REVERIE: Twisted Reality

Day 10: The Nightmare Surge

Alexandria Lennon

The following morning, as soon as I finished my routine, I noticed that my pocket watch was missing.

I looked for it in my whole room but it wasn't there. I must've lost it in the living room.

I decided to head to the living room and ask Joker if he had seen anything but as soon as I got out the door I already found him cleaning the corridors.

He waved and smiled as soon as he saw me. I walked over to him, "Have you seen any pocket watch around here?"

"Unfortunately, no. But I can help you find it!" He suggested with a smile. I just nodded and we started to look around to look for my pocket watch.

I caught Joker staring at me a few times and when I stared back at him, he just smiled like an idiot.

'He's weirder than usual.'

Did he think we got closer just because of what happened yesterday morning and the other night?!

Well, I admit I've come to like him more than I did the first few days but still he expresses his happiness weirdly.

I looked over him and he was staring at me again so this time I decided to confront him, "Why do you keep staring at me? It's unsettling!"

"Sorry... I was just... it's just that you..." he mumbled sheepishly. I didn't understand a thing he was saying so I walked closer to him.

"What? Speak clearly. I couldn't understand you." I said with a tad bit of annoyance. He just smiled and shook his head like an idiot, "Never mind."

'Weirdo.'

I just ignored him and kept on looking. I've looked under every console cabinet in the corridor but I still haven't found my pocket watch.

"I don't think it's here. Let's go look for it in the living room." I told him. He just nodded and followed me like a puppy. He looked so pleased that I could already imagine a tail waggling behind his back if he had one.

We started looking in the living room when he suddenly asked, "I assumed you had already visited all the rooms in the house, Alexandria?"

 "I had." I answered as I bent down to check under the couch.

'I had. Many times. Because I was trying to escape.'

"That is great, Alexandria! Which room is your favorite?" He asked enthusiastically. 

I thought I saw something under the couch so I tried to reach for it, "I don't really roam the place carelessly because of the nightmares crawling around," but I found nothing under the couch so I stood up and faced him, "And they all look awfully similar to me. It's hard to find my way around. Not to mention the house seems to defy logic itself."

He just chuckled at my remark and said, "I guess the unified color theme does make it a little harder to distinguish one room from another."

'Little harder? That's such an understatement!'

"As for the shifting nature of the house, all I can say is that this is your reverie, which is made out of your dreams. Dreams rarely stay consistent do they?" He added.

"So that explains why I couldn't find my way the first day." I said as I bent again to check another couch, "Well, as long as my room, the corridors, and the grand staircase stays consistent. I'll find my way around."

My back was starting to hurt so I stretched my back and arms and rested on the couch for a while. I watched Joker crawl and bend around to look for my pocket watch when he suddenly looked in my direction.

"Alexandria, if that Nightmare creature has been troubling you in any shape and form, please let me know and I will take care of him for you." He said in a worried voice,

I looked at him puzzled, "Who?"

"He's that shady middle-aged man who wears a monocle." He said with remorse.

'Is he talking about the Duke? He seems like he's just in his late twenties or early thirties.'

"Don't let his superficial charm and pleasant banter fool you. He is definitely not the gentleman he pretends to be." He tried to convince me.

"Why would he trouble me?"

"You are the mistress of this house and he is a nightmare. I don't see why he wouldn't trouble you." 

I could deduct from the tone of his voice that he's really not fond of the duke. I decided not to say anything about it anymore and just continued looking.

We've already looked everywhere but I guess it isn't here either. 

"Thanks for helping me look but I don't think it's here. I'll look for it somewhere else, you don't have to help me." I told him.

"You said that all the room looks similar to you. Maybe I should go with you."

I could feel that a lot of time had already passed and it'll just continue to pass if I'm with him.

"I'll be fine, Joker. Don't worry." I assured him and started to leave. 

"Then, should I give you a tour of the house?" He asked again. I sighed then turned my head to face him, "You're making too big of a deal out of this."

He just smiled and said, "Nothing is too much of a deal for you, Alexandria."

What he said somehow made me feel special and that made me smile but I still have things to do so I just said, "Maybe next time. If the offer still stands." 

He seemed like he still had something to say but I just left.

I walked down the corridor and was heading to the Duke's room.

I knew I still had some time left so I decided to spend the rest of it by asking the Duke some questions.

As I was walking up the grand staircase, a familiar shiver run down my spine.

"... Pay... It's time... to pay..." Said the familiar low and scary voice.

I slowly turned around but instead of one Nightmare, there were three of them a few feet away from me.

'W-why are there s-so many of t-those things?!'

Cold sweats started to trickle down my forehead and I could feel my whole body shaking. I prepared to run but before I could the brat was beside me.

He threw three daggers simultaneously and killed all of the Nightmares without missing a single one. I watch the blood spill from where the daggers hit as the Nightmares slowly lose their lives.

I was still dazed when the brat pulled me to his room. I slumped down to the floor as soon as he closed the door.

 "What are you doing out here, Alexandria?!" He quickly asked, anger evident in his voice.

I tried to get a hold of myself but I couldn't stop trembling, "I-I was h-heading to the D-duke's room."

He looked like he had something to say to me but instead, he just faced his back on me and finished his tea in one gulp. 

"W-why are there so m-many of those things? Is s-something happening?" I was still petrified but I gathered the strength to ask him.

He was suddenly stifled by my question and I was sure there was something he didn't tell me. I was still trembling in fear but I manage to stand up and walk over to him.

"W-what's happening?" I asked him seriously. The brat faced me with an expression I couldn't quite decipher.

"A Nightmare Surge."