Chapter Text
Nenia Sanguinis
The dream starts like it always has in the last few months, in a foggy forest that glows red violet. Trees that look both dead and alive with what could only be considered eldritch energy. The color of crimson that’s so dark it's almost black, flows through the land. Flowing towards the center of a clearing where a woman stands, ethereal and otherworldly. Beckoning him to come to her, with promises of relief for the drowning grief and pain he feels and promises of love he had been wanting from his own parents since the upside-down mess had begun. Like a marionette he feels his body move without his input, but he doesn't care, his pain is too much, and the strange woman is starting to look like his own mom, Karen. He just wants to forget his past and accept the woman’s embrace. But as he gets closer, something whispers to him to run, to get away from this imposter before it’s too late. The woman frowns as she notices the fear and confusion on his face.
“what’s the matter? Is this form not motherly enough? “I can become anyone you need” she says softly as her form shimmers and twists to become that of Joyce.
“This form is of someone who has shown you more love and care than your own Mother. Is this satisfactory? Mike?”
He tries to back away as she closes the distance “No, stay back, I don’t know what you are, but you aren’t my mom”
“Oh Micheal, must we go through this every night? I can be your mother, one that cares for you, loves you, helps you grow to reach your potential.” She’s closer than she had ever been since this recurring dream started.
He should be waking up by now, why isn’t he waking up?
“Micheal, I can’t let you get away this time, you are to be mine, my child.” She’s now touching his face, a loving gesture. But she feels so cold, so unnatural that he wishes he could get away.
“Shhh, it’s alright, the pain won’t last” she says as holds him close. Her nails are now sharp, and her face no longer looks like Joyce.
She wrenches his head to the side, taking her time to pet his head as she finally takes a bite out of him. The pain blinded him and made him scream. He feels hands on him, shaking him, trying to get his attention. But now that he can move, he scrambles away only to fall. It takes a moment for Mike to realize that he was awake, tangled in his blankets on his floor.
“Mike, Mike, are you okay?” he see’s that the person in his room with him is his mom, his real mom.
“I…. I..” “it’s okay, you just had a nightmare. You can talk to me about it” “No! no, I’m okay mom.” He says as he tries to get up from the floor, his left shoulder hurts him as he does so.
His mom gives him a look that says she doesn’t quite buy it, but she leaves his room anyways. Leaving Mike to try and make sense of his nightmare. It had never gotten that far before; he winced once more as his shoulder throbbed. He lifted the sleeve of his shirt, what he saw scared him, it looked bruised and there were darkened veins branching out from the spot.
“The fuck”