Sweet Dreams

Chapter Two: The Aftermath.

I woke up with a large gash on my cheek that night, trembling madly, my back drenched with icy sweat. I still don't remember what exactly happened that made me so terrified, but I really don't want to. Every time I try to look back and see what happened after Candy took the lollipop off of her eye, I start to feel that same horrible feeling of fear all over again.

My cheek stung as if somebody was rubbing lemon juice into it or something. I put my hand on it for a second, then took it off, looked at it, and fought the urge to scream again. It was covered in blood.

I rushed to the upstairs bathroom, terrified of the darkness. My stomach ached with fear, making it almost as painful as my bleeding cheek. I switched on the bathroom light and got myself a small cup of water, still trembling. As I looked into the mirror of the sink, I could've sworn I saw a smiling, pink haired figure behind me. I dropped my cup and whipped around, trying to scream, yet making no sound. The figure was gone. I stood there, still shaking, wanting to cry.

The bathroom light flickered. For a split second, everything went black, until I found myself standing in the bathroom once again, starting to hyperventilate.

The wound on my face started to bubble, as if it was alive, and the dark blood looked black next to my pale face. Hot tears now streaming down my cheeks, I rummaged desperately through the cupboard, looking for a band-aid. Finally I found a small cardboard box full of them, and pulled out the largest one out of all of them that I could find.

The blood on my cheek bubbled more vigorously. The farther out it went, the more painful it was. I wanted to scream in agony, as the scar on my face hurt a worse pain than I'd ever felt in my entire life, but all I could muster was a small whimper. I quickly peeled the packaging off the band-aid in my trembling, fumbly hands, and slapped it on my face. The pain fled instantly as I let out a long sigh of relief. I only felt relieved for a second, however, before I started to panic again.

Questions invaded my aching mind. Was that dream... real? It had to have been, in some way or another. Was I just hallucinating when I saw what I presumed to be Candy in the mirror, or was it really her? Where did the gash on my face come from? Did Candy attack me back in the dream, and did it somehow carry over to reality? What other explanation would there even be, if that wasn't it? These questions all buzzed around my brain, but the biggest question that was the most important to me was "why did she manipulate me like that?". I felt awful. Just when I finally thought I had made a friend, she... well, I assumed she tried to kill me.

I was alone, scared, and confused, and I felt betrayed. The bathroom was the only lit room upstairs, and I felt as though I was surrounded by darkness. I wanted to head back to my room, but I wasn't ready to step into the black abyss that was my hallway. All I wanted was to curl up into a little ball and cry, but other than the tears I shed out of pain, none more would come out. I almost felt frozen, almost numb. The silence and darkness of the night made everything feel eerily still. I could hardly breathe- or I was breathing too fast. Either way, my chest ached.

Only one, quivering, desperate word managed to force itself out of my mouth. "Mom?"

Her room was too far away for her to hear me. I immediately felt silly for calling for her, because it wasn't as though she could or would help me. It was like I was cornered. I didn't want to look in the mirror, in fear of seeing Candy again. That night, I ended up sitting on the toilet seat and looking down at my cold, shaking feet until the sun started to rise.

Then I would go to school, come home, do my homework, take a bath, brush my teeth, put on my pajamas, and go to bed again. But everything felt different, still.

It was January 6th, 1989, when I visited the Dream World for the second time. I sat in my bed, remembering the terrible things that had occurred only a night ago. I felt ill. I didn't want to go back to sleep, in fear of having the same horrible, horrible dream. When my mother came upstairs and found that I was still awake past my bedtime, she scolded me.

"But mom," I whined. "I had such a bad dream last night, I don't wanna go to sleep."

"Bad dreams are just dreams." She'd say. "Bad grades, bad mental health, bad physical health, and a bad appearance are all real. You don't want all that, do you?" I shook my head. "Then go to sleep." She said, simply. "Because if you don't, then you will get bad grades, health, and looks. Goodnight, darling."

"Night, mom." I mumbled, before she turned off the lights and closed my door. I lay awake that night until I couldn't support the weight of my own eyelids, and drifted off into a slumber.

Moments later, I found myself waking up in the Dream World again. Trembling, I looked for Candy's smiling face again. I didn't see her. Taking a deep breath of relief, I sighed and sat down on one of the wafer benches.

I had so many questions and concerns that it was tiring, and it made me want to sleep, though I already was. It didn't at all feel like I was sleeping, it felt just like I really did go to another world. This all had to have been some form of reality, for I could memorize my dream vividly from the night before, which I wasn't usually able to do. And what are the chances of coming back to the same dream twice? Maybe, just maybe, everything from my birthday to the gash on my cheek to the Dream World, maybe it was all just a big dream. I was so confused..

"It's nice to see you here again, Kyle." I heard her say. I stared up at her, wide eyed and trembling as she giggled. "How adorable. Did you honestly think you could just get away? NOBODY escapes the Dream World, you silly goose! This is my world, and in my world, you're going to suffer until you feel nothing anymore." I was frozen with fear, staring at her practically towering over me. I didn't move or breath or speak. Then terror held me as tight as Candy's firm grip. 

I screamed and did my best to wriggle my arm out of her grasp, but she squeezed tightly as if it were nothing, laughing at my failed attempts to escape. "Is this really the best you can do?" She practically screamed with hysterical laughter. "You stupid, stupid, worthless child. I can't WAIT to tear you limb from limb." I sobbed, trying to tug my arm harder and release myself, but I grew so shaky I almost felt numb. The overwhelming panic I felt made my head hurt.

"I could just leave you here like this all day long." Said Candy. "Seeing you in such a vulnerable state is almost as amusing to me as- ARGH!" I chomped into Candy's arm as hard as I could, forcing her to release me and starting flinging her arm around in pain. As soon as she let go, I bolted. The wind beat against my sweaty face. My feet stung from pounding into the ground. Just when I felt like my lungs were going to combust, I felt her grab my arm again.

"Not so fast." She whispered. I didn't even look back at her before screaming and waking up again. January 4th, 1989, was the last peaceful night I'd have for as long as I lived.

From that point onward, I'd visit the Dream World every night. Over time, I became blue there. Literally. My hair became deep blue, and my skin turned into a pale mint green. I never figured out why, since back in reality my hair was black, and my skin was, well, normal of course, but I suppose it was so I would fit in better with all of the bright colors. Dream World nights were either a fright, or a bore. Usually I'd try to stay awake for as long as possible, in fear of Candy's terrifying grin, but I'd always wind up back in the Dream World anyways. Once there, I'd find the best place to hide, and even occasionally bring myself to talk to the other children just to pass the time before the morning. Some were rude, some one-dimensionally happy-go-lucky, some were downright creepy, but I never liked any of them. Except for one girl: Luna.