The Nightmare (2662 words)

This may be part of a story I'm writing titled Jacob Gearfram: Reality Scholar (check out the first chapter when you can. I only have one review of it, and the user gave it a 4.5/5. I'd like to get more thoughts on it).




Jacob slowly walks toward a house in one of the districts of Dumon, otherwise known as the City of Imagination. Dumon is one of four great cities on Jacob's planet in the center of the universe. The others are Resma (The City of Memories), Grehga (The City of Dreams), and Mirva (The City of Reality). Jacob studies as a reality scholar. If a world created from reality has, say, a dream leaked inside it, he moves in and flushes it out. However being a reality scholar requires you to be an expert in Dreams, Imagination, and Memories.

This is one such case.

Jacob moves up moss covered steps, and approaches the house in the dark starry night. The house itself is made of wood, and the roof is covered in straws and sticks. Jacob knocks twice on the door, and awaits his client. The standard clothing of a reality scholar tends to be that of celestial trench-coat covered in stars and novas with a black vest underneath, and dark pants. In his right hand he holds the letter the woman sent him to help her baby from a nightmare. To him, it all seems silly, but he would question her further once she welcomes him inside.

The door creeks open. “Hello?” Came a somber voice.

“Mrs. Clemons? My name is Jacob. I'm a scholar sent in request by you.. specifically.” He lifts his right hand, showing the letter to Mrs. Clemens. After looking at it for a moment, she nods, and lets him in. The house is warm, and quiet. Inside, ahead of him, lay a fireplace with a small fire, accompanied by shadows drawn from it with a large chair and a baby crib. Inside the crib, lay a baby fully asleep under its blankets. “You've got a lovely home Mrs. Clemens.”

“Please, just call me Laura.” Laura was dressed in a heavy pink robe. Her brown hair hung about her head in distress, and her blue eyes displayed a kind of sadness.

“So what seems to be the problem Laura?” Jacob asked. “Why have you called me here?”

“My son..” She looked over to him. The baby is starting to get restless. “He is having nightmares.”

“Nightmares are normal Laura.” Jacob Said. “Everyone has nightmares, especially babies.”

“I know, but this.... this isn't normal. Every night he wakes screaming. You think it will eventually stop but it's...every... night.”

“Could just be that he wants attention.” The baby starts to wail while sleeping.

“Does that look like he wants attention?” She moves toward the crib, and looks down at her son. Jacob follows from behind. “He is scared Jacob. Every night. Something is wrong. Something is plaguing him while he sleeps. This is not normal. If this continues it will effect his entire life. He can go insane, and never wanting to sleep again.”

Jacob sighs, and turns away from the crib in thought. It could just be nothing, he thinks. But if a nightmare has possession of his dreams, it will eventually destroy his mental well-being. “How long has this been going on?”

“Two Months. Strait.” The baby starts to let out a small scream as tears stream from his eyes.
“And he never wakes up right away?” Jacob can tell that Laura is sobbing. The hesitation in her answers, and the tone of them makes it painfully obvious though she tries to stay strong.

“No.” She says. “Not always right away.”

Jacob turns back, and looks at the infant. Two months strait? he thought. Two months of nightmares... “I'll see whats bothering him. But I can't guarantee it's anything serious.”

Laura turns to Jacob, and Jacob receives a strong hug from Laura, as well as repeated thank yous.

“Please move aside Laura.” Laura did as he said, and observed. Jacob knelt by the crib, and placed his hands above the baby. “By the way, what's his name name?”

“It's Daniel.” Laura says.

“Daniel... I see.” As Jacob puts his right thumb on the middle of Daniel's forehead, he stirred, feeling a repelling force. There is definitely something in there, Jacob thought. So, forcefully, he put his thumb on Daniel's forehead, and enters Daniel's nightmare.

* * *

Almanac of the Universe:

What makes a Dream?

1. They are un-defined. Illogical.
2. You can kill a dream.
3. A dream cannot kill you physically, but it can effect you mentally
4. It is built through emotion

* * *

It was nothing how jacob suspected. When jacob entered the house, he did see a few toys by the crib. One was a sea-horse. Another, a race-car. And the last was a small, green ball. What he saw instead, was a dark, clouded sky with an occasional boom of thunder. Around him stood hundreds of dead trees, as if he was standing in what was once a green, luscious forest. The sound of wind permeates his ear drums, and the rustling of tree branches give way to the ghostly force while a cold, light rain hits his face like tiny icicles.

Ahead of him however, was a cave. In the cave, he can hear the cries of Daniel echoing outward. He knows that's where the nightmare is, and Daniel is with it. No doubt getting mentally tortured by it and having no way out. Jacob takes off into the cave, knowing that the nightmare expects him to come.

The cave is deep. Other then Daniel's cries, the drips of water and the smell of mold are the only companions he has. There is no light. Only darkness. If this was Jacob's dream, he would be seeing clearly. However, Daniel is trying his best to shut the nightmare out, and closing his eyes is his way of trying to get rid of it, making the cave dark. All Jacob can do is follow Daniel's cries.

“Daniel! I'm Coming! Everything is going to be all right!” It was probably not a good idea to call out like that. Alerting the nightmare that someone is on the way to the rescue. However, he had to do something to help Daniel make the tunnel more visible with the sound of another voice. A friendly one. The cave starts to lighten up a bit, and he could vaguely see the path ahead of him.

He walks through the path, still following the crying sounds of Daniel. “I'm coming for you Daniel. Just hold on..” He whispers. At the end of the path, he hears something echoing in the darkness. Bounce, bounce, bounce, bounce. Jacob stays still, listening to its haunting echo.

Bounce, bounce, bounce as its approaching him.

Then louder. Bounce, bounce, bounce.

Then it rolled toward him. He looks down, and sees Daniel's little green ball. Jacob picks it up, and realizes it has red blotches on it. “Blood,” Jacob says. “It must be trying to scare me off.” Jacob puts the ball in his left pocket, and continues on.

At the end, he sees a large open area, with Daniel, sobbing in the middle. “Daniel!” Daniel turns to him and opens his eyes. The area begins to brighten further, as Jacob races to embrace him, saying it's alright. Everything will be okay. Daniel hugs him tightly, draining his eyes onto Jacob's shoulder. Jacob takes a moment to look up. Toward Daniel's nightmare.

Before him, sat a race car. In the race car, sat two individuals. One was Daniel's mother, and the other, was probably the father figure. Both however, have their eyes taken out, and the edges of their eye sockets are surrounded in blood. Both are smiling like plastic dolls with brown hair and white skin. Off to the left of the car, was Daniel's seahorse. It lies dead on the ground, de-hydrated it seems.

“Welcome scholar.” Jacob turns back, and sees the nightmare standing before him. Its form mirroring Jacob. A leach. “Welcome to my nightmare.” Dream Leaches enter into dreams, leeching out everything and filling it with nightmares. “I'm playing house with young Daniel, would you like to join in?”

“I've come to get rid of you. For good.” Jacob responds.

The leech walked over to the seahorse. The sound of the leech came off as a menacing voice of pleasure. “Daniel was so excited at first. You see, his parents in that car over there, just brought him a nice pet. A Seahorse. However... it didn't have any water, so it died slowly right in front of him.” The leech smiles. The leech mirrored Jacob's figure. Its actual body can only survive in another being's body in a dream. It chose to form its body from Jacob.

Jacob puts Daniel down, and Daniel begins to cry once more. The cave dims and brightens repeatedly. Jacob looks daniel in the eye, and gives him a quiet reassurance. Daniel, seems to understand. Dreams are made of emotions after all. Jacob looks toward the leech and says, “I'll give you one warning to leave here forever. Otherwise I'll destroy you.”

“Daniels emotions start to kick in afterwards, and the dream starts to get scary." Said the leech. "Daniel's parents got angry at him. I helped a bit to make them more scarier of course. The poor kid was in mountains of tears before you came in.”

“Did you hear what I said Leech?” Jacob motions his hand beside his right leg, and wraps it around the hilt of a dagger.

“I can't survive outside of dreams. Either you kill me or I leave, and die a slower death? I think I'll choose to live.” It turns toward Jacob. “You're scared... you're scared of me aren't you?” It was true. Jacob was terrified. Dreams cannot kill you, but Dream Leeches are not made of dreams. They invade dreams from the outside, and plant itself in a dream and grows, leeching off of whatever dreams it can and filling it with nightmares. The leech moves toward Jacob. “Are you going to bring that knife out? Is that how you plan to kill me?” Jacob pulls the knife out, and thrusts it toward the stomach of the leech. Before the knife pierces its stomach, the leech turns into a cloud of black smoke, and floats through Jacob. It's large pointed teeth and wild eyes being formed in a second, then disappearing behind Jacob as it returns to its form of Jacob, moving toward Daniel.

Jacob turns wide eyed. “Get away from him!”

Daniel sits there helpless as his captor approaches him. Jacob sprints toward the leech, but was too late. The leech picked Daniel up off the ground, and held him under his left arm. Daniel shuts his eyes to try to make the nightmare go away, and the cave shifts back into darkness. “I'll just create a nightmare then.....” said the leech. Daniel's cries become louder, and Jacob runs toward them. “Let him go!” I said.

Daniel's crying suddenly stops, and the cave was completely silent save for the heavy breathing from Jacob. Jacob stood still for a few seconds, listening. Then asks, “What happened..? What did you do?”

“I trapped Daniel in an enclosed nightmare.” Said the leech. “His eyes, and mind, should stay closed to keep this place dark. To make it easier to kill you.” Jacob heard a noise to his left, closing in on him. Jacob rolls forward and turns to face any attack that was on-coming, but then everything went silent again. “You can't see me, but you can hear me..” the leech said. Jacob was listening to the leech's voice, trying to gauge what general direction he was moving. Jacob made small steps, focusing his ears on his enemy. “I know what you are trying to do scholar.” It charges toward him from behind, but this time Jacob expects it. He side steps, and slashes his blade at neck level. The leech ducks, and silently pads away, preparing for its next attack.

“You were saying leech?”

“Good move scholar. But I think you'll have trouble doing that again.” With that Jacob hears two sets of footsteps, each shuffling on each side of him. Both sets begin circling.

Which one is he? Jacob listens to both sets, and tries to memorize them, and where they are. Before he could gather his thoughts, one of them sprints toward him while the other comes in a few seconds after. Jacob runs forward to meet the first set, rolls to his left, and slashes inward form his right. Nothing happens. The second set of steps comes from behind him, and jumps in the air. Jacob leaps from his crouching position to the left just in time to only get a small cut on his right shoulder.

Remember the second set... thought Jacob. As he regains his balance, the two sets of feet begin to circle again once more, and Jacob stands back up. The first set can't harm me. Its only a copy to distract me... The first set begins to attack again, and the second set follow afterward like they did the last time. Jacob ignores the first set, and instead jumps to the side of the second set, swings the knife at the leech. “Ahh!” Jacob slices the leech's arm, and the leech stumbles ahead. Seeing this as an opportunity, Jacob follows the sound of the leech, and sprints for the killing blow. Jacob swings down the knife, but is only met with air. It must have turned into smoke again. Then there was silence. Nothing but the drips of water from inside the dark cave.

“You've fought valiantly scholar. But you cannot hear me now. You have lost.” said the leech. Behind him Jacob hears a single step. He turns around to stab the leech, but before he could lift his hand, he felt the leech's own knife (a mirrored copy of Jacob's) stab Jacob in the chest. Jacob remained still for a few moments, feeling his own knife slip from his own fingers as the pain starts to numb his own body. He could feel the foul breath coming from the leech, and for a moment could feel the leech begin to smile. With what little life he has left, Jacob closes his fist around his knife right before it falls out, clutches the leech's head with his left hand, and thrusts the knife through the neck of the leech. The leech screams that sounded a mix between gurgling and screeching, as Jacob twists the knife around its neck, then pulls it out. Jacob falls to the floor, vision starting to get blurry. He hears the leech fall to the ground, and move around like a snake, and clutching its neck as it tries to stop the bleeding. Eventually it stops moving.

Jacob lies on the cold floor of the cave. All is silent. Warm blood coming out slowly from his stomach. Then, his vision blackens, as Jacob accepts his death. He closes his eyes, and falls asleep.

* * *

Some hours later, Jacob wakes to find himself in a cold bed. He lifts his head slightly, and sees Laura sitting to his left. In her lap sat Daniel, smiling and playing with his little toy car. Laura looks up, and find Jacob awake. She tells him she took care of his wounds, and that he should rest a couple days before returning back to the Academy. “Thank you.” She says. Jacob lays back down, and tries to rest up for his journey home.