Cloud's Dream
Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Simples.
Blood. Why was there so much of it?
Cloud looked around him, trying to comprehend the reason why he was here. He was supposed to be in his bed, sleeping comfortably…or not. He was supposed to be mourning the death of his sister, who died six days ago. She was kind and compassionate and wouldn't hurt a soul…so why did Death choose her? Why not choose one of the millions and billions of criminals out there in the world? Why Naminé Strife?
Screaming. Why was it so loud?
Turning his head to his left, Cloud's blue eyes widened at the sight. A girl dressed in white was staring at him through eyes equally as blue. She was pale and scrawny, as if she was anorexic. He could see the outline of her ribs through her dress and the emptiness behind her dull eyes. Was she the one who screamed?
Slowly, the stranger lifted her hand and pointed one bony finger towards him, long silvery blond locks falling as her head bent down low. Cloud's breath hitched in his throat. The world suddenly began to revolve from a dusty wasteland to a graveyard full of broken bones and cracked tombstones. The air was stale and had a distinctive undead smell about it; no doubt the mysterious girl was the one emitting it.
"Who are you?" The question rang in the air, lifeless and as dead as the figure standing in front of him. Cloud's eyebrows furrowed in frustration. "Who are you?" he repeated.
"Cloud…" the girl finally answered him. "I'm sorry…"
And the world instantly became black.
Cloud sat up, eyes like blue dots and rivulets of sweat running down his forehead, dampening his spiky blond hair. His white bed sheets were crumpled and he leaned to his right to turn on his bedside lamp. "Damn it," he muttered when the light the lamp released was only a dim one. It didn't help a bit. Groggily getting up, he switched on the main light, only to receive the same treatment. "Stupid electricity…" He walked over to his desk and picked up the telephone, punching the numbers to Hollow Bastion Electricity in rapidly.
Beep. Beep. The number you have called is unavailable. Please try again. "Argh!" he yelled and slammed the phone down once more. He covered his face with his hands and jumped back into bed, pulling the sheets over him for the second time that night. He was just going to have to live with it. Maybe they would sort it out in the morning. After all, it was only eleven forty-five in the evening. His friends had always bullied him about his bedtime. They said it was too early but Cloud always denied this fact. Being a professional businessman meant that he needed rest; lots and lots of it.
Closing his eyes, he drifted back to sleep, snuggling deeper into his pillow.
"Why are you sorry? Who are you?" Cloud demanded, stepping forward for each question. The girl kept backing away from him, her arm now trembling. "Why are you sorry? I want answers!" He was angry and his face showed it. The girl stopped shaking and he could feel her smirking underneath the long tresses of hair.
She lowered her finger down slowly…ever so slowly… "I'm sorry, Cloud. What more can I say?" she giggled, the insanity creeping into her voice. It freaked the hell out of Cloud. She moved forwards, Cloud was the one stepping backwards now. The scenery changed again to the dusty wasteland, sediments whirling freely in the air. "Cloudy, cloudy, cloudy… why were you named after such a fluffy object when you yourself are the complete opposite? Hm? Care to explain?" She giggled again.
"Who are you and how the hell do you know my name?" Cloud barked, blue eyes flaming. It was so hard to speak over the wild wind.
"Why, I'm part of you! Don't you realize that?" she twirled around gracefully on the spot despite it being not aesthetically pleasing. "You can't get rid of me no matter what you do! I am you and you are me. Hooray! We are one big family." Her head cocked to the side, revealing one crystal blue eye. Cloud was speechless. How? Why? What? "You look confused, Cloudy."
"St-Stop calling me that!" Cloud stammered, heart pounding in his chest. This couldn't be happening. Not to him. No no no!
"I'm sorry, Cloud. I won't ever call you that ever again. I promise." The smirk was back again. "Cross my heart and hope to die."
Cloud sprinted to the bathroom, turned the cold water tap on and splashed his face with it. His dream…it seemed so realistic…as if the girl was actually inside him. He would never forget how she smirked and how she pointed her fingers and how she…"Damn." Cloud shook his head, resting his hand against the stone cold bathroom wall. He lifted his head to glance at his appearance in the mirror but all he saw was her and her grin.
Screaming, he scrambled away from the mirror, stumbling into the bin and almost slipping on the wet floor. She was following him. Oh, my God she was following him. Inhale, exhale. It's just a hallucination. You shouldn't have taken those drugs, Cloud, he mentally scolded himself and looked around the bathroom again. It was completely bare of any paranormal activity.
Cautiously standing up, he walked straight into his kitchen, turning another dim light on. He rummaged through his fridge, wanting to find some sea-salt ice cream to cool down with. Once he had found it, he closed the fridge again—
—and ran straight into her and her grin.
He dropped the ice cream, reaching for the nearest kitchen utensil: a breadknife. Instinctively, he threw it at her, hitting her on the head. The red blood dripped down slowly, spreading until her whole body was splattered with crimson. It trailed down her leg and onto the floor. He was going to have to clean that mess later on once this freak finished dying.
But she didn't die. She was still alive. Cloud stared in horror as the same bony arm that pointed at him removed the breadknife from her forehead and dropped it onto the floor with a clang.
"You can't get rid of me, Cloud Strife. I'm your inner demon. It's so nice of you to finally awaken me."
Just a random one-shot. Review! :)
