《Dreamscape》Bugs
Advertisement
That night, as Fiona curled under the covers, a slight headache throbbed behind her eyes.
The dream started in the kitchen. The tile was spotless and there weren’t any dishes in the sink. The chrome of the faucet reflected light from the windows. It was midday in summer, and birds chirped outside. It was peaceful. Fiona rubbed her eyes and yawned. She opened the fridge to find it empty, and she opened the cabinets to find roaches.
With a yelp, she scurried back, away from the open cabinet. The roaches climbed over each other, a swarm of disgusting scuttling, and some eventually fell out of the cabinet into the sink. It was a waterfall of grossness. One landed on the spot of sunlight atop the faucet, and its brown body dulled the reflection of the sun’s rays.
“Ew!” Fiona fled the room, searching for bug spray or roach killer or else something that could get rid of the pest problem. “Ew, ew, ew!” She found herself in her bathroom, opening and closing the mirror cabinet that contained her medications. In that way of dreams where the illogical seems logical, she spun open her medication to find in there a beetle. It flew up out of the pill bottle and at Fiona’s face.
Screaming, Fiona dropped the pill bottle and ran out of the room. Her little pink prescription pills spilled out onto the tile. The beetle flew after her. Bugs. Of all things, bugs! She kept screaming.
Across the dreamscape, past the tetherknots, a woman with silvery mirrors for eyes, a rotting neck, and long, blonde hair turned to face Fiona’s tether. The woman grabbed hold and rode the tether straight into Fiona’s nightmare.
Fiona had found her way into the living room to perch on top of the couch, and the roaches and other bugs had found their way into the carpet below. The woman landed right on top of them, crunching a bunch underfoot.
“I am Akki,” said the woman. “Slayer of Nightmares.”
“Your neck,” said Fiona. “Oh my god, your neck!”
The bugs spanned the entirety of the floor now, and more layers revealed themselves out of crannies and nooks.
“I assume you fear insects,” said Akki.
“There’s so many! I can’t squish them all.”
“Have you tried fire?” asked Akki. The sword at her belt shook, and a sound like a bellow erupted from it.
“What the heck was that?!”
“A dragon, but not one to be feared. Shall I slay your nightmare?”
“If you can get me out of this then be my guest.”
“Be your… guest?”
“Get rid of them!”
“Very well.” Akki unsheathed her sword. It had a black blade and looked nothing like a dragon. “I shall enjoy this.”
Advertisement
A roar pierced the air. Its sheer volume scattered some of the bugs. They scuttled away from Akki’s feet.
Fiona shrunk down, grasping the top pillows at the back of the couch. She made a squealing noise that was very small at the back of her throat.
A bug crawled up the pillow toward her ear. She felt it in a phantom way before it entered for real, and then she bolted straight upright, trying to scratch it out of her ear. She could hear it and feel it simultaneously as it moved and maneuvered around her pinky finger, tapping at her eardrum. Panic and dread comingled, and more bugs found their way up her legs. Because it was a dream, she knew automatically they sought more places to enter her body.
Then Akki was there, swatting at them, but Fiona was too afraid, too focused on getting the one out of her ear, to see what else Akki was doing. Whatever it was, it did lessen the number of bugs, and it felt hot.
“Let me see your ear,” said Akki.
Fiona was too busy screaming to answer.
“Let me see,” said Akki. She grabbed Fiona’s arm and climbed up to the back of the couch herself, far more gracefully than Fiona had. “If I can see it, I can get it. Calm down.”
“I can’t calm down! Get it out! Get it out get it out get it out!”
“It’s a beetle.” Akki yanked Fiona’s arm away from the ear and stared down the orifice. “My dragon’s method won’t work without hurting you, but maybe we can entice it out of there. What do beetles eat?”
“Are you shitting me right now?” Fiona’s mood flashed from terrified to furious. “How should I know what beetles eat?!”
“Apologies. It was only a suggestion.” Akki moved away from Fiona’s ear and with one sweeping motion performed a slash at the lower part of the couch, where so many of the bugs had gathered. Fire leapt from beside the blade and burned the bugs there to ashes.
No wonder she couldn’t use that method on Fiona’s ear. Sheesh!
“How about water,” said Akki. “Flush it out.”
“Water. The kitchen.” Fiona remembered what she’d forgotten. “The kitchen is where they’re coming from. A cabinet over the kitchen sink.”
“Then I’ll burn them away for you to gather water.”
“Don’t burn my house down.”
“I won’t.” Akki’s lips quirked up on one side, a slip that she found something humorous.
They ran to the kitchen.
The bugs followed.
Akki sheathed her sword and turned on the faucet. Something about her presence made the bugs there flee, but other than flashes of silvery reptilian flesh around Akki, there was no sign of why they fled.
Advertisement
“Your head.” Akki pointed to the running water.
Fiona dunked her head under there and tried not to feel the squirming of the beetle and the rush of water cleansing out her ear. She tried not to puke as the sensation of wet wriggling legs slipped out of her ear canal onto her cheek. Then she realized she had to puke anyways. She turned her head and emptied her stomach into the sink while Akki held her hair.
The beetle survived all this.
“Towels,” said Akki. Said, not asked. She somehow produced one from thin air and handed it to Fiona.
Fiona took it ungracefully and pat down her head. “Is it out?”
“Yes, it’s out.”
The sound of the rest of the bugs was deafening, and there seemed to be more of them every moment.
“But what about the rest of them? Where are they all coming from?”
“Seems the cabinet and the carpet,” said Akki.
“The kitchen was spotless at the start of this, and so was the rest of the house. I didn’t invite them in here. They invaded!”
“Tell me,” said Akki. “How is your health in the waking world?”
“The what?”
“I see.”
“You see what?”
“Are you healthy?”
Fiona paused.
Akki waited.
“No. No, I’m not healthy. I have an operation soon too.”
“Is it invasive?”
“Yes.”
“Then you may want to consider”—Akki gestured to the bugs— “postponing until this problem goes away.”
“What does that have to do with this?” Fiona crossed her arms.
“It’s a common nightmare to dream of insect invasions before one becomes ill.”
“But I was already ill.”
“Then this would complicate things, would it not?”
“Well yeah, but—”
“You said the operation is invasive.” Akki stomped on a few roaches that came too close. It was a precise movement, not one of anger or aggravation. “And these invaded your dreamscape. There might be a connection. Sometimes nightmares come as warnings. Warnings are best heeded in these circumstances.”
“And how would you know that?”
“I am also ill.” Akki pointed to her rotting neck.
Fiona swallowed.
The cluster of bugs on the floor twitched and switched directions, little hairy legs clambering over thoraces. Some buzzed, some clicked, some made noises with no equivalent in the waking world. All advanced toward Fiona.
Akki stepped in the way and unsheathed her sword. With one slash, she eliminated the first layer of advancing bugs. Fire spewed from beside the blade, and Fiona caught a glimpse of a dragon’s snout, open and directing the flames. It had enormous fangs.
“How do you know all this?” asked Fiona as she hoisted herself up on one knee on the countertop near the sink.
“It’s my job. I slay nightmares, which I did mention before. It seems clear to me you’re not lucid.”
“Lucid?”
“Aware that you’re dreaming.”
“Well you told me I was dreaming. Having a nightmare.”
“Does it feel like a nightmare anymore now?”
“Less so.”
“See.”
“See what?”
Akki got up onto the counter herself, much less clumsily than Fiona had. A spike of jealousy shot through Fiona, but she got over it quickly.
“See what?” Fiona repeated.
“The more lucid one is, the less fear a nightmare can induce.”
“So that’s why I’m less afraid now than before? I guess that makes sense. But you’ve also been beating back this swarm, which makes more sense about why I’d be less afraid.” Fiona felt herself turn red. “Thanks for that, by the way. I was freaking out.”
“As said before, it’s my job.”
Fiona still couldn’t understand how this Akki person could remain so poised under the circumstances, but she was glad for the help.
“You said nightmares serve as warnings sometimes?”
“Yes.”
“What does this one warn of?”
“Illness, sickness, deterioration. If you were already ill, the condition might worsen. This particular nightmare is sometimes a reminder to take care of oneself.”
“And other times?”
“Other times it speaks of anxiety.”
Fiona thought this over. “So if I wake up and take better care of myself, these dreams about bugs will go away?”
“Most likely, yes.”
“Is there a way you can wake me up?”
“Not until the nightmare is over.”
Somewhere in the waking world, an alarm clock went off.
“Ah,” said Akki in acknowledgement. “The dream will soon be over. Take care of your waking world self and these insects likely won’t bother you again.” She sheathed her sword and got off the counter, spun around and bowed at Fiona. “Well met, though I never got your name.”
“Fiona.”
“A good name.”
“I think my alarm is going off.”
“Time to wake up.”
Fiona awoke to a stomachache, a fever, and nausea. By some vague recollection of a dream she barely remembered, she decided she had no choice but to postpone the surgery. When it came time to go under the knife, she survived.
Advertisement
First Academy
At sixteen, Leigh had lived in her brother's shadow for as long as she could remember. No matter how hard she tried, studied, worked or trained... she always fell short of his accomplishments. But all of her shortcomings would not matter, not if she managed to get Selected First... On the night of the Selection, a shocking turn of events propel her into the path she's always dreamed of, but success turned out to be not what she expected. It was dark with a bitter aftertaste.
8 100The Continuing Stories of Jo
Jo died. Met Life. Then wasn't dead. It's kind of an immortal type thing, where she can travel through space, time and reality. Oh and many of the stories revolve around her not being her but her in another life but not in a reincarnation way. Make sense? Good. ENJOY!
8 145Dungeon in a xianxia
Where am I? hey why the hell are those people wearing robes and swords?! whats a dragon doing there?!! what the hell is a dao!?!? why does this look like a xianxia?! note-this is just for fun, I'm an amateur writer who's just trying this out. I accept criticism, and this novel might not be that good enjoy. P.s-may or not be gore added the tag just in case pp.s-if some thing sounds like something from another novel please tell me and I'll change it it's probably an accident ppps-I will not update regularly sorry but I'll try at least once a week pppps I'm bipolar and so is my writing and my characters Ppppps point out any gramer problems
8 140Old Terran Soul
Vikings in space!! Eirik was not your typical spacer. or your general terran. Eirik clung to the old ways. In a time of interstellar travel through FTL tech, contact with multiple alien species and untold galaxies to explore, he clung to the ways of the old nordic gods. raised on Terra in the Scandinavian region, by a large family that worshipped the old nordic gods while tending to the family farm, his wanderlust and want for exploration got the better of him and drew him away from the planet as an independent spacer. cargo hauling, a bit of piracy when funds were low and repairs needed, transport of passengers or prisoners, mercenary jobs, whatever kind of work showed up, he took it willingly. the universe was his sea and his spaceship his longboat. join our anti--hero in his jourmeys through life in a galaxy with mixed feelings about terrans, especially terrans like Eirik. I want to thank Asviloka for the wonderful cover art.
8 157Did You Call Me Love? - Taekook Love Story.
The famous idol singer, V, seems to have a boyfriend. But nobody has seen him yet. They only see the hickies and and sometimes hears the sound of them being made.Start - 07/05/2020.End - 18/07/2020.Ranked #1 in vkook on 21/11/2021 A/N - story line is all mine. Apologies if any resemblance to another story. Photo credit to rightful owners. Cover done by @973_dany ❤All the names and events are purely fiction. No disrespect meant for anyone.First few chapters might be bit boring but if you can move pass that, I assure you the storyline is good. This story will have mature themes. So read at your own risk. But no matter how bad things will get, it'll all end well. Happy reading. 💜💜
8 107Secret Love (Jolby)
COMPLETE When Colby Brock discovers that Jake Webber has a girlfriend, he has to fight back the jealously that engulfs him every time he sees them together. Colby has had a secret crush on Jake Webber for years now; he has kept it top secret, not even Sam knows. What happens when Sam wants to take a trip to The Stanley Hotel? Where there will be no girlfriend, and only two beds.
8 106