The Rainlands: Grand Delusion

Chapter 16: The Nightmare

"No. No! Stop! You won't find me! I LEFT! YOU'll NEVER FIND ME!" Levi woke up to a horrific shriek. It was so terrifying he thought it was an animal at first. Heart pounding, he scrambled onto his hands, looking around, grabbing the sword next to him. What was that?

"Jasmine?" Levi realized that she was talking. It doesn't sound like she's talking to me. Is she still asleep?

"You can't...you can't..." Jasmine's plaintive voice was little more than a whimper. At this point Levi was certain she was still sleeping. He took a look towards the road. In the wane light of dawn, he could see it was empty and briefly considered letting her continue to sleep. What if someone comes though?

"Jasmine? You're sleeping. Wake up!" He said, moving over. She was shaking in her sleep, all her muscles tensed. Even at night her mask was on, but he could see beads of cold sweat running down her neck. He couldn't tell if she was shivering because of the cold or fear.

"No! Stay away! I didn't mean to! You made me!" She cried out, her legs thrashing on the ground, rustling up the fallen leaves. Definitely fear. I need to wake her up. But-

Levi glanced at her empty hands, distrustfully. He could see himself going up and shaking her awake, only to take a knife to the throat. Unfortunately, he didn't have a choice. At this point, Jasmine had graduated from shrieking to full on screaming and he was worried she was going to hurt herself. The air was chilly, catching in his throat as he heavily sighed and moved in closer. Gathering himself, he bent down and reached out an arm...

"Stop! STOP! I didn't do it! I...I..." Jasmine's voice was sad, so, so incredibly sad. Levi almost felt tears in his own eyes, he had never known anyone to speak with such guilt, even if it was only a dream. What is she seeing? I wish I knew what was happening. His hand brushed her arm and he saw the eyes behind the silver fox mask open. The pupils of her brown eyes were so wide it was like her eyes were pure black. He stopped, his fingers just barely touching her elbow. "Jasmine? Are you awake?"

"NO! NO! NO!" She screamed and he realized that she was asleep even with her eyes wide open. Her hands strained, snapping out to their full length, the elbow sockets groaned as she shoved Levi's chest. She hit him hard, her small hands smashing his ribs like a hammer. Then everything went dark. Ow...what?

The morning sunlight, the gleaming leaves on the trees, everything except Jasmine's terrified hands on his chest faded away. He could only see her, lying on a bed of darkness, paralyzed. She was like a shivering leaf, trembling atop a dark pond, filled with monsters. Levi wanted to look behind him. He could hear something there, these whispers. He desperately wanted to turn, see what he could feel behind him. This yawning darkness. But he couldn't move. All he could do was just stare into Jasmine's eyes which were wide with horror. They vibrated in their sockets, focused on some horrible thing over his shoulder. I...need...to...move!

He forced himself to turn.

Light returned.

The world came back.

Birds chirped.

Leaves rustled as he stumbled back, hit the dirt. Remembered that Jasmine had shoved him. What was that? Did I just...see her dream?

"Y-you...what were you doing?" Jasmine's fear-filled voice scared Levi more than anything in the forest could. She was so sure killing those men. So calm, even before invaders from the Deathless City. And yet something scares her more than that. Something terrible...

Levi struggled to get air into his lungs so he could breath. But Jasmine had shoved him hard, perhaps it was her Reincarnation, or perhaps it had just been the perfect spot, but he couldn't speak for a minute. He just lay there on the dirt, remembering that overwhelming darkness, the dream which made even Jasmine helpless.

"Well?" She demanded, her breath still heavy.