“Game over!”
“Aw! I lost again!” The child let out with a heavy sigh.
“Hahah! Dying to dragon fire is too funny! It’s so cliche!”
“Mom! Stop laughing at me!” He pouted as he puffed up his cheeks.
“Hehe, blame it on the dice, Somnu! Better luck next time!”
The mother started to gather up all the scattered pieces on the game board, a wide smile accompanying her the entire time.
She had long overflowing lilac hair stretching down to her lower back. Complemented by a blue and golden gradient feather earring on each side, she looked almost magical.
However, when he tried to meet her eyes directly, he couldn’t find them.
“M-mom…?” He began to mutter, but quickly remembered something more important. “Can I have another chance? Please?”
“Hmmm, what should I do with you?” She held her chin and raised her neck slightly, the smile never leaving her lips.
Somnu leaned forward, fluttering his innocent eyes at her.
“Oh, the puppy eyes? When did you become such a rascal, huh?” She ruffled his hair as he laughed. “Maybe it’s a good thing, you’re too honest and direct. Stop charging at enemies the second you see them.”
“What? Why not?! I have to beat the bad guys!”
“Remember Somnu, the reason you keep losing is because you’re not prepared for the big fights! Take your time and build up your strength, study your enemy! We have all night so you better focus now!”
“Mom, Is it really okay for you to stay up with me?” The kid asked, his gaze lowered.
“See? There it is again. Stop worrying about every little thing!”
“But!”
“Hush! Think of yourself for once! What do you want? How can you get it?”
“...”
“Don’t be afraid, have some faith in yourself! Life is like a game, Somnu.” She said, her figure beginning to distort and fade.
“Mom?”
“Sometimes, to get what you want, to win… It’s okay to cheat a little.”
The mother suddenly disappeared, and with her gone, the first dream shattered.
And the last nightmare began.
***
For the very first time in his life, Somnu woke up from a dream. Too bad his reality had been plucked from him.
Replaced by his nightmare.
“Ugh!”
When he came to, the first thing that hit him was the rotting stench. It was damp and foul, clinging to his lungs with every breath he took.
“Where… am I?” He mumbled. “How did I…?”
Looking around, he could barely make out anything from the chilling murkiness around him. Taking a few steps forward, a figure of a small tree got bigger as he got closer.
Maybe I should stay put here until someone finds me. They’re probably looking… Right?
CRACK!
“?!”
The small tree twitched and moved, turning to face him directly. His eyes widened. The immediate glowing deep red glare sent cold shivers down his spine.
“W-what… is that?!” He blurted out. “Is this still… Halloween?”
He very much doubted that. Without realizing it, his body had begun shaking again, and his teeth clattering. For an instant, it almost seemed like he blacked out.
A monster?! What? How?! What’s going on?! Reflexively, he took a step back while trying to figure out what was happening.
[ERROR! ERROR!]
“Huh?”
To top it off…
[Processing…]
[Sleeper falsely relocated!]
[ERROR! ERROR!]
CRACK!
Yeah… I’m outta here!
Not waiting for any kind of explanation for either the monster or the game-esque pop-up messages appearing in front of him in the air, Somnu swallowed his initial shock for the time being and took off running in whatever direction would lead him away from the hideous thing standing in front of him now. A monster. A real horrific monster.
And one that looked strangely close to a… scarecrow.
WHOOSHHH!
Crow-shit!
A moment later, he heard the wind shift and whistle. An impact behind him told him all he needed to know. It could only have meant one thing.
The monster was chasing him, hunting him.
And then again…
[ERROR! ERROR!]
[Processing…]
[Unable to access Mind Palace…]
[Unable to initiate System… Sleeper is defective!]
[Processing…]
If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.
“Who the hell are you calling defective?! You’re the one with the errors, dumbass-!!”
[ERROR! Unable to load that information at this time.]
CRASH!
Somnu barely dodged another long whip from his pursuer before picking up speed again.
He ran as fast as he could, ignoring most of the weird pop-up screens showing up around him.
The loud crashes on his heel gave him no time to consider anything about his situation.
[Due to your current state, you are unable to accept the System.]
[Recalibrating…]
“Hey, can you do that a little faster?! Your big straw friend behind me isn’t letting up!”
[New System creation in progress…]
“And how long do you need for that?!”
[Expected time till initiation: 03 Hours 26 Minutes 51 Seconds.]
“I don’t have that much time! I’ll be crow-food by then!”
Nevertheless, Somnu kept running with no idea of where he was, or how he got there.
Sweat quickly began to roll down his face, but he could not afford to stop for even a second. He needed to push his stamina to the absolute limit.
He needed to outrun his pursuer, somehow.
Dammit! I’m screwed at this rate!
***
[Expected time till initiation: 02 Hours 35 Minutes 03 Seconds.]
“Can’t you do that a little faster?!”
SWISSHHH!
Just as he said that, a tentacle-like whip made of straws swiped the hat he had been wearing. The very one that had been holding onto his head for nearly an hour of running now.
Feeling the graze on the back of his neck as some blood trickled down his back, Somnu’s nerves screamed at him.
Crow-shit! It almost got me that time! How is it still after me?! What the hell kind of creature is that anyway?!
[ERROR! Unable to load that information at this time.]
You’re very helpful, you know that?!
The monster’s figure behind him was at least two or three times his size. From the quick glance he was able to steal before he started running, it seemed lanky with long straw arms extending to the ground.
The long white hair swinging behind its head, coupled with the deep red eyes that had glared at him and the strings sewing its lips together, it all only served to send more shivers down his spine.
That’s what was chasing him now. Who wouldn’t be scared in his situation?
Wait… Whatever this thing is, it can answer to my thoughts directly?
[Affirmative.]
That fact wasn’t lost on him, but Somnu kept running from his pursuer, hoping for any kind of good hiding spot around. He needed to find that soon, very soon.
However, so far, all he could make out from his surroundings were the long, serpentine roots, constantly blocking his path. He had been running under what seemed like giant grotesque trees that looked ancient with their countless withering vines hanging down from them. Even the thick canopy of clouds from above was blocked by the half-dead vegetation, giving everything a green-like hue.
Grotesque trees, the damp and rotten smell, the murky atmosphere… Don’t tell me… I’m in a freaking swamp?!
Putting two and two together, Somnu came to a conclusion about his whereabouts. And with it, another dangerous conclusion.
He had to be careful not to step into any deep water puddles. It was a miracle he hadn’t done so already.
Is this hell?! Am I freaking dead?! I mean sure, I wasn’t an angel, but come on! How long am I supposed to run for?! Eternity?!
As good on his feet as he was, and as fast a runner as he was, Somnu knew he was nearing his limits now, especially with the thick and humid air of the place.
CRASH! CRASH!
“Crow-shit! I forgot about you, buddy! Just leave… already! I’m not made of corn… I’m not delicious, I swear!” Somnu shouted through quick breaths, then a brilliant idea popped into his head.
He had to try.
“Stop!”
“...”
Somnu came to a sudden halt and turned around slowly with his arms up. A second later, the monster stood watching him in confusion.
“Look at me, dumbass! I’m a scarecrow too, you see?! Practically cousins!” He gestured to his own chest, showing off his patched up overalls.
“...”
“Let’s be buddies! What do you say, huh?”
“...”
“No? Well, it was worth a try…”
For a second there, Somnu could’ve sworn he saw the straw head twist its neck to the side. What he didn’t confuse however, was the toothy smile threatening to rip off all the sewing on the lips. How the gooey and steamy saliva hadn’t done that already, Somnu didn’t want to know.
WHISSHH! CRASH!
“Ugh!” In a split second, a whip had got him in the chest, sending him crashing into a nearby tree root sticking out of the ground.
Crow-shit! That hurts like hell!
Swallowing the pain of what was most likely a broken rib or too, Somnu didn’t wait, twisted his ankles to the side and took off running just as another attack missed him.
Dammit! This is getting old real fast! I have to do something here!
The monster was catching up to him now in his current state.
Soon enough, he would need to make a real stand, to face his fear.
To fight or die running. He knew his choice.
[Processing…]
[Alert: Dream Catcher detected.]
[Loading Sleeper’s preferred item…]
What?! Is this really like a game? Seriously, what is happening?!
[Unable to load that information at this time.]
[Sleeper’s Dream Catcher retrieved.]
“Good! Give me my sickles or something! Maybe I can-”
[Sleeper’s preferred item: Halloween Costume.]
“Oh, come on! How is that going to help?!”
[Transfering Dream Catcher: Halloween Costume into Sleeper’s inventory.]
[Transfer complete.]
“That’s great, good for you! I’m still running for my life here with a slender-man look-a-like on my ass!”
[Would you like to equip the item; Dream Catcher: Halloween Costume?]
Somnu had never tried that thing on, not even once. The reason was simple.
The night his mother had finished it for him, just in time for the Halloween Festival, that was the same night he came home and found her body laying on the floor, murdered.
He didn’t know if it would even fit now, years later. It looked cheap and quickly put together, but it was his one and only real treasure, his last memento from her.
And if he was going to die anyway…
Yes, equip it.
[Affirmative. Equipping Dream Catcher now.]
[The item has been successfully equipped.]
“... How?”
Without realizing it, Somnu’s scarecrow clothes suddenly disappeared, and the dark forbidding Halloween costume took its place effortlessly.
However, what made Somnu raise an eyebrow was something completely different.
How is the texture and size different?!
It fit him like a perfect glove tailored for him in his current state. It wrapped around his body as a puzzle piece took its predetermined place and role.
It felt amazing. Somnu couldn’t describe it any other way. His body was completely rejuvenated, like he hadn’t run in ages, like he hadn’t even been wounded at all.
Even his running speed was somehow increasing with every second, and expanding the distance between him and the pursuer ever so slightly.
[Dream Catcher Grade: Primal.]
[Your Dream Catcher is responding to your aspirations.]
What?
[Halloween Costume is awakening to an ability…]
It’s… doing what now?! How? Nevermind, please be something good before that thing starts catching up again!
[Retrieving Dream Catcher Information for Halloween Costume…]
[In progress…]
“Say, could we do something about that name?” Somnu sighed, despite running. His breathing seemed much lighter now.
[Negative.]
[Unable to load that information at this time.]
“Go to hell.” He blurted out. “Actually, we’re already there.”
[Affirmative.]
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