40 minutes away police station
So… have you ever been so tired you felt you'd pass out if you stood still for more than two seconds?
Yeah.
That's me right now.
The Nightmare Spell can really be a…?
I forget.
A lot of things, probably.
What was I thinking again?
…Never mind. Just keep moving forward.
I kept close to the buildings as I walked. Not because I wanted to—because if I didn't, I felt like I'd tip over. My legs wobbled every few steps. My head kept drooping forward like it was trying to detach from my neck.
The police station was still about forty minutes away. Normally that wasn't bad. Right now it felt like someone had handed me a mountain and asked me to drag it there.
-----
Left foot. Right foot. Don't fall.
Please don't fall.
I had been walking… ten minutes? Maybe? Hard to tell. Everything was hazy, like my brain kept dropping frames.
The world swayed again. The sidewalk started to ripple like jelly under me. I reached out to steady myself and grabbed a street sign.
Except the street sign moved.
"Hands off!" the street-sign-turned-man snapped, and I blinked at him slowly as he turned around. Then he actually looked at me.
His face drained of color instantly.
"Oh hell no. He's… he's pale as a corpse. Back up!"
Great. Thanks pal. Hope to meet you never.
People nearby turned to look.
"Oh come ooonnn…" I mumbled.
Whispers started behind me, fuzzy and too loud.
Don't stress. Let's try thinking positive.
"Is he sick?"
Well, thanks for caring. Best guy, terrific guy… agh, there it is again. Random sayings popping into my head. I don't even know what that means, and I'm too tired to question it right now.
"No… look at his eyes. He looks like he's struggling to keep them open."
Thanks for noticing.
"He's probably a carrier of the Nightmare Spell. Why else would someone be this tired at 2 pm?"
Oh. Right.
That's why I wasn't supposed to slow down.
Something about the Spell starting early for some people?
Either way: stupid nightmare spell…
"Don't let him touch you! I heard from my aunt's second cousin that carriers of the Spell can spread it!"
Seriously. Dude… you need your facts checked.
Just as I was done rebuking the guy in my head, my legs decided to give their opinion on the situation by trying to collapse. They went soft, like someone had swapped them for badly cooked noodles. I lurched sideways, barely catching myself on the nearest solid object.
Which turned out to be a car.
…Huh. A car?
I looked around. I was sure I was on the sidewalk and not… whatever dangerous street zone my brain kept imagining. Something about… a "truck"? No idea where that thought came from.
I looked around again — and yep, definitely not in whatever that thing's territory was supposed to be.
So I shouldn't be anywhere near a car.
I had to really stare at it to see what type of car it was.
A police cruiser.
Oh.
I then noticed a person slowly approaching. They looked like a police officer. They kept their distance like I might turn into a nightmare creature or… whatever that strange comparison was that popped into my head. Something about a mother-in-law? No idea.
As the officer got closer, he… she… not sure if I was allowed to assume that for some reason, held out a hand not close enough to grab me but close enough to pretend they could.
"Uh… sir? I'm going to need you to stop and tell me what's happening."
Dude or dudette—why did my brain even supply that?—if I stopped, gravity would win instantly. Still, I tried to answer.
"Spell… Police… station… hurry…"
Their expression tightened. Their hand twitched toward their radio.
Another wave of dizziness hit me hard. I clung to the car door like it was floating in the ocean and I was about to drown.
Station. Just get to the station. Before the Spell hits. Before—
A sharp pulse ran under my skin. Like my heartbeat had tried to burst through my ribs.
My eyes lost focus.
Yeah, that probably wasn't good.
The officer definitely noticed.
"Sir! Try and stay awake!" they shouted. Their voice felt distant. I think they went to grab something from the cruiser.
Then they spoke into the walkie-talkie:
"We have a CODE BLACK. I repeat, CODE BLACK."
Everything after that blurred together. Colors smeared. Voices tangled. The officer came back with something — a small bottle? A drink? I couldn't tell. They pressed it into my hand and told me to sip.
Whatever it was, it hit my system like liquid electricity. My thoughts sharpened just enough for one confused question to escape.
"…what is this divine drink…?"
The officer blinked. "It's just sweetened water. Electrolytes. It should keep you awake long enough to get to the station."
They dragged me to the passenger seat of the cruiser, and we took off.
I slumped back, sipping what now seemed like the best thing in the world until we got to the station.
----
PoliceStation Scene
"Okay, kid… judging by the look on your face, I don't think I have time to explain much," the officer said.
He was sitting next to the small metal bed I was currently strapped to.
Very comforting.
Five stars. Would absolutely come again.
He scratched his chin, sighed, then continued, "So I'll keep it quick."
Good. Because my brain is already clocking out.
"You're about to enter the Nightmare Spell," he said, voice shifting into Serious Adult Mode. "Your one and only job in there is simple: survive. By any means necessary."
Uh-huh. Sure.
My eyelids gave up holding themselves open halfway through that sentence.
"That means you cheat. You lie. You hide. You run. You do whatever it takes. If something's trying to kill you—"
He paused, looking me up and down like I was already a corpse.
"—you kill it first."
I tried to roll my eyes, but my tired eyeballs filed a complaint and refused the request.
He lifted a finger like he was handing down ancient wisdom from the mountaintop.
"Just remember: none of the people in there are real. Don't freeze up. Don't hesitate. Don't try to play hero."
His gaze hardened.
"And don't forget this, kid: the Nightmare judges you. Not them."
Ah yes.
Perfect.
Telling someone who hasn't slept since… ever… that they're about to be judged. Very calming.
Can I please just… sleep?
So… tired…
"Make it through the first one, and you've got a shot at waking up alive," he said. "Fail… and, uh—"
He gestured vaguely.
Not reassuring.
Not that I was fully listening anymore. His voice was starting to sound like distant radio static.
My head tilted.
My eyes slid shut without asking my permission.
The exhaustion finally won.
Ah. Sleep time, I thought with a tiny smile—
But the Nightmare Spell welcomed me instead.
[Aspirant! Welcome to the Nightmare Spell. Prepare for the First Trial.]