Marie woke up shaking in the dark of her room. She turned on the lamp next to her bed, then she checked the clock. It was only 3:42 a.m. She knew she was dreaming, but about what? She tried to remember her dream, thinking that maybe if she thought it over and figured out what had caused it, she would feel better. However, she couldn't remember and something that felt like rotting meat in her stomach was growing, working its way into her chest. It was just a dream, nothing more. You'll be fine, stop acting like a child. You're a Death Scythe, Marie! she thought to herself. Then she craned her neck to look at her bedroom window, grateful that Stein had finished it rather than leaving it an open hole in the wall. She rolled over onto her left side, adjusted the pillows a bit, then closed her eyes. She stayed like that for several minutes, trying to get back to sleep. When she found she couldn't, Marie sighed and stood from her bed. She went to the window and stared out, savoring the beautiful glow of the moon's light. Then, she heard a deep, terrible scream.
Stein's eyes flew open as he shot straight up, blowing the grey blanket over. His hands were shaking, and he could barely think straight. He looked wildly around his room, trying to figure out what was going on. Finally, his olive eyes fell upon Marie.Stein only stared at her for a few moments, trying to figure out what had happened. Then, he remembered. That was one hell of a dream... he thought as he pulled his long legs out from underneath the covers, and he dropped his legs over the side of his bed so his feet were planted firmly on the ground. He inhaled deeply as he put his elbows on his knees and his head in his hands.
"Franken, are you alright? I heard you scream..." Marie said with sleep tugging on her voice.
Stein only sat on his bed, barely moving. "Franken?" she asked again. Why am I getting that dream again, though? I haven't seen anything since I was in the hospital. So why now? Stein stood and turned the bolt in his head, trying to get the dizziness of standing up too quickly to fade off before he grabbed his lab coat, put his arms through the sleeves and pulled it up properly then exited his room.
"Franken, are you ok?" Marie's voice was now dripping with worry. He went in to the kitchen and sat down, still thinking about his dream. "I was falling... But then I was not anymore. Why did I stop?"
Stein continued to mentally examine the dream, images playing through his head. He didn't even notice standing next to him, or the fact that he was decribing his dream with a very low and quiet voice. He was falling, and he was soaked. The only part of him that was not wet was a small patch of skin in the middle of his chest. As he was falling, abnormal creatures, demons he thought, surrounded him and were telling him to just let go. "Let go. Let go," they whispered. "All you need to do is let your mind break away, splash the water of relief upon your chest."
"No! I won't!" Stein said.
The demons seemed to have been angry at this point because they all started screaming at him, "Let go! Let go! You stupid fool, just give up!"
Only a minute or so had passed, but to Marie, she felt as if they were standing there in silence the whole night. Stein continued, "Then I hit the ground. I wanted to scream, to yell so loudly that my lungs burst. But then it all went black, everything went black. And I woke up..." his voice faded off.
"Oh, Franken... It was a dream, just a dream, ok?" Marie bent over and lightly wrapped her arms around Stein's upper chest while her chin rested on his shoulder. "Do you want to go back to bed?"
Stein said nothing, he only inhaled deeply and leaned his head back. Then it all started. He felt something in the back of his head; It was growing, clawing... It was a wild beast that you would only hear of in the oldest and most twisted of lengends, and it wanted out of its cage. Stein bit his lower lips harshly, and small drops of blood dripped out from where his white teeth were.
Marie could feel his body trembling, and she could smell the blood that came out of his lower lip. She lifted her head and stared down at him. "Franken, are you ok?" her voice was once again filled with worry, but there was something else in it: Fear.
Stein continued to shake as he doubled over, the chair flying back. He wrapped his arms around his abdomen as stumbled on his feet, trying to keep control of his balance. His respiration was now rapid with short, shallow breaths. "Franken!" Marie almost screamed as she rushed to his side. "What's happening?"
Stein's eyes had been tightly closed, but he finally opened one and turned it up to her. He was now trembling so badly that his hair was shaking. "Ma- rie..." his voice was very course and shaky. "You need... To... Run..."
"What, why?! I need to get help!" her voice was now raised dramatically and she began to stand to get the phone. She was stopped by Stein's tight grip on her arm.
"No, you need to... Run," he was now struggling to speak. It was taking all of the will and control he'd ever had to keep his sanity intact. But that sanity was now hanging by a thread, and a very slim one at that. He let go of her arm, his dropping to his side next to his thigh limply. The shaking of his body stopped, and the sick sound of the mad man's giggles took place.
Marie backed up against the wall, fear distorting her face. He can't be slipping now... Not now. He just got control over it, so why is he falling? Stein's little giggles soon turned into laughter. Harsh, insane laughter. He pulled his knees up so they were against his chest, then he leaned forward until he was balanced on the balls of his feet, then stood. He turned and left to the small den that he used as a clinic as Marie stayed completely in place. She hadn't moved a muscle, she couldn't. Damn it! I need to be able to run... Start running, start running! There is no telling what he is going to do! Marie screamed to herself inside her head; She could hear Stein's laughter becoming stronger and more mad as he got closer to the kitchen.
A dark figure was hovering in the kitchen walkway. Stein's arm was hanging loosely to his side, the other arm's hand in his coat pocket. His other hand held a shining steel scalpel.