Thieves - Prelude
A short prelude of a story I wrote. Was an assignment for my writing class. Based on a recurring nightmare I had at the time of writing.
It comes rather quickly when I fall asleep. I'll just find myself somewhere...and it can vary from being realistic to something that's impossible. Now, I had the "honor" to be in some urban building, an office building of some sort. I'm usually not inside, not as detailed as this. Staplers on the desk, random papers clipped onto boards and such. I've ever even been in a real office, not as clerical as this. I don't know how I was able to see this.
I usually do become aware of when I dream. It's helped me stay more calm. A skill I was forced to develop in order to try to combat these dreams. I must know the difference between a dream or reality, or else I'd go insane. I couldn't do that, and not for my own sake, but my brother's. The only thing I could do is hope this dream wouldn't be as bad as the last...
I scanned around the dark office, most of the fluorescent lights on the ceiling flickering or turned off completely. I didn't have much time before I heard a voice call out from the darkness. A familiar voice. One that was supposed to be one of comfort. It came from around a corner that led into a hallway.
"Kezzar...come here," the sound of my brother's voice, Varsic, said in an innocent voice.
I knew it was a lie. I had enough practice now. I turned and ran into another room, which seemed to be a huge cubicle room. I could barely see over the walls that divided each little box office.
"Kez, stop running, wait up!" the creature's voice shouted after me, and I could hear it following me.
The Sully. That's what I call it. It's new ability to mimic voices tries to tear the rift between dreams and reality, but I know better. Sometimes, if it's not trying to disguise itself, it has an awful metal screeching sound, as if dragging metal against metal. That alone, sometimes, is enough to wake me up in a cold sweat. But I was already scared, just knowing it was following me.
I took cover behind a wall and turned around to see it crawling on the ceiling. As always, it looked pale, its limbs a little bit longer than they should have been and a little bit too skinny, as if it had no muscle. It's face, which I could barely make out as it passed the lights overhead, was lacking. It only had a mouth, with its upper lip being stretched over the empty, smooth surface where the face should have been. It's lower lip was stretched under its chin, exposing its wretched, filed teeth. I never get used to seeing it.
I awoke screaming, sitting up and throwing myself around for a moment as if trying to escape from something. It took me a moment to realize I had woken up, my heart racing and my body trembling from fear. When I saw my brother sitting on the side of my bed, giving me a concerned, tired look, I scrambled over to him and hugged him. He hugged me back with a sigh.
"You okay...?" he asked, exhaustion in his voice.