Chapter Text
‘No…’
‘No… please tell me this isn’t real…
‘… no’
‘… NO!’
“SULLIVAN!!!”
You shot up, the panicked yowl of that name escaping your dream and tearing into the waking world, leaving your throat feeling raw and achy. You sucked in a pained breath, face was wet with tears as you struggled to breathe, each breath coming as a deep wheeze.
The fading smell of rot still clung to your nose from the dream, the vision of a mansion fading behind your eyes. Yet there was something more unsettling, a vague odor lingering in the sheets like a ghost. As your eyes adjusted to the dim light, a shadow flickered across the wall, cast by nothing you could see. It felt as though the nightmare had left behind a residue, a hint of corruption that dared to invade your sanctuary.
‘What kind of fucking nightmare was that?’
Wiping your eyes, you forced yourself to slow your breathing, focusing on your surroundings to ground yourself and escape the fear still twisting in your chest.
You were at home, with your familiar posters on the wall and your blanket keeping you warm. You were safe. That's what you told yourself when your phone rang on the nightstand.
You shook off the dream's lingering dread to answer the call, promising yourself you’d tell your boyfriend about the dream when he got off work that night.
Or maybe after your shift, as the call had been your job. An emergency call. It wasn’t abnormal for what you did. You had agreed to be on-call every now and again. Though you swore you had asked for today off, you didn’t mind. Anything to get your mind off that crazy nightmare until you could talk it out with your boyfriend.
‘Crime never sleeps, I guess. Oh well, he’ll understand.’ As you started getting ready, you thought, setting out your vest and holster.