Personality Exchange

The 4th Nightmare

Arthur's POV

I run as fast as I could, my breath clouding from the cold atmosphere, the white snow stained red from my wounds, and even though all I would see is white, everything's getting darker and blury.

"Ignacius!!!!" A familiar voice roared, calling me, searching for me, like a predator would to a prey.

I run faster, but the adrenalin's starting to fade, and sooner than I expected, my knees buckled, leaving me lying on the cold pure white pile of snow. I tried to stand up, but I fail. I can't even move my arms anymore without shaking.

I want to die...

I would rather die than to be caught by him. I want to die now, knowing that he's getting closer.

I need to die.

I did my best drawing a pentagram, then took a bloody mantle with scriptures and placed it at the center, chanting a new spell that would grant my wish.

The place grew colder, and as the light in the pentagram grew brighter, I feel numb and weaker.

I couldn't make out if either the shadow I'm seeing is him, or the thing I called. But based on the tight feeling on my chest, I completed the ritual.

"What do you want, sorcerer?" A deep voice asked. I tried to make out from the shadowed figure, but I really can't. All I could manage is a pair of ram horns and a eerie electric blue eyes.

".....Protect me." I weakly said. "If you can't-" I could feel blood rushing out of my mouth and chocking me, taking away my remaining energy.

The spots grew, leaving me in a dark numbing cold place. I drifted to unconsciousness, as I hope that I was able to tell the creature to kill me. I don't really want to wake up to those dirty, infected, cold floor anymore.

"...Kill me."

I woke up with a gasp, as if I'm having a hard time to breath. Like my body's giving up on me.

I know I had just dreamed a weird dream, but even though I unwillingly could remember the struggle and pain, I can't remember what happened.

Cold sweat run down on my face, as I tried to calm myself. Nightmares aren't new to me. I've been having them all this time. It's just that this struggling feeling scares me to the point where I found myself hyperventillating.

I keep looking around the room, looking for something - someone - but what scares me more is that I can't put my tongue on it. I don't know what I'm looking for, but I feel too paranoid, like there's someone out there for me.

A memory was triggered when the door slowly open, and I saw a shadowed figure behind it. Instinctually, my body's gone rigid, as if waiting for a strike, and cower as I push my back on the headboard.

I want to close my eyes, yet if I did, I can't ready myself for what will come. I grabbed my pillow closer when the door was fully open, only to reveal a sleepy blonde, whose blue eyes got wide when he saw me.

"Arthur?" He carefully walk towards me. His expression turned into what I think is pity, frowning sympathetically.

"Calm down, Arthur. It's just me. Francis..." he sat beside me as he carefully took my hand into his.

"Calm down, mon lapin. No one will hurt you... Big brother's here...." he hummed a familiar tune, calming me down as he took me under his arms. My breaths getting even, and I suddenly felt too tired that I slumped my self on Francis.

Of course. This song...

My mum used to sing us this song to Francis, my siblings, and I when we're still young. After playing outside, we would sit under the tree, and took a nap there as my mum knit and sing us a song.