Chapter 28: The Bleeding Dream
Frenley grabs the edges of the sink as he looks at himself. His eye color was a softer brown, where before it was a dark brown. Now it was a light brown. His heart picks up as he makes sure he's gotten as close as possible to the mirror. Covering the light, turning it off, turning it back on. He rubs his eyes with his hands, then cleans his face with cold water. The light brown shade stayed.
“Collage party turns into cannibal center. Authorities are investigating as we speak. This and more on channel 7.”
He noticed the softer look on his face. Frenley knew his face better than anyone; he knew how big his Adam’s apple was. The acne scars. The paleness of his skin, the angle of his nose, the thickness of his eyebrows. He knew every single detail. The softness that stared back at him was not his; his eyelashes were longer and more pronounced. A smaller Adam's apple, his nose was smaller and more feminine.
“Collage party turns into cannibal center. Authorities are investigating as we speak. This and more on channel 7.”
Frenley touched his ears; they were still rounded at the end. But they were longer. His heartbeat became the marching drums of war, with how loud it was. His forehead becomes covered in sweat as he pulls his shirt and looks at his chest. His small belly had become smaller, the smallest showing of lean muscle.
“Collage party turns into cannibal center. Authorities are investigating as we speak. This and more on channel 7.”
His hair was longer; it went past his shoulders. He can now do a proper ponytail.
“Collage party turns into cannibal center. Authorities are investigating as we speak. This and more on channel 7.”
Frenley's legs started to shake as he took in all of this information. His head spun as he felt nausea overtake him. Frenley dropped to his knees as he opened the toilet and vomited into it. His stomach acid was burning his throat and leaving behind a horrible aftertaste.
“Collage party turns into cannibal center. Authorities are investigating as we speak. This and more on channel 7.”
He needs something to calm down. Frenley tried to stand up, but his legs would not move. For something greater than physical change was affecting him now.
“What else has changed? What else is different!?..I never liked two women at the same time in life. Are my feelings fake? Are their feelings fake!?”
“Collage party turns into cannibal center. Authorities are investigating as we speak. This and more on channel 7.”
“Poly? Since when was I that!? I- I-”
“Collage party turns into cannibal center. Authorities are investigating as we speak. This and more on channel 7.”
“SHUT UP!”
Frenley said, in a rage, as he grabbed his phone and threw it against the wall. Breaking it into tiny pieces. The news reporter stared back at him through the broken pieces of glass. Her smile never leaves her fake face.
“You should join the party.”
The woman spoke, Frenley's eyes went wide as he moved away from the phone. His back pressed against the wall as he hyperventilated.
“Relax, blow some stress, join us at the party.”
She spoke seductively, and the images of the party he saw in the dream started to play. The way the woman moaned and came. Their bodies were slick with sweat and other liquids. The way their teeth dig into flesh and devour the fresh red meat. He felt hungry and horny. His mind focused on the party, the lust, the hunger. The mindless sin. The fun they were having.
He remembers the scene of a woman coming to him, her naked body enticing him in. His hands slowly moved as he tried to reach for the phone. To join the party-
‘SNAP OUT OF IT, SUGAR!’
A feminine southern voice entered his mind. Frenley stopped moving. His hand hovered in the air as he looked at the broken black screen of his phone. Glass splattered all over the bathroom floor, and his heart slammed against his chest. Sweat was running down his body.
“Ailice?..”
He whispers to himself, his hand resting on his forehead as he tries to battle the maddening headache he is suffering.
‘Finally out of it?’
“What..how?”
‘Be specific.’
“Right..you only respond to specific prompts, unless you are being sassy and showing a speck of your true personality.”
‘I am not sassy.’
“How can I hear you? I am not even in the dream right now.”
‘Have I ever said I could not speak to you when you were in the waking world?’
“No..but what is going on Ailice, I am different. I am changing. Am I even myself anymore?”
‘Of course you are, your soul is the same.’
“Then..why the change?”
‘Dreams bleed into reality, for we share the same sun.’
Frenley looks at his hand. He breaths softly, one breath in and out.
“The dream world is influencing the real world.. I should have noticed. I found a game system for it, and Risa got a game for it..!”
Frenley stood up as he walked out of the bathroom, making sure not to step on the shards of glass. Once out of the bathroom, he went to his bedroom and opened the cabinet where he had hit the game system. Only to not find it. Gone without a trace. Like it was never there.
“Ailice..since when?”
‘Since you first started dreaming, the change has been slow, steady. You just haven't noticed till now. Till-’
“The changes became enough to be noticed.. and like the girls said. I am the one with the biggest difference. They probably haven't even noticed. What about my ears and Risa's features? Will those appear as well?”
‘They won't, till the first sin is corrected.’
She said in a soft, melancholic voice. The type of sadness when someone won't be able to witness something with their own two eyes. For they will be long gone.
“Hey, Ailice, you o-”
‘I advise on getting a new phone, unless you want to worry the girls any more.’
“SHIT!”
—
Frenley returns home, earbuds in, as two loud feminine voices echo in his ears. A dead look on his face as he unlocks the door.
“Do you have any idea how worried I was when you didn't answer?” Risa said with a serious and sharp tone
“I am sorry…”
“Frenley! Give us your address right now, I won't ask again.” Mia's tone was equally strong, worry coating every single word she said.
“But I am fi-”
“Fine, my ass, you had a panic attack and broke your phone. That is not fine. Now give us that address.” The Latina woman's words cut him off
Frenley sighed in defeat. He had been at the mercy of their worry for the last thirty minutes since he got his new phone. Thankfully, they were able to transfer all of his data to the new phone. The bad news was that the insurance didn't cover the type of damage his phone received, so he had to buy a new one out of pocket. Frenley grabbed his phone out of his pocket and sent them his address.
Frenley entered his apartment and closed the door behind him, locking it.
“On my way right now!” The Asian woman said, Frenley could hear the background noise of her getting ready. “Meet you all in a bit.”
“Same here, you'd better stay out of trouble, mister.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Frenley answered Mia as he got some tea ready. Hoping the girls like some herbal tea. The call ended as both girls hung up, allowing Frenley to play his music out loud. He took out his earbuds, letting the romantic song play as he made tea and a light snack for the girls. As it was still fairly early on in the day. A couple of minutes later, Frenley heard a soft knock on his door.
The man dried his hands as he made his way to the door, opening it up. He was greeted by a small asian woman, wearing a simple shirt and pants. Nothing to fancy. Rica looked up at him and threw herself into his arms. Frenley happily accepted his lover's hug, letting himself melt in her soft arms. For all the few seconds that it lasts. Risa pulled out of the hug as she looked at him, her eyes narrowing a bit.
“You look different.”
“And welcome to the cause of my panic attack.”
“Looks like you have an explanation to give us, but let's wait for our babe.”
“Of course, darling, want some green tea and some snacks?”
“Will be appreciated, babe, I havent haven't had time to eat breakfast.”
“Of course, the least I could do after causing you guys to worry.”
Frenley said, with a half-sorry smile, and poured some tea for Risa, bringing it over with some light snacks for the girl to enjoy. She smiled as she looked up at him, grabbing his arm and forcing him to get down to her level. She first planted a small kiss on his cheek before losing all control of herself and kissing him on the lips. This kiss was soft and delightful, not a hint of lust in it. A kiss full of affection and care. Their kiss broke after a few seconds as she spoke.
“I was so worried when you didn't answer..I thought you were ignoring me. That you didn't like being intimate with me in the dream and were talking to Mia about how this won't work.”
“What?” Frenley said, his heart breaking in pieces as he hugged the woman. “I would never do such a thing, darling.”
“I know..but just the thought came to me when you didn't answer. It got worse when Mia asked me if I had heard of you. I thought..you.”
“Never! I would never do such a thing and leave you guys heartbroken.” Frenley said, grabbing her face and forcing her to look at him. “I am deeply sorry for worrying you and Mia, darling. Please find it in your heart to forgive me.”
“There is nothing to forgive, babe; it was not your intention. Plus, if I changed as much as you had, I would have a panic attack as well.”
“Yeah.”
Their conversation was cut short as someone knocked on the door. Frenley straightened his back, walked over to the door, and opened it. Unlike Risa, Mia went straight for the kiss. Wrapping her arms around his shoulders, she seals his lips shut with an intimate and romantic kiss. Frenley grabbed her waist as he brought her into his apartment. As the kiss broke and Mia looked into his eyes, she frowned. Frenley closed the door behind him as he let the girl take a good look at him.
“Huh..I take it that is why you had a panic attack?”
“That and some more, sit down, and I will serve you something.”
“Thanks, love, I am starving- Oh! If it ain't my lovely fox. Surprise meeting you here.” Mia said, turning to look at Risa with a fake look of surprise.
“Girl, you suck at acting.”
Mia walked over to the short girl and gave her an equally romantic and passionate kiss. Frenley came back to the kitchen table, the girls sitting next to each other. Frenley placed down tea and snacks in front of Mia, and the tall woman smiled at him. Thanking him. Frenley sat down in the empty chair, drinking some tea as he let the girls fill their stomachs with something.
Frenley enjoyed the mood, seeing the girls enjoy something he made filled him with warmth. With the soft music playing from his phone, Frenley never felt better. The lingering feelings from the panic attack are long gone.
“So I take it the panic attack was caused by the change in looks?” Mia said as she finished sipping her tea.
“That and this.” Frenley paused the music as he showed the girls the article about the college party that turned into a cannibal feast.
The girls stay quiet as they read the article, their eyes slightly wide.
“Like the dream.” Both girls said at the same time.
“That is not all, Ailice.”
‘Yes?’
“Holy shit!”
“Madre santa!”
Risa and Mia said in quick succession, eyes now fully wide as they looked at Frenley. The reason for his panic attack became even clearer.
“The dream is bleeding into reality, my darlings.”
Frenley's words settle deep into the girls' minds as they eat their small breakfast in silence. Contemplating what they just learned.