Dreamscape Atlas

Chapter One: The Lights and The Shadows

So, this idea came to mind for me as just something. I'll be working on my other stories as well, but why not share this with the world? I hope you enjoy this a please, leave some feedback as well~ - Starburst

P.S the rating may change and so forth

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Footsteps pounded down the endless walkway, the faint glow of foot prints wherever she stepped followed her like a trail; it was dark, dangerously dark and yet she couldn't get away.

Something was chasing her, she could feel it behind her.

Following her, like an animal on the hunt with its prey on the move.

She was afraid, it called out to her with a twisted laughter, "Atlas... You can't escape, Atlas!"

Atlas let out a cry when she tripped, body crashing down on the cold ground as she whimpered; it was hard to move, she was afraid of what might happen to her if she didn't move. She turned over in time for glowing lemon-colored eyes to be staring at her, "Atlas... Come to me, Atlas..."

She screamed, "S-Someone, help!!"

A bright light shined in front of her, chasing away the shadows and darkness as well as blinding her. A soothing voice, one which reminded her of her mothers spoke, "My darling... It's time to wake up..."

Atlas woke up with a loud gasp, body jolting up in bed as thunder boomed outside; she looked up at the window-celling above her bed with a relieved sigh. It was just a thunderstorm, lightning doing its endless dance with thunder and clouds. Atlas laid back down in her bed, laughing a little to herself before looking at the photo on her floating nightstand; it was a picture of her mother, a lovely woman with hair as red as the setting sun and blueberry colored eyes that sparkled like the sun. In her lap was Atlas when she was just six years old, clinging onto her mother as if she was afraid of the camera. Atlas giggled, seeing her younger self's cinnamon colored hair tied up in short pigtails.

Memoried played of that photo; glimps of how her father laughed at them both during the photo, her mother giggling along with him as Atlas cowered even more into her mothers lap. She sighed and picked up the photo, "Say, mom... You're still watching over me from Paradiso, right? I hope so... Dad really misses you, too."

She set the picture back down on the stand before sitting up in bed, feet hanging over the edge of the bed as she sighed; Atlas really misses her mom, but that memory was something she shouldnt dawn on for too long anyway. The romanized clock, one she had custom made just so traditions of the past can linger on inside her apartment, read the time as 5:30 am in brigtht neon numbers.

Atlas climbed down the ladder on her bed, yawning just a bit to herself; she really didnt like mornings, more so when the sun wasnt out to show that the day is a brand new day to begin with. She flicked on the TV in the kitchen, post walking down the short hallway to get there, and the news came up, "Brining you morning news from New Age Republic's newstation, this is Mary-Ann Gracepoint! Word reached out about this new project called Re-Drive, a revolutionized way to access and relive--"

Altlas scofted at the news, rolling her own blueberry eyes skywards as she proceeded to tune out the news. She proceeded to make herself breakfast, humming to herself as the TV played as some background noise. The TV suddenly went on the blitz, static disturbing the news broadcast and eventually clicked out of it completly. Atlas turned to the TV, tapping it several times in order to see what was wrong. A bizzare looking red eye, one that looked like it came right off a computer disk with all those complicated lines and sharp turns, blinked onto the screen and stared at Atlas, "What the..."

"wE fOuNd YoU, kEePeR!!"That disembodied voice screeched so loud it made her ears ring, scaring Atlas as the area began to shake. A hand reached out of the TV and onto the floor, black sludge oozed off of it as a mass crawled out. Atlas was terrified, it stared at her with that one eye before grinning; red defined its mouth as it opened it, letting out a ear ringing screech once more that had Atlas scrambling away. It chased her around the house, she was having a difficult time getting away from it all, "sUrReNdEr NoW aNd DiE!"

Atlas was backed up into a corner upon her bed, the mass oozing all this sludge around her bedroom floor. She was afraid, it scared her dearly as thunder once again boomed from the sky. She grabbed the picture of her mom and the locket that was left for her, that too had roman numerals for telling time. Yet it was broken too, the clock hands wont move and there was a crack along the glass. Atlas slammed her eyes shut, praying to her mother in Paradiso to do something, "M-Mom, if you can hear me... p-please help me!"