SmackDown: MadMike's Revenge!

Round 3, Dudecore: Dream Funk, Inc. - @elveloy

Dream Funk, Inc.

by elveloy

Julia was dreaming. She was in a garden, filled with beautiful flowers. Purple petunias, pink impatiens, orange marigolds, sweet Williams and tiny violets, all filled the flower beds in neat rows. A delicate perfume wafting from a bed of white roses, tickled her nose as she strolled along the grassy path. In the distance, stood a graceful Grecian-style folly, complete with intricately carved Corinthian columns made of glistening white marble. Gentle sunlight warmed her back as she wandered through the garden.

Peaceful. Everything was so beautiful and peaceful here. She smiled in her sleep and snuggled further under the quilt.

The machine attached to her head hummed almost inaudibly, lights glowing faintly on the monitor alongside.

In the next cot, sixteen-year-old Jason dreamt of racing cars. He was driving a Bugatti Veyron Super Sport Mark 5—red, of course—around the famous Le Mans race circuit, swooping and skidding on two wheels as he overtook the other cars on the track. Breathless with exhilaration, ace driver Jason was unbeatable.

The machine attached to his head hummed sweetly, like the Bugati's engine, the lights on the monitor glowing a bright green.

Further along the ward, Noah was having a nightmare. Panic-struck, he ran through the dark streets of his mind, pursued by a monstrous insect. He could hear the feet skittering on the pavement behind him, smell the fetid breath, see the huge shadow looming over him, about to pounce. Noah screamed and woke up, sweat pouring from his body.

Shakily, he took a sip from the tube of water positioned near his mouth, and tried to calm down. Just a dream, it wasn't real. It was just a dream. He took another sip of water from the tube, wishing futilely that he could get up and pour himself a proper glassful. Or better still, go for a walk until his heart steadied and the last wisps of the dream faded away.

He might not be able to leave the cot, but perhaps he could stay awake for a while. Knowing from past experience that tossing and turning would only attract attention, he lay as still as he could, pinching the soft flesh above his elbow under the covers to keep awake. He was not going to fall asleep. He wasn't. He daren't. He simply couldn't bear to have another nightmare.

The machine attached to his head buzzed irritatingly and the lights on the monitor went out.

Noah heard the door open at the end of the ward and froze. Desperately, he tried to steady his breathing and pretend he was asleep. In. Out. Eyes shut.

Two men in white coats entered the ward. One of them was studying a small laptop and frowning at the results. He tapped the screen a couple of times with a long forefinger.

Despite himself, Noah felt his muscles start to relax. He was unaware when he fell back into a deep sleep, as the benzodiazepine drug streamed into his bloodstream through the port in the back of his neck.

The man with the laptop shook his head. "Noah's being non-compliant again, Jackson. We'll have to keep a closer eye on him."

Jackson nodded absently, already focussing his attention on the first sleeper in the row. He picked up a helmet device attached to her monitor and put it over his head. In seconds he was transported to a pretty garden. He was strolling down a path, looking at the flowers and... nothing else happened. True, the scent of the flowers had been pervasive and the colours... ever so slightly different from how he would have seen them, but...