[dream]
"Don't go too far, my Queen. You'll get lost in this maze."
I watched as my 5-year-old self ran around enthusiastically in the garden. So many different kinds of flowers all over the place that I always found myself enchanted by this spectacular view. Someone must have spent a lot of time and effort on designing this magnificent garden.
Not only that, every plant seems to glimmer under the light of the shining moon. This place always gave me the nostalgic feeling that I can't seem to grasp.
My breath hitched and my heart skipped a bit when my younger self turned around and looked directly at me with a wide grin. Sparkling eyes and cheerful giggles, he waved his hand up high.
"Enji-chan, hurry up." The little me cheered impatiently, "Enji-chan, you took forever! I wanna see what else you have planted for me!"
I heard a chuckle from behind me. "Alright, alright. Anything for you, my little queen." A voice speaks up, making my heart beat faster. I could feel my face starting to heat up. This voice is very familiar.
I quickly turned to see this stranger that my younger self seemed to be fond of in this dream. What I saw made me gasp and cover my mouth.
Some sort of shadowy figure is standing before me; it actually shaped like a man but I know it's not. It's nothing but black. All I could tell was that he's tall and sturdy-built. Just what is he?
I can't see any eyes but I could feel his gaze on me. And for some odd reason, I'm starting to feel at ease. It's almost like I know, for certain, that I am safe with this thing, with him. I don't feel disturbed or disgusted or whatsoever.
When he started to move, I was expecting him to be approaching the little me behind me. However, much to my surprise, my eyes widened when he stopped right in front of me. This time, I could see his glowing turquoise eyes. Something about his eyes that I can't seem to bring myself to look away.
I stare at them for a minute, neither of us would turn away from each other. It was so compelling.
He reaches out his large hand to cup my face and affectionately caress my cheek with his thumb. "Wait for me, my love." He whispered. Even his voice sounds so soothing. Then, the wind starts to blow and flower petals dance along with it. "I'll come for you soon. Only then, can we finally be together."
All of the sudden, the scene changes and the dark figure completely vanishes. Now, I find myself in a familiar place. My eyes roam all over the place and I recognize it to be my old room, in my old house before I moved.
I once more examine the room before leaving ang proceed to the living room. I unwillingly keep on recalling my life here. When I arrived, there I was but in an eight-years-old body, just sitting on the couch, looking so confused. A man is kneeling in front of my young self and my parents stood behind him.
Based on his clothes, I can conclude he is a priest. Wait, a priest? What is a priest doing here?
What the heck is going on?
"Now, little one, please close your eyes." The priest asked and little me, still unclear to what's going on, obliged. I don't know why but I want to shout 'do not listen to him', like I shouldn't have done what he asked.
He stood up, opened his bible and started to recite the words from the book in a foreign language. I can only guess it's Latin. He splashes some liquid from a small bottle with a cross imprinted on it, which I'm guessing it's holy water.
A couple more splash, then the lights went out. I can still clearly see what's happening and whatever is happening to them, it doesn't seem to affect me. Mother restrained herself from screaming and Father secured his hands around Mother, on his guard. The priest looked around the room as if he was expecting for something to appear. He increased his volume, not stopping his prayers.
He was about to throw more drops of holy water on little Eren but he was sent flying back by an unknown force. Both my parents went to help the priest who never stopped praying. A deep growl echo throughout the room, vibrating through the walls.
"Mother, what's goi—"
"Eren, just keep your eyes closed, okay!" Father instructed, "Just keep your eyes closed, little man. Everything will be okay."
My eyes went wide as something started to appear behind the kid. I saw a clawed pale-gray hand on his shoulder, a dark foggy figure emerging. It leaned down to the head-level of my little self. A blood dripping and creepy smiling face with sharp fangs and crimson eyes materialized.
I was horror-struck as I covered my mouth with my hands and my whole body was shaking in fear.
"Be gone, you Devil! By the power of God, I condemn you back to Hell!" The priest roared, holding out his wooden rosary to the creature which caused it to howl in pain as it was slammed to the wall.
Mother saw this as an opportunity to dash towards little me. She took out something from her pocket.
It was a silver locket necklace that she hurriedly put it on on my younger self. I unconsciously touch the very same necklace around my neck. For as long as I can remember, I always have this necklace and I never took it off. Not even when I'm taking a bath.
As soon as she did that, the creature caught up in smoke, screaming and holding its head. It looks up, and weakly holds up its shaking talon hand. "I'll come back for you." A voice said as it vanished.
The priest sighed in relief. He was muttering something as he approached Mother and the little me with Father following behind him. "Eren, you may now open your eyes." He requested, "Never take that necklace off ever, Eren. Now, can you tell me who this Enji-chan is?"
"Enji-chan? Who's that?"
[end dream]
Eren gasps, awakened by the sound of his alarm clock. He breathes in and out, sweats rolling down his forehead even though the AC is still on. He's getting more annoyed by the sound of his alarm, reminding him that he needs to get up soon no matter if he's tired.
Turning to his side, he lazily turned the alarm off and sat up. Tired eyes stared at the anime-themed wall in front of him. That dream again.... He had been having the same dream for a while now, and it started on his 18th birthday December 5.
'And thanks to that, I've become paranoid at times.' Eren kicked off his blanket and got off the bed. He leaves his dim room, and stops in front of another door and knocks a couple of times. There was silence. He knocks again, he could hear a groan from the other side.
He twists the doorknob and opens the door. When he looked inside, he saw his friends still sound asleep on their beds. "Rin, Usami, get up." Eren said, "Come on, guys, you better get up or I'm going to throw cold water on you both." He joked, succeeding in waking the two.
Rin and Usami couldn't tell whether Eren was joking or was serious, but they wouldn't take any chances.
Eren went to the kitchen and started cooking their meal as well as preparing their lunches for later. Half an hour into cooking, he was almost finished when the two walked in.
"Eren, you go and take a bath. I'll handle the rest." Rin offered, approaching the cooking Eren.
"Alright." Eren untied the apron and gave it to Rin. "And don't let Usami anywhere near the stove. He'll burn the entire house down." Eren remarks, causing Rin to snort and Usami to give him an unbelievable look.
"What!" Usami exclaimed, pouting. "Come on, that cook-fail was only one time. Get over it." To which Eren just shook his head and exited the kitchen.
~~~~~
"You seemed worn out, Eren. Are you alright?" Usami asks, adjusting his seatbelt at the backseat.
"Yeah, I'm fine." Eren reassured, locking his door and putting on his belt. "I just didn't have enough sleep because of lesson plans and grades to sum up." Eren started the car as Rin entered the front seat beside him, and drove off on their way to school.
"Yeah, right." Rin didn't believe him, Usami too. "Who are you trying to fool, Eren? Usami and I both know that's not the reason why you lack sleep. It's that dream again, isn't it?"
"Instead of a dream, it was more like a nightmare." Eren muttered, his voice was barely audible enough for the two to hear. "But this time, it's different."
"How is it different?" Usami questioned.
"This time, instead of just the typical running around in the garden with the stranger tugging at me, there was another scene: I was 8-years-old, my mother and father were there and the most confusing thing, there was a priest praying over me." Eren took a right turn, entering the parking lot of the school. When he pulled up, he killed the engine. "I know it was only a terrible dream but it felt more like a distant memory to me." He unbuckled his seatbelt, grabbed his things and stepped out of the car.
"You said there was a priest praying over you in that dream, right?" Usami came out and stood next to Rin who also just came out. "Perhaps he was performing an exorcism on you."
"Idiot, I wasn't possessed in the dream."
"Okay, let's not make a big deal out of it." Rin butts in, "Dreams could mean something but most of the time, they are just fictions made by our mind while we're asleep. Eren probably dreamed of it because of the late-night horror movies he's been watching."
"Okay, those have nothing to do with the dreams I've been having since nine years ago."
They first walked Rin to his classroom before walking Usami to his. "You know, you could be haunted if you had that dream of being exercised. Normal people don't dream the same thing for years." Usami jokes, halting at the door to his room.
"Yeah, yeah." Eren just shrugs him off. "Let's just forget about it. This dream of mine has been going on for nine years and I don't imagine it stopping anytime soon. Also, I've gotten used to it. Sure, I was stunned by the different scenario. Only because it was the first time."
"If you say so." Then, Usami entered the room.
Eren just rolled his eyes and walked off towards the other building of the school which is for the elementary students, not even noticing a shadow following him.
~~~~~
"What's that noise?" Liza wondered out loud as she heard a creaking sound from behind her. Clenching the flashlight on her hand, she mustered up the courage to turn around and saw the door leading to the girl's restroom was open. But how could that be?
'I'm certain I locked it a while ago.' She thought. It was already past six in the evening, and most students had already gone home. The remaining students, who are waiting to be picked up by their parents or guardians, are on stand-by at the lobby.
It's fairly dark outside as well as where she stands, her only source of light is the flashlight. 'Maybe I just locked the knob but didn't close the door completely.' Liza tried to convince herself despite the bad feeling she's having.
She went to close it when she heard someone crying inside. That's strange. Even if she remembered things wrong, there's no way she could have overlooked someone hiding in the room. She hurriedly went in. First glance, no one came to view. She checked all the stalls and came up with nothing.
'Was I imagining things?'
She was about to leave when she heard it again. Listening carefully, she walked to where the crying was coming from. The weeping grew louder as she was nearing the third cubicle.
But didn't she check it just now?
She gulps, then knocks on the stall. "Hello, is someone there? Is it okay for me to open the door? I need to make sure you're okay." When she received no response, she took it as a sign to come in. Liza noticed the weeping had stopped. "I'm really so sorry. I didn't mean to lock you in -" Liza stopped mid-sentence when she saw there was no one in there.
It was completely empty.
She pointed her light all over the cubicle just to make sure, there really was nothing.
She felt a shiver down her spine. Her heart was pumping up fast and hands were visibly shaking along with the light, fear made its way in her. She heard a sigh in her ear, causing her to gasp and yelp in fright. When she turned, again, there was nothing but a large mirror on the wall.
She felt something liquid on her shoulder. She reached to touch it and inspect it. Pointing the light on it, it felt thick and it was red. 'Is this blood?' Her whole body ran cold.
Pointing the light upwards, Liza gazed up and instantly regretted it. A bloody down-beaten woman is hanging from the ceiling by the neck. Her mouth was split open like a snake, one eyeball is missing, and is drench in blood all over her body.
Unable to stand the horrifying scene, Liza screams.
~~~~~
Eren jumped a little when Rin tapped him on the shoulder whilst Rin was taken aback with his reaction. "What the fuck is wrong with you?" Rin irritatedly asks, "Why do you always read horror when you'll just get scared in the end?"
"Language, young man." Eren rebuke, "You may use those foul words at home but not on school grounds. And keep your voice down. We're in the cafeteria, you idiot." He reminded Rin in a hush. Looking around, he caught sight of some people looking at them weirdly.
"Oh please. Just ignore them." Usami said, placing his bag on the table and taking out his lunch. "Rin, sit down. We better start eating so we'll have more time to watch anime later."
"We can always watch anime while eating." Rin sat down beside Eren, across Usami. "And speaking of later, I have something here with me." - gesturing at his bag - "I want you guys to try it with me." Rin gives them a smile, this alarmed Eren and Usami. Rin placed his bag on the table, opened the zipper and showed them what he wanted to try out with them.
Eren's eyes widen and Usami's mouth hangs open.
"Rin, you're crazy for even suggesting this to us."
"Rin, you idiot. Is that really an...." Eren trailed off.