The Never-Ending Dream

Note: Please do NOT copy this article without my permission. Thank you.

Don't forget that you need to click "READ MORE" below to continue reading.



I often have lucid dreams and I am used to having strange dreams, but last night's dream was nothing like the ones I'd ever had before.

I was alone walking down a narrow path in the woods.
Immediately I knew I was dreaming.
The colour green was too vivid, and the unnatural way the soles of shoes scraped the ground was a familiar sign of being in a lucid dream.
Normally when I realise I'm in a lucid dream I soon try to wake up and then go back to sleep again afterwards, but that time somehow I didn't feel like waking up.
So I kept walking down. It was a downward slope.

A house appeared in front of me.
It was a crumbling, Japanese-style wooden house.
Very old indeed.
It must have stood there for over a century, but from the size of it, it could have been a storage building rather than a residential quarter.
"I don't recognise this house...."
I uttered in spite of myself.
It was the first time an unfamiliar place ever appeared in my lucid dream.

It was dark inside the house, but because of the light that was coming from the wooden door I had left open, it was not completely dark.
A dusty wardrobe, and a large mirror covered with spider webs were left lying around.
Some detached wooden planks, small wooden boxes and somehow some spinning tops were scattered all over the floor.
It was a complete ruin.

Wait a minute, why am I in this place?
Why am I walking further into the darker area of the house?
In a lucid dream, where I am supposed to be able to exert total control over everything -  what am I doing?
I peered behind a panel screen that stood in front of me.
I think I "knew" what was behind it.
That was why I wasn't suprised when I saw it.





On the purple kimono*1 spread out long, sleek, black hair.
It was a body of a girl, lying face down.
Immobile, with her arms and legs sprawling, she appeared to be a corpse.
I don't know what made me do it, but before I knew I was holding her body in my arms and turning it over.
The girl was younger than I had expected; she was probably still around 12 or 13 years old.
Her face was pale and I didn't know whether she was alive or dead.
She was extremely thin too.
And yes, now I remembered; her kimono was also soaking wet.

Suddenly my mobile went off.
It seemed too timely, and at the same time out of place, to hear the ringing sound of the mobile. It shocked me.
A new mail flashed in the inbox.
No title.
"Akemi."
Only one word in the mail.
Akemi? Somehow I thought this must be the girl's name.
Just then another mail arrived.
"Tsukisi"
What on earth is this? I really don't understa -...... 

"Holy shit!"
I frantically shook my arms.
The girl had suddenly lurched up and thrust her arms towards me.
Her eyes were wide open.
The eyes looked dull; no, actually they were rotten.
No, no, why didn't I notice it before! The girl's whole body was rotten from the very start!
She could not possibly be alive!
She opend her mouth.
The decaying jaw opened beyond its limit, tearing the flesh in its process.
The mouth that was ready to devour me.
"Uaaaaaghhhhhh!"


I awake screaming.
Back to reality.
I am in my room.
I open my eyes and look around.
That was just a dream. Just a dream.
I try to get my breath back. I've got to think straight. It meant nothing, it was just an irregular lucid dream.
I'll get up now, go to the kitchen, and drink some water  ― .


I was walking down the narrow path in the woods.
"Wh...why? I've woken up! I'm sure I've opened my eyes just now!"
But unmistakably I had strayed into the same dream again.
What the hell is happening?
This isn't a lucid dream.
Obviously something different. Something more terrible.
I walked deeper into the woods.
I stepped inside the derelict house. I peered behind the panel screen.
The purple girl was lying there and I lifted her in my arms.
As if everything had been scripted from the start, I carried out these motions automatically.
I felt nothing inside.
And again, as if according to the script, the mobile went off.
It was all the same as before.
"Akemi"
"Tsukisi"
The girl leapt up!
I knocked her arms down and, turning quickly, I fled out of the house.
Get away, get away!
I have to get away from that monster and this dream!
She hadn't started running after me yet. If I could get out of this house I'd be saved.
My legs nearly gave way but I forced myself to speed up.
I heard something ran out from the back of the house.
Don't worry, I can do it, I can escape! Just three more steps. Two more.
One......I did it!
I never looked back as I got out of the house.
At the same time I felt myself waking up.
Escaped! Completely!
I'm back to reality.
Gasping in fear, I open my eyes.


And I realised.
Again I was standing there.
In front of the delerict house.
My blood froze up in an instant.
How many times do I have to repeat this? When is this dream going to end? I'm going insane from fear!
Somebody! Please, wake me up! Let me out of this dream!
My body started to moving on its own accord. I went inside the house. NO! No don't go in there don't go near the woman don't touch the girl, escape now, shit, I have no time to check the mail!
"Akemi!
"Tsukisi"
I struck down the rotten arms in front of me.
At last my body became free to move at my own will.
I turned around and started running.
I could feel her close on my heels.
She was much faster than before! Shit!
I ran out of the house but didn't feel myself waking up.
Does this mean she won't let me escape this time?
My legs felt like they would give way any minute. Shit, shit, get away, run!
I could feel her presence right behind me.
I shivered.
Just then I felt my heart stop.
As I run I looked behind and there was a large lacerated mouth dripping with decaying juice....
"Aaaaaghhhh!"
I shrieked.
This time I was awake completely.
I sat up in my bed.
I'm not going back to sleep. No bloody way.
My heart was beating hard and my whole body was drenched in sweat.
That wasn't a dream.
Something way more terrible.
If I hadn't managed to escape what would have happened to me?
It was too scary to meditate on it.
I fumbled for my mobile.
Mustn't fall sleep. I can call my girlfriend and talk to her throughout the night. I must stay awake until the morning.

At that very moment -
My mobile went off.
It received a mail.
No, it can't be!
"Akemi"
You've got be kidding me. This can't be happening.....
"Tsukisi"

"Aaaaahhhhhhh!"
I screamed.
The world started darkening and I couldn't stop it.

My hand rested on the panel screen.
I was about to see what was behind it.
I'm finished.
Beyond danger, beyond despair.
I knew I would not be able to escape this time.
I lifted the girl up in my arms.
The mobile received the two enigmatic messages again.
"Akemi"
"Tsukisi"

"What's this?"
There was a third mail -
The third message that had been sent for the first time.
It consisted of only one Chinese character.
"骞 (mukuro - dead body) *2"
 The girl lunged at me.
Because I was looking at the third mail I reacted a second too late.
It was a fatal mistake and I knew it.
Those hands which previously I had been able to fend off, now firmly gripped me.
The girl's rotting right hand was squeezing my left hand.
The girl smiled.
Her decomposing mouth spread widely.
And slowly the mouth began to split at both ends.

The mouth opened wide.
She was ready to ravage my neck with her teeth.

But at that very moment I suddenly regained my composure.
I looked at her hand that gripped my arm.
Yes, she was gripping it.
I knew this feel.
In the real world I had experienced this kind of feeling millions of times.
It was the form I had pracitced so many times.
I can do this!

I breathed in deeply through my tanden*3.
My body merged with the nature.
Fear vanished away.
I struck the monster's neck with a karate chop and taking a control of her left-hand side body, I tossed her on to the floor.
Katate-dori kokyu nage. *4
This is one of the Aikido techniques which I specialize in.
Be it a monster or what it may, if the opponet is relying on strength alone to fight me, I - an Akido user - will not be defeated!
The girl had fallen into a pile of rubbish near the wall.
I immediately regained my posture and took a fighting stance.
Then I called out to the still unmoving monster,
"Bring it on!"

I opened my eyes.
It was not an awakening that was accompanied by the horrible feeling of being cornered, like before.
It was a normal, everyday type of awakening.
I never felt worse in my life but I knew that the nightmare was finally over.

I don't know which part of it was dream or if it wasn't a dream at all from the beginning.
The meaning of "Akemi," "Tsukisi," "Mukuro," still remain a mystery. I googled "Akemi Tsukisi" but found no relevant information.
The cause of the whole thing is also unknown. I happened to visit a famous haunted place yesterday but I think that has nothing to do with it.
Sorry this doesn't make much sense, and moreover, the ending is weird. But I was scared out of my wits.
And I'm glad I practice Aikido. That's all.



----------------------------------------------
*1 Kimono : A traditional Japanese dress. (pictured on the right)
*2 骞 : this character is usually pronouced as "mukuro" meaning "dead body." I 
placed them both in the bracket, so you can continue reading without having to read the footnote. However, there's still a possiblity that the word means something entirely different from the one I'm suggesting.  
*3 Tanden (䞹田): an important focal point for meditative and exercise techniques  (wiki). Here he's probably refering to Shimo-Tanden (䞋䞹田) that exists below the navel, which is also an important point for Zen Buddhism meditation.
*4 Katate-dori kokyu nage (片手取り呌吞投げ): an Aikido technique.  I found vids about it here and here.

Comments

I must say the story gets quite funny at the end :D
arshvein said…
lol, yea, it's quite funny ending with he's fighting back the corpse. It's interesting that thing didn't really account that the character can fight back and end the loop~

And maybe he DID get followed by something from that famous haunted place he visited, but who knows? ^^

Interesting also that the message also conveyed by mobile phone - it displayed the japanese ppl's reliance on mobile phone and mail, that it is became a medium to display words and messages even in an inexplicable moment like this.

Great fresh story, Saya!
Sadae said…
I hate those dreams where you wake up and then, you didn't. My guess is the ghost girl finally left the author alone because he/she regained control of the dream and then became powerless to continue sucking his/her soul. Creepy.
KC said…
The story was all scary until the Aikido thing come up...
Danee said…
i wish i have the gut to aikido some corpse or ghost in my dream . maybe i'll do it next time

i've experience the looping dream , its terrible, exhausting and sometimes, it came to the ppoint that you can't distinguish reality and dream anymore.

(sorry if this a repost,it directing me to facebook)
Rae said…
So happy to see you back, Saya! I just went through and read all the stories you posted since reappearing, and I enjoyed most of them quite a bit!
Petzie said…
I have to say, this story makes me want to practice Akido! Damn, it really gonna freaks me out if i ever dreaming and keep going on and on, not being able to wake up is sure as scary as hell!! Sometimes even after I wake up, I still wanna make sure I am not still dreaming...


Thank goodness the guy practice some martial arts! Might try it if i ever have a nightmare in which i cant woke myself up. Lucid dreams are scary!!! >3<
DonAbad said…
The worst kind of dream. You know what's coming, how utterly terrifying it is, but worst of all, you know you can't stop it...

UNLESS YOU HAVE THE POWER OF AIKIDO.

I can't do aikido to save my life, so if I run into this kind of dream, I'll turn Super Saiyan instead. (It's a lucid dream, right? You can do whatever you want! XD)
Unknown said…
A very fascinating story.It's funny in the end when I read it the first time.Hum,In the second time,I suddenly realize something.Dreams are just collected memory in your mind that gather together.I have looping dreams when I have a scary,painful experience or when I did something wrong the day before.The author(the one in the story) did something to that poor little girl in the past.He tried to forget about it and he succeed.Howerer,the day before his dream,he remembered everything(or subconsciously remembered) when he went back to that house.That house must be the haunted location he mentioned before.He said it got nothing to do with it because he was trying to hide something,I'm sure of it.The two messages were his mind,reminding him of that little girl.Maybe I'm wrong,I don't know.It's fun to look at things in a different way indeed.
Thank you so much for giving us this story,it was fascinating.Have a nice day.
Please forgive my choppy comment.
BlueRio said…
for some reason i found that the ending of the story kinda funny...
XD
Jude said…
Awwww it would have been more scary if he didn't know aikido. I guess he's really lucky to have learned techniques. I would have probably died since I don't even know how to fight. Creepy story. This happened to me once, would you like me to tell it Saya? :O

Cheers! XO
toyboxed said…
maybe after all this dreams, he will chase down that ghost, and throw her over and over and over, some sort of revenge human lol
JammyWhoo said…
Hello im quite new here and i enjoy reading the stories here i would like to thank saya for putting time and effort into translating them :) :3
Anonymous said…
Interesting. Reminds me of some of the dreams I sometimes have. In a really old run down house with lots of spider webs. I usually ended up pulling out a sword and cut the entity's head off. Sometimes, I get stabbed by someone I know. I did not die but my blood has turned black.
Moxie said…
This was scary to me because I often have lucid dreams. And just the other day I had a dream where I 'woke up' two times but was still sleeping. Luckily they're usually not as scary as this.

BTW, Saya, have you seen this video?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o_F6RFIsiPI
When I first saw it I thought of you.
Mimi said…
Great story. He reminds me of manga characters. I enjoyed it very much!
Unknown said…
Haha the ending was very interesting! I wonder how different it would have been had the author knew Muay Thai?
Anonymous said…
Mental note: material arts work perfectly fine in both living and underword
artuie said…
the story about dream always freaking me out but i still read it anyway.
well, my english is not good, so i don't get the lucid dreams meaning. i've google translated it, and it means a clear dream. i'm really curious what is the lucid dream and why some reader says it was scary.
sorry for my annoying curiousity! ><
anyway great post saya! thanks for update! ^_^
@arshvein: Many occult lovers here would probably have heard of dreams in loop before, but this story has many interesting features that make it unique, like (as you said) its use of mobile text messages. I like it too! :D


@Sadae: I've heard that it's not uncommon among lucid dreamers to have looping dreams like this. I've had one only once in my life and yes, it was disconcerting.


@KC: Even films by George Romero have funny moments. Horror and comedy are twins, like Thanatos and Hypnos in Greek Mythology!


@Danee: I read that there are ways to train yourself so that you can have lucid dreams. I'm curious to try them because I myself have never had lucid dreams, but after hearing about side-effects (horrible looping dreams being one of them) my enthusiasm dwindled.


@Rae: Hi, thank you for your encouraging message. I'm happy to be back too :D


@Petzie: Aikido is popular with women because it doesn't require lots of strength. They learn it for self-defense purposes and I would do the same but I'm no good with sports XD


@DonAbad: Super Saiyan LOL
Excellent idea, my friend!


@Chester Ho: That's a really cool psychoanalysis of the story, dear. If you dream the same dream over and over again it must contain some strong messages from the unconscious.


@BlueRio: Me too, dear!


@Jude: If he didn't know Aikido he would have died and we wouldn't have known about the story! XD

Sure, Jude, I'd love to hear your story. Please tell us!


@toyboxed: If I were him I would never want to see the girl again! But then if I did see the girl I wouldn't be afraid because I have my Aikido! XD


@JammyWhoo: Hi, Jammy! Welcome to Saya in Underworld. It's always lovely to hear from new readers. I thank you very much too for leaving a nice comment like that! ;)


@Anon (10 July 2013): Oh wow, a sword! That's classy, dear. But getting stabbed and shedding black blood sounds really creepy. Oh my.


@Moxie: I'm a nocturnal creature and I never follow the sun, dear. XD haha
But thanks for the cool vid!


@Mimi: Is that so? I suppose the story sounds like it might have been a manga plot. haha


@LeRod Williams: The girl would have been killed on the spot with Muay Thai. haha You're very imaginative, dear.


@Anon (13 July 2013): Exactly!!!


@artuie: Go to Wikipedia for information about a lucid dreams dear. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucid_dream). You might find a link to the article in your own language there too.

I bet even many native English speakers don't know what a lucid dream is, so don't worry! I'm sorry I didn't provide any information about it in the post.


THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR YOUR COMMENTS!!!
unicorn said…
The first part was really scary.lol. I was holding my breath while reading it but the last part became really funny! hahahahaha. omg, why it turned out to be funny? lol
Unknown said…
I can't believe the aikido thing...
When I'm in a dream and I'm fighting, my punch never goes "BAM" but it goes "bleh"...
It's so weak like hell...
I never want to imagine fighting a ghost...
Adorably Dead said…
Note to self, practice/learn Aikido to escape zombies.
Unknown said…
Well since this happened in a dream being able to touch said hostile entity isn't entirely uncommon so what may seem strange in the real world could be normal in said dream world

it could've been a demon or something trying to drag him/her with him/her or a human with deep regrets..or he just watched too much horror movies before going to bed
Bakonaua said…
Im glad i didn't stumble upon anything like this yet when i experience this weird looping dreams/nightmares......what's scary is the sleep paralysis....
Black Bunny said…
Ahh...I think I experienced this before..
@unicorn: As I've been saying, horror and comedy often go hand in hand! :D


@Christian Hardjono: But it would still be better to know some fighting skills than none at all! As the Master says in the My Master series, some ghosts are quite easy to shoo away!


@Adorably Dead: Learning Aikido has other benefits apart from combatting ghosts! lol You'll become calmer and be able to deal with stressful situations in life more effectively. I thoroughly recommend it! I should start learning it myself! lol


@Niya Koroko: Zombie/Poltergeist/Ghost movies used to scare the hell out of me, but now I watch the most gruesome scenes from CSI without a flinch! lol

No, I'm only joking...CSI's autopsy scenes still scare me.. lol


@Bakonaua: Oh! I too hate sleep paralysis. I hate the way it's often accompanied by hallucination.


@Black Bunny: My, my! I hope you know some Aikido!


Thank you ladies and gentlemen, for your comments!
Unknown said…
if i had that kind of a dream, i wouldn't sleep for a week- no, i COULDN'T sleep for a week
nara said…
Ah, i know this kind of dream, for i experience it before.

I don't know it's dream or not though, but one night, i woke up in my bed, and in that instant, i know something were wrong.
it's too cold. I'm not turning my AC so it shoudln't be cool. I open my blanket and i found a lot of spider, covered with black mist, making their way into me. Some in wall, some in bed, and some even in my leg. I got scared and then i'm asking for help.

and then there's a girl. She throw the spider that's in my leg and then covered me with my blanket and said all will be fine and i should just sleep.

after that i woke up in the morning and nothing happened
i kind of find out the word for akemi and is the "tsukisi" really spelt like? doesn't it spelled like (Tsuki)... if it is then it means "thrust". Akemi has a lot of meaning so i don't know which one it is "daybreak, View"