A Star's Descent

Chapter Twenty-Nine: Nightmares

A Star's Descent

By evolution-500

Disclaimer: House of the Dead and Resident Evil are properties belonging to SEGA and Capcom respectively. I do not own any of these characters.

Chapter Twenty-Nine: Nightmares

She was running through a dense forest during the day time, the fog thick and grey. Up ahead a few feet of her, a seven year-old version of Star ran, looking over his shoulder at her in terror as they were being chased.

"Run, Twenty-Three!" Star called with a British accent. "Run!"

Behind her, a guttural roar echoed as heavy footfalls landed on soft earth, creating a series of tremors that shook the leaves nearby.

Branches and underbrush crackled as Rebecca heard a whole tree fall somewhere close by, collapsing down with a thunderously loud thud that made her flinch, the sound drawing closer in hot pursuit.

Looking over her shoulder, she watched as the trees shook with each step before finally seeing her pursuer - a towering figure of muscle clad in the filthy torn remnants of a security guard uniform, his shoes long rotted off at the soles, exposing dirty feet with long cracked toe nails. A skull-like face with beady yellow eyes and gnarled rat-like ears glanced around in several directions before setting their sights upon her, its lipless gore-covered mouth oozing thick trails of saliva down its long pronounced chin and jaw.

Letting out a roar of rage and insatiable hunger, the creature relentlessly chased after them as it swung its club - a disgusting slime-covered thing made from skulls and living torsos that reached and clawed at the air, the handle made from what looked to be a spinal column.

Trees crashed around her and Star as the two twisted and turned along the path, avoiding the falling foliage.

"Just a little further, Twenty-Three!" The young albino yelled. "Come on!"

Before Rebecca could demand what was going on, she tripped over a branch. Twisting herself onto her back, she watched as Death Type-0011 reached down with its calloused, clawed ape-like hand toward her.

* * * * *

Rebecca screamed as she jolted up, her whole body covered in sweat. Looking around, she studied her surroundings. Nothing changed. They were still in the bedroom. Letting out a shaky sigh of relief, Rebecca leaned back against her chair, wiping the sweat off her face and forehead, shaking her head as she swallowed down bile.

'What an awful dream,' she thought.

It had all felt so real!

Raising her watch, Rebecca checked the time. Three p.m.

'God, Mom must be worried sick about me,' she thought. 'I hope help comes soon.'

Looking over to the albino on the bed, Rebecca watched him as he slept.

'He really must have been exhausted not to have heard me,' she marveled.

Settling back into her chair, the Bravo pondered quietly to herself.

Why had he been in her dream? Why had he been talking with a British accent? The way he dressed - in her dream, he had been wearing a white one-piece bodysuit of some sort that made him look like some bizarre sci-fi extra.

And why was he calling her "Twenty-Three"?

Rebecca shook her head.

'It's just a dream,' she told herself. Obviously she had unconsciously constructed and condensed the events of last night into something more simplified, although still terrifying, with her and Star as children being chased by Death, personified by one of the creatures from Star's manuscript.