Death and All His Friends

Nightmares

Key Four: Nightmares:

Lenalee hasn't been sleeping too well. She is being plagued by nightmares. The others are starting to notice it too.

"You look awful, darling," Max told her. "Are you feeling okay?" Lenalee shook her head.

"I haven't been sleeping well," she said. Her eyes looked kind of dead. Max put her hand on her forehead. There was no temperature.

"I think you need to go home for the day," Max said. Lenalee shook her head.

"No, I'm fine," she said. The older angel frowned.

"No, you are not," she said. "Go home for today. I will cover your shift." Lenalee opened her mouth but Max held up her hand.

"No! I will not hear it," she said. "Go home and get some rest." The angel of death closed her mouth and dropped her shoulders.

"Fine," she said.

"Very good," Max said. "And don't worry about the boss. I have you covered." The angel of death bowed her head.

"Thank you," she said. Lenalee turned to leave. She took one more look at Max before walking away.

Her dreams always start out the same.

Lenalee wakes up in a dark room. She feels she is chained down to a heavy iron throne. The air felt so thin. Lenalee felt like she was choking. Her eyes welled up with tears.

"Hello?"

No sound came out.

However, she wasn't alone.

Lenalee looked forward when she heard something like a gate opening. A hazy red light filled the room. She doesn't want to look. But what choice does she have? Her head was forced to the front. Wires held her eyes open. It's like someone wants her to look.

There was a skeleton covered in blood. Lenalee could see the ribcage through the pouring red liquid. His mouth was slightly opened too. He (She was sure that it was a he.) stood in a sea of blood. Sharp teeth were turned into a crown for him. Even that was covered in blood. Even that was covered in blood. Despite the jaw not moving, chatter came out of his mouth.

He's dead. He's dead. Long live the king! He's dead. He's dead!

What did that mean? Who was dead? Lenalee couldn't ask. He can't hear her. Her voice doesn't make a sound. She still can't move.

Suddenly, the image changed with a snap.

This time, she saw a room full of dolls. All of them had their eyes on her. They all started to sing.

Hello, darkness my old friend.

I've come to talk with you again.

Because a vision softly creeping.

And the vision that was planted in my brain

Still remains

They started singing again. Their little voices made Lenalee tremble. Another voice whispered in her ear.

You know he's dead, right?

She couldn't turn her head. Who was that? Who was dead? She can't scream out. The angel of death has given up by now.

Suddenly, the image changed with a snap.

This time there was a mirror. She got a better look at herself. Was she crying? Where did the bags and dark make-up come from? A hand rested atop her head. Just the hand. There was no body attached to it. Lenalee saw the long black nails of the hand. She shivered as she held back the urge to scream. She could hear whispering again.

He's dead. He's dead. He's dead! You poor child. He's dead.

It still wasn't sinking in. Lenalee felt like she should know whom they were talking about. Nothing was lighting up.

Suddenly, the mirror disappeared. Lenalee braced herself for what was coming next. This was where the dream usually ended. But this time, something was different.

The sound of a drum filled the room. Lenalee didn't need or want to see what this new image was. Something inside of her told her what it was.

Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump.

That little white dress fluttered in the non-existent breeze. The child kept her head down as she kept beating her drum.

Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump.

Lenalee could feel her heart pounding in her throat. She couldn't turn away. Something about this drummer built up an unspeakable fear inside of her. Lenalee couldn't shake her head.

No. Stay awake. Stay awake! Stay awake from me!

The child slowly lifted her head. Her lips parted as if to say something. A small, silent voice filled Lenalee's head.

Lenalee awoke gasping for air. She stared up at her dark ceiling. The angel of death had a sudden urge to call her brother. Lenalee reached for her phone. Komui would still be up at this hour, right?

Her stomach turned as the other line rang. She prayed that he would answer.

"Hello?" a woman's voice asked. Lenalee had a confused look on her face.

"Uh... is my brother there?" she asked.

"He's busy right now," the woman said. "But I can take a message for you." Lenalee tried hard to keep it together.

"Oh," she murmured. "No, not really. I just wanted to call and say good night. Again." There was a pause on the other line.

"Okay," the woman said. "Anything else?"

"No, thank you," the angel of death said. "Good night." She hung up before the lady could say anything. A sinking feeling came over Lenalee. But that couldn't be right. Surely, her brother was okay he was just busy as the woman said, right? Why couldn't she get the feeling that something bad happened to Komui out of her head?