He detached himself from the darkness, dragging his obsidian eyes over the rows of perfectly spaced houses bathed in the light of a waning full moon. Sauntering past them, he twirled a cane languidly between his slender gloved fingers.At first glance the boy would have seemed to be wandering aimlessly, however, the creature's leisurely pace was only a facade. Though unapparent, his attention was honed on a specific task, the destination in his mind's eye growing closer by the minute.
Effortlessly his senses led him to the unmistakable aroma pervading the streets, the scent beckoning him to the next troubled human who required his assistance. Despite the urgency he may have at one point felt to relieve his targets of their pains, the creature had experienced these nights far too many times in his life, and his work had long ceased to amuse him. So for now, he paid no heed to the passage of time, his shadow lazily warping at grotesque angles under the light of the streetlamps. The fetid scent of troubled dreams led him as if he were attached to an invisible string, pulling him and enveloping his senses with the smell of adrenaline and fear.
The night was placidly tranquil, even the persistent cry of crickets' songs seeming dull and sleepy in the darkness. Around him the world lay silent as he continued his stroll, the soles of his shoes soundlessly advancing on the empty road that stretched ahead of him. Though he could have effortlessly arrived to the exact place he had to be, being able to wander outside freely still managed to please him. It was times like this, as everyone lay sleeping in their beds, that he felt a particular stillness fall over the world; as if time itself had stopped ticking and lay motionless, bathing the world in an eternal slumber.
He continued on his way, giving no second glances to the rows of homes that surrounded him from both sides. A few more houses were passed by until he stopped abruptly, a ghost of a smile gracing his lips. The streetlamps cast upon his gaze, a predatory glint flashing through his eyes as he took in the sight of the unassuming house before him. He stepped from the sidewalk onto the dewy grass that led to one of the many neat, cookie cutter homes that endlessly lined the streets. Though the house appeared to be no different from the rest, a familiar scent hung heavy and low in the air, like a heady, noxious smoke. He followed the smell to an inconspicuous window, the acrid scent of fresh nightmares closer than ever as he approached the darkened glass. With an upwards gesture of his hand, the untouched pane slid open silently with ease.
The boy reclined against the sill, parting a curtain with his gloved hand before scanning the room with half open lids. He observed the layout of the space, entirely unsurprised at finding nothing out of the ordinary. To the right side of the room lay a pristine white desk piled high with what he assumed to be textbooks. To the left, closer to where he perched stood a vanity, and a dresser to its right of the same color. What would be vivid pink walls in the daylight were dulled in the inky blackness of the late hour.
To no surprise, he found himself peering into the room of a teenage girl. He truthfully couldn't recall the last time he hadn't found himself offering his services to one, though his bias towards them undoubtedly altered his work. At that age in their lives, he noted that humans had the ability to produce considerably more tangible and horrific nightmares as the overwhelming stresses and expectations of adulthood created a sort of playground for malevolent thoughts that slipped into the sleeping mind. To him this was a blessing, as he was always choosy about which people he would offer to provide services to as it was, and young women were his favorite type of mortal. Though he was never the type to complain when finding himself in the company of anything young and beautiful. For these reasons, it wasn't surprising that he was often assisting a very specific type of human.
Already effortlessly adjusted to the darkness, his eyes fell upon what had caught his attention in the first place, and what until now, he had promptly chose to ignore. Across from the sill on which he rested lay a simple yet plush bed. Within the small space a young girl violently thrashed about, crumpled sheets entangling her limbs like ropes as she struggled to escape whatever hidden monster hunted her within her troubled sleep.
He watched the teen impassively, a whimper falling from her lips as her desperation grew, evidently struggling to escape the horrors of her subconscious. From her reaction and his freshly assaulted senses, the boy could tell that her nightmare was reaching it's crescendo. His gaze continued to rest upon the sleeping victim, his hunger nowhere near insatiable despite the smell of her nightmares pervading the air like a sickly sweet smoke. Still, the scent relentlessly beckoned for him, the taste of corruption, tempting and mouth watering, invited him to come and feast. To a human, if they could smell it, he knew it would be revolting- a pungent and metallic mix of horror and adrenaline. But to his kind, nightmares were precious delicacies, capable of leading even demons to the realm of humans for a taste.
A few moments passed before the girl started and sat up, her face sickly pale as beads of sweat fell down her face with the tears. Struggling to regain consciousness, she inhaled sharply, her head swimming with the delirium that accompanied half consciousness and lack of sleep. Though aware that she was within the safety of her room, her breathing was still no more than erratic gasps as she tried in vain to sharpen her foggy mind. After a few moments her bloodshot eyes adjusted to the darkness, but her efforts to stay awake proved to be fruitless. Sharp bolts of panic welled up inside of the girl as she felt the unwelcome sensations of drowsiness already tugging at her heavy lids, luring her away to the world of her dreams. Though in her exhausted state she longed for nothing more than to succumb to sleep, she knew that she would find no peace in her rest.
Aware that she was quickly falling into the unwanted thralls of slumber, the girl forced her brain to retrace the past few agonizing weeks of her previously simple life, a habit she'd adopted in a desperate attempt to both discover the source of her agony and stave off the advances of sleep. After a few nights of waking from dismal slumbers, it had become a constant, almost automatic response for her. And so she found herself a few times each night wracking her mind for anything that could have affected her subconscious deeply enough to cause the relentless dreams. Though it was frustrating, exhausting work, she continued the practice with unwearied persistence, always reasoning that if she could discover the root of her fears, she could destroy whatever was plaguing her mind as she fought for rest. As strenuous as the task had become, she was determined to do almost anything to avoid wandering through the endlessly twisted worlds her brain seemed to relish thinking up, if only for a few minutes. Eventually she knew her mind would no longer be able to concentrate and give out, and she would once more find herself being dragged into a land of endless horrors. Though until then, she forced herself to try her best to simply think, longing for the nights she once took for granted, when she could sleep peacefully and truly feel safe in her bed.
The girl couldn't quite place when these troubles had first started. Originally it seemed to be just drowsiness, a persistent feeling throughout the day that made her feel like she was stuck in a constant state of slow motion that left her brain foggy and unfocused. Though she felt consumed by exhaustion during the day, at night, she could not find a moment's rest. More and more often she would spend precious hours tossing and turning as she struggled with restlessness. On those nights, she would pull the blankets over her head and squeeze her eyes shut tight, silently begging her mind to relax and shut off. Eventually, though, she would find herself staring into the darkness of her room, her mind buzzing and hyper alert throughout the night. There she would lay awake for hours, listening to the soft rhythmic tick of her alarm clock. It served as an urgent reminder that too soon the sun would rise, and with it, another day of fatigue ready to weigh down heavily upon her body whether she was ready for it or not.
When she wasn't battling insomnia, she would succumb to an inky blackness, losing herself to the world around her. She could only doze off for so long before she would feel like she was falling, her stomach dropping as if she were plummeting into an endless abyss until she would jolt awake, breathing heavily as her heart beat so quickly she swore it would burst from her chest.
The last straw was the nightmares. When she was finally able to rid herself of insomnia and lose herself to the throes of slumber, horrible dreams made her wish she was once more suffering from sleeplessness instead. They haunted her waking hours, ceaselessly making her fear the inevitable moment when she would have to release herself from reality and be fully immersed into whatever terrors her subconscious could create.
Of course, this strange behaviour didn't go unnoticed by those around her. She was a responsible student, actively participating in many school activities and clubs. The first logical assumption was that she was taking on too much responsibility. She reasoned that mixed with the stress of school, she had been overworking herself. Her parents urged her to take more breaks from her work and spend more time with friends. After a few weeks of taking more time for herself, it was evident that nothing was seeming to work. If anything, the nightmares were only becoming more vivid, almost as real as the world around her. Though it couldn't have been more than a few weeks, exhaustion had taken its toll on the girl and was slowly eating away at her health by the day. Though it terrified her to admit it, the nightmares were slowly destroying her.
She winced as she dug her nails into the soft skin of her forearm in hopes that the sudden sharpness of the pain would take away some of the drowsiness, anything to fend off the nightmares for a few more minutes. Despite her exhaustion, the horrors she had just endured clung to her, relentlessly replaying in her head as if she were still asleep. She shook her head, loosened locks of hair flowing from side to side as she held tight to the few remaining slivers of her deteriorating consciousness. As a last resort, she clapped her hands against her face, the sting on her cheeks causing tears to prick at the corner of her eyes. Frustrated and afraid, she pulled her knees to her chest, covering her face as a fresh wave of sobs wracked through her frail body.
She paused, a noise she hadn't noticed before catching her attention from the other end of her room. She lifted her head from her knees, tears still streaming down her face as she peered into the darkness. Squinting, her attention was drawn to her window. Another sudden breeze and she discovered the source of the noise: her curtains snapping in the night air. She tilted her head to the side, trying to recall when she had opened the window that day. As she watched the curtains sway in the breeze, her eyes adjusted, her mind beginning to race as adrenaline pumped through her tired body. In contrast to the hazy, illuminated darkness of the outside world, she could just pick out the blurry silhouette of a boy.
She jolted, opening her mouth to scream, but before a sound could escape her throat a black gloved hand was clamped over her lips. Her eyes widened in bewilderment at the strange boy standing before her, hardly able to comprehend how he had gotten across her room so quickly. She had involuntarily latched onto the stranger's hand, panic surging through the girl as her pulse echoed in her ears with every beat of her racing heart. Though she struggled to get away from the intruder, she couldn't seem to move from where she sat.
The girl stopped struggling somewhat as she turned her full attention to the boy when he spoke.
"You don't need to be afraid, alright? I'm here to help you," the stranger explained earnestly. "I'm going to let you go now, I need you to stay calm."
With his free hand, the boy placed an index finger over his lips, indicating to the girl that she must be quiet. Though frightened to be alone with a stranger in her room, the boy's face seemed soft and kind. Understanding his request, the girl slowly nodded, and cautiously lowered her hands to her sides. Though still visibly shaking from the shock of his unanticipated arrival, the girl tried to release the tension from her still panicked body as she forced her mind to think clearly. After she had visibly relaxed, the boy removed his hand from her mouth.
The girl immediately darted from the bed, letting out an audible gasp as tangled bedsheets caught at her ankles. Only a few feet away, in a moment she was free of the sheets and had reached the exit in a matter of seconds. Practically throwing her weight against the door, she grabbed the knob and yanked it open with force.
Light from the hallway streamed into the girl's bedroom, and waiting for her on the threshold of the door stood the stranger.
She inhaled sharply, too shocked to scream as she struggled to understand how he could move so quickly.
"I thought I told you to stay calm," the boy muttered irritably. He advanced towards the girl in large strides, a look of mild annoyance softening as the panicked girl backed away. After securing the door behind him, he quickly approached the girl and placed a hand to either side of her face.
"I said I was here to help you," he repeated more firmly as he stared into the other's eyes.
Feeling a bit less afraid, the girl's curiosity got the better of her as she found her eyes darting over the boy's features. Though she quickly broke contact and stepped away, she took note of the dramatic contrast between pale skin and eyes that seemed as dark as a starless sky. His features were sharp and impish, and his skin seemed to softly glow, the exuding radiance reminding her of moonlight. His hair, the color of a bright yellow full moon, was pulled back neatly, revealing ears with pointed tips. On his head sat a black boater hat. The entirety of his outfit gave off a sense of elegance, his otherwise monochrome attire splashed with a shade of yellow similar to his hair. Despite the ethereal beauty of the creature standing before her, the girl remained wary. While she'd certainly describe him as handsome, his dark eyes remained deep and unreadable and his pointed ears unsettled her and assured her that whoever he was, he certainly didn't belong to her world.
She contemplated the possibility that she had fallen asleep without realising, and that this was just another outlandish dream her brain had produced for her to fight through. She tensed at the thought, praying that the boy would not suddenly warp into something cruel and morbid as things tended to do when she slept.
"Who are you?" she breathed out, uncertainty etched in her brow as she stared at the creature in front of her.
Trying to not roll his eyes, he opted to disregard the girl's unnecessary question. "It seems you've been having some trouble sleeping, young lady," the strange boy calmly replied.
"How did you know that?!" the girl began to protest, her voice rising in panic, but the boy cut her off.
"I know all about your nightmares, Miku," he replied, leering at the confused look that bloomed over the girl's face. "And if you truly think this is a dream, I'd suggest you stop acting so surprised."
As predictable as humans could be, he always relished the moment when they realized they weren't alone, that their mundane little world was less black and white than they'd once thought. He took a moment to watch her, admiring the girl's youthful appearance- a young, naive little thing, face lit with wonder despite the fear. She appeared to be no more than seventeen or eighteen by the look of her. His gaze dragged past the cascading locks of hair trailing down her slender back to her equally turquoise eyes. He let his gaze linger over her face, smiling slightly at her parted lips and incredulous expression. She was undoubtedly gorgeous, he realized suddenly, but quickly brushed the thought away before speaking once more.
"It's my job to know. I'm a dream eater, a baku, if you will, and I'm pleased to do just that. I'll take all these horrible dreams away, if you'll allow it." He placed a hand to his chest and bowed slightly.
The girl stared at him from a moment, scepticism written all over her face. As she opened her mouth to speak, the boy leaned forward, their faces inches apart.
"'How do you know I'm not lying?'" he purred, his look seductive and challenging, despite being wearied by her predictable inquiries. The baku stared into Miku's enchantingly bright eyes as he pulled away from her face and stood, ambling about the darkened room with a newfound feeling of bemusement. He spun his white cane familiarly between graceful fingers as the girl searched for words.
"It seems I may be here a while…" the baku sighed.
Miku heard the boy snap his fingers, and looked up to see a pure white teacup and saucer hovering before him. In another moment, a small silver spoon and sugarcubes materialized, clanking into the china cup. The spoon began to move simultaneously with the boy's spinning index finger, stirring whatever strange liquid was inside. A purple and gold steam billowed out of the cup as the baku took it in his hand. About to take a sip, he met eyes with the astonished girl, concealing an impish smirk behind the lip of his teacup.
"My apologies, Miku!" he exclaimed. "I never asked if you'd like any." He strided across the room, extending the cup and saucer to the girl in a cordial manner.
Miku shrieked, tangling herself in bed sheets as she jerked away from the boy's offering.
"Oh, now you've done it," he murmured in mock exasperation, glancing pointedly at something to the left side of Miku.
The girl turned to see what he was looking at, eyes falling to her bedroom door just as it opened.
Light spilled from the hallway into the girl's room, causing her vision to burst with color.
"Miku, sweetheart, are you alright?" her mother asked, concern evident in her voice as she entered the room.
The girl frantically blinked her eyes before looking back to where the boy had been standing, but nothing was there. She was once again alone in her room, no sign of anything having been amiss moments before.
"Did you have a nightmare?" the woman questioned, eyebrows furrowing in concern.
"Y-yeah, but I'm fine, mom," Miku replied. "You can go back to sleep."
The woman seemed to hesitate for a moment, worry still etched over her features as she looked down at her daughter. Miku was still looking quite pale, she observed, the shadows under her eyes making her face look gaunt, but she hadn't heard her crying out in her sleep that night. Though she was still deeply concerned, her mother sighed, and with a nod she wished the girl goodnight. After the door was once again shut, Miku sighed.
"Just a dream…" she muttered, relaxing slightly despite her bewilderment, until laughter rang in her ear.
Miku started back as the baku once again stood before her.
"Now, now, young lady. You and I both know that was not a dream," he snickered. "Have I gone out of my way enough for you to trust me? Or is another magic trick in order…?"
The girl's breath grew less ragged, never letting her eyes leave the boy as she regained her composure, the reality of her bizarre situation causing her heart to pound and her stomach to flutter. After some time, her body relaxed. She took a deep breath before she spoke.
"S-so if this is all true," Miku wavered, her eyes falteringly meeting with his, "if you can take away my nightmares… Can you tell me what's causing them, too?"
The dream eater sighed offhandedly, and opted to explore her bedroom as he spoke. "Demons, malevolent spirits. Creatures that obtain their nourishment by feeding off the fears of the innocent…" He wandered over to the vanity and picked up a bottle of perfume. The baku stared at the dull colored glass in the moonlight, watching the liquid tilt inside the bottle as he swirled it around. He found the room had a sweet scent to it, something light and floral, and assumed that the bottle held the source of the pleasant aroma. Frowning, he snapped his fingers, and a strange golden light flickered beside him. "Much better," he cooed quietly in admiration, watching the color of the bottle as it now vividly sparkled in the strange glow. "The more fear, the stronger they become," he continued on. "Demons have methods of eliciting this fear in high amounts, you see. In cases like yours, they weave horrible nightmares that plague their victims consciousness by day and keep them awake by night. The more tired and weak the person becomes, the easier it is for a demon to prey upon them... and before you know it..." the boy sighed, eyes downcast as he crushed the golden fragments of light in his fist, "you're only a hollow shell of your former self."
A sob caught in Miku's throat as fear welled up inside of her. "Please," she begged, "you have to help me. These dreams are doing exactly as you say. I can hardly sleep at night anymore, it's eating away at me. I can't go on like this. Can you... please… won't you take these nightmares away?"
The boy's gaze softened as Miku began to cry a bit louder. "Of course I will," he replied kindly. Setting down the bottle, he walked towards Miku. "I have the perfect spell for combatting this sort of thing. All we have to do now is seal the deal." He extended his hand before the girl.
Miku blinked in confusion. "A... pinky promise...?" she asked curiously, unsure of how to respond to the strange gesture.
The boy laughed lightly, "I know it's strange, but this is the proof of our contract. My promise to take away these terrible dreams." His eyes met with the girl's, and his expression altered. "What a beautiful color…" he absentmindedly whispered as he stared into Miku's bright turquoise eyes.
Her face flushed with the earnestness in the other's voice. She stuttered a hasty "thank you" in reply and extended her hand, linking little fingers with the boy.
The baku grinned. "Our deal is sealed." He helped Miku climb back into her bed. Once the sheets were properly tucked in and Miku seemed comfortable, he spoke again. "Now, young miss," he began, sitting on the edge of the girl's bed, "tell me all about these horrid dreams."
The girl paused before taking a shaky breath. She grasped a sheet in her hand, and absentmindedly wrang the fabric between her fingers as she struggled to think of where she should begin. After a minute of expectant silence, she opened her mouth and began her tale.
"I wake up in a world of shadows… There's hardly any light so I can barely see a thing. I try to walk around, but I seem to be going nowhere. It seems like I wander in there for for hours. My head aches and pounds and I have to strain my eyes to see anything. No matter which way I turn, there's just darkness, nothing else to tell me where I am or if I'm even really moving. When I get frustrated and try to give up... That's when I begin hearing the voices. They're all so familiar, like my friends and family. But everyone is speaking at a distance, and all at once, so I follow the sounds. When I think I start getting closer, everything changes and the space gets even darker. And that's when…" she paused, biting her lip.
"It's alright," the dream eater whispered. "I'll protect you from these terrible dreams… Carry on when you can."
Miku nodded, and after a deep breath continued. "I feel like I'm being watched. And then the voices seem to be coming from behind me… I turn around and I see a someone I know, it's different with every dream, but it's always someone I care about, just standing there. Only something's wrong with them. Their arms hang loosely at their sides, and they're slouching, like a puppet on loosened strings. Their heads are tilted to an angle that almost looks painful, and their mouths gape open, drooling. But the worst part is when I look into their eyes. … there's only darkness. It's like their eyes were gouged out of their head, and horrible black holes have taken their place. Soon their body begins to convulse and the blackness of their eyes seems to leak and fall onto their face and down their mouths like tarry blood. That's when I panic and try to run, and they stagger after me. More and more people I know, and there's always something wrong with them. Sometimes there's a horrible smell, and that's when I notice their entrails tumbling out onto the floor. Other times they're covered in blood, or missing teeth, or limbs… It's always something different and terrible. I try to get away as fast as I can, but my legs don't want to work, and the ground gets sticky. The harder I try to escape, the closer they get until they're tearing at my body. Soon I can hardly run anymore, like whatever's on their face is all over the ground. And when they grab onto me… I wake up…"
By the time Miku completed her story, tears were spilling down her cheeks as she shook. The baku caressed her face, and produced a small handkerchief from the air with a flourish of his hand. He extended the cloth, and wiped the liquid away from Miku's bloodshot eyes.
"Such pure tears…" he muttered. "You do not deserve this agony. I'm happy to take away these dreams."
Feeling the gentleness of his touch, Miku calmed down a bit. She sniffled, thanking the baku for his services once again.
The dream eater smiled in reply. "The pleasure is all mine, young lady." He turned towards her window, eyeing the dark world outside. "However, I'm afraid I must leave you soon. But rest assured, you no longer have anything to fear."
"I have one more question…" the girl paused a moment before earnestly staring at the boy as she spoke. "What's your name…?"
The baku paused for a moment, placing a finger to his chin as he thought. "I don't get asked that often…" he muttered, the edge of his lips curling wryly. "You may call me Len," he concluded with a cordial smile.
"Len…" Miku whispered. "Thank you for helping me…"
"You should rest now," he replied.
The dream eater watched as Miku laid down in bed, pulling the blanket to her chest. Once her head was comfortably rested upon her pillow, Len gently waved his hand over her forehead. A light shimmer of golden sparks popped over Len's open palm with the motion. The blackness of his glove mixed with the color reminded the girl of stardust.
"Rest peacefully, Miku," the baku whispered, pulling his hand away.
Miku's eyes became heavy as Len spoke and a sudden wave of contentedness and warmth she hadn't felt in weeks seemed to flow through her. As she succumbed to sleep, she watched the baku disappear as the curtains enveloped his silhouette before the world faded to blackness.
Outside, the boy smiled to himself in satisfaction. He leaned against the side of her home, crossing his arms as he peered up at the sky, his eyes reflecting the dim glow of the waning moon's light.
"Oh, Miku…" he purred as a pleased, toothy grin bloomed over his face, "What delicious dreams you shall provide."
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