He ran.
Branches whipped around him, clawing at his arms as he tore through the alien forest. Each time he took a breath his lungs scorched and every step taken sank into a ground that felt too soft, too alive. The swirling ribbons of violet and red posing as the sky pulsed like a heartbeat
It's just a dream. Wake the fuck up!
In hopes of the words snapping him back to reality, he repeated them over, and over, and over again... but none of it seemed to fade - not even the slightest.
He dove behind something bush like with glass like shards for leaves and against all odds, tried steadying his breathing as his hands trembled uncontrollably.
Then - Snap!
A twig, or whatever passed for one here, cracked somewhere behind him. He froze. Sweat clung to his hairline. Silence swallowed the forest.
"He was here..." Said a low predatory voice - barely human.
Through the slits of the bushes, he saw shadows - tall and broad - moving with coordinated precision. A second voice, more like a growl forced into speech, gave the command:
"He's human. He couldn't have gone far. This way."
After the figures drifted off, and only then, did he finally allow a shaky breath escape -
A hand got hold of him from behind before the scream could escape his throat. The massive silhouette slammed him - hard - against one of the colossal twisted trees. As it loomed over him, two red eyes stared down at him carefully studying what it had just captured.
Allan jerked upright with a violent gasp. His body snapped forward so hard he almost fell out of bed. His chest heaved. His heart slammed against his ribs as sweet clung to every inch of his skin, dripping down his forehead and soaking the back of his shirt. Quickly, he lit up the bedside lamp. The forest air still burned in his lungs.He scanned the room. Everything looked exactly how he'd left it before going to bed. The scattered plans on the working desk. The slow humming of the AC. His phone charging.
It al felt normal. Safe.
Then why did the feeling of being watched still linger?
He swung his legs over the edge of the bed still trying to ease his breathing. His calves burned. His shoulders ached like he'd actually been slammed into a tree.
His eyes widened as he stared in disbelief, running a shaky fingertip over the cuts.
"This didn't happen the last time..." He muttered.
Instinctively, his back tensed as a Phantom pressure wrapped around his chest - as if the creature's massive arm still grasped him.
He could still feel the coldness. It made him judder.
"This isn't real. Not this time... Not the nights before!"
At around two thirty seven he finally decided to pull his covers back to lie down. But something pricked him. Allan flinched and yanked away. His eyes jumped to the bed. Lying on the sheets, catching the light from the lamp, was a small shard.
A leaf.
All made from a translucent glass-like material. An exact replica of the ones in the forest. His breath hitched. He screwed onto it, unable to blink, unable to think. The evidence glimmered on his bed as if mocking him.
He knelt slowly, cautiously reaching toward it. Before he could touch it, it vibrated releasing a faint hum that rippled through the air. It then crumbled, shattered into fragments that evaporated into nothingness.
Allan stumbled backwards, nearly tripping over his own feet.
"It's official. I've completely lost it."
He clutched his head, fingers digging into his hair. "I need help. This isn't real."
Morning rays spilled through the towering windows of Nexus Engineering Industries, painting long white lines across the polished floors. The lobby buzzed softly - key cards beeps, elevator chimes and quiet conversations. Aria stood beside Michael near the front desk, tablet in hand, scrolling through her project files.
"You heard Henderson messed up the quarterly layout again?" Michael asked casually.
"Again? I swear that man and numbers - "
The doors slid open with a soft ding.
Allan walked in. His hair messy, but in the familiar careless way it always was like he'd run his fingers through it one too many times and declared it good enough. His long-sleeved shirt was clean, tucked in just enough to pass as presentable, and his long slightly baggy trousers hung comfortably in his lean frame.
"What's up you guys?" Casually greeted Allan.
"Nothing much. Just planning how we about to clean up Henderson's mistake..." Replied Michael.
"Lemme guess. He messed up another layout?"
"I keep telling Daniel to switch him but he won't hear it..." Said Aria, a slight hint of annoyance tinging her voice.
"Aria." A new voice cut in.
They turned to see Daniel Cross, Michelle's team leader. "Sorry to steal you," he said with a polite nod to the boys, "but you'll have to excuse us. We need to go over the numbers from the Nexus Project clients. Something's not adding up."
"That too." She almost groaned it.
"Is there something else I should know?"
"Henderson..." Started Michael.
Daniel raised his hand. He need to hear no more. " I'll set up a team to correct that. For now let's go over the numbers. I can't have those messed up too."
"On it." Aria replied instantly. Work mode activated. She followed him down the hall, already discussing projections, margins and data clusters.
"Hey" said Michael as he patted Allan on the back. Allan jerked away with a sharp inhale.
"Don't!" The word came out harsher than intended. Michael froze. "Whoa - sorry. You okay?"
Allan forced himself to relax. Rolling his shoulders like it was nothing. "Yeah. Yeah. Just pulled something."
"Al you're too young to be pulling something. What's wrong?"
As Allan turned slightly, the collar of his shirt shifted - and he caught a glimpse of it.
Sharp cutslow on his neck. Angry red against dark skin.
"What the hell - " Michael started. Before he could inquire some more.
"Yo Mike. We need you in the conference room. Henderson's already asking..."
"Now?!" Michael snapped.
"Yes, now." Another insisted. "We're already behind."
Allan saw his opportunity and snuck away.
All Michael could do was have his instincts scream how something was seriously wrong with friend. But he had no choice but to follow the others into the conference room.