Impostor Syndrome

Nightmares

"LAW!"

The town was dark. I was the source of light.

"LAW!"

The street, the buildings, only became visible as I neared them.

"LAAWW!

I couldn't see the sky.

"LAAAWWW!"

All I could hear was my own breaths, coming in short shallow pants.

And the screaming.

"LAAAAAAAAWWWW!"

Louder and more desperate. It reverberated off the buildings.

Came from everywhere and nowhere.

"LAAAAAWWWWWWW!"

Became more desperate with every call.

I skidded to a halt in an intersection.

The same one I ended up in no matter what I did. Where I turned.

The green haired corpse stared at me with his dirty brown eyes.

Seconds passed.

There wasn't another scream.

"Andromeda!"

My voice didn't echo. It hit the darkness and was consumed.

"Andromeda!"

Laughter at my feet. Xander's face twisted into a manic grin. The emotion didn't reach his eyes.

His voice was high pitched. Full of venom and glee. "You failed."

"No." I stepped back.

He jerked into a sitting position, arms dangling, head limp. "You failed." he giggled. "Again."

"No!" I couldn't take my eyes off him. The darkness was closing in.

"Oh, yes." Blood fell from his mouth in black chunks. "You can't be a brother, Law. Not a little brother, not a big brother. You get people killed, Law."

I shook my head. I couldn't face it.

"You can't deny it." His voice was sharp with sweetness and false understanding. "No matter how hard you try, your family always dies. And they always call out for you, don't they?"

"No."

The darkness was just behind me. I could feel its raging hunger. It had eaten Andromeda, and now it was coming for me.

"It started with Lami."

"Don't say that."

"And it came for Cora."

"Dofla-"

"And now it's taken Andromeda." His eyes danced, reflecting the darkness around us. "And it's all your fault~!"

I couldn't talk. My chest heaved with intense effort. There wasn't enough air. The darkness was going to suffocate me.

"Itty bitty Tomato-ya eaten by the darkness!" he sang.

"NO!" I tried to draw Kikoku. I couldn't move. I could barely breathe.

"Run and run, can't find her regardless~"