Strange Happenings
Midnight. They always came at midnight. The chimes from the old grandfather clock in the den jolted Daniel out of his restless dreams. It wasn't the chimes that woke him so much as the knowledge that They were coming. It was the same horrifying ritual, every single night.
The room was illuminated by an eerie pale green glow. Three figures in haz-mat suits stood around his bed. One of them held a large briefcase, another held a gun, and the third--the apparent leader, from the way he acted--was making entries into a large handheld computer. Daniel tried to escape, to run, to even move, but some unseen force held him in place, as immobile as the bed itself. The leader looked up from his computer and signaled to the one holding the briefcase, who set the case down and began to open it. Daniel strained to see its contents, but couldn't from his position. If only he could move...
The leader reached forward, grabbed the bedcovers and--
The shrill blast of Daniel's alarm clock filled the room. He'd had that dream again, the same one he'd been having every night for nearly a month. Except that it didn't feel like a normal dream. It felt more like a memory, but one that had been partially forgotten. Anyway, Dan had more important things to worry about, so he pushed whatever it was aside for the moment. Today was the last day of school, finally. All he had to do was survive his last few final exams, and he'd be home free. He wasn't about to let a creepy dream get him down.
***
Dr. DiCaoz glanced over his biology classroom. "Is anybody still working on the final?" he asked tiredly. He paused for a moment, then said, "If everybody is finished, you may talk quietly amongst yourselves for the remainder of the period." As the class erupted in chatter, he went back to nursing his hangover.
Daniel loved his biology class. It wasn't just that he was good at it, or that it was the last class of the day. By some bit of luck or fate, he happened to be in the same class as his four closest friends, Gassan, David, Pammy, and Jake. Gassan, David, and Pammy had become absurdly popular since coming to high school. Gassan was Lebanese and therefore "exotic," David was a star swimmer, and Pammy was a cheerleader. In retrospect, popularity was an inevitability. To the other popular kids, Jake an avid follower of the Furry subculture (he called it a craze, but nobody else did) and Daniel, the introspective writer, were social liabilities. Still, Gassan, David, and Pam never let their newfound "friends" keep them away from Jake and Dan. Privately, Daniel was grateful that he had managed to befriend the four people who appeared to be immune to high school drama.
"So, what'd you guys think?" Pammy whispered.
"I'm pretty sure Dr. Di is a nutcase," Gassan answered quickly. He was met with a chorus of approval from his companions.
"Anyway," Pam continued, "are we having our annual Thank-God-The-Schoolyear's-Over party tonight?"
"I can't go," Jake said, "I've got a convention."
"I can't go either," said David, "My dad's taking me camping. He's on a back-to-nature kick."
"I'm visiting my grandma," Gassan said. Pammy rolled her eyes.
"Alright," she sighed, "when do you guys get back?"
"Sunday"
"Sunday evening"
"Sunday, but it'll be late."
"So," Pammy continued, "is Monday night alright with everyone?"
***
The days passed quickly. By the time Monday arrived, he had gone an entire weekend without his mysterious dreams. He was mostly relieved, but part of him wished the visitors would come back so he could find out what they were up to.
The streets were charged with an eerie calm. A summer storm was coming. As Daniel reached Pam's door, he couldn't help but feel a strange foreboding. Something was decidedly wrong. He rang the bell.
"Come in," called Pammy. Dan opened the door and found friend sitting on the floor in a tidy circle. They were all staring at him, an unsettling hunger in their eyes. "We are playing Truth or Dare," Pammy intoned mechanically. "Please, join us. Truth or Dare?"
"Please choose Dare," Gassan said, in the same unearthly voice.
"The Truth is never any fun," agreed David, still in the same tone. Throughout the exchange, none of the four took their eyes off of Daniel.
"Is everything alright?" he asked. "You all seem...different."
Pammy answered in the same monotone as before: "We are collectively unnerved at a series of recurring dreams we have been having. Perhaps you too are experiencing these visions?"
"Yeah," Dan said, "but I'm not acting that weird about it."
"Perhaps," Pammy said, "All will be made more clear if you answer this simple question: Truth...or Dare?"
Written by Zodiac on 31 May 2008
Simple truth
Daniel took a moment to glance about the room. The scent of fresh food baking in the kitchen to the right, the couch propped up against the wall and a television near the window. Everyone was seated on the floor, Gassain with his legs crossed and Pammy making sure her frilly dress covered all of her legs. Jake Sprawled out lazily and David looking over his shoulder with a nervous twitch.
“I guess I’ll pick truth. How long have you four been playing?” Daniel asked as he dropped into a seat next to everyone. Pammy scooting to one side so it formed a more complete circle, everyone facing into the center.
“About an hour by now.” Answered Jake.
“I think … yeah you missed the brownies.” David sounded disappointed.
“Still wish you’d pick Dare you know, the truth is boring.” Gassain complained.
“But it’s the only thing that’s important right now. Daniel?” she intones with that deliberate, unearthly monotone. “What have you been dreaming of?”
“Nothing the past two nights.” Daniel answered truthfully, thinking back to the calm weakened. “I go to sleep. Blackness. Then wake up. Pretty boring.”
“The last two. What about before that?” Pammy is quick to press.
“He’s being evasive. That must mean he’s with them.” Jake sits up, staring at Daniel with concern.
“Oh and what, you think he’s replaced?” David accused.
“Guys, guys, chill.” Gassain interrupted. “We’re here to play a game alright, you can talk about your mindwashing theories when it’s your turn.”
“What on earth did you guys put in the brownies? Starting to think I should be glad I didn’t eat one.” Daniel snickered to the three bickering teenagers.
“But would you please answer the question?” Pammy once more. “It’s important.”
“Okay fine.” Daniel sighed. “I dreamed I was tied down a slab, or something. Three guys, a computer, someone taking notes. I never get to see what they’re doing. In the dream I can’t even turn my head.”
“No briefcase?” David leans forward with a stare.
“Well, uh. Actually one of the guys did have a case on him. He opens it up. But I never see what’s inside.” Daniel replies.
“And then the other guy has a gun. So we’ve got Noteguy, Computerguy, and Boxguy.” Jake pipes up. “Clearly they are all supervillians.”
“In Hazmat suits?” Gassain balks.
“It’s just their costume, duh.” Jake rolls his eyes, acting as if this were obvious.
“In my dream they looked more like government types.” David crosses his arms. He looks down, taking a keen interest in his feet.
“They, uh. The three guys did have suits on in my dream too.” Daniel pipes up. “As soon as they lift off the covers I’m awake.”
“How long have the dreams been happening?” Pammy.
“I don’t know. A while? Its stopped recently so I’d like to think it’s over now.” Daniel answered.
“Hah! Not a chance.” Jake retorts. “Your dream took place in your own bed, and you still think it’s a dream? Mine too. Identical.”
“We are not being invaded by brain steeling government employees.” Gassain groans, leaning back against the couch.
“Not just employees! Tax collectors.” Jake counters.
“And they need the biological protection for …” Pammy asks, looking to each of three. “What? Exactly?”
“Maybe Gassain’s room is just so dirty they don’t want to take chances.” Jake grins.
“And maybe they know what you wear in yours, and just don’t want to touch anything period.” Gassain snapped back. Jake wasn’t entirely amused.
“Guys.” David pipes up in a stutter voice. “This isn’t coincidence guys. We won’t all have the same dream at the same time because nothing unusual happened.”
“Maybe it’s a prank.” Daniel offers to the group, looking at Gassain specifically as the man casually lounged about.
“By who? In my dream it was clearly three adults.” Pammy offers.
“All three of them men I can tell you that, way too broad in the shoulder.” Jake nods.
“Well then what do we do about it?” David questions. He looked scared. More scared than anyone else in the room.
“Set up cameras?” Daniel suggested with the usual earnestness.
“I could try this, yes.” Pammy nods, now looking down to think it over.
“Guess I could rig something up. Don’t have the memory to record the entire night though.” Jake mentions.
“What if the men just take the camera away? Or turn it off?” David questions with alarm. “Its not like I can afford some hidden spy camera right now and the ones I do have are really big and easy to spot.”
“Better than me.” Gassain shrugs. “I don’t have any camera at all, let along some way to hide it. You guys are just being paranoid here.”
“How can you say it’s just a dream?” Pammy looks serious. “With all of us, even you.”
“Don’t know.” Gassain holds up his hands defensively. “But they stopped, didn’t they? So long as we don’t have the dream again we don’t really have anything to worry about.”
“I guess so.” David admits reluctantly.
“Computerguy has probably already moved on to his next victim. I’ll bet other kids around school are having the same dream we are.” Jake muses, looking out the window as if with expectation.
“We are not calling him Computerguy.” Gassain pouts.
“How about ComGuy then. Shorter to say?” David offers.
“If the dreams have stopped then we only need to worry about them if they don’t come back. But have they actually stopped?” Pammy inquires, sitting up strait and looking all four of the boys directly in the eye. “How long ago did the dreams seem to stop?”
“About eight days for me.” Jake raises his arm.
“I’ll guess about six days, I noticed I could sleep easier last Sunday.” David offers reluctantly, his arms still folded across his chest. He looked like he was cold.
“Four days.” Gassain shrugs, leaning his head back into the couch and looking over his fingernails. The ceiling light cast the shadow of a hand across his face. “Didn’t count how long they went on for but I’m pretty sure they aren’t coming back.”
“Two days.” Daniel finally answers. “It stopped on Friday. Last day of school.”
“You mean the day D.i.C. came in hang over?” Gassain perks back up.
“As if you have any right to talk little fascinated by finger shadows.” Jake sticks his tongue out.
“Well, I think I answered all the truths I needed here guys.” Daniel steps in, propping one knee up and wrapping his arms around it. “How about we get back to the game?”
“I agreed.” Pammy nods. “Its your turn Daniel, go ahead and pick.”
And thus the five teenagers played their game on into the night. Drinking when they felt like it, having a ready dinner once it was finished. Revealing truths and convincing each other to pull off embarrassing pranks. Pammy ended up shoving two straws in her nose while Jake took pictures. Jake was forced to act like a bunny, leaning against the table with a carrot in one hand like a cigarette. Cell phone cameras immortalizing the image for all to see. David was dared with putting ice down his shirt. Gassain rather effortlessly breezed through a dare to climb the branch on the tree outside.
And Daniel was dared to speak only in Riddles for a full hour, which seemed much more difficult to pull off than he’d expected.
They went home, they slept, and when they woke up in the mourning something was completely different.
Written by Arbon on 25 May 2016
Enter: Sphinx
The chill wind blowing through the leaves, rustling in the grass. Daniel’s eyes peaked open to the glimmer of a sunrise over a rocky outcropping, the land dotted with trees and bushes. He closed his eyes right back and attempted to roll around for his blanket. The hands felt like they were covered in oven mitts, and when he reached over his back he could feel the shaggy hair of some animal. A dog? No, a cat maybe. Daniel could swear there was something of a tarp draping down over the side of his haunches, yet his arms could grasp onto the edge.
He couldn’t find his pillow either.
Resting a chin against his arms, tucking his face into the crook of his elbow, the teenager simply curled up in wait for the alarm clock to beep. Any minor problems in his situation could be ignored for another hour or two, he wasn’t getting up for anything beyond an emergency. A wide, deep yawn rambles out of his mouth. He almost thought he heard the girlish tones of a woman yawning with him, but didn’t bother looking around to check. Sleep, yet more sleep, he could feel the heat of the sun beaming directly onto his flanks now. Warming his face, making his left side feel as he were back at the beach while his right side was chilled in the morning dew.
He peaked his eyes back open. No pillow, no blanket, and no walls. He could see directly into the side of a high cliff face, ancient roots stabbing into the dirt and weaving around the larger rocks like tendrils. Bushes dotted the landscape, the grass was chilled and wet by the misty morning. Looking out deeper into the valley he could even spot early fog just starting to rise above the tree tops. He couldn’t find his phone. His alarm was missing. He didn’t even see the neighbor’s house somewhere beyond a window.
Raising his head, he only just now realized he couldn’t see any houses at all.
“When is the time one hand of small, are needed to sleep by most if not all?” he asked to the thin air, Daniel trying to decide if he was dreaming or not. “Five more minutes.”
He yawned. His head drooped back down, and he truly did sleep for a time while the sun continued to rise. He was stopped by the sensation of a squirrel climbing on his face.
“Gah! Enough! Release me you vermin!” he’d roar. Clambering onto all fours and shaking his head left and right in violent jerks, the feeling of feathery arms jutting out of his back as they spread into a wide flare. The squirrel was thrown to one side and left in a daze, while Daniel stomped his fist into the dirt before him.
“What is quick to destroy, can only come on mornings, and you do not ever wish to be!” his voice thundered out. Bold, proud, and distinctly feminine despite its reverberating tones. Daniel could hear his echo from across the canyons first, then a third booming into the valley between distant, forested mountains. Daniel did not even slightly recognize who’s voice was coming out past his lips, the sounds were adult and strong and female. But he could tell he was speaking. Shouting really.
The squirrel did not appreciate his efforts to intimidate and quickly scampered off, leaving Daniel to mutter softly under his breath. ‘Breakfast.’ An answer to the question that no one heard.
Once past anger and surprise then came the confusion. He was still on four legs, but looking over to the trees he was clearly half as tall as even the largest ones while crawling. He wasn’t so much on his hands and knees as he was on his toes and his palms simultaneously. He attempts to stand up, but the hold is too shaky. After a few wobbles he drops back to the ground and decides upon using a tree to prop himself up.
When standing on just two legs he was almost as tall as the trees themselves. Judging by the height of the flowers, either everything had shrunk in a subtle way or he was suddenly larger than his mother’s car. He was pretty sure he could see over the bus if he tried. Another oddity. None of which more distressing than glancing down to see a poofy chest, the bulging fur coated paws of a tawny yellow cat, and his feet looked more like talons than anything with toes or a heel.
He drops back down to examine. Was this another dream just as real at the last ones? He suspected this is the part where he’d wake up if that was the case, few dreams allow you to linger after the illusion has been shattered. Daniel looks back to the rest of his body, sporting the main portions of a lion with feathers along most of the shoulders and part of the back, two thick and muscular raptor wings, and the hind legs that looked as if they belonged on a chicken more than his current body.
Chicken or eagle, honestly. Though Eagle sounded less like an insult in his mind.
“What happened here was the work of an instructor of fitness.” He declares instantly, once more surprised at the rumbling, yet feminine voice. As he looks to see no one else was around he mumbles. ‘Donut no.’ and saunters forward.
He could not remember how he got here or why he was in this body, but he also realized that screaming and denying its existence would not achieve any worthwhile results. In the best case scenario he would be proven wrong about his faculties and suddenly awaken, laughing at himself about how easily the dream had fooled him. In the worst case scenario this was a real event. He could not do panicking blindly and causing more trouble than was worth.
He had to do something productive, which meant finding a river or a pond. Something to drink from if need be, dangerous in the immediate term but life saving if he was stranded here and miles from civilization. He had wings and knew full well that most dreams allowed one to fly, or perhaps he’d be halfway lucky and be capable of flight in reality. When groggy and tired and barely able to walk without tripping himself was not the sensible moment to go airborne around numerous pointy trees on wings he knew nothing about.
It was not a long walk until the newly formed sphinx found a river trickling down the Cliffside. Small and burbling, but enough to fallow. He turned toward downstream and kept walking until he could spot a pond, something with still and clear water. His footsteps caused the pond to ripple, making him feel like a monster from some film series. When he gazed down he was surprised to see a human face.
Even more surprised to see a woman’s face. The long eyelashes and deep, pitch black shadow lining the outside of his eye. His face was petite in frame, completely without blemish, and his hair was neatly trimmed into a curt shape. The color was a deep black that matched the shadows around his eyes. The iris’s themselves were a bright and tawny yellow, just about matching his newfound fur. Atop his head were two catlike ears with puffy insides and black tips.
Daniel twisted his head to clear away the shock, blinking several times at the sight before him. On a whim he smiles, but finds his teeth are strait and pointed. Exceptionally neat like the rungs on a fine comb, but razor sharp and looking wicked dangerous as far as he could tell. He sticks his tongue out at his reflection. He amuses himself for a time by making silly faces, only stopping to examine the rest of his reflection.
The sphinx is only mildly disappointed to confirm what he already knew, that his lower body appeared to be that of a lion with bird feet, wings on its back and the head of a human. At least reflections worked fine. Was that something one could be pleased about?
His next order of business was to find some way to contact help, locate civilization or the authorities or possibly the tower of a park ranger. Surely this had to be a park of some sort, how far away from home could he have been? Daniel gazes into the sky, up past the cliff-side and toward the clouds. A single glance at his back and the wings folded ever so neatly. It was all one needed to reach the obvious solution.
Written by Arbon on 26 May 2016