Parvil's Bad Dream

Aspen sat by Parvil’s bed, watching him tossing around like he was having a nightmare. She couldn’t do anything and that bothered her, she knew he needed to rest. While she sat there she was stemming her anxiety away by running her fingers across a strange object in her lap. That looked like a giant hunk of melted metallic wax. Bent, warped, and blackened in spots. It looked like someone took a glob of melted wax and threw it against a wall. Aspen looked at Parvil then back at the melted chestpiece in her lap. “How in the hells did you survive this…” she whispered to herself.

–

Inside Parvil’s mind he was back in that bleak place. Though he didn’t have the chaperone from the time before. Whatever it was, he seemed to be alone. Standing in the pervasive darkness he tried to look around. Though there was nothing to see, except for more darkness. “I really hope all my dreams aren’t like this from now on.” he grumbled.

From somewhere in the dark Parvil heard a new sound. A sound that wound up from a high pitched hum, and climaxing in a basso tone that felt like a rumble in his chest, but felt no rumble in his body. He spun on his heels towards the sound. Looking off in the distance the sound started to wind up again, but this time was accompanied by a strange green star point in the distance that grew brighter as the sound got deeper, the sound went high, low and back to high. When the sound was either too high to hear or was gone the pinprick of light vanished as well. He watched this process three more times to make sure he was both not crazy and that it wouldn’t move.

After stretching a bit he started to walk towards the light. Given how his body felt, walking towards a light might not be the best idea, but it was the only point of interest he had, so it would have to do. The trek already felt long and he knew he’d not been walking for long. Whatever this ‘ground’ was made of felt off. Not something he could place, not with words anyway. It was a primal feeling, something deeply seated in his core. “How far can this be?” he groaned, seeing the speck of light flare again seemingly no closer. The odd sensation of the rumble it caused made his chest hurt and his muscles want to tense.

“Where are you going?” A voice asked, it sounded like his but it was off like a flawed impression.

Parvil ignored the voice and kept walking. It didn’t seem to be able to walk alongside him; it would stand in place, passing his peripheral vision flicker out of view. Like dust motes scattering when you walk through them. Even though he couldn’t see its face, if it had one. He could feel its judgemental ‘eyes’ glaring at him.

“Why?” it asked.

Parvil still refused to answer it and kept walking.

“WHY!?” it asked again this time more a demand for response than an actual question.

“Because I can.” Parvil said, rubbing his ears with his palms.

“Don’t you think the sound will get worse when you get closer?” it asked.

“I figured that,” he said. “But don’t care. I want to know what it is.”

“Why care? It's nothing.” the voice said.

Parvil raised a finger. “And that is why.” he answered, “You wouldn’t care if it truly was nothing.” he said, still walking.

The thing did something that Parvil thought was meant to be a laugh but it was a throat heavy gurgling sound that made his skin crawl. “You are stubborn for a human.”

“So I’ve been told.” Parvil responded but never stopped walking.

The thing did that ‘laugh’ again. “Interesting…” it said, and vanished for longer this time.

–

Parvil kept walking, that closer he got to the thrum of green light he could see that vague outline of something tall and boxy. His best guess was a tower of some kind, but in this empty landscape he could not imagine what purpose it served unless beyond this place was something like, but not quite, an ocean, and the light was a lighthouse of some sort.

Eventually he reached a wide expanse. Each pulse of light caused multiangular shadows to cast off the rocks. Large strangely carved plinths arose from the craggy ground, adrone with chains of black metal. And in the center of it all, a massive tower of black stone. Eight ornate round windows went from top to near bottom. Parvil watched as whatever this structure was charged up again, lighting bottom window to top until it shot a beam of light out from somewhere out of view at the top.

“Satisfied?” the voice came again.

“Not yet.” Parvil said.

“Will you ever be?” It asked him annoyed.

Parvil shrugged. “Probably not.”

Parvil watched the light begin again, casting a shadow over the features of the thing in front of him. It was odd to look at. Like a statue of himself, that someone stopped detailing after getting the shapes right. Well mostly like him the ears were off, and the hair was too long.

“You need to work on your impression.” He said.

“I don’t believe I do.” it responded, “Have you looked in a mirror lately?” it asked him.

“No. Now go away.” Parvil said, walking past the thing and towards the tower. Once he reached it he looked for a door, but couldn’t see anything. That is until it started to charge again. Looking closely he could see a small crack that formed a set of double doors. Light spilling around its edges. “Bingo.” he said, pushing against them.

“That will never work.” the thing said.

“Pull. Gotcha.” he said as he stopped pushing and slipped his fingers into the crack and started to pull. Eventually prying it open, the moment he swung the doors aside another charge of light washed over him, blinding, hot, and damp like foggy air. He snapped awake in the bed from before his light linen clothes stuck to his skin with sweat.