Oneiros

[Tseranc]

Please enjoy a thread with landiek, poohlive, TabascoKV, pa1ndru1d and myself. It is closed, at least for now, and is a tale of a man who has found a way into the world of dreams where he sees himself as a god. He preys on the dreams of women, becoming their desires each night and twisting them to his satisfaction. He lures their minds to him, to join him, sometimes to be trapped there in the dream world. We hope you enjoy.

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A man lay in a clean hospital bed; the only movement confirming he lived was the steady, machine-assisted rise and fall of his chest and the continued racing of his eyes beneath closed lids. Medical science said this man was in a coma, and had been for the past few months, but the mind was still active, more active then it should be.

The chart at the foot of the bed read Jacob Summer, but in his mind, his dreams, he was more. Much more in fact; he was the last Oneiros, the messenger of dreams.

Tonight he flew on his bat like wings, out of the ivory gates he had found so long ago when searching in lucid dreams. He sped toward the dream world, where the desires of humans could be seen, admired, enjoyed and even joined. He was master here, the world his. Who would want to wake from such a state of ultimate power?

Noticing a sweet little gem he landed upon it, peering inside. A girl, shy about her body, but unable to fight its urges. She dreamt of a boy in her college classes, and how he made her insides tingle when they spoke. Oneiros grinned and joined her visions in the form of her crush. He gently lay there with her, coaxing her to give into her bodies wishes. Nervously she disrobed, and lay stretched before his greedy eyes. He wasted no time, and moved to hover over her, and slowly slip into her tight, virgin flower.

And he gave the girl insight as to how it would truly feel. She hurt, her face winching. She’d been told it may hurt the first time, but if she had a gentle lover, then it would not be so bad. As her lover continued, the pain was pushed down in favor of intimate pleasure. The mix of discomfort and joy blended in her confused mind, and she submitted to all he wished.

She woke in the morning sore, tired and crying. He’d taken so much, and yet…she wanted him to again. She debated between attempting to drift back to sleep to experience more, or to go find her dream lover, and convince him to take her as he had in her mind.

Oneiros just laughed, and found another morsel to enjoy, and then another, and another. There wsa no end to the delights he could have here in his world.

 

[landiek]

Patience Rochel LongFeather had read the chart and records for her client for months and found her results were not accoording to the general norm. She had studied the coma patients for months and found that her current study was proving more and more indirect to her final results.

His brain activity was exceptionaly stronger then it should be. So she branched outwards by approaching the cheif of staff to premit her to do a study. Everything could be explained she was certain of that to the most part.

Patience logged for a site requesting people for a sleep study. She offered a small servance fee for those participating. Those answering her request were met by a slender blonde wearing gold rimmed circles and the darkest blue eyes imaginable. Her blonde hair tied in a tight braid encircling the back of her head and a small stub dangling down her shoulders. Patience dressed like an old-fashioned school marm and remained very professional. Some found her lacking in people skills due to her intensive studies of historical behavior, now she would have to conform in order for her study group to encorporate her ideas on the answer.

 

[TabascoKV]

Another day, another route, another traffic ticket. Life was becoming pretty routine for Officer Samantha Murphey. In the life of a police officer, though, routine was not an unpleasant occurance. Sam would rather go home at the end of the day feeling a bit bored than some of the excitement she knew the cops who patrolled the inner city dealt with. When she had first joined the force, she had been a little disapointed knowing that she had landed the quiet roads of the rural country just outside the city. After hearing of some of her fellow officers falling on duty, she became suddenly very thankful for late night and early morning traffic tickets.

Home sweet home. Sam stuck her key in the brass door lock and turned it, that familiar sound of the lock sliding back filling the empty hallway. It was just before noon, but she had just ended an eleven hour shift, and her bed was calling her name. Tossing her keys down on the table, she closed her front door and locked it back. Her house was modest, a simple two bedroom one bathroom abode, but she liked it. It had that feeling of being an old house that was lived in, without being broken down. Walking over to her answering machine, she pushed the button to hear the few messages that blinked up at her.

“Congratulations, Ms. Murphey, you have been chosen as one of our semi-finalists…” Rolling her dark brown eyes, she bent down to untie her boots. The rest of the message was just a blur until she was able to stand back up and delete the message. Kicking her shoes off, she listened to the next message from her mother. Deleting it, she picked up the phone and dialed the number to reach her brother.

“James Murphey, please.” Asking for her brother, she waited patiently on the line as she stepped into her bedroom. She began getting undressed, unbuttoning the top of her uniform. Smiling as she heard her brother’s typical, professional greeting, she reached up to pulled her dark brown hair down from its bun.

“Hey big brother. Mom called and wants us to meet her for lunch this Saturday. Are you working?”

 

[landiek]

Patience sat in the chapel studying her test results on her patient, she was so frustrated and after three nights of little to no sleep she was a walking zombie.

One of the nurses suggested that she rest in the chapel where it was dimly lite, so she agreed and drifted into a strange slumber. Things that existed in her great grandfather's time seemed alive as the horses and men in blue coats ambled over the hill

Screams echoed around her as the sound of muskets rang in her ears and the strange smell of gunpowder filled her nostrils. It couldn't be true.. no those days were over.. they had to be over

"GRANDFATHER!" Patience sat straight up and looked around as her long strands of hair dangled at her skin, soaked from sweat. yet there was that lingering aroma of smoke.. that gave her the willies.

 

[poohlive]

"Saturday?" He paused for a moment, thinking about the word, as if he had never heard of it before. He stood, slack jawed, mouth hung agape, mind reeling on the day and its activites.

Did he have time on Saturday?

What was he doing?

"Beth," He called out to the front desk, "What am I doing on Saturday?"

He took hold of the Mercer file that had been dominating the majority of space on his desk. Time reports and files and some photo stills slid as he tried to look for a pen. Paperclips, scissors, he even tossed one of those rubber band balls behind him... where in the hell was a pen?

"Mom called you? I didn't get a call..."

Beth came in, young professional woman with wonderful hips and tight pursed lips. She handed him a note saying his ten o clock was here, and that Saturday he was tracking the tennis Instructor.

"Yes," He said, knowing that Mrs. Mercer had her tennis lesson at three, "No problem. So long as we're done by three. I have a meeting."

He nodded to send in his ten o clock, before looking once more for a pen, "Do you know my office has exactly forty seven paperclips and no pen..."

There, under some of the photos. He grabbed it, testing it on a piece of paper, leaving no mark. Damnit, he threw it over his shoulder, let it lay next to the rubber band ball, forgotten forever.

"Anyway, you need me I'll be home tonight. Sorry I can't talk more, work's busy."

James looked up, holding his hand over the receiver as a young man just sat down. He had a nice expensive suit, one of those cropped boy band hair cuts, and what looked like bags under his eyes.

"I think my wife's cheating on me."

James nodded, pointing to one of the chairs, "Just a minute..." He said, putting the phone back to his ear.

"Anything else you need?"

 

[TabascoKV]

Sam couldn’t help but smile and shake her head at her brother’s seemingly frazzled and busy state. Her day was just ending, and his had probably started a few hours ago. He had truly been the one to follow in their father’s footsteps. Jordan Murphey had been a very prominent investigator, and so it was no surprise when both of the Murphey children had ended up working where they did. Samantha had chosen the police route, and James had chosen the investigator path.

“Maybe she called and left a message at home for you. Or maybe she called me because I make it a point to call her back more often.” Had he seen her, he would have seen the playful smirk on her face, but he should know her well enough to know that she was joking with him. After all, what were little sisters for?

“I’ll call her before I go to bed. I can swing by and pick her up Saturday morning and we can meet up at Chef Emondy’s around noon.” Changing into her pajamas, she walked into the bathroom, and squirted out her green toothpaste on her toothbrush. Laughing, she shook her head at his paper clip comment.

“Hey, it’s better than realizing that the last person you pulled over for a ticket stole your pen. Try asking a person you’re trying to write a ticket to for a pen. I wish the department would just spring for the electronic deal. It would make life easier.” Setting her toothbrush back down on the counter and grabbed her clip, quickly pulling it back so she didn’t have to fight with her hair when she brushed her teeth.

“No problem, darling. I need to get some sleep. You take care of yourself, all right?” Turning on the hot water tap, she ran her fingers under the water waiting for it to warm back up. She had read somewhere that brushing your teeth in warm water killed off more bacteria.

“Love you, bubba.”

 

[poohlive]

"I will, see ya."

He dropped the phone into its cradle, smiling for a moment. He could never deny that was his sister. A thorn in his side and a smile on his lips everytime. He remembered bright and sunny saturdays when she'd wake him up to watch cartoons and eat cereal. She got to pick the cereal, not domineering or forceful.

Just by the time he came downstairs she had two bowls out on the living room floor. One for him, one for her. She just expected him to sit right next to her and eat it.

And he did. He plopped himself down, dove into his toasted flakes or sugared O's or crackled pops, or whatever she'd pick, and watched cartoons.

James sighed. He never said thanks for all those times. He probably should have.

"So," the sharp clicking of a hard shoe on the faded green lineolium brought him back into the present. The man sat in the chair, arms crossed over his legs, one twitching up and down in a half crazed manner. It jutted on the floor, creating a clacking noise that became persistant as the seconds ticked on.

"My wife," He said.

"She's cheating on you," James opened a drawer, his fingers filtering through the amazing collection of clutter his desk had collected in the last three months.

An old faded pad of paper lay in the open. He grabbed for it, still searching for a pen.

"Beth!"

"Yes, I mean... I don't know for sure. She keeps weird hours, her job and all. But lately things have been so distant between us. She comes home every night and takes a shower. I don't even get a kiss anymore. Her car is always..."

Beth came in, three different sets of pens in hand. He thanked the ground she walked on, grabbed two of them, and began writing.

"Don't worry, if she's cheating, I'll find out about it. You just give me some specifics..."

The man shook his hands once, giving off some incredible sigh, as if it had been lingering inside of his chest for weeks now, and then began. James wrote every word.

 

[TabascoKV]

Shaking her head as she hit the talk button and sat the phone down, she couldn’t help but admire her brother for his job. There was no way she could spend her time listening to stories of spouses cheating on spouses, or employers suspecting employees of committing crimes against their business. Sam knew her brother was not a bleeding heart by any means, but she knew that she wouldn’t have had the patience or heart to deal with it.

Brushing her teeth, she finished up and washed her face. After she had dried her face off, she called her mother really quickly, finalizing plans.

“Is Chef Emondy’s all right with you?” She knew that she was asking a rather stupid question, but she figured she would ask nonetheless.

“Of course. I love that place.” Her mother chuckled slightly, having about the same thought as her daughter as to the relevancy of the question.

“All right. So I will see you about eleven on Saturday.” Sliding beneath her comforter, she said her good byes and hung up the phone. Flopping backwards after she had sat the phone down on her nightstand, she curled up beneath her downy comforter. Closing her eyes, she sighed the last day away. She laid there for a few minutes before remembering to sit up and turn her alarm clock on. Yawning, flipped the little switch on before laying back down.

It didn’t take long for Sam to fall asleep, her body so used to her sleeping schedule by now.

 

[landiek]

Holsten entered the room and handed the paper to Patience. A sigh followed the look he gave her. He tried every trick in the book to give her more time but that was not acceptable acoording to the Health Board.

She said nothing to him but began to silently empty her desk and gather her things. Deep down she knew this job was not meant for her and she would seek out another she also knew from a dream, but Holsten wouldn't be able to comprehend her spiritalism.

There were no regrets over it either as she spent a day seeking guidence to her next form of employment. Patience sent time searching the newspapers, the websites, the referrals from Job Source, and ever recommendations from others.

Patience was passing a door and then felt the inner tug. She opened the door and walked into the lobby. Patience smiled at the woman that came from another room. She noticed the way the woman looked content with her work.

"May I help You?" The woman asked taking in the doeskined boots and long taylored skin of brown tweed, the dark black peasant shirt that was decorated with beads and samplings of turquoise to resemble the medicine wheel.

"I came here to work." Patience replied in a level tone. She glanced at the framed papers on the wall and the made mental notes. Patience drew the manilla envelope from her bag and waited. The Winds detoured her this way, this place gave her the calmness.. this was where she was lead.. now she had to convince the Investigator that ran the business to hire her.

 

[poohlive]

By the time James finished with the young gaunt gentleman, an entire handful of tissue papers were wadded up in the wastebasket. James hated it when they cried, and they did. Guys more than girls, honestly. A guy comes in here bubbling and moaning about the perfect relationship now ruined.

The girls, they were scary. They came in calm and serene, ready for anything, hoping beyond hope their suspicions were true. Sometimes it scared him to give them the information. They had the kind of look which made James happy people had five day waiting laws on guns.

He finally got the man out of his office, following behind with a symmpathetic rub to his shoulder. One sniffle, wiping of the tears, and he went back down the stairs to the streets below.

He looked over to Beth," Here," He threw her a notepad, "Get it written up as soon as you can. I need it by tomorrow. This one should be pretty open an shut."

Beth caught the notepad in mid air, nodding her assignment, placing it along with several other pieces of paper on some to do file. She waved James over to the new girl standing in the lobby. Nice girl, good figure, petite, cute. She stood out here, but she didn't look awkward. She looked almost... comfortable.

Definitely not right for someone who thinks her husband is fucking the maid.

"She just came in off the street, looking for a job."

"What job?"

"That's what I was trying to tell her. We don't have any jobs lined up."

"Sorry kid," He gave her a wink, "Try down the block. I'm sure someone has got a paper route all waiting for you."

He went over to the corner, getting his trenchcoat and low brimmed hat on. He looked wonderful in this outfit, it had a way of transferring him somehow. Just closing his eyes and feeling it covering him transported him back in time. He was some P.I. working the beat, flappers and speakeasy's, mobs and dames. The lady in trouble, who was always working a double angle, and whatever dick was either a drunk, a womanizer, or both.

James had none of that, but he did have the clothing.

"Shirley called. She said David left about a half hour ago."

Damnit, James shook his head. Halfway out the door, his coattails practically sputtering in the wind and this had to come up. He wondered for a moment if he could walk away, just keep going home and find someplace safe under the covers to sleep for a good twelve hours.

"Half hour ago?" David would go to the Bellway Hotel, off 31. He'd be picking up some hooker, taking her there, only for an hour or so. It wasn't too far away, if he sped the entire way he could get there just a few minutes after David and his friend did.

But, how was he going to do that? He had to set up the equipment, get the film loaded. That alone would take a good ten minutes. By the time he was ready to film, it'd be over.

He glanced back at the girl. Stupid thoughts running through his head. How did she show up right here, right now? Any other day, any other time he would have thrown her ass on the street and not given her a second look...

Well, no, he would have given her a second look. She did deserve that, after all those legs just refused to quit.

"Ok, you drive. Get me to Bellway Hotel in less then thirty minutes... and we'll see about finding you a place here."

He got into the closet, pulling out his film equipment.

 

[landiek]

"Sorry kid," He gave her a wink, "Try down the block. I'm sure someone has got a paper route all waiting for you."

"If I were young enough that would be my choice. I shall work with you." Patience replied calmly as she took in his clothing and smiled.

"Shirley called. She said David left about a half hour ago."

"Half hour ago?"

Patience noted the way the two of them spoke, she quickly gathered that this news was coming late. She stood up in accordance to be ready for the next call. Patience also rubbed the ivory replica of the eagle in her pocket, willing the eagle to grant him sight in her benefit.

"Ok, you drive. Get me to Bellway Hotel in less then thirty minutes... and we'll see about finding you a place here."

"You got it." Patience grinned taking the keys. She knew six ways to get to almost anywhere in or around town in three counties. Patience sat the envelope on the desk and then offered to take some of the equipment down to the car.

As they left she looked to the skies and basked in sunlight for one second then using the keys unlocked the doors and slipped into the drivers seat. She took a relieving breath to find better condition then her old clunker. The engine purred as Patience moved the gear to reverse, the whole vehicle moving like water.

Patience tilted her hand to the left grabbing the seat belt, *click*

She eased into the flow of traffic then moved quicker, taking care to grant space for the cars around her. Her eyes focused ahead of as she could hear the clicking and snapping of parts. A quick turn placed her on the bypass granting them an extra four minutes then if beelining downtown.

"Bellway.. built in 1927 as affordable housing for travelers. In 1950 it became a home for runaways that worked for Clayton Textiles. When the factory burned in 53, the Bellway was sold to the Kennewick's who changed it back to a motel. presently managed by Shaun Kennewick... it's dubbed Hooker's Hangout." Patience wasn't actually telling him this to impress him but to remind herself of the history connected to the place.

Patience came off the bypass and made three lefts, the Bellway was just ahead as the sign blinked up the road. "Where do I park?"

She noticed a small store on the left and slipped into the parking lot right into the handicapped spot. Calmly Patience reached for her bag and flipped the blue plastic hanger on the mirror to avoid interferrence from the local authorities. "twenty -four minutes."

 

[poohlive]

"A history lesson?" He eyed her, a small smirk on his face as he flipped open his phone. He scrolled down the list of names, until Bellway came into clear sight. He pressed enter, putting it to his ear.

"Yeah, it's me," He knew half a dozen local motel receptionists, all who got a nice cut if they helped out his game.

"Just driving into the parking lot? Ok. Thanks."

He closed the phone, glancing over. Indeed he saw a dark car park in the lot of the hotel, and two people get out. He grabbed the camera he had been setting up the whole time here, and shot some pictures as they arrived.

"Your first stakeout, ain't that wonderful? Only thing we're missing is some doughnuts."

He handed her the camera, getting out. The grocery store didn't have much, but half a dozen glzed and a couple of coffee's worked pretty nice. He gave her the coffee, placing the doughnuts on the front dash.

"You're pretty knowledgeable, and you know your way around a city," That could be helpful, also helpful she had a nice face, good body. If he needed her to wear some decent outfits they'd fit her like a glove and keep the guys gawking for days.

"I could really use someone like you. "

The telephoto on the lens looked huge and ridiculous. But, it allowed him to see right into the bedroom. It was the one he told the hotel clerk to give them. One with the broken blinds that let him see right into the room. With the lens zoomed in, he could tell if one of them hadn't shaved today, that's how good it was.

When he came in, he started snapping off pictures. She pulled him to the bed, her clothes slowly coming off her body. He smiled, like a pig in fucking shit, hurrying to get his own clothing off.

"Why did you stop by the office tonight though? Why did you just wander into my place looking for a job? That's so strange. I feel like I know you, but I don't... I don't know anything about you. Who are you?"

Such a casual conversation as he watched David mount the girl from behind, hands on her hips, rutting deep into her. He was snapping pictures off left and right.

 

[landiek]

"Your first stakeout, ain't that wonderful? Only thing we're missing is some doughnuts."

"Too many artificial sweeteners." Patience remarked softly as she watched him head into the store. She watched the parking lot at the Bellway until he returned.

"You're pretty knowledgeable, and you know your way around a city,"

"I've lived here all my life." Patience added.

"I could really use someone like you. "

"I know." She agreed glancing at the building across the road. She noticed a fancy car that wasn't the normal mark in a squalor like the Bellway. Then she took a sip of coffee, very strong coffee.

"Hot pair.. he looks like he is out of his league with her ." Patience surmised as she could hear the whiz of the shutter.

"Why did you stop by the office tonight though? Why did you just wander into my place looking for a job? That's so strange. I feel like I know you, but I don't... I don't know anything about you. Who are you?"

"I was sent to you.. If you didn't notice I am Native American, I still beleive in the old ways.. and when I said I was sent.. that is true.. I was looking for employment and I believe the Great Spirit lead me to you.. I am Patience Longfeaether."

She waited a few minutes before speaking again. "I have some experience at film developing.. worked for PhotoMax all summer three years in a row."

 

[poohlive]

And worked with photography as well. How perfect, how more than perfect. How coincidental. He wondered if this were a story would people buy it? Would they understand bringing this new character into the concept who knew how to do everything and seemed to be one step ahead of everyone.

Nah, but then this wasn't some story, and the truth is more often stranger than fiction.

He grabbed himself a donut, soon as he finished with the pictures and then proceeded to fill himself with artificial sweetners and deep fried sugars.

"Ain't this my lucky day," he tossed the camera over her way. He couldn't get rid of her. She was just too fucking good. But, he couldn't pay her much over shit anyway. She'd probably make more managing some fast food joint down the road.

"Great spirit decided to hook us up, did he Patience?" He leaned back in his seat, pausing to stare at her a moment, "And why did he do that? Are you and I supposed to get together, we cosmically linked? This Great Spirit playing matchmaker or something?"

 

[landiek]

"Ain't this my lucky day,"

Patience caught the camera and made the roll spin. She quickly worked the film into the canister and then set them both next to her bag

"Great spirit decided to hook us up, did he Patience?"

"Can be viewed that way." She replied wating for hints.

"And why did he do that? Are you and I supposed to get together, we cosmically linked? This Great Spirit playing matchmaker or something?"

Patience laughed, that was a typical white man's thinking. "Or something, and it is best to leave it at that until His next sign."

She glanced at the clock and then back to her new employer. "So what will we do next before the next mad dash to fix pictures? And if it is developing.. Your place or mine?"

 

[Tseranc]

Oneiros soared through the clouds of his imagination. The stars all around him twinkling were more tasty dreams to enjoy. He’d just finished feasting on a favorite, a woman who he had coaxed from her dream and into his world where she was lost. He didn’t know, nor care that her body was in an unexplained coma. Only that she was his to play with when ever he wished mattered.

But after having ravished a favorite so thoroughly, he felt the need for something new. Something challenging even. As always here, his wishes bent reality, and one star shined brighter then the rest. He dived for the light, speeding toward the new dreamer. This one had just recently fallen asleep. Dreams of family played in her head. Saturday morning cartoons with a brother, and shopping with her mother. The endearing memories bored him terribly and so he dug deeper.

A face appeared to him, and examining closer he wore a uniform the same as she. A co-worker? A cop fantasy? No, this one was definitely all work and little play. A challenge.

Assuming the man’s form he approached, all warm smiles an words she would want to hear…

 

[poohlive]

If it is developing... your place or mine? Didn't that just sound wonderful coming from her lips? Like an invitation. How pleasent, he hadn't been invited in the longest of times.

"Market Street, south end," He spoke, reveling for just a moment in her words, and how they pleasently twisted inside of his mind.

She seemed useful though. He just wondered how useful. He supposed this little assignment will tell him. If she could hold her own in the bar they were going in, perhaps she would be the perfect little sidekick.

Then again, he could easily see her starting up her own P.I. firm and taking most of his business. Hell, if he had to choose, he'd pick her over him. But, that wasn't what the Great Spirit wanted. The Great Spirit wanted them all buddy buddy and nice, wanted them developing together over at her place.

He told her to stop at a place called The Diner's Club. Despite the classy name it looked like a dump. A crowd of bikers stood outside long beards, beer bellies, and horrible laughs.

"Inside there's a man named Harry. He's got a scar running down his face. Mean ass son of a bitch, will smell a cop or anything resembling one from a mile away. But... he has information. I need you to get him to tell me where Jennifer is hiding. He is a sucker for a pretty face."

She certainly had one of those.

 

[landiek]

"Market Street, south end," He spoke.

Patience nodded starting the car and backing out into the street. She managed to take three streets that were considerably questionable for any white person to tread. She even passed a gang hangout that was known for their unpredictable riots without fear.

He told her to stop at a place called The Diner's Club. Despite the classy name it looked like a dump. A crowd of bikers stood outside long beards, beer bellies, and horrible laughs.

A quick left and she parked across the street from a small biker bar. She gave him a glance as if asking "here?"

"Inside there's a man named Harry. He's got a scar running down his face. Mean ass son of a bitch, will smell a cop or anything resembling one from a mile away. But... he has information. I need you to get him to tell me where Jennifer is hiding. He is a sucker for a pretty face."

"Piece of cake." Patience picked up her purse and started across the street, giving the men outside a polite smile before squeezing past them and heading inside.

The place was smoky and the stale stench of beer quickly altered her charisma. She walked to the counter and nodded to the bartender. "Hey, can you make me a Blue Hawaii?"

Patience glanced around the room and spotted her "informant". He was bigger then she expected and he noticed her right off. She smiled as his frame moved closer and the scent of urine reeked stronger as he sat next to her.

Patience picked up her drink and sipped it thru the straw. "So were you winning?"

He looked back at the pool table and smirked. "Maybe."

Patience felt his hand reach for her knee and the slimy squeeze that held the promise of he was looking for more then that. "Guess the rumor from Hooker Honi was offbase."

"What rumor?" His face showed the instant anger at the local doxy from the darker streets.

"Your ole lady was hounding you.. kept you from some play." Patience winked as she slipped her hand onto his arm and stroked him a few times.

 

[pa1ndru1d]

Stanley “Doc” Stevens walked down Market St. in the darkness. Once again he cursed his Isuzu Rodeo, the lousy piece of foreign shit, for breaking down in such an unsavory part of town. A few blocks up the road he saw a sign that promised hope, bright neon boasting “The Diner’s Club”, and headed that direction – his feet picking up the pace. There was no doubt, he was afraid. His daddy would have said that he was the wrong flavor for this neighborhood. He knew that his mousy appearance was not aided by his wire rimmed glasses or his khaki pants and tasseled loafers.

Perfect for the collegiate crowd he spoke in front of this evening, even though it was a rather small group. It seemed there just weren’t as many people interested in lucid dreaming and oobe’s (out of body experiences) as there once was. Still he was grateful for the opportunity to share even a glimpse of his wealth of occult knowledge, and even more grateful for the humble payment the local community college threw his way.

Still, this is what led him to his current situation. Another block passed. As he drew closer to his sign of hope, he realized that things were looking worse instead of better. With every other building on the block looking derelict and half of them burnt out husks, the Diner’s Club was the only place that might even give him access to a telephone. Doc saw a group of strange looking men in the shadows of a darkened alley just before he made his safe haven. His heart was beating heavily in his throat; he swallowed his fear and pushed forward. As he walked, he stared at the broken sidewalk at his feet and prayed that he could become suddenly invisible. Unfortunately, the bikers in the alley did see him…

As the men grabbed him and dragged him into the alley, Doc woke up panting in a cold sweat. Four years ago this took place and still this recurring nightmare came. This is the one nightmare that he could never control because it was a memory of a past experience.

Still it made him shake. It made him sweat. He hated the fact that of all the evil in the world, the only darkness that terrified him was that of mankind itself.

Doc glanced at the red glow of his clock; he groaned at the numbers flashing four a.m. and pulled himself up out of bed. He stumbled to the kitchen and turned on the coffee pot for he knew he’d not get any more sleep that night. He started gathering his notes for his sessions that day. He had three clients with troubling dreams starting at eleven a.m. and lasting until mid afternoon, and then he had to speak for the community college that evening.

While the coffee brewed, filling the small apartment with that luscious scent, Doc decided to hop in the shower, thinking that it might invigorate his exhausted mind. The hot water began massaging in between his shoulder blades completely relaxing his tired muscles. As he stepped out of the shower, he made a snap decision. Instead of coffee, he chose to return to his bed. With his body already in that relaxed state, he thought he might just be able to induce an oobe.

He stretched out completely nude on top of his blankets, his head facing north. He began methodically tensing and relaxing each of his muscle groups in turn, starting with his toes and working his way up towards his head. He then imagined a current of blue energy flowing throughout his body and to each extremity in turn. Next, he drew that current from his fingers and toes and collected it all into a single focal point in the middle of his forehead. All the while, his body fell farther into a trance-like state, until even his heart-rate was minimized to a point so slow and shallow that a passerby would think he had already passed on to the netherworld.

That blue electricity came out from his forehead as if it were a finger protruding, pointing towards the ceiling. He was out!

When Doc opened his eyes, he was shocked! Instead of the familiar surroundings of his tiny bedroom, he saw a night sky. That sky was filled with stars, yet they seemed to feel… alive somehow. He knew that he was no longer simply having an out of body experience, he had – through some twist of fate, he had ended up in a dream-link state, sharing dreams amongst thousands. Most of those within the dream were completely unaware that this was more than just a place within their own minds.

Suddenly, he had a sickening feeling that something was horribly, horribly wrong. Something, as if a whisper in his mind, was telling him that there was a monster here that preyed on the weak. Something was telling him that here, using the tools he had learned during his own lucid dreams; he might be able to make a difference for the weak and the unaware.

Up ahead in the distance Doc noticed a shadow flitting amongst the stars that could only be other people in this dream state.

 

[TabascoKV]

Sleep always came easy for Sam after a long shift, and this morning had been no different. Usually she was so exhausted that she never remembered her dreams, nor did she ever find herself in the middle of a dream that felt so real. Her family played out before her eyes, namely her father. He was a strong man, with graying hair on the side of his head. He had a sturdy frame, a frame that hid the fact that he was quietly dying on the inside. Sam had her father’s chocolate eyes which usually seemed to carry the same warmth as his – unless she was on the job. When she was working, she had managed to develop that stoned face expression where nothing appeared to bother her.

Her eyebrows furrowed as the image of her father dissipated unexpectedly. Turning around, there was a slight look of confusion on her face as a man in a uniform walked towards her. She felt a small sense of familiarity, but attributed that to being a dream. Weren’t most things in a dream familiar? Despite the comforting feeling she gained from this new face, she felt a sense of hesitancy. It was in her nature to draw back from unfamiliar people. Perhaps it was the cop in her, or maybe it was the part of her that had once trusted somebody who was not family, and she had gotten hurt.

This was another reason why she preferred to work alone. Even when she went through the academy, she was always losing marks on not working as a team. She preferred to be alone. At least if she died, it would be by her own mistake and not somebody else’s.

The man approached her, and she instinctively took a step back. It was a strange feeling, really. She could never remember being able to exercise even close to this much control in a dream, and yet, this did not feel like a typical dream. It felt like she was awake, only in that frame of mind when she had work a twenty hour shift and was slightly delusional.

 

[Tseranc]

Oneiros frowned internally, yet never let the face of the man who's appearance he assumed show anything but joy at seeing her. Warm smiles and open arms, as if expecting her to return to him.

Yet she stepped back, from a vision she herself had. He only took it over, choosing it as the bait.

Stepping closer, the familiar face offered his hand to her, still expecting her to take it out of habit somehow long established. Digging deeper into her visions, he found another of this man, only without his shirt on. Perhaps something she had seen once, at the gym? Or Perhaps had fabricated of her own fantasy? He didn't know nor care, but quickly changed the image from that of a uniform, to gym shorts and showed the man as he removed his shirt, then again offered his hand and grins at the overly cautious woman.

She had to be truly suspicious to remain so cautious even i her own dream...a puzzle...