Chapter 3: Dreamscape: Level 21

Multiple voices called out, hundreds of people talking, whispering in her ears, reminding her of her mistakes.

“You left everyone. You went to sleep.” A voice said

“And now I’m trying to wake up.” Rai said

“You ran away. You abandoned him.” A voice echoed

“I know I did. I get it already. It’s fine. It’s what he wanted. It’s what he told me to do. I accept everything.” Rai said

“Are you sure?” A voice asked

Rai felt a huge amount of pressure, forcing her downward

"Ack!" Rai flinched

“YES! I AM!” She yelled, waking up.

She was in a hospital room, staring at a colorful ceiling

She sat up

She looked at a vase full of clear water sitting next to her bed, a card saying a really bad pun next to it

She frowned

“Where am I? You. Tell me. Where am I? Right now.” Rai said, pointing to a nurse after getting out of bed

“Huh? Oh. You’re awake. Good morning, Mrs. Rai. This is a hospital.” The nurse said

“No shit. Ah, sorry. I’m not exactly in the best of moods. How long have I been asleep?” Rai asked

“Ten years. It's 12/2/2020. Wednsday, december second, twenty twenty.” The nurse said

"What?" Rai asked

Rai went to a bathroom and looked in the mirror

She looked like she was in her mid twenties.

“What? No, I just went to bed for a little bit. It should have been a year at most!” Rai said, scowling

“Yeah, well, reality doesn’t always work the way you want it to. It's life. Sometimes you just have to deal with it.” The nurse said

“What? I-I’m going out. And I don't need anyone, I can go alone.” Rai said

“Of course.” The nurse said, smiling happily

Rai left the room, going to nowhere in particular.

She just felt she needed to leave, so she ran.

“Where am I?" Rai asked, about 10 minutes later

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

"This is gary Puto hospital. It's a few blocks away from where you live. Remember?" The nurse asked, walking out of a patiens room in front of her

"Huh? Um. There was definately a hospital a few blocks away. Was that really it's name? That's a pretty boring name." Rai said

"Thanks... it wasn't up to me. It's the reason this hospital is here. Without gary Puto's donations, we wouldn't have the funds. I don't know it myself, but I've heard mixed things about it. Still, It's our benifactor, so it's not my place to question it." The nurse said

"Why are you calling gary 'it'?" Rai asked

"gary doesn't have a gender, but I don't know much about that. That or it was both? I don't recall. There's a story about it. There should be another person here who remembers it." The nurse said, filling out a clipboard on the wall next to the room she just left

"I haven't seen a single soul. Aside from you or me, at least." Rai said

"Huh? Oh! Right. I forgot, the hospital is closed on Sundays. I'm the only other one here today." The nurse said

"What? You must be joking! What about taking care of people!" Rai exclaimed

"Until you came, there was nobody who was here at night." The nurse shrugged

"....." Rai stood there for a second, thinking

"Fine. Where do I go to find food or something? I'm starving." Rai asked

"Oh, If you go around that corner and straight, it should lead you into the east wing. Just keep going until you see the map." The nurse said

Rai headed around the corner that led into the east wing

“And this is why you’re still stuck in a dream. You run and you run and you run. You can’t even face me once, can you. Pitiful.” The nurse said, when Rai disappeared from view

“I knew it.” Rai said, walking out from behind the corner

“Huh? Oh, so you found me out? A shame. How did you do it?” The nurse smiled

“You are the only other living thing here. Even the vase had no flowers in it.” Rai said

“I should have expected as much from a future detective. Yet, you still don't see everything.” The nurse said

“Let me leave.” Rai said

“No.” The nurse replied

“Why? What do I have to do to leave?” Rai asked

“Face yourself, without flinching once, without giving up, and you get to the next level. Fail, and you go back to the first level again.” The nurse said

“What? What do you mean by that?” Rai asked

“Just accept the truth already. Go outside, go back to the place you fell asleep forever.” The nurse said, grinning

Rai left, the nurse waving to her as she went

“Damn, this rain is annoying. It feels real. This is a weird dream.” Rai said, shaking her head

She headed towards the alley she remembered falling asleep in.

“Wh-What? Why is-? No…. You have to be kidding. No. I’m just asleep... Right. That's what this is. It's still a dream.” Rai said, eyes widening, as she looked down the alley

"Nope. What you see in front of you is all true." The nurse said, melting into existence in front of Rai

She walked towards Rai, eventually stepping into the light

She had no face that could be understood when seen by the naked eye, and that one would remember. All that could be explained was a completely smooth, featureless face, all skin. No eyes, no nose, no mouth. And yet, if one who has seen it is asked, they will still insist that there was a large smile. Rai was no exception, the entire thing giving her a brain splitting headache.

"Huh? Oh. You weren't supposed to see that. I stepped into the light, didn't I? What a silly mistake. Oh well." The nurse said.

Her voice sounded like human flesh being ripped apart by a cheese grater, in a giant blender.

Behind the calm words came the scream of thousands of souls, all in constant states of pain and torture.

She grew longer, limbs distorting and elongating until she no longer looked human

"Ah. Does this scare you? Sorry about that. Normally I'd kill you, but..." The nurse said, looking down the alley

"I guess that would be excessive." The nurse sighed

She walked past Rai, who had paid her no attention, focused on the horror she saw at the other end of the alley.

Rai screamed, the rain falling harder and harder around her until it drowned out her voice

The world itself seemed to start flooding, the water level rising every second, an inch higher each time.

"I give up. You win." Rai said, closing her eyes

Rai laid back in the water and relaxed, floating, until it had risen beyond a two story buildings height off of the ground

She swam to the bottom, and wedged herself under a bus stop roof until she couldn't move

There she stayed, waiting for death, starving her body of oxygen.

Everything went black.

She opened her eyes to a pitch black room around her