The Fool of Hearts [A Skyrim Fanfic]

Prologue

A male Imperial lies in bed, asleep. Dreams of his childhood cloud his consciousness.

~~~

"Cicero!! Ciceeeero!!"
"Where are you going?"
"Don't run away from us!!"
"We just want to be your friends!"
"Ahahahaha!"

Little boys and girls dressed in colorful clothes taunt him. They run up, and run away, each time kicking or hitting him with a stick. He can't get away; they're too fast. The little boy tries running away, but trips and falls. He gives up and begins to cry. As the other children come closer, they slowly turn into monsters of all forms, some not even recognizable. He curls up into a ball and tries to shut them out, but they come closer and tug at his limbs.

"Why won't you play with us, Cicero?"
"Yeah! Why won't you play?!"
"We only want to have some fun!"

The boy doesn't respond to the other children, who become angry and impatient.

"If you don't come play with us, we'll make you!"
"Cicero! Don't be a baby!"
"Yeah, you're such a milk-drinker!"
"And a fool, too!!"

The monsters form a circle around the silent boy and begin to sing.

"That fool's a milk-drinker! That fool's a milk-drinker! That fool's a milk-drinker!"

Suddenly the boy stands up and pulls out a dagger, with a pointed edge that gleams in the moonlight. The monsters take child forms again, but the boy doesn't care. He jumps on the closest child's back and plunges the dagger into its head. Blood and brain matter explode everywhere as he retracts the bloody weapon and moves to his next victim. He lunges to the next child and slices its neck, then shoves the dagger it its heart. Another takes its monster form and tries to tear off the boy's arm. He rips the dagger out of the dead girl and repeatedly stabs the monster in the back. It falls to the ground, dead.

Finally, only the leader is left alive, but gasping for air. The dagger sticks out of her side and forms a question as she dies.

"Why, Cicero? Who did this to you to make you so cruel? We were just...playing..." The last child's head falls back and the boy only stares at her.

He looks to the night sky and screams. "YOU DID THIS TO ME!!!!!"

~~~

The Imperial shoots out of bed, sweating. He shakes himself awake, and wipes his palms on his pants. It's only a dream, Cicero. Only a dream.