Dionte

His forest green irises don't waver from the clock on the wall; that loud ticking drowns out the surrounding chatter. He arrived at the Yum Yum Cafe shop at the specified time--or rather thirty minutes earlier than what she requested. Yet it's going on twelve, and the woman who suggested they meet is nowhere to be seen.

What if she really... No. It's too soon to jump to conclusions, but every second that goes by the stronger his anxiety takes hold. Even the calm atmosphere and redolent coffee blends don't ease his high tension. Dionte grips his untouched iced latte that he can't exactly say is getting cold while he nervously waits. He needs her to walk in those doors when it strikes noon to wash away his endless theories. Despite getting injured in the previous dream, not a scratch was left on his arm, so the same could apply to her. Though I can't erase the way her body just fell limp at the piercing of its claws.

Just then, the clock's little hand goes up straight, and Dionte feels the little amount of hope he held begin to dissipate. The male sits unmoving--closed off from the activity around him until a familiar voice snaps him from his daze.

"Hey, Dionte. That's your name, right?"

Dionte's head snaps to the source, and the very person he was praying to see stands in the flesh. The littlest detail from the dream correlates with her appearance-between her round nose and bright violet irises. However, this suddenly glitches to a bloody image of her face conjured in pain and her skin deprived of color. His breath hitches. The male squeezes his eyes shut tightly while inhaling deeply, and upon opening them, she's back to normal. My mind is playing tricks on me, though that's expected after what happened last night. Chantel takes a seat across from the male, ordering a black coffee, and she only arrives two minutes after their agreed time.

"Do I have something on my face, or am I even prettier outside of the dream?" she jokes, and he clears his throat, averting his once unwavering gaze.

"No-I mean, it's just an unreal feeling meeting like this."

"Yeah, that feeling is mutual."

Silence stretches, with neither of them seeming to know where or how to start. Usually, when a client is having difficulty sharing, Dionte is the one who will get the ball rolling. However, what he desires to ask is too forward considering the trauma-inducing state she was last in.

"Look, about what happened when running away from that thing. A lot was going on, and I honestly didn't hear what you said at all." She means leaving me out to dry. Chantel aimlessly stirs her bitter drink like the deceitful words that roll off her tongue. "I just wanted to make that clear in case you were getting the wrong idea."

Dionte can't say he believes her one bit, but that's of no importance. Above all else, Chantel is safe, and there are bigger issues to discuss.

"Still, I'm the one who ended up paying the price..."

"On that topic, did you...feel the pain or have any kind of injuries upon waking up?"

Dionte assumes by her bubbly energy when greeting him that it had no lasting physical effects. Regardless, he needs her to confirm such from her own mouth, and his first question has him the most concerned.

She swallows thickly, though the mug has yet to touch her lips. "I-I felt everything. There isn't a mark on my body, but I felt every ounce of the wounds I suffered last night. It's as if my life was slipping away, and that's when I woke up. It was just a few minutes before six again like with the first."

"I noticed that too. So the dream always ends at six AM..."

Then when does it begin? If these dreams flow in real time, then it can't be the moment they go to sleep. We weren't walking around for that many hours, but about how long was it?

"There's something I need to confess."

Chantel's strained voice gains his attention, and she stares down at her reflection in the dark liquid with an exhale.

"I lied when I said that neither of us was injured in the first nightmare." I figured she wasn't being truthful by her hesitation back there. "Jun-my neighbor is the one who got hurt. We were running away from that monster similar to last night, and it was right on our trail. Jun is much younger than me, so naturally, a gap grew between us..." Maybe she didn't say that before because she felt guilty about leaving him behind. "The monster deeply scratched his back, but before it could strike again, the dream was over. Of course, the two of us talked on the phone the minute we had woken up. That's when I realized our consciousness was linked; the pain he suffered was real. Jun was sobbing in my ear about how severe its claws had felt, but there was no evidence on him to prove it..."

Dionte quietly listens, and he can better understand why Chantel was so terrified when facing the monster a second time. Naturally, anyone would be freaked out even if they grasped the fact it's imaginary. That fear is doubled when knowing whatever injuries are inflicted will produce equal pain.

"Let's process what we know." Dionte takes a sip of his iced latte to try and cool his head, but the drink is rather warm now with the time it sat. "The dream ends at six AM unless you 'die' during it, which will cause you to wake up beforehand-like in your case. We don't yet have a precise hour when it begins."

It's not that he wants them to experience this nightmare thrice, but it's more likely they'll have another dream tonight than they won't.

"You, Jun, and I are the only three we know of that are dreaming this, though it's too soon to rule out the possibility of there being others like us. A monster that was present in both dreams chased us upon sight, being strong, fast, and ruthless. Lastly, nightmares take place in Maquette Grove for whatever reason."

These things only branch to several other questions that can all be traced back to the biggest mystery. Why? What is the root of this joined nightmare, and how can they break free of it?

"What if it's possible to just exit the dream?"

His thoughts spill out loud with an idea coming to mind he should've tried last night.

"We were by the entrance but never did attempt to leave. It could be the key for us awakening," he adds, but she lets out a sigh of defeat.

"That won't work. When that monster popped up the night one, my first instinct was to go there, but I couldn't step a foot past the neighborhood gate. It's almost like some invisible wall was preventing me from leaving."

So that's a no-go then... Of course, it wouldn't be so easy, but one could only dream. Though sleeping is the last thing he wants to do with this dangerous problem on their hands.

Chantel slams her mug on the table, having jugged the rest of her coffee. "It's so frustrating! What did we do to deserve this? I wish this was a dream right now that I could just wake up from. I don't want to lay my head on my pillow every night scared that I'll wind up there."

"It is a lot to take in, but this is the reality that we're stuck in."

He too desires to go to bed stress-free without worry of what will transpire when he closes his eyes.

"We should probably have a chat with Jun also." Chantel cuts her pity party short, running her fingers through her bob-cut hair. "He had to have been in the nightmare again, and we shouldn't leave him out of the loop. I can even give him a ring right now."

"You don't need to call. I would rather speak to him in person when going to Maquette Grove for myself. Currently, that neighborhood is the only clue we have to this phenomenon."

There must be a purpose for everything in these dreams, including the setting. That happens to be on the other side of New Jersey, and he'd like to see this place during the day apart from being hunted.

"Like I said, I was just up here visiting some friends for two days, so we can drive there together."

"Great, but I have a quick stop I need to make before we leave."

Since Chantel drove to the café, though it was within walking distance for himself, they used her car to reach his destination. She maneuvers the vehicle into the near-empty parking lot, which makes sense given their timing after hours. It's a short pause as her violet eyes examine the small brown building before them.

"You know, I didn't expect this to be what you had in mind."

"Well, my dad's a pastor, and I wanted to talk to my parents before taking off... Did you care to step inside and stretch your legs?"

There's a brief moment of silence that already gives him an answer, and Chantel's hands tighten on the steering wheel.

"Nah, I think I just need a minute by myself to decompress. I'm fine waiting right here."

"Yeah, understandable."

He is a bit surprised-not at the reasoning but rather her response to his offer. I assumed she was a believer, and there's a cross necklace hanging from her car mirror, but why was there so much weight in her words?

Still, Dionte doesn't need to ponder such things at the moment, and he opens the large doors to the house of The Lord.

The interior is small, having only two little rows of pews, and the afternoon sun shines through the rectangular stained glass window at the front. A few plants help give the place more color, though some might argue it's not as fancy compared to other churches. Regardless, this second home is a sanctuary for him, where he can always go and leave his problems at the door. Just stepping over the threshold helps ease his tense shoulders to meet his parents with a collected face at the lectern.

"Ah, look who decided to show up now that service is over. I was shocked to see you weren't in your usual spot when I started preaching. It's not like you to skip, especially without notice, so your mother was worried sick."

The middle-aged married couple who welcomes Dionte with smiles of love is something he can't grow tired of seeing after fourteen years. I used to believe that any family who wasn't biologically connected was only putting on an act. It's not that way anymore, though. Even if they aren't blood-related, these two have and always will be in his corner.

I was blessed to even be adopted... The same age he graduated high school is when he was taken underneath their roof. They couldn't have any kids of their own and so planned to adopt. Originally, the couple was looking for a child a bit younger in age, and quite often teenagers will be overlooked. Especially those who had a bad attitude, as he had, but they insisted he was the child for them. The Lord gave him a home he pretended he didn't need because he thought it was well out of reach. A bratty youth starting college early wasn't stress-free. Still, Dionte's thankful every day their love for him never changed.

"Happy Sunday. Sorry for worrying you," he greets, beginning with an apology. "I didn't get the best amount of rest, and I had someone I was meeting today."

"Surviving only caffeine like you forever do?" His mother asks in a knowing tone, and recalling the cup he just drank has him scratch behind his neck. "That doesn't replace real sleep, Dionte."

"I know, I know."

"Ms. Miller said how you did her yard work for her yesterday since her grandkids reneged yet again. It's heartwarming that so many of our members can say good things about our son, but not at the expense of your own health."

His dad nods in agreement, giving him a pat on the shoulder. "Your mother's right. You will gain gray hairs faster than me if you don't learn to take some time off once in a while. Also, Sunday is The Lord's day, so don't exhaust yourself when you lack the energy for Him."

They both make a valid point, and he could've attended service by suggesting to meet Chantel at a later hour than she requested.

"Well, enough with the lecture. I'm sure there's a reason you came all of this way, correct?"

His dad changes the subject, and it'll be challenging to fill them in on enough without oversharing.

"Yeah, uh, I'm going to be leaving out of town for a bit to Serene Pond...today."

"This bombshell raises both alarm and confusion, with his parents too stunned to speak. The couple exchanges glances, seeming at a total loss as to what to ask the male first.

"W-Wow, I didn't anticipate news like a road trip being why you were absent. Are you traveling there with friends? How long will you be staying?"

His mother is the one to interrupt the chirping birds' songs by the window.

"There's...one new friend I've made, and I can't say the duration just yet."

"I'm glad you're finally taking time for yourself, but can you at least explain what brought this about?" she further inquires, and his emerald eyes drop to the wooden floor. I just can't afford to tell them about the nightmares... Informing his parents of such will either make them believe one of two things: Think he's having a mental breakdown from lack of sleep, or his predicament becomes a source of worry--like he already brought his mother this morning. Neither of which are outcomes he desires to witness.

"Well, at least this time around you gave us a heads-up before driving off."

Dionte's frown deepens at his dad's chortle, though he's quite aware that was supposed to be a joke. It's not very humorous recalling the panic he put them through all those years ago.

"Don't take it to heart, Son. We're blessed with the transformation The Lord made in you through the trial you underwent," he says with an honest tone, holding no previous amusement. "...I actually had a strong gut feeling that you'd be leaving town for a few weeks now."

"W-What?..."

His dad faces him with a stern yet gentle gaze behind his oval frames. "The Lord let me know beforehand in a repetitive dream, though I don't know the details surrounding your journey. There's a high rocky mountain path that you alongside five strangers will be traveling. It won't be easy--especially for them, but you must keep your faith and don't allow the steepness to turn you away. Only then will you reach the mountain peak and gain the answers that you seek."

He can assume he didn't confine this to his mother, with her baffled expression mirroring his own. Through sleep, this connection ties in with his current predicament, adding pressure to his tightened chest. Perhaps I'm involved with this cursed nightmare despite not living in Maquette Grove because of a divine mission I'm set to take?

"Come. Let us join hands for His guidance and protection over you and your future companions."

His dad motions him closer, and the family of three joins together for a prayer. It does help calm down his spiking anxiety, and part of him wishes Chantel had come in too. Rude to leave the woman sitting in the car any longer, Dionte says his goodbyes and heads for the exit. Though, prior to his fingers grasping the knob, his old man calls out once more.

"Don't forget not to put other people's crushing burdens on yourself. Even if I know you won't always come to us, there is One who can assist in carrying the load so you won't stumble."

That alone speaks volumes about how much parents can read through their children, even when he poorly attempts to hide his emotional state.

Dionte gives a final nod to them both and walks through the church doors. He's unable to predict when the next time he'll be visiting this sanctuary. Nevertheless, God will be with the male while unraveling this mystery meant for him to lead.

A/N: End of chapter 3. Hope you enjoyed it and Jun will be getting introduced in the next update.