Not A Dream | An Omori Fanfiction

10- Hello Again Trauma

Sunny's P.O.V

The world around me was black and my ears were ringing. I could feel the tension surrounding me, but no one else was there.

I knew where I was. And I was definitely not too happy to be back...

I sat up and stared around the empty black voice, filled with nothing but black doors.

Welcome to Black Space.

"Oh, and it's great to be here..." I remarked, sarcastically. I didn't want to be here, but beyond that, I didn't understand why I was even back. Black Space was the corner of my mind that I banished anything that reminded me of the truth. Things that I thought were meant to be forgotten were sent here. Well, not really by me, more by Omori. Beyond being a metaphor of my depression and guilt, Omori was designed to secure my mind from the truth, therefore immediately resetting my mind in the event anything reminded me of the truth. However, when that "reset" got White Space Basil missing, and everyone, including Omori/myself, wanted to find him, I was forced to Black Space.

I'd only been in Black Space one or two other times before that. Why? Well, Stranger had his ways.

Stranger served the exact opposite purpose of Omori. Stranger's goal was to remind me of what I'd done. The truth, and all the horrible things that came with it. Probably why the two hated each other so much.

The first two times, Omori managed to get me out of there. To reset as usual. But on the third time, Black Space had something we both wanted, and that something was Basil. This gave Stranger enough time to convince me to start facing the real world as it was, with all its truth and pain. This led to White Space Basil's death.

Regardless of all that. I'd faced the truth, I wasn't hiding from anything now. There should be no reason to be back here, and for that matter, no reason for Black Space to still exist.

Right...?

Well whatever the reason was for returning, I was still me, not Omori, which meant I didn't have my knife, so I couldn't really wake myself up, leaving me with one option; Start walking through those doors.

I stood up and opened the door nearest to me. It opened to a room I'd never seen before. I'd seen a lot of Black Space rooms, most enough times in my three travels here that I'd seen them more than once, but not this one.

It looked like... it looked like Faraway, but dead. Everything was grey, the flowers and trees were wilted and dead, the houses looked rundown and abandoned. It somewhat resembled that strange town of nothing but other strangers, only now it was my home. This unnerved me, but also intrigued me. I was too curious to turn back now.

I began walking, knowing the door had probably vanished behind me now. The place was a ghost town. No signs of life anywhere, and nothing but the sound of my own footsteps and breathing. The ringing in my ears had stopped by now, making it even more so quiet. It didn't feel so eerie anymore, but it did feel empty.

I kept walking. Walking and walking until I found myself in the forest, wandering until I was pretty sure I was lost. What does it matter if I'm lost, there's nothing to do here anyway..

Just as I thought that I felt a pair of eyes on me. I froze, looking around. "Hello...? I know you're there..."

"Dreamer?" A familiar voice replied. The only one who had ever called me "Dreamer" was... Stranger.

"Um, Stranger?" I asked. A gentle pair of footsteps made their way towards me, revealing the shadowy boy. "You're... back...?" Stranger asked, seemingly surprised. "I kind of assumed it was you who brought me here if anyone..." I replied. Stranger had a hard expression to read, given that the only part of his face I could really see were his eyes, but he seemed to be inspecting me. "You're still running Dreamer... something beyond the truth..." Stranger muttered, "What is it you're afraid of...?"

"I don't know... I told everyone what happened, I don't think I have anything to run from... and I'm staying in Faraway for a bit, so I'm not even running in real life."

"Are you saying I'm lying to you...?"

"No, no, I just don't understand... shouldn't you know, you knew the truth ab-"

"That I knew because I'm tied to your flower boy friend and he knew about the truth, but this time it's specific to your own fears..."

"Then how do you know somethings wrong...?"

"I live here within your mind, don't I...?"

"Ok, fair..."

Stranger's gaze dropped, "I don't like it..."

"What? That something unknown is apparently wrong with me?" I asked. "No, that you're running again... please stop running... Sunny... it hurts me every time you do..." Stranger replied. "I can't help it, Stranger, I don't even know what I'm running from now!"

"Then figure it out!" Stranger suddenly snapped, the light in his eyes seeming to get brighter, "I spent four years as it was suffering because you wouldn't face what you did, I'm not doing it again!"

I backed off. Maybe it was ironic that I was trying to leave now, but I didn't need this... I wanted a break from this place and I just wanted to try and feel normal for a moment.

The light in Stranger's eyes died and he himself stepped away a little, as though to allow me room, "Please don't run away... you'll only make it worse for us..."

But by then it was a little too late for me. I desperately wanted to leave... I could face whatever it was Stranger wanted me to face later...

'You said that same thing to yourself for four years before this.'

Shut up...

Ignoring the voice in my head, I turned and ran, ignoring Stranger's cries from somewhere behind me.

Wake up, wake up, wake up, WAKE UP!!

Next thing I knew, I was bolt upright, drenched in sweat and breathing heavy.

Was it really that bad of a nightmare...

Basil, who I must've woken up in my panic, was sitting beside me, holding my hand tightly and wrapping his arm around me with his free hand.

"Hey, shh... it's ok... you're safe, I'm right here... deep breaths, Sunny, deep breaths..." Basil kept talking to me, trying to calm me down. I was silently grateful for it as I leaned against my friend, closing my eye and trying to calm down.

"There you go... see...? Everything's ok..." Basil said gently, smiling slightly. I looked up at him, "Basil... that's the thing..."

I paused for a second, and Basil's smile faded as he waited for my response.

"It's not ok..."