Generations

Chapter 1: Nightmares and Prophecies

Author Note: This was the story I wrote back in November 2011 for Nation Novel Writing Month. The goal of that challenge was to write the first draft of a new story, or at least the first 50,000 words of it in a month. Something I succeded in diong, and not just that, but wrote my first full length non-fanfiction story. 

I use some fantasy elements here from past stories, but everything that needs to be explained here will be. The cover photo is taken from http://hakubaikou.deviantart.com/art/wings-85314494 because I thought it looked a lot like a Nightwing who you will see soon. Also, thanks to Wyntirsno for editing this for me.

Chapter 1: Nightmares and Prophecies

Simon felt the sting of a thousand needles as he tossed in his bed. He tried wrapping the blankets around him, hoping for some protection from the pain, but his unconscious body could do nothing to stop the unseen onslaught. His whimpers filled his room as he begged for release.

"Simon." He knew that voice, but as he tried to place it the pain just worsened. He swung his arms, trying to fight it, but with every punch, it pushed him down more, and the pain, like millions of tiny bugs were burrowing their way through his skin.

"Simon, wake up!"

This time it was louder, and maybe even desperate. He cried, wanting it to let him go. But he was powerless, his body imprisoned, confined. He flung his legs, wanting to run, but it was as if they were kicking air. He felt as if a boulder rested on his chest suffocating each breath from his lungs.

"Come on man, you're starting to scare me."

That voice, it felt so familiar, and he had to know what it was. But in the darkness he couldn't. But then he noticed the stings had faded, though the hold on his body remained.

He opened his eyes, and saw Jason, his brother trying to hold him down. Jason was breathing hard, and through the near darkness of the room, Simon thought he could see blood running down Jason's face.

"You're awake?" Jason asked, slowly getting off his brother.

Simon nodded, his nerves still feeling the pain from the dream, or nightmare or whatever that was. It felt too real to be just a dream, but what else could it be? “What happened?” he finally asked, his words soft and his voice strained.

“I think you were having a nightmare. You were whimpering and shaking really bad and then started to scream. I tried to wake you up and hold you down, but you punched me in the jaw before I could.”

Jason finally set Simon free, deciding that he seemed to be awake and wouldn’t be harmful to anyone now, so at last able to turn the light on in their shared room.

Though even with the light, Simon still felt trapped in the realm of his dreams. Like something was still there, waiting, lurking, as if it was ready to strike at a moment’s notice.

But that was crazy, had to be. His imagination was just on overdrive after waking up. And as he threw the covers off, he felt his pajamas sticking to him like glue from the sweat that saturated his body. He stood up, but then the room flashed black for a second, and as his world spun, he sat back down, his body unwilling to walk.

Jason rushed over to him, seeing Simon’s red face and the sweet that covered him. He placed his hand against Simon’s forehead as he’d seen his mom do so many times when either of them had been sick, and he knew Simon had a horrible fever. “Stay here, I’m going to get Mom.”

“Okay,” Simon said, not feeling like moving from this spot. Jason left the room and Simon tried to steady his breaths to calm down. He knew he just needed to remind himself that it was only a dream, and that he would forget all about it when he went to school. He lifted his eyes, trying to let his sight get used to being awake again, but found his vision still blurry. Shadows raced across the room through his peripheral vision, but any time he turned to look at them, all seemed normal. Deciding to close his eyes hoping to banish these illusions he kept whispering to himself, “It was just a dream.”