Peter Pan Imagines (Once Upon a Time)

like a heartbeat, drives you mad

You are always alone when the thoughts catch up to you. When you're with other people, it's different, easier to convince your mind to race to better, safer topics. You don't have to think about the fears or the worries, you just have to keep up with the conversation or do your best to not seem like the person you're terrified you truly are. Everything hinges on the one other person there, distracting you from the relentless parade of thoughts, keeping you firmly in reality.

When you're alone, though, you can't hide anymore. You wave goodbye to your friends to head inside, and with your hand on the knob, you think, did they really want to see me? And, was that laughter genuine, or were they faking it the whole time? Worse, was it at me?

Things get worse once it gets dark. You lie awake at night thinking that you'll fail at everything, that no one will want to associate with you after that, that everyone on this earth is going to live and die and no one will ever remember you again. You don't like thinking along such dark lines, but the self-hatred is strong and won't let you go. You've tried before, shaking it off, but it always comes creeping back when you want it the least.

Life is not the best, but at least the fall of dusk upon the streets and surroundings of your hometown brings you the blessing of finally being able to go to bed. You can push off schoolwork until the next day, chores until forever, just so long as you can shut off your mind and crawl under your covers and everything will go away.

Tonight is one of those nights when you want it most of all. It's been a long day, followed by a long week, chased by an even longer month. You can only tell yourself that it'll get better soon for so long before even that familiar lie loses its charm. It'll be good to rest tonight, though. Maybe tomorrow will make you happier. You close your eyes and try to sleep, all but begging unconsciousness to fall over you and carry you away. Your waking life is horrid enough. In sleep, at least, you will be alone, but–

In your dream, there is a boy. He was not there before. He is, in fact, nobody you have ever seen before. This should not be a problem. Dreams are rarely perfectly photographic, but this boy is, indeed, perfect. He's absolutely in focus, blurred by none of that dreamlike haze that most figures cling to in your subconscious. It's like a memory, but it's never happened. It's like reality, but you are still definitely asleep.

You stare at him for longer than is perhaps polite, but he does not go away. You can feel this dream in a way that should not be possible– the carpet under your feet, the cool of the air conditioning. You're in your room, standing by the door. He's perched on a chair, eyeing you with interest, and as bizarre as this dream is, you cannot shake the absolute certainty that this is his fault.

The only thing to be left, then, is to get some answers. You work up the confidence to speak, and your voice sounds exactly as it should, not distorted by dreams or anything. "Who are you?"

The boy chuckles. "A friend of yours. Hopefully, that is. I'd like to get to know you."

Having gone a record number of years of your life without any hyperrealistic boys disrupting your dreaming schedule, especially ones who specifically wanted to meet you of all people, this only adds to your confusion. "Why?"

The boy shrugs liberally. "I've been encountering fewer and fewer dreamers around. Yours are the most vibrant. I was curious."

You fight the odd urge to laugh. "A lot of people dream. Maybe you're just bad at looking."

This is, of course, the most rational thing you can do, immediately pick a fight with some guy currently terrorizing your brainwaves. Luckily, he doesn't seem offended by your need to argue, and he just grins. "See, you're right, but most dreams are nothing more than surface level. Yours are deeper, richer, stronger. In all honesty, that's the sort of thing that makes me more powerful, so I wanted to see what it was about."