The Dust of Our Dreams
Dreams. They are the dust that consume our subconscious, messing with and altering our perception of reality. They are both a blessing and a curse with no in between. Dreams are what make sleep a delectable experience, for the humanly task would be rather boring otherwise.
"Corporal, sir!" Petra called, running up to her superior. The distressed expression that was contorting her usual, upbeat facade was enough the suggest that something was amiss. "Have you seen the Chief lately? Hanji has been waiting for him in the dining hall for nearly an hour now. She said that they had scheduled some sort of meeting?"
Corporal Levi, who had been bent at the knee, was inspecting a smudge that had scuffed up the top of his boot, by the time that Petra had approached him. The sight was unruly, but also a bit peculiar. Since when had that been there? Where did it come from?
Somehow, waiting for more than a few seconds was a bit too long for Petra to uphold her patience. It was as if the Corporal had completely disregarded her question. "...Sir?" she tried once more.
"Hmm?" Corporal Levi hummed, finally granting the female soldier with the "gift" of his attention. "What is it?"
"Erm, did you not hear me, sir? I just asked where the Chief was. Chief Erwin? He's not-"
"He's in a meeting," the Corporal interrupted.
"A meeting?" Puzzled, Petra tilted her head slightly to the side. "That's odd. Hanji insists that they had scheduled a meeting for this afternoon. Like I said, she's been waiting-"
"She's wrong," another interruption. "You can go tell her that."
"But, sir, I-"
"I'm busy," Corporal Levi insisted, "otherwise I would do it myself. Seeing the reaction on her face would be satisfying enough. Now go."
Without another word, dare she irritate her superior further, Petra nodded, offered a salute, and scurried back down the lengthy hallway, intent on delivering the not-so-pleasant news to Hanji.
Nightmares are vicious. Like dreams, they consume, but they are notorious for so much more than that. They devour. That inkling of reality that had once been held at bay, firmly grasped by the notion of an awakening, is cast away by the currents that assault the brain with their ruthless whip.
Nightmares are ghastly things; quite ghastly indeed.
Corporal Levi had always known the Chief to be a man of importance. However, it wasn't until said Chief was no where to be found that his importance became brutally apparent. If he were to count, on his fingers, just how many times he had been stopped that afternoon, only to be asked the very same question over and over and over again, he would have long run out of digits.
"Where's the Chief?"
"I'm not certain. Taking a dump, maybe?"
"Hey, have you seen Chief Erwin anywhere?"
"I have not. He could be in the courtyard."
"Is the Chief sick, or something?"
"Possibly. I wouldn't know."
"Do you think you can tell the Chief something for me, the next time you see him?"
"That depends on just what it is that you want me to tell him."
And such as that, it was clear to see that the Corporal's day had been a very tiring one.
In the late hours of the afternoon, just before dinner was to be served in the dining hall, Corporal Levi slipped past a few rookie soldiers who, luckily, had their backs turned. No doubt, if they had caught a glimpse of the Corporal in his passing by, they would have instantly bombarded him with questions about their "missing" Chief Commander.
Although not to others, it was quite obvious that Corporal Levi knew exactly where Chief Erwin was, and what it was that he was doing. With gentle steps and faint breaths, he had approached a door that was eerily set back into the stone wall of the old castle building. The wall had masked its presence and made it less noticeable when compared to other doors. Without so much as even a knock, the Corporal opened the door, crept inside, and shut it behind his entry.
Dreams are a wonderful thing. They show the world of the known, as well as the world of the unknown. They may feel cluttered. They may feel scattered. Dreams are funny that way, much like the enigma of dust on an artist's most actively used paintbrush.
"Did you rest well?"
There was no response.
"Did you dream of anything?"
Again, silence.
"Knowing you, you've probably been dreaming about strategics, or whatever."
Nothing.
With a heavy sigh, Corporal Levi entered further into the room, drinking in his surroundings. To his left, there was a large book case that was ironically barren of such. To his right, there was a mantel that served no purpose whatsoever. Honestly, what was it even doing there? Then of course, front and center, in a bed that was so run down even a peasant would turn up their nose, in blankets that were so worn out that no heat could ever radiate from within them, was the man of the hour - more like hours - that everyone had been craving for.
And he was asleep.
The heels of his boots clicked against the rugged flooring, as Corporal Levi drew closer to the Chief. He wouldn't dare take a seat on the edge of the filthy bed, but it was decent enough, by his standards, that he was merely standing over the sleeping man. "Do you realize how much trouble this plan of yours has put me through?"
Soft breaths, nothing more.
"Do you realize that I've had to spend my entire day lying to my subordinates because of you?"
An eyebrow twitch.
"Do you even care?"
"I do."
The response had been unexpected, nearly throwing the Corporal into cardiac arrest. Had the Chief been playing him? How long had he been awake? Corporal Levi wasn't ashamed to ask.
"How long have you been awake?"
"For a while now," the Chief answered, his words still loosely laced with fatigue.
"Why didn't you respond sooner?"
"It was relaxing to hear you talk."
"You're weird. I'm done with this." Stomping towards the door in an agitated huff, Corporal Levi felt the need to throw in just one last jab, before his departure. "Oh, and by the way, the next time you feel the need to take a power nap, don't bother asking me to cover for you, because I won't do it."
"Yes, you will," Chief Erwin said certainly.
"No, I won't."
"You will."
"I won't."
"You won't."
"I won't."
"Oh, you didn't fall for it?"
"Of course not. I'm not a child."
"Is that so?" the Chief hummed. "Then why are you pouting like one?"
"Get back to work," and with that, Corporal Levi had slammed the door shut, leaving his Chief Commander alone with nothing more than soft chuckles and the dust of his dreams.
Hello there! Chappy here! :D
Whoop! Happy birthday, Commander Eyebrows!
What started out as a "birthday-centric" drabble turned out not to be. Sorry for that. :/
Nonetheless, I hope you've enjoyed!
And thank you very much for taking the time to read! (:
- Chappy