Amurehna

I only ever see a part of the city I live in. It's huge, with wild swaths of forest around residential areas, and divided by a wide river. I follow Sam into his apartment, in the dream he's my co-worker but in the waking world I haven't seen him in years. We gather here after work sometimes, but this time I see many people I don't know. I round a corner and Sam is lifting pizzas from delivery boxes and laying them out on platters.
"There's enough for everyone." He says. For some reason I feel unwelcome. A narrow room runs alongside the kitchen, like it's the top bar in the letter T. I step into the kitchen feeling uncertain. The kitchen is dimly lit, with white tile floors and two short lengths of cabinets, all white. On the left is a set of cabinets with the sink, on the right is the stove.
There's a man in there, he reminds me vaguely of a guy I knew back when I knew Sam IRL. The resemblance does not please me at all. It's something in the shape of his nose and the way he speaks. He's dressed all in black too, just like Jason, but his hair is cut short.
"What are you doing?" He asks me rudely.
"Um...he said there's--"
"He didn't mean YOU." He shoves a serving tool into a plastic container with a couple inches of water, under a slice of pizza. It looks odd, like it's not fully baked and there are no toppings. He smears what looks like chocolate over the top. The whole thing grosses me out.
"I didn't realize..." I decide to leave, the food isn't appealing anyway. I brush past him out the door on the other side of the kitchen. Apparently he can't just let me leave, he has to follow me, all the while making comments.
"People like you, it's unbelievable! How you just worm your way in anywhere, no matter what anyone else thinks."
I walk a little more quickly but he keeps pace with me, and I don't want to actually run.
"This is a gathering for his CLOSE friends and family. His sister, and ME who is her fiance. Do you see where you fit in there?" He asks, chuckling meanly. "Because I don't." He pauses. "Really, I want to know."
I run the last few steps to the door, someone is on their way in so I pretend I'm trying to catch it before it swings shut. I do. I even almost make it out with my pride, but I turn to him and I do something. I can't even remember what it is, some sort of insult that sounded better in my head, a petty jibe, or a slap, maybe I shove the door at him. I don't know, but it makes me feel childish and unjustified.

I leave, feeling like I'm going to cry. The city is built in tiers, outside this level of the apartment is a wide pale cement walkway with a curved metal rail. Behind me the walk slopes downward. I'm heading toward the bridge though. Sam and several of my co-workers have followed me out, there are maybe 5 of them, including his sister who looks nothing like him. Sam has dark hair and eyes and olive-toned skin. He's wearing a grey t-shirt that has a smiley face on the front. His sister, is more pale and has shining blonde hair pulled back into a pony-tail.
It makes me happy that they cared enough to come after me. For a second I doubt that notion, I wonder: are they here to ask how or why I've upset Richard?
"Hey, you heading out?" He asks, it's not like me to leave without saying goodbye.
"Yeah, it's just..."
"We heard, we're going to have a talk with Rich about how he interacts with people." Sam says, glancing over his shoulder, hands on his hips.
"We just wanted to make sure you're okay." His sister says, smiling at me.
"Yes, thank you. I just wasn't prepared for other people to be there." I'm tempted to tell him his brother-in-law reminds me of Jason, but I don't want him to think (in any way whatsoever) that I spend any of my time thinking about him so I keep it to myself.
"We'll get together again later."
"Okay."
They go back to the apartment, I continue on my way to the bridge, feeling better.
The bridge descends, becoming a set of stairs. It lets out into a park of sorts, more like a plaza. There are many of these around the city. This level is a little closer to the water (though we are one above the bottom level), the plaza is filled with tables and benches where people have gathered to relax. There's a wall across from me with wavy metal bars from end to end. There are 8 sections of bars, none of the bars line up with the bars in the section to either side. There are places where they hug the wall closely, and others where they bow out. They're painted white, pink, and yellow. I see what the others are doing, storyline dictates that I've played the game before, I only have a moment where I don't remember how.
The wall sits at the center of the plaza, there are curved ramps on either side, connecting the bottom tier with the tables, to the top tier with benches sheltered by trees. Many people lean on this wall, the bars are a couple feet below the lip, though at each end (the starting points) the wave of the bars is level with it. I take a moment to enjoy the view. From here you can see an entire level of switch-back city. It's beautiful.
I climb over the top of the wall and drop down at the center of the bars. I can feel them under my hands. You have to dodge all the other people playing but you must move constantly, as much to keep up the rules as to avoid getting hit. There's a girl heading my way, I drop down a couple bars and sidle over a step. A man appears next to me, so I leap up a few bars as he's taking the spot I just occupied. I can actually feel my muscles, the bars under my shoes and in my hands, the air moving around me, and each breath of cool air I draw into my lungs. I make it to the left side without hitting anyone and start to make my way to the right.


There's a lapse, I become aware again, I'm laying on my side sandwiched between two people. I don't remember how I got here, and I'm afraid. Especially once I hear them talking. The man pressed to my front, the top of his head level with my chest, sounds like Spike from Buffy, I can even make out his leather trench coat and the peroxide blonde hair...he doesn't have a face though. His head is a blob with hair, given a little structure by his skull. He's talking to his wife, the woman pressed to my back. My arms are pinned to my sides, and their legs are twined through mine. I can't move.
"Darling, I think I'm turning." He says, sounding excited.
I get an image of the woman as she begins to speak, like I'm seeing one of his memories. She's standing in a doorway, wearing a sexy nurse costume complete with nurse hat, she's wearing her blonde hair in pigtails. I realize somehow that she is Sam's sister. She's like an ugly Harley Quinn without makeup. She kinda looks undead. There's bruising around her mouth and eyes, the inside of her mouth past her teeth looks dark and oily. Her skin has an unhealthy purplish cast.
"Good," she begins, in this image I see. They've had this conversation before. "You can turn, and then you'll turn me and I'll be healed!"
"Yes dear, but first, I have to feed."
"Well, we have your meal right here don't we?"
I struggle against them and they laugh. "Good, she's awake."
I have a frustrating moment where I know I'm dreaming but I don't think I can do anything about my situation, like there's no feasible way for me to break free so I can't implement my lucidity. He presses his featureless face to my throat, and somehow bites me, though he doesn't have a mouth. He seems to be having trouble. Before I can hurt him, he needs a face I think, and his face gains features. I somehow wrestle my arms free as he's shifting to get a better biting angle, and I box his ears as hard as I can. He screams in pain. The woman seems to be too undead to do anything to me.
As I'm fleeing from the bed, Spike sicks one of his friends on me. It's a cat about the size of a fox, it snarls at me. It looks vicious. It stands between me and the sliding door on the north wall. I run across the room, striding across the mattress to do it, and head for a railing that overlooks the tunnel. Each floor has one of these, where you can lean over and look down the stairway tunnel. I dive headlong over the polished wood rail. They had crafted this for easy traversing, there are polished wood bars running from the top floor to the bottom. Not all one bar, but sections of them. I right myself as I grab one of these bars and start sliding. The game I played earlier helps me here, it makes my instincts sharp. Before one bar can end I leap to another, and another.
"Well, GET HER!" I hear him yell.
I smirk to myself. The cat creature is catching up with me, it even tries to grab me by leaping from one side of the stair tunnel to the other, but I'm too fast. Instead of taking the bars on the last ten foot drop, I let go. I land in a crouch then make for the door. I run outside and slam the door in the cat's face, laughing just to rankle her. Since she's a cat, it's not like she can open it, she'll have to wait on the vampire to get it for her. I flee. I'm not really concerned, I know she's as vicious as they come, but I'm faster...and if she catches me, well, I'll just have to find a way to deal with it.

I'm on the top tier of the city. It's high enough that there are clouds drifting by. I hear the door open behind me. Oops, better get going. I look over the wall. There are trees that have grown so tall, their crowns press against the bottom of each layer, the branches grow toward the sun, hugging the wall. Well, I guess that's my way down. This next part is kind of a blur. I remember dropping over the side, and using the vines (I can feel the texture of them and the smooth coolness under my palms) and tree branches to descend. At one point I slip and fall, I'm caught in the arms of a massive cherry blossom tree. The limbs are about as wide as I am, with the tiny beginnings for flowers for the season. It creaks in the wind, but my weight is not enough to bother it. I can even smell the flowers. I consider trying to jump to the other massive branch to my right, and then realize just how high up I am. The wind is sweet, I hug the branch and relax a moment. The clouds clear and the river far below is hazy. Nope. I am NOT jumping.
You'll be fine. My subconscious whispers. Logic tells me I will not, so I climb back to the base of the tree.

There's another lapse. I'm almost to the bottom tier. The river is on a hill, the only way to get to the heart of the city is to swim or take a boat. I can hear the cat behind me, I know now that she's a shapeshifter. I slip into the water hoping that will deter her. She follows me without hesitation. I climb out on the slightly lower level and the people there gasp in horror at the creature. They have never seen one before.
"Stay in line beside me, she will not harm you. I'm her target."
The people line up by a wall. People ahead see what is happening where I am and they line up on either side. The streets, I notice, are cobbled.
Whispers meet me as I run, "She's here." they say, "She's leading the Beast.", "Make the way ready." I can see a stone archway, the people have made a human barrier, and before that there is an...obstruction. I'm not sure how to describe it. It's actually an offering, I know I'm supposed to walk on the top of it. The people take my hands and help me hop on top of it, since the thing is about chest high. The base is made of loose pink stone bricks, the top has pastries on plates. A woman, I know she's a tour guide for the city, hands me a piece of pastry as I walk. I pop it into my mouth.
Something strikes me, a think I know the people will see as very symbolic. As I reach the end of the walkway, I grab a raspberry and cream cheese pastry. I tear it in half, I wait until the Shapeshifter is at the end of the walkway, she sniffs at it but does not get onto it. She eyes me uncertainly. I hold out half of the pastry. When she takes it and eats it, I eat my half. She almost looks more dog-like, with a brown/black brindled coat, and narrow muzzle.
Together we pass under the arch into a tiny courtyard. There's a house wedged between all the other houses with a robin's egg blue door. I go inside, she follows.
Once she passes the threshold, she becomes human. I don't know if she's forced to, or if she has a choice. but I have not seen her yet.
"Of course you would lead me here."
"Of course." I agree.
"Why?"
"Why not? I need to know the story, from your lips. You've murdered people for your master, here we will determine your fate." I reply.
She looks a little smug as I turn to face her. She has some sort of white garment with big pockets all over it. Kittens leap down from several of them, I know they are her children. She removes the carrier. Kind of like a tabard. She's willowy, has a tiny frame, with long bronze-brown hair.
"So arrogant, all of you."
"Maybe, but I don't murder people."
"What exactly do you think they'll do to me once they've heard my story?"
"Prison, probably. We'll decide that once we know your...caliber."
"Fine. My husband and I have the ability to shift for a day each year. This year we spent as animals. He shifted first and said to me, 'let's have children', so I said 'why not' and followed suit. My master put us into service, keeping my husband and children hostage if we did not do his bidding. But I won't lie, mostly because I can't at the heart of the city, I enjoyed every moment of it. I'd kill you all if I thought I could get away with it."
Two people appear and lead her (and her children) through a bright red door at the back of the property...

AAAAAAND my phone rings, waking me up.