Mr. Misty-Eyed | Josh Dun

dream sequence | sixteen

My hand shielded my face as I pushed passed a low-hanging branch. My eyes squinted in hopes of seeing in the dark as I continued on through the forest.

I felt tense, my heart leaping into my throat every time the slightest noise crept up on me. My feet carried me forward deeper into the woods, something inside me pulling me in a predetermined direction. I was searching for something, I knew that much, but what it was I couldn't begin to imagine.

A gust of wind hit me like a rock, swirling around my body as though it was tugging at me to come with it. But I stayed on the path my mind had planned for me, the cold wind nipping at my cheeks in one last attempt before it moved on. My eyelids fluttered slightly at the thought, wishing that I could disappear just as easily.

My jaw clenched tightly as I stared ahead of me in confusion. The further I walked the less and less trees there were, an odd hazy light starting to illuminate my path.

Without warning my feet gave out from under me as they slipped on the thick sheet of ice under them. I gasped loudly as I hit the ground hard, cringing as a dull pain ran up my spine. My squinted eyes opened wide when I realized I was back on the frozen lake.

The bright white and grey-blues blinded my vision as I shielded my eyes from the light. My gaze panned across the expanse of the lake, my heart beginning to pound as I fully turned to my left to see a dark figure standing off in the distance. I hesitated for only a second, my knees shaky as I stood up on my feet.

It wasn't even my choice as I took a step toward the figure, my mind having no control over what my body was doing. The closer I got the more I could decipher the petite body shape. It wasn't my shadow as I had first assumed, the hooded figure was turned away from me so I couldn't make out the face.

My breath came out in short gasps as I took off into a sprint. The only thing on my mind was the fact that I wasn't alone anymore.

"Hey!" I called loudly, my voice echoing across the lake.

The person made no move to look at me, but instead began to walk in the opposite direction. My muscles tensed as they continued to get further away and I called out again, pleading for them not to go.

"Please, wait!" I yelled out as the sound of cracking ice could be heard throughout the area. "Stop!"

Just as the words left my lips, I watched in horror as the person fell through the ice and disappeared out of sight.

Tears stung my eyes as I continued toward the hole in the ice. My feet slipped as I came to a sliding halt. I shook my head in disbelief and yelled out hysterically as I crashed to the ground, my hands running over the rough icy surface where the hole had been only seconds before.

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