70. [DREAM/DREAM/DREAM/DREAM]

[foolishwren]

<sub>[So while the rest of Johto alternately panics, cries, or rushes around trying to capture as many of the soulstealing insects as possible, there are dozens of souls floating around in that dream limbo, drifting in and out of each other's slumbering thoughts and visions. Whether it's nightmarish flashbacks or just those dreams where you're at school taking a really hard test, and then Dracula shows up, and then everybody's naked ... anything is possible when it comes to what people see in their sleep.]

[But what appears in the darkness in this particular spot in the spaceless, shifting mass of dreaming souls... is a door.]

[It's old, and covered with boards and bolts, rusted near-through in some places. The lock is broken-- mangled and half-melted and wrenched out of the keyhole. The only thing on it that doesn't look ancient is a scrap of torn notebook-paper that's taped up on it at roughly eye-level. It reads only a single phrase:]</sub>

Fear of blood tends to create fear for the flesh.

<sub>[More importantly, though... the door is ajar. Through the gap come the scents of rust and metal-- and something organic, fleshy-- and a low, deep hum of industrial machinery. It's not a door that anyone in their right mind would want to go through. ... But for anyone who may have stumbled this far into the dreams of their fellow lost souls, either in flight from some other nightmare or just pure, wandering curiosity... there's just no other place to go but through the door.]




[Go on. Open it. After all.... it's only a dream.]</sub>

[ooc: SORRY THIS TOOK SO LONG, GUYS. Thanks for being patient! If you commented on that planning post, there's something spooky planned for your character to do here so please feel free to tag or not tag as it pleases you!]

~*~

[ooc: This is the IC post for what was announced over here! Even if you didn't comment there, feel free to participate! I'm still happy to whip up Silent Hill scenarios for folks!]

Comments

[foolishwren]

<sub>[Look at that thing's face. Do you really think it's after money?]

[Either way, it's trying to do just that: corner him. It scrabbles over the curb, making noises like what happens when you reach the bottom of a milk carton with a straw.]</sub>

[serpensrex.livejournal.com]

[So that's a no on the money?]

Why won't you go away?

[The Commander turns to retreat, and promptly trips over the sidewalk. Certainly not that perfect retreat the Commander had been hoping for.]

[foolishwren]

<sub>[Yeah, basically.]

[It has no reply for him, but the moment he hits the ground, it makes its move. Unless he gets up QUICK, the thing will bull its way on top of him and start... forcefully sucking on the back of his head. ... Which will hurt. A lot.]</sub>

[serpensrex.livejournal.com]

[Well, he's actually too busy screaming his head off to stand, so he's just sort of trying to haphazardly scramble away from the thing.]

[foolishwren]

_{[Yeah, it's kind of-- trying to press him down. At least he's not on his back, so he can still sort of... crawl. With it on top of him. WHEEEEEEEE.]}

[serpensrex.livejournal.com]

Get off! Get off!

[He's still scrambling, though it's much harder to do with that thing on on him. The Commander kicks at it, trying to get it off, so he can escape.

Oh man, why didn't he just stay in the forest away from this horrible thing?]

[foolishwren]

<sub>[Yeah, not to mention, it seems determined to-- well, suck his brain out of his skull or something. It's not entirely clear WHAT it's doing. ... Just that it's probably very painful. Either way, it clings on persistently.]

[Rubble and bits of broken curb crumble under the Commander's hands as he scrambles-- maybe he can use a chunk of that as a weapon.]</sub>

[serpensrex.livejournal.com]

[The Commander screams and throws everything he can get his hands on at the damn thing. The sucking motion hurts. Badly.

It wouldn’t be farfetched for him to say it’s the worst pain he’s ever experienced. The Commander was usually already retreating before anything could actually hurt him, and having this thing trying to…what was it trying to do? It felt like it was trying to suck his face out through the back of his mask.]

Get off! I’m…ow! Ordering you! Get off of me! And sssstop that! Leave my head alone!

[foolishwren]

<sub>[It takes a few tries, but eventually a chunk of asphalt conks the thing right on its eldritch head.]

[With a buzzing sound, it detaches from the back of the Commander's head and shakes its own-- before scuttling away, presumably in search of less troublesome meals.]</sub>

[serpensrex.livejournal.com]

[After taking a few moments to catch his breath, the Commander slowly stood up. He glanced back and forth making absolutely sure that nightmarish thing was gone. No horrible skittering abominations to the left of him. None to the right.

That meant only one thing...]

Yesssss! Run! Run from the might of Cobra Commander!

[And now that he’s safe, and declared himself the victor, he’s going to celebrate by cackling.]

Nothing attacks me and gets away with it! Do you hear me? Nothing!

[foolishwren]

<sub>[Silence. Just silence.]

[You sure showed it, Commander.]

[... Or DID you?]

[Somewhere far-off... there's more scrabbling noises. ... And they're getting closer.]</sub>

[serpensrex.livejournal.com]

[He cut his tirade short to listen and...nope, not sticking around to find out what that is.

He starts heading in the opposite direction away from the noises.]