An Aura of Bloodshed

Chapter 15: Yet Another Nightmare

(Uhhhh, huge content warning- I may have gone... a bit haywire with the description of violence. You may wanna skip the dream sequence if you're squeamish to blood.)

A few nights later, Jesse was sound asleep in his bed at home... Or at least, ideally, he was. But no- yet another nightmare has come to invade his subconscious. He knew he shouldn't be surprised at this point, but he still hated them. Typically, they'd show something from his past- perhaps something like the institution, or the massacre he committed... Though this one was different. Instead of showing him past events, it showed him...

What could've happened- had he made a wrong move.

---

In the dream, he was back in the caves under Ishinakku Village- back where Kitsune and him first met. Except of course, she wasn't there with him. He was alone. And he was in a room that him and Kitsune never encountered. It was... a dark, long cave almost. As if that wasn't bad enough, there were more of those doll abominations from the storage room.

And they were after him.

One by one, they'd charge at him- chomping at him with their grotesque mouths. One of them got a little too close for comfort, biting off a bit of his sleeve and scratching his arm in the process. He hissed a bit, noticing the blood that seeped through the injury. God, their teeth were strangely sharp..

Unfortunately, even as a surgeon, perhaps he paid a little too much attention to the cut. He continued to run forward, holding his arm. Maybe if he focused more on the road ahead of him, he would've seen the doll that lunged straight for him. It wouldn't have knocked him down.

And he wouldn't have been eaten alive by those things. 

It was pure agony- feeling their teeth sink into him repeatedly as they pulled away flesh and muscle from his bones. His blood pooled on the ground around him, staining his already crimson shirt and vest. His hands and feet spasmed as arteries were severed. Before long, there was nothing left of him.

And then he woke up.

(Fuck dude, I have more fun writing these nightmare sequences than I care to admit.)

---

Jesse lurched forward in his bed, panting from fright. He gripped onto the front of his nightshirt, his hand shaking. His crimson eyes were wide as he frantically looked around, checking to make sure he was safe. Once he saw his familiar bedroom walls, he relaxed a little. He was ok.. Or well, as ok as he could be.

For a split second, he could hear the voices in his head. But, given he was steadily waking up more and more, they diminished. He sighed, flopping back into his bed. "Not another nightmare..." He groaned in annoyance.

He glanced over at his clock. It was 2:16 a.m.. Oh, how fricking splendid. He grumbled under his breath. There was no way he'd be able to fall asleep again- not immediately. He reached for his phone, turning it on. He winced as the bright lights appeared, hissing a bit.

Once his eyes properly adjusted, he called Kitsune. Perhaps he wasn't as awake as he thought, considering that maybe sending her a text at this hour would've been more practical, but it's too late to take that back. Once he realized what he did, Kitsune had already answered the call.

"Hey Jess- this is a surprise. I figured you'd be asleep by now." The redhead remarked. Jesse could faintly hear background noise- like a little bell and tiny little feet. Like... a kitten.

"I could definitely say the same. What are you doing up at this hour? You sound like you've been awake for quite some time." Jesse asked.

"Working on an art commission. Guess I lost track of time, heh." Kitsune chuckled a bit, before grumbling. Jesse could still hear what she said, though it was a bit quieter. "Ow, hey, no, stop that! My foot is not a chew toy!" She reprimanded.

Jesse blinked, confused. "Do you... have a pet over there, Kitsune?" He asked.

"Yeah- a little cat. His name's Boo. And right now, he's being quite the scoundrel." Kitsune responded, her voice lowering a bit. Jesse had assumed she was glaring at the cat she mentioned. He couldn't help the small smile that appeared on his face when he heard the little creature mew.

"Anyways, why are you up? Everything ok over there?" Kitsune questioned.

And just like that, Jesse's smile quickly dissipated. He knew that question was coming, but it didn't make him dread it any less. He sighed a little, moving his hand through his hair. "It's... stupid, honestly... It's just a nightmare. I'm not even sure why I called, to be honest- I suppose I just needed assurance." He responded.

"Oh, Jess, I'm sorry.. Nightmares suck, huh? I only get them every so often, but I understand." Kitsune responded, frowning a bit. "Do you wanna talk about it?" She asked.

"Well.. It was different from my usual night terrors, that's for sure. It was back at the case at... Ishinakku Village." Jesse started, shaking his head. "Except this time, you weren't there, and I was by myself in this room I didn't recognize... I got mauled to death by a lot of those doll things." He explained.

Kitsune shuddered a bit. "Oh, yikes, that sounds terrifying. I'm glad it was only just that one." She responded. "How do you feel now?" She asked.

"A lot better, thank you." Jesse answered.

He could hear the slight smile in the redhead's voice. "That's good! Anyways, I'll let you get back to bed, I'll be turning in myself. G'night, Jesse! Sleep well!" She chirped.

"Goodnight, Kitsune. Sweet dreams." Jesse responded, before hanging up and setting his phone down. He sighed, closing his eyes as he started to fall asleep again. In record time, no less. A small smile was prominent on his face.

Who knew all he needed was a call from a friend to make him feel better?