The Haunting of Collimore Manor || Murder Trio x Reader

Chapter 12: Dream or Reality?

The salty air was refreshing as you inhaled deeply, letting out an exhale of relief. The waves crashed gently against the underside of your sturdy ship. Walking along the top deck, your arms firmly held behind your back, you felt content, confident.

Endless days and nights you had been sailing, searching for adventure. Yet somehow no matter how many maps you followed, they seemed to lead to nowhere...

You stepped onto the bow of your ship and pulled a large book from the inside of your coat. The book had been old and destroyed, the faded title now unintelligible. A thin blue bookmark hanging don't from the top. It had been tattered, somehow still clinging on. You opened the bookmarked page.

The page opened to a map, a vast ocean surrounding a large island. smaller islands surrounded the perimeter. You had longed for your whole life to reach that island, to explore its wondrous environments. Your boat kept sailing, yet to arrive.

You ran your thumb over the page in thought, without this book you'd be lost, and you never would've known which direction to go. This book was your ticket to paradise, It was an opportunity.

The wind started to pick up, snapping you out of your thoughts. The boat began to creak under the pressure of the waves. Losing your balance as the nauseous feeling took over, Iyourushed over to the helm with your book in hand.

The ocean that surrounded you was no longer clear, it had been cloudy and rough. The sudden change in weather confused you. How had you not seen the dark clouds approaching? you began scouring the area, struggling to see anything amongst the darkness the clouds brought.

But suddenly, the clouds had parted ahead, shining golden rays of light onto a clear ocean surface. The ghost of land lingering on the horizon. Dropping the book to your feet. you spun the wheel towards the light, gripping the wooden handles tightly. Was this the island you had been searching for?

Patiently, you waited. The wind had been pushing you fast through the water towards the beautiful light. Yet you never seemed to reach it. It had been like you were chasing a rainbow. You felt like you had been getting closer, but in reality, you'd barely moved.

You pushed on, feeling empowered.

Reaching down to pick up your map, your hand glided through the air. Confused, you looked down to see that your book was gone.

Now on your hands and knees, you looked around for where it could possibly be. Once you rose to your feet, the light ahead of you disappeared and was instead replaced with a darkness you'd never seen before.

It had started at the bow of your ship and continued down the deck, lacing your lovely ship in its darkness. It had been like you steered straight into a dark fog, thick and deadly.

You stepped back instinctively, not wanting the darkness to reach your shaking body. The ship's rocking grew more intense. Soon enough you reached the railing of the stern, trembling in fear.

The darkness was inches away from your feet, slowly creeping closer. Your hands gripped the railing behind you tightly.

"Y/-... N..." The darkness crackled, almost unintelligible. "w-Wa..ke up.."

You stopped in your tracks, pressing yourself against the railing as much as you could, wooden rods digging painfully into your back. wake up? What did it mean wake up?

"Y... Y/..N"

The darkness started to take over your body, trailing up your arms. You couldn't move.