Chapter 2: Somnambulism

The fear was temporary, turning into anger.

"Where is she?" Makomo's calm tone betrayed her internal rage.

The monster only roared in response.

If only I had a weapon, even a knife, I-

A solid item materialized in Makomo's right hand. Looking down she saw a small knife, just as she wished for. As the horrid creature lumbered towards her, she smiled to herself. Once it was close enough, she sunk the blade into its neck.

"Don't you know how difficult it is to keep white toys clean?"

Makomo dragged the knife to the other side of the monster's throat, watching as blood spilled onto the ground. She calmly removed the rabbit from the creature's claws. It was damaged but nothing some sewing could fix. However, this was a clue that Emiko was somewhere in this dream. Makomo was determined to find her.

"Stop that," she kicked the monster's claws as it tried to stab her.

Finally it stopped moving. Makomo wiped the blood off the knife on the creature's fur.

"I've never seen anything quite like that." A voice came from behind her.

Knife poised to attack, Makomo whirled around. There stood a young man around her age with messy, peach coloured hair and a long scar on the right side of his face. At first glance, he didn't seem dangerous but Makomo knew anything could happen. She decided to try talking instead of attacking.

"Excuse me do you have a sewing kit?"

The man stopped and chuckled. "That's an odd greeting."

"Oh I'm sorry," Makomo corrected her words. "Hello, do you have a sewing kit?"

"That's not what I-"

His reply was interrupted by a growl. Another monster appeared but this time it was chasing a person. Before anyone could react, dark, jagged claws slashed the victim into a mound of bloody flesh. Horrified, Makomo threw the knife and it embedded itself in the creature's forehead.

"Look if you die here, you die in reality." The man explained. "There are more pressing issues than fixing a toy."

"Who are you?" Makomo eyed him suspiciously.

"Sabito," he introduced himself. "You?"

"Makomo."

"Well Makomo," Sabito smiled. "It's not every day you meet a lucid dreamer."

"A what?"

"You made that knife appear, that's something only lucid dreamers can do." His tone darkened. "Those monsters will stop at nothing to kill you."

"Why is that?" Makomo asked, not sure if she should believe his words.

"Lucid dreamers can change things in dreams. That makes you dangerous."

Makomo pondered over his last statement. Ten she thought back to the stuffed rabbit. If she made a knife appear, she could make a sewing kit appear. Immediately, she felt a plastic container in her hand.

"How is this dangerous?" She asked, holding out the sewing kit.

"You could completely alter the Nightmare Realm."

"Is that where- never mind, I need to find Emiko. She's six years old, shoulder length black hair, probably in pink pajamas."

"There are three possible places," Sabito looked into the distance. "Most people die there though."

"I'm not letting that happen." Makomo glanced at the remains of the monster's victim. "Which way?"

Sabito knew she was serious. It would be fruitless to try and persuade her to give up. Thus he decided to join her. They began walking towards a distant path he pointed out.

"So how long have you been here?" Makomo asked, hoping to find out more.

"I don't even know." Sabito responded. "I think time passes slower here."

"So how long has poor Emi been here," she frowned. "And where is she?"

Sabito explained that there were three areas to the Nightmare Realm. The first was the area they just left: the Unending Path. Continuous walking would drain the victim of their energy while stopping would attract monsters. The only way out was to spot the path in the distance and walk towards it.

They were currently headed to the second area.

"It's the Field of Statues." Sabito continued to explain. "It's necessary to pass through it to get to the third area but if you step off the path, you become paralyzed and the monsters will kill you."

"How do you know all of this?" Makomo felt he knew too much about the Nightmare Realm.

"I've been through all three areas," he paused. "But I've never found a way out."

"So you're trying to guide people?"

"It hasn't been working."

The path was closer now. Makomo wondered how many people Sabito guided, and how many of them he saw fail. What would have happen to her if he did not show up and lead her out of the Unending Path? She couldn't help but feel suspicious of his knowledge. Surely there was no way anyone could figure out how to safely maneuver all three areas on their first try. Just like nobody could get through a horror game without dying on their first attempt.

Makomo decided to keep a close eye on him.

"After this path it's quite a long walk to the Field of Statues." Sabito stopped and faced her. "Do you want to rest?"

"No, I have to find Emiko."

She knew that resting would make her vulnerable to attacks. There was no need to sleep in a dream. Clicking the snap buttons of the stuffed rabbit's ears around her neck and pocketing the sewing kit, Makomo quickened her pace.

"The sooner we go, the sooner we find Emiko, the sooner we leave this dreadful place."

The image of the prior victim's demise replayed in Makomo's mind. Even the bloodied rabbit didn't worry her as much. These monsters were cruel killing machines. If she came across another one she would-

"Makomo!"

A sword was in her hand. In one swift movement, she decapitated the creature before her.

-slay it.

"Do you want a sword too?" Makomo asked, unfazed by the ambush.

"No, because by making that one, the ground shifted."

Sabito pointed to a large crack in the ground. Fire spewed out as they passed it.

"So that's what you meant," Makomo whispered, horrified and impressed that she caused the fissure.

"I've only heard about it, I never saw it in action before." He didn't stop looking at the fractured ground. "The ruler of the Nightmare Realm avoids lucid dreamers because of their power."

"I… I think I came here on my own…" she thought back to her plea for Emiko's life. "No, I definitely came here on my own."

Stopping, Sabito faced her, shock in his eyes. "Really? Then maybe you can-"

The monsters would not leave them alone. Makomo calmly cut them down. She constantly reminded herself that it was all a dream. Looking over, she saw Sabito pummelling the creatures with his bare hands.

"There's a lot of them," she summoned a second sword and tossed it to Sabito. "Use this!"

"Fight me if you're a man!" He bellowed.

Makomo felt the ground shake viciously. Several cracks opened, immediately incinerating many monsters. The land was not kind to even its own inhabitants. Using that to her advantage, she kicked a nearby monster into the flames. At the same time, Sabito slashed through several of the nightmarish creatures.

"Not bad," Makomo nodded. "My Grandpa would be proud."

"Your Grandpa?"

"He's a kendo instructor."

They sheathed their swords knowing the battles ahead would only get worse.

Somnambulism: Sleep Walking