'The Virus' - A True Pandemic

10

Dean could not recognize where he was when he opened his eyes and stood up. He barely even remembered of ever falling asleep or where – if actually he did – fall asleep. It was all vague and blurry and no matter how much he tried recalling he just couldn't.

He found himself trailing aimlessly in a forest.

This was a dream. He was certain of it. He had realistic dreams as such several times before. Scientists called it lucid dreaming but he just referred to it as daydreaming – meaning that he's probably lying around somewhere underneath a broken roof trying to make up for lost sleep.

Dean had no sense of time. He had no sense of memories. He had no sense of anything of value. His mind seemed to be swimming around as aimlessly as him and he found himself glued to the ground staring at these long, thick trunked trees for no reason other than they looked fascinating to him.

How long had it been since he had seen such lush and ripe trees? And how long will it be until he gets to see them again?

Considering the current condition of the world – his world – he deduced that it might probably be years until he comes across a sight as refreshing as this. Which is why, perhaps, he decided to make the most of it.

Until he heard a faint but distinct sound in the background. He couldn't put his finger on to what the sound was or why it sounded so familiar to him, but for some weird and strange reason, he felt strongly drawn to it. Almost like his life depended on it.

This is why Dean immediately turned around and started walking the other way.

If he had learned anything in his travels around the world all alone, it was that to never be provoked by sounds like these – they were always trouble; and he didn't want any trouble, at least not in his dreams; he had to deal with enough trouble and mayhem when he was awake already.

Then there was that sound again.

Louder than before, more intense in decibels than before; almost as if it was ringing right behind him.

He stiffened but didn't turn around.

He was certain now that there was something wrong with this situation and even though he was dreaming he could not dispute the fact that he felt a little nervous now.

Remember that feeling of danger which provokes you to run for your life? It doesn't matter if you're dreaming or not, that feeling just grips you in its timid hold and shakes you from your core until you're left with only two options: either you run or you succumb to it.

Dean being Dean decided to run. After all, that is what he's been doing all his life...running. And he was so used to it now that it involuntarily came to him on its own accord without waiting for any sort of permission from his brain.

He had no idea how long he had been running. He hadn't felt out of breath yet so perhaps it wasn't for long. But then again, it was a dream. Would he have even felt out of breath?

For Dean it seemed very real right now.

The sound was getting closer and now it had this eerie vibe radiating off of him – almost as if it wanted to hurt Dean. Somehow this theory took birth in Dean's mind that if he were to be hurt in this dream then he would actually be inflicted in real life, which is why he put in so much effort trying to elude the source of the sound.

But no matter how fast he tried to run it was always right behind him – ringing in perpetual circles, again, and again, and again.

Dean ran as if his life depended on it – according to him, it did. He couldn't stop now even if wanted to.

He turned around wanting to take a peek at what it was that had gotten him so tediously tied up with fear. Perhaps it was an animal or something normal. He wouldn't want to look like a fool running around for no damn reason-

Dean didn't see the cliff. When he turned his head around it was too late. His legs had already left solid ground and were almost in the air. He could feel the gravity doing its usual job and he was almost about to sink into a void of nothingness when he felt some force grabbing him from behind and jerking him back.

But not all the way-

"Find him, find your brother!"

And then whoever that voice belonged to let him go and Dean fell down the cliff into emptiness.

***

Simultaneously, Dean and Zacharias opened their eyes...