[DISCONTINUED] As Normal as it Gets (Julian × Apprentice × Asra)

⁸ Fright

"What in the hell is going on?!"

"Ilya, keep your voice down. You're giving me another head... headache..."

Asra collapsed. I dropped to my knees next to him and lifted his head, holding him close to me.

"Julian carry him upstairs please."

Julian comes over and picks up Asra. Then carefully walks back up the stairs, I follow but hesitate. What is going on... I shake the thought and head up the stairs. Julian put Asra on his bed and moved over to mine.

"We should sleep."

"We should try..."

"You okay, love?"

"I don't know... what... what happened?"

"I don't know, I was going to ask you that."

I stumbled over to the bed and let my head fall on Julian's shoulder. He wrapped his arm around me and I nuzzled against him. Then I thought of something and my eyes shot open.

"D-did you see Faust when you went downstairs?"

"No, why?"

"She was on the table before I was flung against the wall..."

Reality hit us both and we ran downstairs and to the backroom. Faust was nowhere to be seen. But she wasn't upstairs with us either...

"Faust?!"

"Help..."

I could hear her voice faintly, as if miles away, where is she?!

"Faust where are you?"

No response. I looked around the back room while Julian looked around the counter, there aren't a lot of places she could be... then I thought of something.

I picked up the deck, I wanted to look for the Queen of Wands but when I went through them, they were all still The Devil.

"Damn... Faust? Where are you?"

"Dark!"

I look under the table, she isn't there. I race up the stairs and she isn't under either of the beds.

"Julian did you see her anywhere?"

No response. What the...

I go back down and Julian isn't anywhere. The front door never opened... I went back up and Asra wasnt on his bed either.

"This... this isn't real... is this a nightmare or something?"

At that thought I sit on the bed and try to relax, how long have I been dreaming? Then I hear screams. It's distant again like Faust's voice.

This time it's Asra and Julian... screaming in agony. I grip the sides of my head, desperately trying to drown out the noise of the screams.

It isn't real.

This isn't real.

It can't be!

Isn't it?

No!
Yes.
No! This isn't real!

But no matter how hard I tried I couldn't force the screams of my friends out of my head. They started to get louder and louder... as if they were getting closer...

"Stop it!!! Make it stop!!!"

"(Y/n)?!?!"

I opened my eyes. My real eyes. I bolted up in bed, shaking, sweating, and panting heavily. Julian stood over me holding my hand and arm, Asra ran up to the side of me, and Faust was on my arm.

"(Y/n)?! What happened? Are you ok?!"

Asra placed his hand on Julian's shoulder and looked at me with fear.

"Did you have a nightmare?"

"Y-yes..."

My voice came out shaky and weak... almost a whisper.

"It's okay. Whatever it was, it wasn't real. You're okay, we all are."

I nodded slowly and hugged Julian tightly. I felt a hand on my back and moved to hug Asra as well.

"How long have I been dreaming?"

"Well... uhm... you've been asleep since you collapsed on the boat..."

"So that did happen..."

"Yeah. But we're okay."

"What time is it?"

"It's five. Five pm."

"I slept all night and most the day?!"

"We didn't want to wake you up..."

"Have you been here the whole time?"

"I have, Asra has been up and down."

"Friend."

I look down to Faust and pet her softly. She moved closer to me, her eyes seemed... wrong...

"Faust?"

"Friend hurt."

"What? I... I'm okay."

"Friend hurt friends."

I look back up and Asra and Julian were slowly moving away from me. Blood poured from where we made contact. Both of their eyes were glassy and faded.

"N-no!"

I try to reach for Julian and he flinched away from me. I looked to Asra and he did the same. Both of them looked dizzy and fell to the floor. I looked back at Faust and her eyes started to drip blood.

"Friend hurt us."

"NO!"

This isn't real! This isn't real!!! It isn't!!!

"Real."

"No!"

I tried to reach for Julian, but I couldn't move. Faust started to constrict my arm and I forced her off. I stood up and ran down and to the backroom.

I have to wake up... I have to wake up for real!!!

What if you are awake?

I'm not! This isn't real!!!

What if I could wake you up?

You... what realm am I in?

The real world.

Who are you?!

A friend.

What kind of friend does this kinda shit?!

One that needs you to listen to me.

There are other ways to-

Would you have listened had I simply asked?

I mean yeah. I'd be hesitant but I would.
I would not.

You can't lie in this state. So don't try.

Then what do you want?

I want you to listen to me.

I'm listening.