The entire city of Octpur seemed to be surrounded by a force field wall, stopping all from entering and exiting. Screams bounced off of the boundaries, creating a deafening hiss that never ended. Nikolay sprinted up a hill, choking for air as the rain poured down over top his shivering shoulders. His hands fell onto the rails of a fence, allowing him to see the true decay of what was now his universe. His shaking led him to his knees, salty tears mixing in with the pelting of the rain on his cheeks.
His head fell to gaze towards the mud below his blood soaked knees. In front of his eyes, everything he knew was ripped apart. The world was in absolute chaos. Blood soaked the streets. A gloved hand rested itself upon his left shoulder. Niko turned quickly, head whipping back to see whoever - or possibly, whatever - dared to touch him without warning. A boy was stood behind him, looking about his age. He held a pistol at his side, and his heavy eyes opened slowly to reveal an endless gaze.
The shivering boy spoke up before the gloved one could.
"Who are you?" Niko asked, shouting over the pounds of footsteps and freezing rain. His voice was not the same as he had remembered. It was just a bit higher- just a bit lighter -than his had always been.
The gloved boy spoke, voice desperate and cracked. He slowly rose his gripped hand.
"Who I am doesn't matter right now..! There's no time left- please, listen! Do not go to school today, whatever you do- just follow my instructions. Check under your pillow. It will all make sense soon. Just please," The boy was speaking far too fast for him to keep up with his own breath, his inhales spiking up like a broken radio.
Nikolay felt his body weaken, swaying despite his sitting position. "Tomorrow? What do you mean tomorrow? Everyone is dying! There is no to-"
He was cut off by a complete silence. Among all else in the world, the sensation- the pure void of sound- was obsolete. It was a silence so grand that above everything, Niko wanted to say something- to scream- just to stop it. When he opened his mouth, his voice failed to carry past his throat.
Barely audible over the ringing of his ears, the standing male spoke, placing the barrel of the gun against the forehead of his opposing force. "I'm sorry. Please - wake up."
And so he did.
Niko shot up from his bed - a mere mattress on the floor- slamming his hand against the table besides him to grab onto his glasses. The ringing in his ears was only the remnant of yesterday's migraine. He sighed.
It had been years since he got a good night of sleep. Day after day, he was left with a nightmare more terrifying than anything he could have ever imagined. Even after dreaming of that scenario for countless nights, it still shook him to his core.
The dream was different tonight. The blur of words he had never been able to decipher before were suddenly spoken to him clearly. He yawned, slowly getting into a more comfortable position and reaching under his pillow.
His heart had seemed to freeze as his fingers latched onto a key.
Niko wished his mother goodbye as he ran out of the door, but rather than leaving for school, He went to hide in his yard. Once his mother left, he slung his backpack over his shoulder, standing up and running down the hill he lived on, key in hand.
It would be a lie to say he had a clue where he was going. The trees alongside the sidewalk seemed to blur their own leaves, and his thoughts raced. The morning sun reminded him of an explosion in the sky. Something - some unrecognizable force, no doubt - was leading him to the bridge.
It had been there as long as he could remember. A grand bridge, stretching over a ravine. Below it, rocks sat undisturbed, and a river flowed through. His father had jumped off this bridge years ago - a failure of a father, he was sure - but a father nonetheless. That was the day that the dreams started. He had originally concluded it to be due to the stress - but it struck him as odd. He had never cared about his dad. After the initial stress, he wasn't all that bothered.
The dream stayed.
Snapped out of his thoughts, he clutched the key to his chest and stopped in his tracks. Before him, he saw a boy, standing on the edge of the railing, facing the plummet below without a care. He seemed to radiate a strange aura, and something about him filled Nikolay's mind with doubt. His mind yelled at him. The words in his head bounced and morphed, as his curiosity was replaced with warnings - Get away, You're making a mistake - and then curiosity once more.
As he put a foot forwards to the boy, despite his body resisting his orders to move forward. After two successful steps, all resistance suddenly stopped, and the air around Niko was filled with a sickeningly sweet scent. He was sent toppling forwards a few steps, but caught himself- and he was suddenly staring up at a boy he recognized, a boy he couldn't remember seeing ever before. The boy stumbled on the railing, turning to face Niko with his eyes closed. Slowly, his eyelids dragged open, revealing an icy glare expressed perfectly with his two toned eyes - and the boy fell back, gracefully drifting off of the railing as if in slow motion.
Niko felt his breath hitch, as his legs brought him close to the railing, leaning over to see if the mysterious figure had landed. Cold air kissed at his skin, the mountains before him conveying a message he couldn't yet understand. It felt oddly anticlimactic. The scent faded quickly, leaving him alone with his own thoughts. The boy was completely gone.
Until, of course, he heard giggling behind him, and turned to see the same icy eyes staring at him- a boy sitting with his feet pressed together, a goofy grin on his face.
"Hello, Niko! Cool trick, right? Great to finally meet you!" A cheery voice rang through Niko's ears, as the sweet scent faded back into his conscious. The boy stood- he was far shorter now that Niko could get a better look- and his hair shone a brilliant white. Mouth agape, Niko struggled to comprehend what he had just witnessed.
The grin didn't leave the face of the shorter male as he took a few steps forward, "You're probably asking who I am for like, the seven hundredth time, so I might as well say," He puffed out his cheeks, mimicking irritation, "I'm Callum! I'm your age, plus, I live exactly 16 minutes and 32 seconds away from your bedroom window if I walk at an average speed. I've been watching you, Niko. I know every fear you have. I know your schedule from the moment you wake up until the moment you fall asleep."
In the distance, a sudden booming noise echoed, bright fire almost spitting out of the trees. Seconds later, screaming and police sirens were all that filled the air. That sickening scent became stronger as Callum approached Niko, pushing him against the railing and trapping him from running. The grin on his face growing, he spoke in a saccharine tone.
"I'm your best bet at staying alive. So, what do you say? I promise I don't-"
Niko pushed the short boy off of him, and he toppled over, falling to the ground. Voice raised, Niko shouted at the stranger, "What the hell? What's wrong with you? Did you really think I would answer positively to this, you fucking stalker?!" He grimaced, "You're disgusting! You're an absolute freak of nature!"
Callum was sat on the ground, his white hair falling over his face, completely still. Niko's chest rose and fell as he took deep breaths, trying to calm himself down. His hands were still clenched into fists at his sides when Malachi slowly stood up, taking a deep breath before speaking. His voice was completely different - shaky and desperate. It almost sounded familiar.
"You are going to die. I-If you come to me, I can teach you how to stop it. You aren't normal, Niko. I-I can teach you how to control it."
"There's nothing I need to control!" Nikolay cut him off, making the shorter boy wince, "I'm normal! I'm not a monster like you are, so leave me alone!"
He took a breath, voice quieting down after a moment of silence. "Look, I don't know what you're talking about. And for that matter, I don't trust or care at all. Take me somewhere safe, and I'll work with you, creep," he reached into his pocket, flipping open a switchblade, "But don't think I'll hesitate to stop you from doing anything bad."
((SORRY ABOUR INDENTS LOL x3,,, they don't transfer onto here from my computer 4 some rzon.
