A Nightmare by Day

[Wrakune]

((reserved for Fell))

Cammie sat up in her bed with a jolt. She had had a long night, but her sleep was ruined now. She got up, her long blonde hair unnaturally smooth for someone who has just gotten out of bed. She looked about her lush apartment and laughed as if it were the most amusing thing in the world. Thank heaven that her father paid her bills so she could live in such a lovely place.

Her bedroom walls and ceiling were a dark midnight blue with silver stars painted about the entire place. Over the window, a midnight blue curtain was painted with a vision of the night sky including a full moon. The rest of her home was elegantly painted, as well. All of it done by her father. In the kitchen ivy leaves covered the walls drifting effortlessly from a realistic looking lattice fence on either side of the double-wide door frame.

She moved down the hall with an air of grace and entered the first room on the right. She flicked on the light in what was the bathroom and looked at herself in the mirror. She wore only a light blue camisole and a pair of green boy-short style underpants which seemed very bright against the deep purple painted wall. It was a textured wall with all sorts of swirls and such. A very interesting pattern. A sliver of her tanned stomach showed in between the two minute pieces of cloth. The head of a black horse was visible just above the waistband of her underpants. She touched it and remembered her night of dream invasion and smiled.  

She brushed her hair with a ceramic brush that had thick, wiry bristles and removed her top. She tossed it on the floor and walked to the loving area and turned on the stereo. She pressed \'play" and "Crazy Bitch" filled her home. She sauntered back to the bathroom and tossed her underpants to the place where her crumple camisole now lay. She turned on the shower water and waited for it to get hot. While she was waiting, she admired her slender, naked figure in the mirror. She smiled at herself and got into the warm shower.

She bathed quickly and washed her hair and shaved her legs and underarms. Then, she shut the spout off and stood shivering on a towel on the floor in front of the toilet. She grabbed a thick ivory coloured towel from a hook on the back of the door and wrapped herself in it.

Music still consumed the house. She walked to the stereo, hair dripping and still shivering, and shut it off. After doing so, she made her way to her bedroom and got dressed in a simple pair of short khaki shorts and red scoop neck halter top. She placed her feet into a pair of cork-soled flip-flop and brushed her hair again. She brushed her teeth and left the flat.

On a bench under a tree on the stunning blue side walk of Estralita High Rise, Cammie Saino waited for someone worth her time.

[Fell]

Journey had been out of town for a while, traveling up and down the Eastern seaboard. He reserved all of Spring for Woodstock itself, but other than that, he\'d been just about anywhere. And now, done with Woodstock, he was finally coming back to the nameless city. Journey had just come into the area that morning after hopping a ride with a trucker who was passing nearby. The Nightmare had just walked the rest of the way - it was easy for him, since he was used to it.

When he got into town, he was on the South side. Journey looked around at all the fancy high-rises and things, thinking. He\'d picked up a lot of new stickers while he\'d been in Woodstock, and this area looked like it could use some reminders... "Okay!" Journey said out-loud, moving forward with a quick half-skip that made a man in a business suit stop and stare. Journey grinned at him, flashing him a "peace" sign. The guy looked away, then shyly back before flashing him one in return.

See? Journey thought, delighted, All they need is a little encouragement! Now all he had to do was find some good places to put them. Lamp-posts were good, metal doors were good, benches were good, dumpsters were good... The silver-haired boy had become an expert at finding such things, fortunately, and as he walked he left behind him a wake of sticker-plastered objects. The lamp-post outside a hip little club now trumpeted "Free Tibet!", the dumpster next to a rather nice restaurant now urged people to "Make love, not war!" and several metal work doors in apartment buildings announced their desire to "Visualise World Peace" and their conviction that "We are All Citizens of Planet Earth".

Journey strolled down the sidewalk casually, a light whistle on his lips. He was still looking for good spots to put stickers, and... ah! Perfect! A bench! he thought, heading towards a plastic bench outside a very fancy-looking apartment building. "Hello!" Journey said cheerfully to the girl on the bench, flashing her a happy smile before turning to dig through the sticker section of his backpack, trying to find the "Tell me a Story" sticker.

[Wrakune]

And come he did. A silver haired man with the most extraordinary eyes she had ever seen. He spoke to her and she was speechless. Her voice caught in her throat as she realized there was something different about him. That is, something different than those around him but she saw some of her own qualities in him. She watched the way he moved, astonished. The way he walked. . .like a horse, she was positive she recognized that familiar gait that only one like herself would have. Her hand moved rather quickly to touch her tattoo, and she thought, could it be?

She decided it best not to blurt this out, so she responded with a sultry, "Hello, and who might you be, love?" She looked him straight in the eye, reflecting her utter fearlessness. She pushed her wavy blonde hair out of her eyes and tugged the bottom of her shirt down to its proper place from where her sitting down motion had moved it. She stood to let him look at her, though not revealing that this was her intention. She smiled politely and pretended to be shy whishing that she would catch his fancy.

[Fell]

Journey noticed none of that - not even the effect he had on her. The young nightmare thought she was simply admiring the beauty of the day in a very intent manner. That actually made him really happy. People never appreciated days enough.

The girl\'s sultry tone and posturing was also lost on Journey. The silvery-haired youth looked her right back in the eye, though his wasn\'t a gesture of anything in particular. It wasn\'t that he seemed vapid - no, not at all. He just seemed... happy. In his eyes was happiness, determination and, overreachingly, innocence. Journey didn\'t even catch the shy act she put on; he was too busy looking for the sticker he wanted.

"I\'m Journey," the Nightmare responded cheerfully. "And - oh! You didn\'t need to get up. I was just going to put it there," Journey added upon noticing that she\'d gotten up, gesturing to a spot next to her with his hand. He reexamined the now-empty bench, then realised that she had freed up the best possible spot for a sticker this size. Immediately, his face broke into a wide grin.

"Thank you, though! That was nice of you. Ah!" he said triumphantly, drawing the much sought-after sticker out of the bag in one quick motion. He hummed as he peeled the backing off of it, careful to put the paper back in his bag so as to avoid littering. Then, with swift grace, he stuck it to the top bar of the bench, right in the middle and overlapping the area in which the girl had been sitting.

Journey took a step back, his fists on his hips as he proudly admired his work. "Perfect!" he exclaimed cheerfully. Then he caught site of a very angry looking doorman who\'d begun heading his way. "Uh oh," Journey said, though he only smiled wider. Sure, it looked like he was in trouble, but subverting the Man was the point! Of course the Man would be cross. Besides, Journey was an expert escaper as well as an expert sticker-placer.

"Umm, I\'m real sorry, but it looks like I\'ve got to go," Journey said to the woman who\'d so kindly moved, glancing back to the advancing doorman. The Nightmare hefted his backpack, then turned to walk across the street. "But you can come with me if you want! Do you like stickers?" he asked, looking both ways. He didn\'t want to get hit by a car while he dashed across a street. That would be a real bummer.

[Wrakune]

Cammie watched him look at her without the slightest response to her actions. She was immediately angry, but that feeling faded quickly as she watched him place a sticker on the top bar of the bench where she\'s been sitting. She was inrtigued by this oddity of a man and knew he was someone she needed to get to know.

Then, something quite strange happened. The doorman, now angry and red in the face, advanced toward the pair. Journey looked at her and asked her to come with him if she liked because it looked like he had to go. He seemed rushed.

Without a moment\'s hesitation she reached for his hand and followed him. She was not worried about where he would take her, feeling safe with him. Even her torturous nature suppressed itself and allowed her to feel free.

All she could say was, "Yes, Journey, I love stickers."

[Fell]

"Sweet!" Journey said, his fingers curling around hers. The nightmare loved holding hands, so this was just fine by him. He didn\'t even associate it with anything in particular. "I\'ll let you bo - oop, time to run!" Journey said, interrupting himself as soon as he saw the break in traffic they needed. With barely any more warning than he\'d gave, the silvery-haired boy burst into motion, sprinting across the street and pulling the girl with him.

"Mmm, right!" Journey called back as they neared the sidewalk. He hit it still running, making a swift turn to the right and continuing his pace. Doormen, Journey had once learned, could be very persistent, and he had no interest in spending any time around cops. Troubles with doormen almost always involved cops in the end.

Journey kept up his run for a block and a half or so, stopping once they\'d rounded another corner. (He did make sure to call "left!" first - better to give your partner some warning) The nightmare stopped slowly, creeping to the edge of the building they\'d rounded and looking down the block in the direction they\'d come. He caught sight of the doorman fairly far down, looking back and forth for them. Journey grinned, then moved back to where the girl was.

"We\'d better keep walking, at least," Journey said, offering his hand again. "He\'s still looking for us, and I don\'t really like cops much. What\'s your name?" The nightmare didn\'t seem to find anything about the change of topic strange, as evidenced by the easy smile he held. To Journey, very little was strange at all, and anything that was was more likely to be an mp3 player than a change in topic.

[Wrakune]

With hardly any warning at all, they were off. He held her hand in his and he lead her along across the road and down the sidewalk. He managed to shake the doorman. He said they had better keep walking and she agreed.

He asked for her name and she obliged saying, “My name is Cammie Saino, sometimes though, it is simply Illusion. That is the name I prefer.” She laughed, looking at his oh, so stunning eyes. She was thinking of them as they were running and how extremely relaxed he was with her.

She was not tired from the run given that she was a Nightmare, born to run. She thought about it and figured now was as good a time as any to ask the question that she was dying to find the answer to.

“Journey, do you . . . I mean . . . are you . . . a Nightmare, perchance?" She asked nervously, hoping that the answer was anything but "no."

[Fell]

"Illusion..." Journey repeated to the sky, small smile fixed to his face. It was a name that felt like a part of his world. Journey came from a place where people held names like Peaceman, Spirit, Hawk and Patch. Illusion fit in perfectly there. "I like it," the silver-haired boy stated simply, brushing a stray lock of hair from his face. It was always getting in the way despite the headband he wore.

They walked in silence for a little under a minute, Journey humming a Beatles song happily, before Illusion broke it with a question. Nightmare? Journey thought, taken by surprise. That sure didn\'t sound pleasant. Still, the way Illusion said it made it seem like there was some merit to it - like it was more than just a bad dream.

"I sure hope not!" Journey said with a laugh, turning his head back to her. "I\'d want to give good dreams. But, what\'s that?" Much as Journey had learned through time, he\'d never learned what he was or met another Nightmare. Illusion\'s question seemed totally bizarre to him, given his ignorance.

[Wrakune]

Illusion thanked him for his compliment on her name and continued walking with him.

His response to her question stunned her. You know not that which you are? She questioned in her mind. Oh, Journey, it pays to learn.

“A Nightmare, by definition, is a creature of the Dreamworld that manipulates and feeds off the dreams of those that walk the waking world. Neither malicious, nor supportive, they follow their own path, truly representing the fine gray area between good and bad. Nightly, a Nightmare will tread upon the waking world in search of fresh dreams to harvest. They have two forms. A human form and an equestrian form,” she said, almost whispering. She looked him in the eyes as she spoke, intent on making him understand. Her face was somber almost fearful as she began to speak again, “I am a Nightmare, Journey.”  She looked at him and waited for his reaction. She had stopped walking by this time and stood facing him.

She had never told anyone before and for some reason this man she trusted.

[Fell]

Journey listened to her explanation curiously. It sure sounded interesting, but that couldn\'t be him! He\'d been born on this Earth, and he\'d never seen anything like a "dream world". Besides, even though he was also a horse, he was definitely supportive. Journey was a bad representation of any shade of grey.

Illusion stopped them both after her explanation, facing him somberly. Journey almost asked what was wrong, but she beat him to it. There was a moment of silence after her words, and then the silver-haired boy smiled. "Okay then! D\'you like it?" the young Nightmare asked, taking her hand again and continuing to walk.

It really was that simple for Journey. He didn\'t understand why she\'d gotten all serious about it; you were what you were, and there was nothing wrong with it. Journey, for example, was a horse-boy hippie, and that was just fine. If Illusion was a Nightmare, then that was good too. He didn\'t really understand why she would be so nervous about telling anyone about it.

"I don\'t think I\'m one, though. Just a hippie with hooves," Journey added, laughing. Someone had called him that the day after he\'d been born - someone who\'d seen both his forms, clearly. Journey had always loved that phrase, and he\'d adopted it to describe himself many times.

[Wrakune]

Illusion was shocked at his comfort and ease with her. Do you like it? That’s what he had asked. She thought carefully about it and thought of the best way to put it. She liked that he accepted her regardless, but somehow she felt that if he knew how violent she was, he might not be so tolerant.

She started to speak, but tears burned her eyes. Memories and visions of her mother flashed before her eyes so quickly it made her feel nauseous, but she found his hand suddenly wrapped around hers and the back flashes vanished. She shook her head and let a sigh loose. She wiped the tears from her cheeks and began to speak again.

“Journey, I like who I am. I like what I am and what I do. It keeps her with me. Their pain brings me joy. I haunt them and torture them in their sleep. I can’t make them have good dreams, not after what they did to her. I watched her die. I lay there in the furrowed, burning car and watched the life leave her eyes. He killed her. The fucking bastard killed her!” She screamed in rage though the sound was not very loud. Her face was hot and the tears returned. She was made and all she wanted was for him to hold her. She squeezed his hand hoped he could sense her need of him at this moment.

[Fell]

As soon as tears started to show in her eyes, Journey was there, giving her a solid hug. Another hippie thing.... hugs could cure all ills. He stroked her back while she spoke, listening to her as she spoke. Some of what she said gave him pause - the idea of torturing anyone was just horrible to him and he couldn\'t believe Illusion would do it! The very thought brought tears to his eyes.

Journey definitely had some questions for Illusion, but he knew better than to ask now. Right now, it seemed like what she needed was to cry, a hug, and a nice place to sit. That in mind, Journey looked around for a patch of grass. There should be a small park around here, if it hadn\'t been bulldozed over and turned into more concrete...

The silver-haired boy leaned down, wrapping one arm around her knees and then lifting her into a bridal-style carry. That done, Journey began walking towards where he hoped the park was - it should only be around the block, and though Illusion was kind of heavy Journey was also kind of strong, so it worked out in the end.

It turned out Journey was right about the park. They hadn\'t destroyed it yet! The young Nightmare grinned, crossing over to a patch of shade beneath a tree and sitting, Illusion in his lap. "Do you wanna talk about it?" he asked after a few moments of silence, still supporting her in the bridal-style position. He\'d let her move if she tried, but if she just stayed there Journey would hold her up as long as she liked. Anything to comfort someone sad.

[Wrakune]

His arms wrapped around her and she felt safe, She cried hard and lay her head against his chest. He picked her up and carried her and she let him. Normally, someone being in control of her body and where it went would have meant the death of said person, but she trusted him.

He took her to a park and sat down with her in his lap. She pressed her body to him tight and gripped his arm harder than she probably should have. He asked if she wanted to talk about it and she did, but she didn\'t know where to start.

She sighed and began the tragic tale, "A few days after my twelfth birthday, Mom and I were in the car. A man swerved across the road hit us head on. I didn\'t know what had happened. I just remember opening my eyes and seeing blood. . . a lot of blood. Mom was screaming. She thought I was dead. I yelled to her that I was OK and she calmed down a bit. She tried to move and from her mouth the most terrible sound I\'ve ever heard issued. I watched her die, Journey.I was trapped in that car for nearly two hours before they found us. It was on fire and I was trapped with my mother\'s dead body. That man lived. He walked a way with a small cut to the forehead. He didn\'t even need stitches. They didn\'t even arrest him because he wasn\'t high or drunk. He did it on purpose. I saw it in his eyes as he walked away. The bastard killed her on purpose because he was mad.

Mom was the only one who knew what I am. She told me not to tell Daddy. He didn\'t know she was one either. Damn human. I\'ve been trying to find the one who killed her, but he eludes me. In the dreamworld as well as the physical one. I will find him. He will pay." She lay her head back down, breathless and whimpered a bit. Illusion thought about it and decided it was time to tell him.

"Journey, you are just like me. You are a Nightmare. I wasn\'t sure at first, but I can feel it now. I can show you the dreamworld, if you can handle it, but my transactions there will not please you." She looked up into his eyes and wondered if he could see the pain in hers. She wanted him to accept her and to know that she was not a bad person. . .just an angry one.

[Fell]

Illusion\'s story brought Journey to tears almost immediately. His weren\'t heaving sobs, but the quiet kind that stream from one\'s eyes in a flood of emotion. It was just so sad! Journey had never had to worry about parents or anything like that and he would have found her tale just as heart-wrenching had it been a stranger in the car with her, but clearly the fact that it was her mother mattered a whole lot to his new friend.

What worried Journey more was Illusion\'s drive for revenge and conviction that the guy had done it on purpose. Someone hitting another car for the sole purpose of killing someone else simply did not fit into Journey\'s world. He wanted to comment on it - on a lot of what she\'d said, really - but Illusion brought up another interesting point.

Nightmare? Naaaah, Journey thought pleasantly. There was just no way; he and what Illusion had described bore only a few similarities. Sure, he had a horse form, but Journey had met other people with horse forms before, and they\'d told him what they were - it wasn\'t Nightmares, either. "Nah... Like I said, just a hippie with hooves," Journey said with a smile, reaching up to brush the tears from under her eyes. "What do you mean, though?" the silver-haired boy asked after a moment, referencing whatever her transactions were. Everything else he wanted to say would have to wait until later.

[Wrakune]

“Think what you will, darling, but I will show you the truth. You will not like what you see me do. You will hate it, but I pray you will not hate me for it. It is who I am, I cannot change it.” She looked up at him. He had tears streaked on his face. Her heat went out to him as she embraced him again. She had wanted more than anything to find one like her. She had accomplished this, but he knew not his own nature.
   
“A hippie with hooves is not the simplicity of it, babe. It is not the whole of you. I want you to listen to me, Journey. You are a Nightmare, whether you believe it again.” She was not the least bit happy about telling him this. She wanted to make him feel blissful like he’d made her feel when they were running away from the doorman. This wasn’t fair, but she had to tell him.