I abruptly sit up awake in my bed not remembering the night before, I let my eyes wonder my room where everything seemed normal enough. My eyes slowly drift upon a mound resting under the sheets, and a soft smooth tuft of golden locks that emit a floral odor. The mound starts rustling and stirring and open sleepy eyes rest a soothing gaze locked with mine. She slowly moves her soft, delicate hands and rests them on my jaw and cheek, shrouded in my raven scruff. "Good morning Callian." her soft, smooth voice greets my ears, and it is just mellifluous. I let out a gruff "morning" in return, and push her hair out of her eyes. Her brilliant emerald, forest green eyes, that paralyze with their stare.
We lay there just staring into each other's eyes for a few more minutes, not caring about the world around us. I was enjoying every fraction of a second of this moment, but... something didn't feel right, it just wouldn't sit in the pit of my stomach. A creaking sound played in my ear, and my eyes darted to my door. It was now ajar, when I swear that a second ago it was shut tight and locked. I get up to go close it, but the other side of me wanted to see what's on the other side of this ajar door. I grabbed the cold solid wood of the door, not even bothering to grab the handle, and pried it open. Baffled, Nothing was there, just black... it seemed endless, boundless even.
I stood in the doorway just looking into the darkness, pondering if I should step forward or not. "Cal...?" I heard Fiora call from her spot under the covers. Nary acknowledging her voice, I shuffle my feet forward until I hit the metal lining under the painted oak door. "Callian, come back to bed... please." I ignored her again. "Callian! Please, get back in bed, don't leave me." She stood up towards the end of her speaking. Something clicked in my head, realization swept over me and i turned to face her. She looked much different now, her skin was paler and her eyes were sunken in, with black bags like she hasn't slept in months. The graceful locks on her head were now matted and no longer silk, and the wonderful scent of flowers no longer lingered. "Please come back and be with me..." her voice was raspy, and clawed at my eardrums.
My heart sank as the memory washed over me, it was impossible for us to be together anymore because... "You're dead..." I whispered barely audible to myself. "What...?" she reciprocated softly, clearly knowing what I said though. "We can not be together, Fiora. Simply because you are dead. I watched you die while holding you in my arms." She stepped closer to me. "Callian-" "no Fiora," I cut her off and continued, "I loved you, I really did. but... you're gone, and I am merely dreaming. Goodbye..." I stepped through the door closing it and not looking back. Haunted by the memories of her death, I found myself in the middle of the woods, walking on an all too familiar footpath.
As I progress further down the path, and deeper into the woods, I come across a big oak tree that i swear I've passed by ten times already. Why do I keep passing this tree? I'm following the path that i know loops back to the main road, I use to walk it all the time as a kid. My friends and I use to climb this tree and play pirates. Smiling at the thought of climbing the tree with my best friends, I continued walking the path hoping to make it to the road. No such luck... there it was, that blasted tree again, I walked a bit faster until I made it to the tree again. So I walked faster... and faster, and faster until I was running, continuously passing the tree. I pasted it a good three or four more times before I stopped, out of breath and hunched over with my hands resting on my knees feeling the need to vomit my brains out.
After I caught my breath and almost had an asthma attack, I decided to get a closer look at this tree to see what was so special about it. Advancing closer to the base of the trunk, I spot a figure slumped over, leaning against the bark of the huge roots. Worried that it might be someone hurt, I rushed to their side. It was a girl, who seemed eerily familiar in some way, but I can't quite put my finger on it... she had blond hair, but it was covering her face. A pungent wiff of what smelled like death and dried blood practically punched me in the face, it was excruciating and repulsive. I hoped it wasn't being emitted from this poor girl, it didn't look like she was breathing, but I put my fingers to her neck to find a pulse anyway. No pulse... she was dead, what could have done this to such a young woman? I grabbed a stick and lifted up her lifeless head, revealing deep slashes, all down the left side of her face. There was also gashes to the throat like something ripped out her larynx and ate it, her left eye was also missing, as if it was pecked clean out of the sockets by crows.
My investigation was cut short by a low growl coming from above me, I looked to see two bright yellow eyes, that seem to glow in the shadows of the branches that shroud the beast. It descended from the tree landing a few feet infront of me, growling with a soul piercing gaze. I backed away slowly, cautiously, feeling as if any sudden movement would cause me certain death. The fox like creature suddenly pounced on me as I stepped on a twig, knocking me to the ground, I put my arm up in a horizontal position holding it a bay as best I could. To my left was a branch on the ground, I grabbed it and swung as hard as I could, thankfully knocking it off of me. I got up and started running, running as fast as I could, fearing the beast was close behind. So far off the beaten path I came to a cliff, "Damn!" I said to myself agitated at the fact I just ran out of ground to run on, knowing the fox was quickly approaching.
There it was again, the growling signaling my impending doom. My body snaps to face the bushy tailed monster, I could get a better look at it now. Instead of the traditional red foxes we get around here, this fox was dark brown and red tipped with it's fur coat glittered with crimson red blood. As its glowing yellow eyes gazed through me I also took note, this particular fox was rather large four feet all to what it seemed, and instead of one bushed tail, this one had five. It stepped forward, I stepped back, it reciprocated with another step, I followed suit all the way until I was right at the edge of the cliff. "Shit!" I said under my breath, I'm going to die here aren't I? This can go one of two ways... I let the fox rip me to shreds and probably eat me alive. Or I jump off the cliff and end it quickly, I mean I'm only dreaming so I'll wake up before I hit the ground right...? I'm going to take the ladder, and go with the cliff. I suck in a sharp breath, put my arms out and drop backwards, closing my eyes. I feel the wind pushing up against me as I fall, reaching terminal velocity. I'm still falling... even after what seems like hours, is this what if feels like to die...? Just time slowing down as you get closer to the cold clutches of Death's elongated and gaunt hands.
Next thing I know I'm awake and sitting up in a bed, but... it's not mine. The room, it's painted white on the top half, and patted on the bottom. There are two beds in the constricting room, and a singular negligible barred window in the center of the back wall opposite the door. The door... the only route for escape, presumably locked. "You're awake...?" a voice called out from the other side of the room, I looked over to see a figure bathing in the darkness of the room. "I suppose I am... I don't really know for sure." At least I hope I'm finally awake, with all this false security, I can't tell the difference between reality and dreams. "Well you seem distraught, did you have a nightmare?" the figure asked, "Yeah, several actually..." Why should this boso care? We don't even know each other. "Maybe it will help you calm down if you share some of them with me...?" Why does he insist on knowing what i dream about? I guess... it could be good to get it off my chest.
"... and there was a big brown and red fox, with five tails... that tried to kill me." I finished explaining. "Fox with five tails... sounds like a japanese fox spirit, known as a kitsune... but they normally don't kill, well only one kind does." The stranger informed me, still not showing his face, "What kind would that be...?" I asked curiously. "The kitsune of void, the void fox. Also known as the Nogitsune. It thrives on chaos, pain, fear, and strife. Known to possess those who aren't all there." He elaborated. "So... you think I might be possessed...?" I asked hesitantly, "Quite possibly." He answered. "Well that's reassuring." I sarcastically commented. All he did was chuckle. "Who are you...? if you don't mind me asking..." I added cautiously, but curious. "Isn't it obvious, Callian?" He leaned forward into the light the was emitted by the moon from outside the isolated window. "I'm you. Well I'm the Nogitsune, but i am possessing you... I know what you're thinking, and this..." He says twirling his finger around the room. "Isn't a dream. No, nono, no! It's much worse. you can't wake up from this. you know that little thing, that turned out to be a big thing that killed your mother? What was it...?" He pondered for a moment and i was in complete and utter shock. He was me, but with darkened eye sockets, and paler. "Frontotemporal Dementia..." I answered him, horrified at what he'd say next. "Precisely, and what makes this little epidemic better... well for me anyway, not you. You know how this'll end. You have this little something, and you're in a coma, that's why you can't remember falling asleep, or the night you went into this coma, or anything before. You my delicious host. You! are completely brain dead, and helpless, your muscles stopped moving and responding and this. This, is the final stretch of mind functionality you have left, and since you can't move or control your body anymore... I get to take full control. You'll be stuck here for the rest of time, confined to this tiny cell, going completely mad. You'll forget your own name, and try to kill yourself, but you'll just 'wake up' again." He laughed maniacally, standing and walking to the door. "Enjoy your stay..." He said with a grin and left, never to be seen again.
