56

[perfectsymmetry]

[Since Christmas morning, Crowe had been trapped in a nightmare while awake. Mayfield had played on his biggest fear and left him completely alone in what he perceived to be a town full of corpses. He was sure it was a dream at first, but as time wore on, it was getting harder to tell. He hid in his room, keeping away from the slowly rotting bodies of his friends and neighbors, unsure of what to do with himself. All he could do was distract himself with his books and his journal project, but he couldn't focus. He couldn't sleep or eat. He was starting to wonder if this really did happen all because of the stupid letter he wrote.

Anyone who tried to interact with him during these few days was unable to get through to him. It was like he was sleepwalking, and nothing would wake him up.

He managed to fall asleep last night, and wakes up today expecting to see the same thing. Instead, he sees that his room has been rummaged through, his journal open on his bed with nothing written in it, and a note that fell off of him and was now sticking to the bed. The same note was on his bedroom door - "YOU'RE NEVER ALONE".

He stared at these for a few seconds, before bolting out of his room and looking for signs of life in his house. Was he asleep this whole time? Was it just an illusion?]


[Crowe makes a call to the town this morning. There's silence for a few moments before he speaks.]

...Ah. Um, so i-it's the twenty-ninth already? Time certainly does go by fast here, doesn't it. I-is everyone out there alright? Holidays here can be rough in Mayfield, Christmas i-is no exception... Just, ah, let me know if anyone needs anything, yeah? I-I'll do whatever I can. Someone, um, someone just call me back. Anyone. Please?

Comments

[a-gentle-boy.livejournal.com]

It was all I could do . . . I'm sorry, again. I couldn't protect anyone this time, either.

What happened to you, exactly?

[perfektsymmetry.livejournal.com]

I-It's okay. I don't think there was much anyone could do. Nothing bad happened to you, did it...?

I-It was all because I wrote one of those stupid letters. I asked for a peaceful Christmas, so... so they gave me one. I was stuck in what was basically a dream. Everyone... everyone in town was dead except for me.

[a-gentle-boy.livejournal.com]

I thought it was something like that.

[He speaks softly. And he remembers the hallucinations he had once experienced on the island of the mushrooms.]

There's nothing worse than feeling like you're alone. . . . Will you be OK?

[perfektsymmetry.livejournal.com]

Yeah. I'm good now. A lot of people have been calling me back, it's great to hear everyone again. [E-Even if Norway sounded so upset.] Although it sounds like a lot of people had a rough Christmas. I-I guess it's to be expected.

[a-gentle-boy.livejournal.com]

Everyone's wish was changed somehow to be terrible. Some people were trapped with a . . . a hallucination, like you. Some of the other effects haven't even gone away yet.

[perfektsymmetry.livejournal.com]

Some are still....? God, I hope it's over soon, then. I-I was getting to the point that I was wondering if it was actually real...

[a-gentle-boy.livejournal.com]

. . . Yeah. No matter what, we have to remember that anything weird is just the town. It can't be real. None of this stuff.

Is there anything you need right now, Crowe?

[perfektsymmetry.livejournal.com]

I'll be alright. Thanks, Lucas. I really do appreciate it.

[a-gentle-boy.livejournal.com]

Take care, Crowe. Everything should be back to normal soon . . .