Pitch Perfect SpookFest 2022 - Day 2 (#ppsf22.2)
Welcome To My Nightmare
Summary: Beca Mitchell has been having nightmares about something chasing her. She can't remember much about the dream, but she knows she wakes up just before the thing that's chasing her actually catches her.
Beca Mitchell let out a scream and sat straight up in bed. Her breaths were coming in fast bursts, and her heart pounded as if it were trying to break free from her chest.
Beca looked around her darkened room and felt as if the shadows were moving in on her. She quickly clicked on the bedside lamp and let out the breath she had been holding.
"Fuck," she mumbled, looking at the bedside clock. "I've only been in bed for a couple of hours."
Beca threw back her blankets and threw her legs over the side. She sat for a few minutes to gather her thoughts.
"Okay," Beca mumbled, picking up her notepad and pen from the bedside table. "Nightmare checklist," she read aloud. "Number one: did the dream wake me from a deep sleep? Yes. Check. Number two: was someone chasing me? Yes. Check. Number three: did I see who was chasing me? No. So, no check."
Beca stopped and ran her hand through her hair.
"This is stupid," Beca mumbled, throwing the notepad and pen back down on the table. "I thought this was supposed to help figure out why I keep having this same fucking nightmare."
Beca stood and put her hair up in a ponytail as she left her bedroom.
Beca went to her 'liquor cabinet' and took out the bottle of bourbon. She grabbed a glass and poured two fingers of the bourbon. She downed that and poured another.
By the time she had finished, the once-full bottle was now half-full.
"That should be enough to let me sleep."
Beca turned quickly and fell to the floor. She started laughing, which quickly turned into sobs.
~~ Pitch Perfect SpookFest 2022 - Day 2 ~~
The pounding in Beca's head woke her the next morning. Lifting her head, she wiped the drool from her cheek and looked around; she was still on the kitchen floor. It took her a moment to realize the pounding was not in her head; someone was at her door.
"At least I didn't have another nightmare," Beca muttered as she slowly stood.
"Come on, Beca," her best friend Stacie called out from outside her door. "Let me in."
"Coming," Beca called out as she stumbled to the door.
Stacie pushed inside as soon as Beca opened the door.
"Please, do come in," Beca snarked.
"Well, I can see you're not dead," Stacie said. "Fat Amy and I have been trying to call you for at least an hour. We were worried about you, so I came to make sure you were okay."
"I'm fine," Beca said, going into the kitchen; Stacie followed her.
Beca grabbed the bourbon bottle and put it back in the cupboard.
"Drinking alone?" Stacie asked. "Did you have another nightmare?" Stacie held up her hand. "No, don't answer that. You look like shit, so I already know the answer."
Beca ran a hand through her hair. "So, what? I got drunk; it's the only way I can get any sleep anymore."
"I have an idea that might help," Stacie said. "There are these two researchers I heard about that have developed a process where they can get inside your dreams and help figure out what's happening. Maybe they can help you figure out why you keep having this same nightmare."
"Someone getting inside my dreams?" Beca scoffed. "Sounds a bit Twilight Zone-ish to me."
"That may be, but it couldn't hurt to try," Stacie said. "Either that or keep having the nightmare. Seems like an easy decision to me."
Beca sighed as she leaned against the counter and ran a hand down her face. "I guess it couldn't hurt."
"Good," Stacie said. "I made you an appointment for tomorrow. Try and stay awake tonight, so you'll be able to fall asleep when you're there."
"Why would you make me an appointment before you even told me about. . .this dream team thing?"
"I figured I could talk you into it if you said no," Stacie said.
"You can't make me do it," Beca said.
Stacie crossed her arms over her chest and stared at Beca. Beca stared back. After a minute, Beca caved and sighed.
"Fine, I'll do it," Beca said. "Where am I supposed to go?"
"I knew you'd see things my way," Stacie said smugly. "I'll text you the address. Your appointment is at nine, and you'll be meeting with Dr. Beale and Dr. Smith. They'll ask you questions and then set you up so you can go to sleep. Once you're sleeping, one of them will enter your dream to see if they can figure out what's going on."
"I repeat my previous statement about this being like a Twilight Zone episode," Beca said, pushing herself away from the counter. "I need to get dressed for work."
"Make sure you let them know you'll need to be off tomorrow," Stacie said. "The appointment is probably going to last a few hours."
"I will," Beca said, leaving Stacie alone in her living room.
~~ Pitch Perfect SpookFest 2022 - Day 2 ~~
The next morning, Beca arrived thirty minutes early for her appointment. She had finished filling out the forms she had been given and was now nervously sitting in the waiting room, knee bouncing up and down as she chewed on her fingernail.
"Beca Mitchell?"
Beca jumped up. "That's me."
"Follow me, please," the woman said. "I'm Dr. Smith, and I'll be assisting Dr. Beale with your, um, issue."
"My issue?" Beca asked. "You mean my nightmare?"
"Yeah," Dr. Smith said. "Dr. Beale will be handling the initial exam and dream entry. I'll be manning the equipment to make sure you both stay safe."
Beca stopped. "Stay safe? Is this dangerous?"
Dr. Smith stopped and looked back at Beca. "There are risks to any medical procedure, Miss Mitchell. Because of what we do, there is also a risk to whoever enters your dream. We have to take many precautions to reduce those risks. Dr. Beale will explain everything to you."
Dr. Smith turned and continued down the hall. Beca quickly ran to catch up with her.
Dr. Smith stopped and opened a door, stepping aside to let Beca enter. Beca's eyes darted everywhere, trying to take everything in. Her eyes widened when she noticed the woman coming toward her. The woman was gorgeous.
"Miss Mitchell," a red-haired woman said as she walked toward Beca with her hand outstretched. "I'm Dr. Beale. Please come in and have a seat."
Beca shook Dr. Beale's hand and then sat; Dr. Beale sat across from her. Beca tried not to stare, but she couldn't help herself; the woman was very attractive.
"You're the doctor?" Beca asked, mentally face-palming herself. "Of course, she's the doctor. She just told you she was Dr. Beale."
"Yes, I am," Dr. Beale said, looking down at a clipboard. "I see here that you keep having the same nightmare, and it is disrupting your everyday life. Can you tell me about this nightmare?"
"Um," Beca mumbled. "Someone is chasing me, and I don't know who it is or why they are chasing me. I always wake up just as I'm about to find out who it is."
"I see," Dr. Beale hummed. "From my studies, I know that being chased in your dream is one of several common dream themes stemming from feelings of anxiety in your waking life. In such dreams, you could be running from an attacker, an animal, a monster, or some unknown figure who wants to hurt or possibly kill you. Fight or flight is an instinctive response to a physical threat in the environment. Thus it is natural to run or hide or try to outwit your pursuer."
"I feel like whatever is chasing me wants to harm me," Beca said. "They may even want to kill me."
"Hmmm," Chloe hummed as she made another note on her clipboard. "Another thing about dreaming that you are being chased is an indication that you are avoiding some issues in your waking life. The actions in your dream exemplify how you respond to pressure and cope with fears, stress, or various situations. Instead of confronting the situation, you have a tendency to run away and avoid issues that you are uncomfortable with addressing."
"I, um, I do kind of do that," Beca said. "I tend to run when things get a bit too much for me."
"Let's delve a little farther into that," Chloe said. "Do you recall when this nightmare began?"
"Uh, about six months ago," Beca responded.
"Six months," Dr. Beale said, making a note on her clipboard. "Did anything major happen to you at that time?"
"What do you mean by major?"
"The death of someone close to you or perhaps you went through a bad breakup. Did something like that happen around that time?"
"No, nothing like that happened," Beca said, shifting in her seat.
"But, there was something," Dr. Beale said, prodding Beca for more.
"Well, six months ago, I got a promotion at work that I've been wanting. But that's a good thing and wouldn't cause me to have nightmares. Would it?"
"I wouldn't think so. But it may have triggered some anxiety that you're trying to keep buried. We'll know more once I get inside your nightmare and observe you."
"When are we going to do that?"
"Now, if you're up to it."
"Okay, let's do it."
~~ Pitch Perfect SpookFest 2022 - Day 2 ~~
"Relax, Miss Mitchell," Dr. Beale said as she placed a lead on Beca's temple.
"Please, call me Beca," Beca said.
"Okay," Dr. Beale said. "I'm Chloe. Now, once we get all these leads hooked up, we can get started. The first thing we'll do is turn down the lights and play some soft music to help you relax. I'll lay next to you, and Jessica, Dr. Smith, will hook me up. She'll start monitoring us both, and as soon as you are asleep, I'll join your dream. For the most part, I won't interact with you so your dream can come to its natural conclusion. Any questions?"
"How long will it last?"
Chloe chuckled softly. "That all depends on you. Once your dream ends, you'll wake up, and if I don't wake when you do, Jessica will wake me."
"Then what?"
"We'll sit down, and I'll tell you everything I observed," Chloe said. "Okay?"
"Okay," Beca responded.
Chloe smiled at Beca as she positioned herself on the bed next to Beca, and Jessica hooked up the leads. She smiled down at Chloe and left the room.
"Okay, ladies," Jessica said, her voice sounding through the speakers in the room. "First, the lights will go down, and then I'll turn on the music. That should relax you both enough for you to go to sleep."
Chloe took Beca's hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. "Ready?"
Beca looked over at Chloe and nodded.
"Okay, Jessica," Chloe said. "We're ready."
Jessica lowered the lights and turned on the music. She turned the knob to adjust the volume.
"Is that too low or too loud?" Jessica asked into the microphone.
"It's perfect, Jess," Chloe responded.
Beca nodded her head; she became more aware of all the wires that were attached to her and sighed.
"It's going to be okay," Chloe said. "I promise."
"I'm sorry," Beca said. "It's just. All these wires are making me tense."
"That's understandable," Chloe said. "What usually helps you relax and fall asleep."
"A couple of shots of bourbon helps a lot," Beca replied.
Chloe chuckled. "We can't do that," she said. "It may mess with your usual sleep patterns. Not to mention cause you not to dream."
"Right," Beca said. "The music is nice. Maybe if I just lay here and listen to it, it will help relax me so I can fall asleep."
"Okay," Chloe said. "I'll do the same, and I'll see you in your dreams."
A few minutes later, Chloe noticed Beca's breathing had become shallow and even. She looked over at her. Beca's eyes were closed, and her face looked relaxed.
"Okay, Jess," Chloe said quietly. "I think it's time."
"On it," Jessica said.
Chloe settled back and closed her eyes. She regulated her breathing and soon was asleep.
Chloe found herself in a bedroom with a younger-looking Beca and a man.
"No, daddy," Little Beca cried. "Leave the light on."
"There's nothing to be afraid of, Beca," Mr. Mitchell said, turning the light off. "You're a big girl now. So, go to sleep, and I'll see you in the morning."
Little Beca covered her face and cried. Chloe's heart went out to the little girl.
Suddenly, Chloe found herself watching an older Beca storming out of a house with the same man she knew was Beca's father yelling after her.
"And don't bother coming back!"
Beca stopped and faced the house. "Don't worry, I won't! I hate you! And your new wife!"
Beca stormed off, and Chloe watched until the scene changed again.
This time, she found herself at a gravesite. She looked around and saw Beca crying next to a woman who looked like her, only much older. The only other person there was a minister who was talking about God and Heaven.
The gravesite service ended, and the woman put her arm around Beca's shoulder.
"Come on, Beca," the woman said. "Let's go home."
Beca let the woman lead her away, looking back over her shoulder as two men began shoveling dirt over the coffin.
"Beca can't be more than sixteen," Chloe thought to herself.
The scene changed again, and Beca was now running down a dark street as if someone was chasing her. Chloe looked behind Beca but did not see anyone.
Beca continued to run, and Chloe soon found herself standing in a room with Beca, whose back was against the door, as she tried to catch her breath.
Chloe jumped slightly when there was a sudden banging on the door. She watched as Beca's eyes grew wide, and she pressed back against the door to keep it from being opened.
"Beca?" Chloe called, getting Beca's attention.
"Ahh!" Beca cried out. "Wh-what?"
"It's okay, Beca," Chloe said. "I'm going to leave you alone for a moment, so I can find out who's banging on the door. Okay?"
"O-okay," Beca said, then gasped when Chloe disappeared.
Chloe found herself on the other side of the door. It was her turn to gasp when she saw who was banging on the door. She quickly rejoined Beca.
"Beca," Chloe said. "Listen to me. You need to wake up now. Okay? Just wake up."
~~ Pitch Perfect SpookFest 2022 - Day 2 ~~
Beca suddenly woke with a start, sitting up in the bed, panting. She looked around to find she was in the bed with Chloe. She went to run her hand through her hair, only the leads stopped her.
"Shit!" Beca cried out.
"Beca, are you alright?" Jessica's voice came through the speaker.
"Um, yeah," Beca said. "I'm good."
Chloe woke up and immediately began removing the leads that were attached to her. Beca watched as her breathing began to return to normal.
"We need to talk about what I observed," Chloe said as she started removing Beca's leads.
"Okay," Beca said after the last lead was removed. "What did you observe?"
"Let's go to another room, and then we can talk," Chloe said, getting off the bed.
"Come this way, Beca," Jessica said from the doorway. "I have a room ready."
Beca followed Jessica, with Chloe following close behind. They entered a small room with a table and three chairs. Chloe and Jessica sat; Beca stood by the door.
"Please, have a seat, Beca," Chloe said.
Beca slowly made her way over and sat; she was sitting between Chloe and Jessica.
"I'm going to start from the first scene I encountered," Chloe said. "Will that be okay with you, Beca?"
"That's fine," Beca said.
"Okay," Chloe responded. "When I first entered your dream, you were just a young girl, maybe five or six. And, a man whom you called daddy was putting you to bed. You wanted the light left on, but he turned it off. You were upset when he did that."
"I was afraid of the dark," Beca said. "But, my father thought I was old enough not to be afraid. He was wrong, and I'm still afraid of the dark."
"I see," Chloe said. "After that, the next scene was you storming out of a house while you yelled at your father."
"I told him I was gay, and he kicked me out of his house," Beca said, teary-eyed. "He and his new wife didn't care that I was only fourteen. I went to my grandma's house. She took me in and raised me until I left to go out on my own."
"I'm sorry you had to go through that," Chloe said, placing a comforting hand over Beca's.
"It was what it was," Beca said, shrugging.
"Okay, so the next scene I encountered was you standing with an older woman at a gravesite," Chloe said.
"That must have been my mother's funeral," Beca said, teary-eyed. "It was just my grandma and me there to pay our last respects. I was sixteen when she died. My dad didn't show up. I thought he would come out of respect for her, but I guess he couldn't stand to be around his gay daughter."
Jessica handed Beca a tissue. Beca thanked her and wiped her eyes.
"So, um, what else did you see?" Beca asked. "I know I was being chased, and you were there. But I didn't see who was chasing me, did you?"
"Yes, I did," Chloe said. "Before I say anything more, I think you may want to talk to a psychologist. They study mental states, perceptual, cognitive, emotional, and social processes and behavior. Their work often involves the experimentation, observation, and interpretation of how individuals relate to each other and to their environments. I think they will be more likely to help you than we would."
"Why? What did you see?" Beca asked, sitting up straighter in her chair.
"Um, well," Chloe said. "I got a very clear look at who was banging on the door after chasing you into that room."
"Who was it?" Beca asked, her voice rising. "Who did you see?"
"Your father."
"My dad?!" Beca exclaimed.
"Yes," Chloe said. "The person that has been chasing you in your nightmare is your father."
"Does that mean my dad wants to kill me?" Beca asked.
"I can't be sure," Chloe said.
"But you have some idea, right?" Beca said.
"I do," Chloe said, running a hand through her hair. "All the scenes I witnessed had you interacting with your father in an angry manner. You were angry when he turned off the light and when he threw you out of his house. Then you were angry at him when he didn't show up for your mother's funeral. I think you still have a lot of unresolved anger toward your father; that's why I suggest you speak to a psychologist. They can help you dig deep down and figure it out. I'm sorry we can't do any more than what we've done."
"No, um, that's okay," Beca said. "It actually explains a lot. I'll take your suggestion and talk to a psychologist. I think you're right that they could help me deal with my anger toward my father."
Chloe smiled and stood. "I'm glad. Perhaps you'll keep us informed of what happens."
"I can do that," Beca said. "Thank you both."
"We're glad we were able to help," Jessica said. "Even if we couldn't give you all the answers you were looking for."
"Maybe not," Beca said, smiling. "But, you gave me a good place to start."
~~ Pitch Perfect SpookFest 2022 - Day 2 ~~
Six months later, Beca walked into the dream research office and sat down with Chloe and Jessica. She had made an appointment to let the two know how things were going.
"What can we do for you, Beca?" Jessica asked.
"I wanted to thank you both again," Beca said cheerfully. "Your advice worked. I've been seeing a psychologist, and one of their recommendations was to confront my father in my dream. I did and yelled at him about everything he did that made me angry. Since I did that, I've only had that nightmare once."
"Beca!" Chloe squealed, jumping up to hug her. "That's wonderful news."
"Thanks," Beca said before releasing Chloe.
"Thanks for letting us know," Jessica said.
"I promised I would," Beca said and looked at her watch. "Oh, I have to get back to the studio. Thank you both again."
Later that night, Beca was lying in bed when she started dreaming. It started out innocently enough but quickly turned into a nightmare. A nightmare where someone was chasing her again. As she had done in her previous nightmare, she turned to confront whoever it was, expecting to see her father. Instead, she was shocked because when she turned, Beca was looking directly into the smirking face of Dr. Chloe Beale.
"What are you doing in my dream?" Beca asked.
"The question should be, am I in your dream, or are you in mine?" Chloe asked with a grin.
"I, um," Beca stammered, unsure how to respond.
She gasped when Chloe suddenly leaned in to kiss her. Beca kissed her back, and suddenly Beca felt a pain in her stomach. She looked down and saw a knife in Chloe's hand. She looked at Chloe, and Chloe was grinning at her.
"Welcome to your new nightmare," Chloe said.
Beca woke up with a start and sat up in her bed.
"What the fuck was that?" Beca muttered.