"Please."
Cyrus stood over the girl who was trying to escape, his knife in his bleeding hand. There was raw fear in her eyes, glistening amidst the dark. He paused, but this time she didn't leap up at his distraction. Instead, her face flickered, and for a moment, he was looking down at a young Alice. She returned his gaze, eyes wide, and he realised instead of a knife he was holding an empty bottle of alcohol.
"Please!"
Cyrus leapt back, looking up only to see his home take shape in front of him. On the opposite wall, there was a mirror. But Cyrus wasn't himself.
He was his father.
There was movement in the corner of his eye and he whipped around to see a thirteen year old version of himself cowering in the corner of the room, his face streaked with tears as blood ran from a gash above his eye.
"It wasn't me!" He cried. "It was her!"
Cyrus watched as he turned back to the now sobbing Alice. He could only think one thing.
Selfish liar.
***
Cyrus gasped, shooting bolt upright. His chest heaved and he gripped the front of his shirt as he struggled to get air into his lungs. His eyes shot around, but after realising he was still in his dark dormitory, the blinds drawn shut, the tension drained from his limbs.
He fell back onto his bed, finally able to breathe. The roof spun above him and he closed his eyes, wiping the sweat that had formed on his face away with his shirtsleeve.
The nightmares were getting worse.
Cyrus turned to the side, fully aware that he'd not sleep again that night, and reached for the clock beside his bed.
6:00 AM
He sighed. By the time he'd made it back to his dormitory, it had been four. Two hours of sleep was hardly ideal, but at least it was something.
His mind replayed the dream — over and over. He tried to stifle it, but it kept drifting back. A dark, hollow feeling wove through his chest and he forced himself to get up. For a moment, the room tilted, but soon after it righted itself.
Please.
Cyrus cursed, staggering through the darkness and into the bathroom connecting to his room. When he reached the sink, he splashed water onto his face, even though it did little to help. For a moment, he stared at his reflection in the mirror and the dark circles ringing his eyes.
He turned away. That, too, did not help at all.
Cyrus changed into casual clothing and pushed through his room towards his door. He forced himself to be optimistic. His team had been given the day off — their last day in the city before they went to the Wastelands.
He had to make the most of it.
As he opened his door, he was given a pill. This time, he took it with gratitude. Still, he knew he'd need a much higher dosage if he wanted to block out his thoughts.
***
Alice met him with a delighted cry. As he unlocked the door to their home, she ran down the hall and into his arms.
"You came again!" She grinned, looking up at him, "So, how long's the holiday this time?"
He smiled down at her, trying to hide his disappointment.
"Only a day this time," he said.
Alice's smile faltered.
"That's hardly anything," she grumbled, but pulled him inside anyway.
YOU ARE READING
Catharsis
Adventure'No society can escape from the claws of human nature - no matter how built up it becomes, it will never be perfect.' - Unknown Eighteen years ago, a rebellion upset the balance of nature, and led to an outpouring of chaos magic across the city of...
