”
“Everything here is all inside your head,” It finally spoke in a deep, rich voice. “You should know that best.”
“Show me your face,” she ordered. She heard his low chuckle.
A strong gust of wind suddenly blew past her. She closed her eyes at the painful cold that kissed her face.
When she opened her eyes the man was gone. She suddenly felt a tingle down her spine, and realized he had moved behind her.
The wind was still blowing, parting the cloth from his face. His hair was as white as the snow around them.
“You…” she whispered in realization. “You’re…”
“You can end this now, right here,” he said. “Just come away with me.”
Haruki...
She turned at the sound of her name, but the wind drowned out the voice into a faint echo.
“Haruki,” The man before her said. She faced him again.
“Where?” she replied, creasing her forehead. “Where are we going?”
“Anywhere.”
Haruki...
“There’s no time,” he said. “We must leave now.”
“Wait,” she uneasily answered. “But I don’t even know you.”
“Do you wish to stay here forever? You won’t wake up anymore.”
Haruki, can you hear me?
“Ignore the voice,” The cloaked figure said. “The woods are tricking you to remain here.”
It seemed the more she remained undecided the more forbidding the man in black seemed. His bright gray eyes seemed to be gazing through her with burning intensity, growing more impatient and unyielding in her silence.
“It’s now or never,” he said, offering his hand. “We need to get out of here.”
Wake up! Open your eyes!
“I…” she murmured. The wind began to blow hard. It felt like suddenly being thrown into a raging blizzard. Snow pelted endlessly on her skin and blinded her vision as she fought to remain standing in the storm.
“Take my hand now!” The cloaked figure shouted.
Her senses were shutting down on her, and her last remaining instinct led her to step back. She saw the anger in his eyes, and knew it would prove colder than a thousand snowstorms.
The wind immediately stopped howling. She began to sink to the snow beneath her feet as he watched her fall deeper and deeper.
“This world can’t stop me,” he said. Ice began to settle in her veins as she struggled to look up at him with half her body already submerged in the snow. “We’ll meet again, in your waking life.”
She closed her eyes in painful acceptance when the snow reached her neck. The man was gone when she opened them again.
The cold and the snow began to choke her. It felt as if icicles were stabbing her lungs. Despite her weak and numb state her body convulsed for dear life. She thrashed in the cold as darkness began to engulf her vision...
Haruki!!
She bolted upright on the bed, gasping for breath as her heart hammered wildly in her chest.
“Fuck, thank God!” She felt a warm and firm hand on her shoulder. “Are you alright??”
She almost screamed at the snow-haired man that was on her bedside, until the last colors of her delusion faded and there was no one else but Kei before her.
“You looked like you were having a goddamn seizure,” he said, looking shaken himself. “I thought you’d never snap out of it.”
“I’m fine,” she breathed, wiping the cold sweat off her forehead with a shaking hand. “Just a... bad dream, that’s all.”
“You sure?” he worriedly frowned as he stood up. “Let me get you some water, okay?”
She grabbed for his wrist and gripped it tight. Kei froze in his stance.
“I-I’m sorry,” she stammered. “I just don’t want to be alone right now.”
“I understand,” he said, sitting back down as he sighed. “I heard from Shin about your sleeping problems lately but I didn’t know it was this bad. Someone should really be here to watch you. Thank God I came over.”
“Where’s Shin?” she swallowed.
“He just went to the convenience store,” he frowned as he placed a hand on her arm. “Look, are you really sure you’re okay now?”
She jumped when she thought she felt his ice cold fingers, but that too, was just a part of her imagination.
“Jesus, are you sure you’re alright?” His eyebrows met in concern.
“Yeah, I’m fine,” She tiredly massaged the bridge of her nose. “I’m just stressed, I suppose.”
“If there’s anything you need, just let me know,” he said. “I’ll be here.”
His gray eyes seemed lighter as moonlight filtered through the window. She watched him gaze at her with the shadow of that same intensity on that cold, winter night.
We’ll meet again, in your waking life...
the end