Humanity's Last Light

It Really is Atrocious

I'm standing in a stone cavern, a yellow light bulb dangling from above. Two caverns are in front of me, filled with shadows. 

Well, this should be interesting; I was always good at lucid dreaming. I sat down on the floor, and waited for the dream.

A few minutes later, I heard footsteps, coming from both caverns. I stood up, willing a weapon into my hands; Eclipse blinked into existence, the feeble light gleaming off the edge.

A cloaked figure ran in from each tunnel, their faces hidden. I stood patiently; Eclipse stayed steady in my hands. 

Both runners stopped next to each other, a few feet away. 

"Noah, put the sword down," the figure on the right said, in the voice of my father. I felt my grip weaken. 

"Noah, you can trust us; it really is us," the figure on the left said in my mother's voice. Eclipse hit the ground. They both pulled their hoods down; they really were my parents. Or, at least dream-parents. I held onto that fact, and picked up my sword. I had no knowledge of swordfighting, but maybe I could bullshit my through. 

"You're only a dream; you died. This is only an illusion," I muttered.

"Oh, Noah," My fake mother crooned, stepping forward and cradling my cheek. "We know we're dead; or more accurately, our real life bodies are dead. We just wanted to come ask you something, a question that's keeping us here on the mortal plain. Ok? "

I shuddered from the raw emotions coursing through me. "What is it you want to know?" The hand suddenly clenched my face.

"Why'd you betray us, Noah?" My mother screeched, her eyes now gushing blood and lolling maniacally. "Why would you lead them to us? Look at what you did!" she screamed, wrenching my face to look at my father, who had a gaping hole in his forehead, his whole face slack. "You did this! You, and only you!" 

I twisted free, and tried to slash out, but my arm flew off, hitting the floor with a sickening thump. My mom suddenly morphed into Anna, sporting the same look as my dad. She screamed out, "Why?" and lunged at me, tears mixing with the blood on her face.

***

I bolted upright, nauseous and drenched in sweat, heart pounding.

"Shhh, shhh; calm down, Noah. You're alright," a young man said from my side. I closed my eyes, and willed my heart to slow. After a few moments, I had managed to calm down. I opened my eyes, and saw that I was again in a strange room, though not as lavish as the first; this was sparse, with only a bed, table, and a chair. Eclipse and my shopping bags were laid out across the table. Standing over me was a caramel skinned boy around my age, a washcloth in his hand. 

I cleared my throat. "A-are you my sexy nurse, destined to fall in love with my gruff self?"

For a second, I thought that blood would shoot out of every orifice, he was so red. 

"Ex-excuse me? A-are you delirious, or serious? Ugh, rhymes. Uuuummm, well, no one's called me sexy, and I hate to break it to you, but you're not attractive to me; however, I am a medical professional, so one out of three?" He offered. 

As I laughed my ass off, I swung my legs over the edge of the bed. 

"Whoa, buddy; slow down there. You need to rest up before walking around again. Here, drink this," He said, putting a glass of green liquid in my hands. I shot him a quick look, and downed the concoction. Surprisingly, it was no near as disgusting as I thought; it was sweet and citrus-y, with a hint of something spicy.