Dreams.
Why are there dreams when one sleeps? There are many ideas about the causes of dreams. But none are one hundred percent certain.
How are there different types of dreams? Dreams can be pleasant, mundane, informing, alarming, scary, horrifying.
Some go to bed in order to dream. Some, however, stay awake as long as possible to avoid dreams.
Mutual dreams are when two separate entities have the same dream. How nice it would be if there was someone who shares your dream. That way you would never be alone.
"Hey Lottie, stop sleeping on the job." Leo sighs from his seat on a ladder as he gazes upon his co-worker's dozing form at the cashier.
Leo and Charlotte, nicknamed Lottie, both work at the music store, Pandora's Music Box. The store both sells and fixes instruments. The shop itself is small but the building which doubled as a home for three is a mansion in size. There was a time when people came for music lessons so more of the building was used but that was before either Leo or Lottie came. Now it was hard to even get customers for instruments. Still, one should not sleep on the job, even if it was snowing lightly outside.
Leo was a rather short boy even though he just turned seventeen last week. He had long hair that seemed to poke out in odd places and thick glasses. Probably part of the reason is due to the fact that he has a phobia to scissors and hairbrushes for a reason he can't recall. At least the boy knows how to dress nicely enough to make up for it. His wardrobe consists of mostly black jackets, white shirts, and dark dress pants. The only color he wears is a purple tie on top of his shirt. Lottie always teases Leo on how perfectly his clothes match his personality, boring.
Lottie, in opposition, is a chipper girl. The way Lottie talks to boys makes many believe that she is hitting on them. Actually, girls have felt this way about Lottie too. That is just the way the pink haired girl is. Leo gets uncomfortable sometimes with how touchy feely she can be. The nineteen year old wears a pink skirt and cream colored blouse. Her hair is longer than Leo's but at least it's taken care of.
Leo stares at Lottie through his glasses then takes a look at the book he just finished. The boy smirks. "Lottie? Are you really asleep?" No response comes from the register's table. 'Honestly…' Leo thought. 'I've already checked the inventory as well as finishing reading my book … Well I guess there was no point in checking the inventory since no one has come inside the shop for two days. The point is I'm working and she's asleep.' Leo flings the book at Lottie's head. Impact in three… two… one-
"Ow! What the hell?" Lottie looks around and notices the book next to her and hears laughing. "Leo! You brat! I was having such a nice dream."
"Really? Can I see it? I'm kind of hungry." Leo jokes.
"Stay out of my dreams! If you don't, I'll shave all your hair off." Lottie hisses.
Pandora's Music Box carries another purpose. Here lives a baku, Leo, one who can eat dreams. The purpose of the shop once night begins is to help those who want to get rid of certain dreams. Usually the customers have dreams that have plagued them, recurring dreams. However seeing as how people enjoy happy dreams, most of what Leo sees and eats are nightmares.
Leo glares at Lottie. "That wasn't nice… Charlotte." The teen hangs his head so that his long bangs make it impossible to see his face.
'Crap' Lottie knows that when Leo uses her full name it is a clear sign that the boy is pissed. An angry Leo is not good as his teasing becomes even crueler. "Ha ha… Come on Leo. It was a joke. I would never really ever even touch your hair!" The girl got off her seat and slowly approaches the boy. She outstretches her hand to place it on the boys shoulder.
Leo swats away the gesture. "I was joking too. Yet I didn't go that far."
"Come on. Why are you so mad?" Lottie pauses then sighs running a hand through her own hair. "Look… I went too far. Sorry."
Leo brings his head up smiling. "That's okay."
"Why you little…" Lottie could feel her temper rising. 'That little faker… Why do I always fall for his acting?'
Leo giggles and skips away a few steps before turning around. "Anyways…I do not need to enter your dreams to know how it went." Leo smiles happily. "Here Lottie! Let me act out your dream of you and Glen." Leo runs into the door that connects the shop to the house that was shared between the three Baskervilles.
Lottie chases Leo but her heels gave the boy an advantage. "Get down here you! Summoning Jabberwock to get to that height is cheating."
Leo smiles from his perch on the chandelier hanging above the main stairwell. "Since the audience is here. I'll begin act one." Lottie's glare of death did not faze the boy. Leo clears his voice and in a higher pitch than normal speaks. "My name is Lottie Baskerville. I like the color pink~ but I love~ my foster father, Glen."
"Get down here now! I'll make you wish you were never born Leo!" Lottie screams, face turning a tint of pink.
"Oh~ I almost forgot about that. I also have an unhealthy obsession with torturing people. Still Glen hasn't noticed my love~ for him. I know! I'll hit on some random guy in town so he'll get jealous. I'm so~ clever." Leo makes the girlish giggle he can manage.
"Ha ha ha. That was so funny. Now get down here so I can smash your head in!" Lottie yells.
"Act two." Leo says in his normal voice then makes a lower pitch and continues. "I'm Glen, Charlotte's foster father. But since this is her dream I'm also the love interest. So now I must go into town to stop her from hitting on poor underage boys."
"Your acting sucks! Glen is much better than you are making him."
"Act three." Leo starts talking in his mock Lottie voice. "Hi, little boy. Do you want to date me so Glen will get jealous?" Leo makes another voice. "Lady? Are you high? Officer! A nutcase is trying to lure me to her home with candy!"
"Stop it!"
Leo ignores his sister. Leo lowers his voice again. "Charlotte, stop this madness at once. Officer and young sir I am quite sorry for my daughter's behavior. I will give her a strict talking to when she gets home." Leo raises his fist for emphasis. "After the officer and boy leave Lottie says…"
"Get your punk ass down here now!"
"Wrong! She says…" Leo clears his throat. "Glen you came for me!"
"Shut up. Shut up. Shut up."
"Lottie…" Leo continues in Glen's voice not noticing the said man entering the room. "I had to stop you because you are mad. However, you are just the mad I've been looking for." Leo claps his hands together as if closing a book. "The end."
"You're dead!" Lottie yells trying to summon her familiar only to be stopped by Glen.
"You are just the mad I've been looking for?" Glen repeats causing Leo to almost fall.
Glen the head of the Baskerville family adopted both Leo and Lottie for different reasons. Glen is another baku and Leo's teacher. Glen is a calm, quiet man. He has a great ear for musical talent. Even if he denies it, he can handle children. Both Leo and Lottie think of Glen as better than their real parents.
"Leo what was that story you put on right now?" Glen asks looking up at the boy.
Leo floats to the floor using Jabberwock's power and smiles. "Lottie's Dream in three acts."
"You won't be able to eat dreams when I'm through with you." Lottie seethes.
"While you're acting was good Leo, I'm grounding you." Glen states making Lottie laugh and Leo frown. "Lottie you are too." This causes Leo to laugh and Lottie to flip off Leo. "I'm too old for this. You two stop fighting. It's dangerous to leave the store unattended. What if robbers entered?"
Leo holds his sides laughing, surprising Lottie and Glen for a moment. "Poor robbers… They never stood a chance against Lottie's fetishes."
"You're one to talk Leo!" Lottie shouts slapping the boy on the face. "Sometimes people run away from the store terrified even after you cure them of nightmares."
"Huh? That guy deserved it. He murdered his wife in order to get her money. You weren't inside his dream. He was a sicko."
"Still, he was a customer and a human."
"Humans are more wicked them demons!" Leo shrieks holding his head. "All I did was twist his dream in a way that he felt some of that lady's pain."
"We could of called the police not make it so the man fled town," Lottie sighs.
"Right… How would we do that?" Leo stares into his sister's face. "Dear officer, I found out the woman who died a week before was killed by her husband. How did I find out? Well, I'm a demon and was able to find out by entering the man's dreams. Sorry Lottie, but I'm not interested in going to a mad house or becoming an experiment for humans to look at."
"Enough both of you." Glen's voice although calm and quiet causes the siblings to cease. A chime ringing could be heard. "Lottie, please see to the customer."
"At once Glen." Lottie says while running back to the store.
Leo starts to follow but stops in his tracks to look up at Glen blocking the way. "Leo. Did you see anything?"
"I see a lot of things but I assume you are referring to something specific. About what Teacher?" Leo mutters. 'Glen' and 'father' don't sound right coming from Leo. So instead he calls the man 'Teacher'.
"Anything from then?" Glen places one arm to rest on the teen's shoulder.
"The word 'then' is also quite vague. Are you talking about the weird images I used to see? That stopped in less than a year after I obtained Jabberwock to help me go into dreams. There are no memories from before I became a baku." Leo must have imagined his foster father tense up for a moment.
"I see. That is because the Jabberwock you use as a familiar consumed your human memories prior to make change from human to baku possible." Glen states.
"Well… Anyways, if I gave them up so easily they must not have been important." Leo says as he removes himself from Glen's arm.
"Do you regret becoming a baku?"
Leo's response comes out quickly. "Not at all. I still remember some things of my childhood. I mean just that my family was murdered by common thieves but it happened so long ago I don't even remember their faces." The boy's words hold no lies or hesitation. "I forgot those years of my life after the incident in order to gain the Jabberwock but I enjoy flying. My family is here. I do not feel any regret about taking on some of Teacher's power in order to become helpful. Besides, we both agree that seeing nightmares is something that a girl shouldn't be a part of. I don't mind in the slightest."
Glen smiles weakly. "If you are certain. Go. The customer might be for you since night has fallen."
"Understood Teacher."
Glen watches as the boy walks back into the store. "I'm glad." The man says to no one. "Some memories are best left… forgotten."
"Teacher!"
"Glen, help us!"
Upon hearing the two whines the stoic man shakes his head. "Never a dull moment with those two."
As Glen returns to the store front, he sees Leo trying to stop Lottie from attacking a black cat with a red ribbon tied on its neck.
"Let go Leo! That fucking cat scratched me!" Lottie hisses.
"I will not. He only attacked you because you were trying to throw him outside." Leo says, barely able to hold onto his kicking sister.
Lottie screams at the cat, "You… We aren't going to give you any milk or food. All I'm going to give you is a good trashing!"
The cat hisses in response.
"You're scaring the customer." Leo reprimands.
"The only presence besides us is that cat…" Lottie stops her outburst as it hits her. "Wait. Did you say customer? That cat?" Her response is a meow.
Leo releases his sister and kneels on one leg to look at the customer. "I'm sorry for my co-worker's behavior. She's not always that bright."
"Huh? I'm not psychic. How was I supposed to know that the animal was here for… Wait, what is it here for?" Lottie inquires to the cat as she too gets down on one knee.
The cat stares at the pink haired girl.
When there is no answer Lottie sighs and admits defeat. "Okay. Fine! I was wrong. I apologize." Lottie turns her head away in embarrassment. Of course. This cat has on a ribbon. It has an owner so it didn't come here for food. Lottie makes a squeak and looks down to see the cat licking her injured hand.
"Be grateful that my customer is forgiving you." Leo informs.
"I see… Um… what's the little one's story?"
"Let me see. I'm guessing he has a nightmare. I doubt he's here to play violin."
"Haha… Very funny. Do you know what the dream was about?"
"I do not understand the language of cats. So I cannot be sure until I enter the dream. I might have been able to find something at the wish shop to use but those two Alices would need time to craft a potion and our customer deserves to be served now." Leo proceeds to make the cat fall asleep so he can find out inside the dream. "Bow your head- Ow!" Leo rubs the bump on his head. "What was that for Teacher?"
"Do not be so hasty, Leo. It is true that sometimes one must enter the customer's dream without knowledge but this is not one of those times." Glen looks to Lottie and speaks. "Summon Leon in his animal form. Leon will gather the story from our guest. You share a common bond with your familiar and will be able to then tell Leo the story."
"Ah! Right! Leon is a type of cat." Lottie closes her eyes. Behind her a lion wearing a crown appears. "Leon! I missed you!" Lottie throws her arms around the lion. "Will you be able to help us out? Please talk to Mr. Cat there."
After a few meows and growls, Leon disappears. "So?" Leo asks.
"Mr. Cat doesn't have an owner but there was a girl who would come out and play with him. This girl is the one who gave Mr. Cat the ribbon. However, this girl is no longer coming out to play with him. She now runs away whenever he goes over or yells. Mr. Cat is having a dream where the girl dies. He knows that the little girl is no longer playing with him but Mr. Cat is still worried about the idea of her dying He wants to make sure the dream won't become true." Lottie explains.
"I understand. Let me enter your dream and help find the cause of the death in order to prevent this nightmare from taking shape in the real world." The cat's meow is taken as a yes. "Bow your head. Close your eyes and let sleep befall you."
Once the words are spoken a light shines. Once the light fades the cat is asleep and Leo is no longer present in the room but rather in full flesh inside the cat's dream.
Leo looks around a small street of town. Small shops and simple townhouses make up the road. He notices the sun barely coming up in the east. "Sunrise? Why meet a cat when there is barely any light?" Leo's train of thought stops upon hearing slight meowing and a soft voice.
Leo walks up to one of the townhouse end units. Under the shadow of a balcony a young girl, perhaps eight years old is bending over a familiar cat, smiling. "So you came again huh?" She reaches out a small hand to pet the cat but stops before touching.
The cat meows in confusion.
"Stop… Don't meow so loud." The girl's voice shakes.
The cat continues trying to tell the girl his feelings. 'But why? Why won't you play with me anymore? Did I do something wrong?'
Leo's customer is the cat. Being inside the cat's dream as a baku allows Leo to understand the words the cat speaks. Leo decides not to intervene just yet and observes. He notices the girl starting to get frustrated.
She yells. "Why are you so stubborn? I don't want to be with you anymore! I don't like you anymore! I'm no longer your friend. Go find someone else to take care of you."
The cat's voice once again flows into Leo's head. 'But you gave me your favorite ribbon as proof of our friendship. Please at least tell me why. Baku please. I need to know.'
"Guess that's my cue." Leo enters the vision of the girl. "Excuse me. What a cute cat. Does he have a name?"
The girl jumps. "Sorry I didn't know anyone else would be up so early." The question registers. "I don't know its name. I don't believe he has one."
"Hmm… Strange. I thought he was your cat." The teen notices the cat's look at him but he ignores it.
"No he's not." She replies.
"Really?" Leo asks.
"He's just a stray that lives around here."
Leo smirks and adjusts his glasses. "You call him a stray, yet you keep feeding him." Leo notices the girl tense. "You also play with him very often or at least you used to. Why the sudden hardening of heart?"
The girl takes a step back. "H-how do you know all that? I always check and make sure no one is around before meeting him."
The cat hisses at Leo. 'Why are you picking on her? This wasn't what you were supposed to do.'
"It's strange. Wouldn't you agree?" Leo asks turning towards the cat. "Why would a little girl leave her house early morning? She mentioned checking the streets before playing. Why hide the fact that you play with a cat? I mean it's not something bad… or is it?"
"Stop it! You're scaring my friend!" The little girl screams at Leo.
"But earlier you told him you were no longer friends. Which is it?" Leo asks picking up the cat. "If you don't have a use for him… I'll get rid of him for you." Leo starts walking away.
The cat enraged is biting and clawing at the boy's hands, leaving marks.
Leo barely gets in front of the next townhouse before the girl catches him. "Let 'im go now! You big bully! Pick on someone your own size. You jerk! Meanie!" The girl continues speaking while punching the back of Leo's legs.
"Ho? I'm mean?" Leo turns around to face her, still holding the cat. "Aren't you the mean one? This cat comes to you every day to play yet you suddenly try to cut all contact."
The girl starts crying but she covers her mouth.
"You really don't want anyone to know about this do you? Who are you trying to hide him from?" Upon no answer Leo sighs and releases the cat.
The cat runs in front of the girl as if he were her knight, shielding her from the evil before them.
Leo laughs slightly. "You'd protect her even now?"
The girl stares at the cat before her, it was true. The cat was hissing, back arched, ready to attack Leo. She whimpers slightly. She attempts to reach out to her friend but is stopped by Leo's warning.
"Don't touch him!"
"But why? Why not? He's my friend. Look. He's still wearing the present I got him." The girl motions to the red ribbon.
"You and I both know why." Leo returns no longer trying to play the part of the enemy. He sits down in front of the two. "If you get sick or die, who will take care of him? Your face is already turning red from just being near him. You can no longer breathe easy around him… Am I right?"
"A-at first I was fine being with him. But eventually I started getting itchy and I started having trouble breathing. My eyes would water and Mommy told me if I kept playing with him she'd have to take him away. I don't understand. I want t-t-to stay friends but Mommy gets scared and I hate seeing Mommy look scared."
"She's worried about losing her child. It's natural for most parents to want to keep their children safe. You developed an allergy to cats but you still care for him. You tried to get him to be afraid of you by yelling when he came over but instead he was confused." Leo turned to the cat. "Do you understand now? I'm going to bring us back to the shop."
'Yes. If I continue to see her like this she'll get sick or worse. I will stop seeing her.'
"This is only a dream. Your friend knows of nothing here. If you suddenly stop appearing it will have the same effect on her as the yelling did to you."
'Then?'
Leo sighs. "I'm sure Teacher can help me pull off the final solution to this problem. Open your eyes now."