Loneliness. Despair. Darkness. I see a blurry view of Nicky running, her cloak billowing behind her and tears running down her face. Nicky... Nicky! I try to call out, but no sound escapes mouth. Nicky stops to look around, mumbling to herself, "Of all the times... Of all the people... Why now... Why her..." What's going on? Why can't she hear me? She passes by some dirty, run-down buildings. I recognize them immediately. The bad side of the city... It's the most dangerous place, the people there almost as souless as Grimm. I know Nicky can take care of herself... But it still worries me beyond what it should. Nicky glances around, hiccuping and wiping her eyes. "Gotta find Grey... Stay away from people..." She repeats those two sentences to herself quietly over and over again until her breathing is back to normal. She doesn't see the ragged man following her around every corner. He brings out a knife and slinks closer with a sickening grin on his face. I reach out to Nicky, my heart pounding, my lungs seizing... My throat tightens as the man lifts up the knife... But when I look down at my hand, Nicky is momentarily forgotten. It's completely black, moving and shifting. I cry out, terrified of what's happening to me as the extreme cold, and black darkness, creeps up my body slowly. No... What is happening to me?! What's going on... What is... I snap back to looking at Nicky, who broke the man's arm, but didn't stop there. She has her hands clutching around his throat, squeezing so tight... She's killing him.. At the last second, I see the cloudiness from her eyes fade away. She pulls back and grasps her hands together, as if afraid of herself. She takes off at a sprint in the direction she was headed, and doesn't stop until she comes upon an abandoned grocery store beside a motel. She knocks on the door six times in a rhythm that I don't recognize. When the little bell on the door rings as she opens it, she winces at the thundering sound. She steps inside cautiously, rubbing her arms and shivering feverishly. I can't recall ever seeing Nicky shiver before... "Hello?" She calls out to the dusty, dark place. "Grey? Harabi? Damn it... It's me! Nicky!" Silence. She rubs her arms more and walks over to a small heater in the corner, switching it on. She whispers to herself, "Just my luck, they're not here. Just my fracking luck." With a heavy sigh, she sits on a splintered storage crate. She snaps her head to the side, freezing at the sight of shadows crawling along the walls. She seems otherwise unphased by this peculiar and creepy activity, waiting patiently for, whatever that is, to stop. The shadows form two figures. "Shit," Nicky says quietly, "That still startles me even now. Grey, I need your help." The figures come into the moonlight and a raspy voice answers, "MY help? Oh whatever would you need MY help for, love?" She grits her teeth together, irritation forming on her features as she holds herself back from attacking. A second, feminine voice says, "Would you perhaps need a jar of pickles opened? Oh! Let me guess! Do you need to woo a boy, or possibly even girl so they can become puddy for your manipulation?" She shakes her head repeatedly. "I don't need these riddles, of whatever you call them, right now. I need a cure." Grey, as I think his name is, cuts her off with a scoff. "I do hope this isn't a uh... Sexual disease. If so, that'd be quite, quite uncomfortable for us all, don't you think?" Nicky's face goes crimson as she stomps her foot on frustration. "No! No. For once, can you not automatically assume I come to you with... Lewd problems?!" Silence. "Sorry for snapping at you. I didn't mean it." She hangs her head for a moment, very much like a child would after being scolded by their parents. If did have a very good resemblance. "Alnickas, you are like a daughter to us. Don't be ashamed for speaking your mind. You're strong. You need to keep that strength not just for outward appearance, but for your heart as well. Now, what is it you need?" She runs a hand through her hair and doesn't respond until a minute later. "It's.. About my parents... You already know the story, and you know all about the Reaper's Curse." Harabi speaks up, this time. "Yes, dear, the Reaper's Curse. You warned us about it not one month after you discovered this area. Explain it again, just to clarify." She groans reluctantly but explains it anyways. "When a Reaper gets to be a certain age, they receive something known as the Reaper's Curse, which usually is supposed to unlock their full potential, but also make it so they can't reproduce. My father being Reaper and my mom being human, I guess the Curse is going haywire. It wounded my friend and it's taking control of me." Grey and Harabi rub her back comfortingly as tears spring to her eyes again. Harabi reassures, "We know of a cure. But... It's painful, and I'm not sure you want to go through with it." Nicky stands up, hope radiating from her body. "No, no, anything! Just help me!" Grey softens his words as he tells her, "You have to take the soul of one of your loved ones. It's the only way." She clenches her jaw and grinds her teeth a bit before nodding. "I see. I know just the person. Thank you, Grey. Harabi." She turns and walks out of the store, pulling her cloak closer around her once again. The loneliest sight ever...
And then I'm awake, staring at the hospital ceiling. This nightmare... Just got real.