Illusion of Awake

Gazing at the ten storeys Vin was about to pass he recalled what brought him to this point to distract him from the hard pavement.

'Shitty home, shitty family, shitty job, shitty life.

Guess it started after my grandfather died.'

With a mental sigh of defeat Vin looked back on how his grandfather always looked out for him, the warm moments he brought, and how much Vin admired him.

'But it was all stolen in a second, killed out of greed. Then once he was gone I got beat everyday, must've turned into a routine for them.

Wonder if they still think of me as "useless".'

With a bitter smile Vin looked back into his home before jumping off his balcony. His apartment bare and stripped, all furniture sold for drugs and alcohol that Vin enjoyed before ending it. 

"Such a shitty life."

-----------

Lena was late for work! 

'Why of all nights to get drunk!?'

With an anxious face and tired features Lena was speed walking down the sidewalk attempting to rack her brain in any way to get out of the mess she made.

'I just had to have had an important pitch to future investors in our company today, of course I did.

Maybe I just call in sick and call it a day?'

Sighing her expression turned resigned as if accepting her fate.

'Im fucked … '

Wishing to find solace in the sun, her one anchor in life that goes unchanging she noticed a falling object hurtling downwards. The object being darkened due to the bright backdrop and still being fairly high up was unrecognisable.

'That's odd I wonder what it is.'

Her curiosity taking over she decided to get a bit closer but not close enough to be at risk of getting hit by the object. Unfortunately as the object neared Lena her face contorted with horror, eyes widening, pupils dilating, mouth opened in a scream.

'Im fucked!'

Then impact occurred, Vin's head impacted the ground first caving in and spraying brain matter everywhere in a gory sight. Then his upper body flattened against the ground turning him into a pancake like object spraying blood everywhere. The sickening sound of the crunch from his bones breaking could be heard throughout the entire street. Cars stopped driving, pedestrians heads snapped, a biker ran into a light pole, and Lena was no better.

"H-he, HE'S DEAD!"

Covered from head to toe in Vin's brain matter, blood, and flesh Lena let out a blood curdling scream before fainting from shock and disgust. 

-----------

(Lena POV, Dream World)

Standing on a balcony gazing ten storeys down Lena saw everything, the pedestrians, the biker, and herself. Watching herself walk absentmindedly down the street Lena looked down at her body while on the balcony, covered in gore. A piece of Vin's brain trailed down the back of her clenched fist and made a disturbing squish upon hitting the floor. 

Suddenly the sound of blood dripping off the clothes on her body was disturbingly obvious to her, as if she woke up from a sleeping state. Snapping her head towards the bare apartment Lena sensed someone there.

The presence spoke though the speaker remained untraceable, unseen and invisible. 

"Jump Vin.

There's an escape for you."

"And you Lena, you won't have to face those apathetic investors."

Lena's face once again changed, this time into one of surprise and fear, brows furrowing and her skin drawn back. 

"Okay"

Lena's voice came out calm, surprising her inner self. Her fearful facial features grew more extreme as she realised she was not in control of her body, rather Vin's will was. Suddenly she laughed and her expression shifted to one of curiosity and interest.

"This is one weird dream huh!"

"Yes Lena.

Just have fun!"

The voice responded, manifesting an inhumane smile floating a few centi-meters away from Lena's eyes. The Smile grotesque and large sported deadly teeth with blood adorning them like icing on cake. Moving brutally the Smile exclaimed in a purring voice:

"So, what are you waiting for? The exit is right behind you."

Still unable to control her body excluding her face Lena had no choice but to obey. Lifting herself over the edge she suddenly stopped.

"I … can't."

Looking back the Smile grew larger as if what she said made it happy, revealing two scarred hands that seemed to have been made of a patchwork of different skin. The Smile laughed then spoked in the same soothing voice.

"Don't worry, I will help you Vin."

Feeling a sense of relief that was not hers Lena instantly grew confused about how this happened. Unable to contemplate for long Lena felt the rough hands of the Smile on her shoulder. Pushing Lena off the edge the Smile could barely hold in its giggle and let out a little laugh that grew as Lena fell.

Unconstrained and inconceivable the Smile grew until the laugh was all Lena could hear while falling. The soothing voice changed to one of an insane prisoner in solitary confinement.

Murmuring to herself Lena wore a slightly worried expression.

'It-its just a dream Lena.

Getting scared over dreams is something that happens to children, not adults Lena.'

The pain Lena felt on impact was anything but imaginary.

-----------

(Biker POV, Real World)

After calling 911 the Biker, still unable to wake up Lena for the past 10 minutes laid her down on the sidewalk with his backpack as a pillow. Just as he was about to call work informing his boss that he will be late, emergency services arrived. 

Anxious, the biker took the paramedics to Lena and fell back to let them work. 

"So, how is she?"

"She should be okay buddy, nothing seems wrong.

She just fainted from shock, we will still take her to the hospital though."

Unable to hide his relief, the biker's face flushed with a smile and was extremely grateful for the emergency services. Just as he was about to thank the paramedics Lena's face erupted, chest flattened, and gore spraying everywhere.

This was the world's first experience with shared dreaming.