The Dream Plague

[Saren]

"You're sure we even need this much security?" Senna asked. The night had passed, and now she sat at the front desk of the police office, setting a stack of papers aside while one of the officers stood by, sipping at his coffee. She hadn't forgotten her dream encounter with Connor, and they'd told one another that they would meet again to try and travel to another Hub. The thought still scared her, but she hid it behind the exhaustion while she worked. "I mean, you all have to wear your badges when you go back there anyway. This just seems like a bit much. And it'll suck up electricity."

The officer shrugged, setting his cup on the counter. "Dunno. Chief wants it. Guess after that fiasco in the station downtown, he wants more security. We might just be testing it anyway. Some technicians are coming out in a few weeks to install the panels and all that, so you'll probably be in charge of them." He grinned as Senna scoffed, slamming the stapler down on the other set of papers. "Don't like meeting new people?"

"I'll probably be too tired to deal with their crap. They'll be all high and mighty about their fancy technology when a normal lock and key works just fine," she grumbled, shoving the stack of papers into the basket on the edge of the desk. "Aren't you supposed to be on patrol right now? Quit bugging me. I have things to do."

"Like staple papers?" he joked, but Senna shot him a glare anyway.

"Shoo, Brady. And take your coffee with you." She made sure he left before she picked up the phone in an attempt to actually do work.

-

Senna sat down on her couch, flicking on her television while she balanced her bowl in one hand. She'd picked up the leftovers from her mother's house just like she'd said, but the night was already creeping up on her, and she was doing her best to enjoy her food before she fell asleep. She hardly kept up on any new shows, but she tried to put something on that would keep her awake. Just like every night, she feared going to sleep, and now, she had more reasons to. While she agreed with Connor and his crazy idea, it didn't mean she couldn't feel any apprehension about it. With a sigh, Senna dove into the chicken alfredo in front of her, trying to lose herself in her actions.

Ultimately, her plan didn't work, since she still woke up in the Hub. "Dammit," she spat under her breath, standing up and brushing herself off. This time, she was wearing a long sleeved red shirt with jeans and a pair of tennis shoes. While it was better suited for running, she found that she liked the lazy sweatpants better. The one thing that never changed was her necklace. It was like the dream world needed something to remain constant in order to build an image.

Part of her wondered what Connor would look like. "He'll probably still be just as cute," she mused out loud before she promptly smacked her forehead. Now was not the time to be dreaming.

 

[Vacyr]

Connor would wake up several hours after he had planned on going to sleep in the Hub of this dream world. He wasn't where he had fallen asleep the previous night, his body down the ways from where they had been talking yesterday. There was a slight slope and he was unable to be seen from this certain angle. Standing up, he stretches a bit before looking down at his own clothing. It seems his dream self disliked him for he too was in a navy pair of jeans, something he wished had been basketball shorts or something made for running, that were a bit tight on his body. "Fucking skinny jeans," he whispered before hiking his way up the small slope. His shirt was at least loose, a nice purple color with a V-neck.

"Senna?" He called as he moved up the slope, the grass loose underneath his sneakers. "Don't tell me she has run off already," Connor mumbled to himself, reaching the top and seeing her alone but still there. "Oh good," he mumbled again. "And how has your day been? Well, when you were awake that is." He looked up to the glossy half sphere of the hub's protection and smiled a bit. It also seemed to be bright and sunny from what he could make out. "At least it looks like a pleasant day from here. No rain from what I can figure."

He moved over to the exit wall and stuck his arm through the shimmering dome. "Nope, no rain." He pulled his arm back in and turned to her. "No sweatpants today, huh?" He looks her red shirt and jeans over. "Well, it's definitely working out for you." He smiles at his compliment and moves on from it. "So today we're going to do our first recon from the hub. Are you excited? Scared? Tentative?" He shrugs a bit. "You said that you were never outside of this place so it must be nerve wracking. How did you end up here though?"

 

[Saren]

Senna had taken to biting the chain of her necklace, fingers clutching at the small, turquoise pendant. Connor hadn't shown up yet. Maybe he was pulling late hours and couldn't sleep. It was a hopeful thought, since it would keep them in the Hub for another night. However, she heard her name, and with that sound came a sigh. She took a few steps forward, seeing Connor crest the hill in a matter of seconds. He was dressed nicer than last night, but she was quick to turn and look at the Hub's ceiling as he spoke. "Was fine. Just pushed papers around all day," she said, glancing down as he stuck his hand outside the Hub. Her heart jumped in her throat in a moment of sheer panic, imagining that his hand would get torn off by the creatures outside. However, with one smooth motion, he brought his arm back in, dry and with all his extremities attached. "Pleasant isn't the word I'd use to describe this place," she muttered, letting the necklace fall back down onto her chest.

As Connor looked over her form and gave her a quick compliment, her face reddened. But he didn't focus on his words, instead moving onto the task at hand. She exhaled, stepping up to where he was near the wall. "Uh... all of the above," she answered, inspecting the Wall. It glowed just like the rest of the place, a shining beacon in a world of darkness. She had stayed in there for years, only leaving the protective walls to look outside. The scenery had changed a few times, but the Hub always stayed constant.

"I ran, just like you did. I ran and ran for a very long time. I can't count the nights I spent trying to get away from those things out there. The second I found myself in here, I couldn't go back out. I was too scared and too young to know what was going on." Senna said much more than she was planning, and when she finally took a breath, she changed the subject. "Let's just go... Before I change my mind."

Her foot slid against the wall of the Hub, and there was a slight second of hesitation before she was able to fully breach the wall. The outside didn't immediately crush her, and she didn't realize she was holding her breath until she let it out in a rush. The creatures were nowhere to be found, but why? She had always assumed that the creatures were hunting her, just waiting to strike the minute she stepped out. Looking around, she tried to take in their woodsy surroundings. Everything looked normal, just as it would outside of her dreams. It wasn't something she'd been expecting.

 

[Vacyr]

"You would change your mind on me?" He asks with a small frown on his face. "Well, that's not the case, I hope. If we're going to survive then it will be together." Connor thinks about her running from the beasts just like he has been doing his entire time in this dreamworld. "And you said this started happening to you when you were very young?" He clarifies, looking around the hub for any signs of a weapon or something he could use against the beasts. "But that makes sense," he tells Senna calmly and with a small smile. "You were young. I would have done the same thing." Well, perhaps he was half lying but definitely for the first few weeks he would have stayed in the hub if he found one.

Connor watches her slide from the hub into the outside world and quickly follows her. He did not know whether or not she would still be there when he too passed from safety to danger. "Remember," he adds but already knows that she does indeed recollect what they said last night, "we're just doing a simple recon today. Unless you wanted to move further out." He glances at you from the corner of his eyes before chuckling. "But I am sure you wouldn't want to do that." The world around them was covered with thick pine trees and a landscape that slowly made its way up to the sky and snow capped peaks.

He notices her jaw drop when she looks around and takes in everything. "Not expecting this, huh?" He turns his back to the environment around him to face her and the hub. He stretches out his arms and takes a big breath in. "It's fantastic, that's what it is." He looks over to a river that cuts around the hub and winds its way down the valley of the mountains. "Spectacular," he adds gently before running over to it and kneeling down before the crystal clear water as it ripples by. "It's a shame," he whispers to himself. He knows once the creatures come after them, the environment will change. "So, are you ready?" he motions up the river. "I think for our first recon we should just follow this up, what do you think? That way we can't get lost in the thick forest or take a wrong turn and not make it back tonight."

But he had forgotten she was trying to wrap her head around this. Around all of this. "Don't think they won't come. They just might..." he smirks a bit, "be a bit delayed. They're always sniffing around for new blood. But there are two of us now and we should ready ourselves." He starts to walk toward the trees and looks for a fallen branch or stick that would serve as a weapon if needed. He picks up a club-looking branch that's thicker than his wrist and smiles. "Wouldn't you agree?"

 

[Saren]

The dream world was beautiful. Those weren't words she might have thought to use to describe what had once been a hellish landscape, but things had clearly changed. The memories she had of this place were nothing like what it was now. How often did it change? Had she missed grandiose scenes like this in all her fearful time in the Hub? Perhaps she had, but it wasn't something she could dwell on now. Connor's warning that the creatures would eventually come slapped her back into reality. "Uhm... Yeah, I guess," she answered, watching him somehow find a weapon among the fallen branches. She didn't think she could wield such a hearty thing, but regardless, she searched the branches and found one with a hefty end. She was sure the creatures wouldn't be stopped by such a measly thing, but the thought of being able to somewhat defend herself was heartening.

Stepping forward ahead of Connor, Senna began her walk along the rushing river. It was a calming sound, and it was easy to forget she was trapped in her own dreams, doomed to fight off creatures born of her own nightmares. Connor seemed like he was in his own element, able to pick up and go without even the thought of fear. She was envious of that, how he hadn't had to deal with nearly as many dreams as she did. But she didn't say it; there was no point. They had to work together if they wanted to figure out what was going on.

"So where do you live?" The question came unbidden from her lips, and she almost wished she could snatch the words out of the air and take them back. They didn't know about each other's personal life, even though she'd already told him about her father's death. But if they were going to make it out alive, she supposed they had to be friends, or, at the very least, be someone the other could trust.

 

[Vacyr]

Connor used his stick that came up to about half his height with a thickness of his fist as a small cane for walking with as they explored the river. Senna walked in front of him and he couldn't help but beam in return. Any other man who was more of a leader might have pushed her aside and said he had more skill to lead. But in this environment, especially under the circumstances, he couldn't help but be happy that she was taking initiative. There was a moment of warmth in his chest but with his next exhale, it was gone. There was something about this girl that he liked despite her hesitant attitude towards him. He wouldn't be too sure of it until a later point, he figured, but perhaps there was just a feeling of compatibility between them. Well, that is, once she decided to open up to him and he to her. Then, he figured as they climbed up and over a small bed of rocks, they might be friends.

"Where do I live in the real world?" He repeated her question as he chuckled a bit under his breath. "Well, you already know that I am a scientist and a bit of an engineer, well, perhaps that's more of something my job forces me to come into contact with, but..." he realized he was rambling and slowed down. He waited until he took another three steps, his shoes hitting the ground as lightly as he could, then spoke again. "I live in an apartment complex in the city," he failed to specify which one since he wasn't quite sure how much detail she would be comfortable with, "and I work on the other side of it. There's just me and my cat in that small flat. Nothing too grand I assure you. If I wanted grandure I would have lived on the hill where all the expensive buildings the size of a small museum are." He jogged a few steps to catch up with her pace, his feet falling in line with hers as he walked beside her a few steps over.

"And what about you? Where do you live? You said something about your work last night but I fear that I have forgotten what you do. Some desk job I think you mentioned it was." He flashed her a smile. "I do apologize for forgetting. It was a lot to take in last night. Just the thought of other people in this place is amazing and how we're all connected by these nightmares."

 

[Saren]

Senna dragged the thin tip of the branch in the water, watching the ripples disrupt the flow. Connor was speaking and answering her questions without the same hesitant breath she had. He was just so friendly even in the face of danger. At any moment, the creatures could attack, and she was sure that they were watching somewhere, but she tried to concentrate on what her new companion was saying. He glossed over where he lived and mentioned a cat. Her apartment didn't allow for pets, and she wasn't even sure she could properly care for an animal if she had one. Perhaps a fish might make a good substitution.

"I'm a secretary," she answered, glancing back at him. Still smiling, she thought, but it wasn't a contagious expression, not for her anyway. Too many thoughts rattled in her brain and unsettled her, even here in the dream world. He came up to walk beside her, and she turned her head back forward, continuing, "I get it. It is a lot to remember and forget. I don't think we'll ever really understand all of it until we get farther." She fell silent for a few seconds, and only the sound of their shoes beating the ground filled the air.

"I wouldn't have pegged you for a cat person," she commented, and that sentence did manage to spark the hints of a smile on her face. "My mom has a dog. Big golden retriever named Sandy. She's old but I think she likes to pretend she's still young."