Troubled Times

[is0latedthinker]

Who: Alan Bradley and YOU
What: Alan's Nightmare
When: Nightmare Plot
Where: Alan's headspace
Rating: T for Teen? Death, injury, and psychological damage without vivid description.

It's night - exactly when, you're not sure, but the moon is up, half-obscured by cloud cover. It's chilly out, the cold cutting through your clothes, making everything seem just that much harsher, the world just a little bit bleaker.

It's almost like everything's not only dark, but desaturated.

Welcome to Alan's nightmare. You might not enjoy your visit.

[Part A] | [Part B]

((Prose or actiontags welcome!))

Comments

[wizard_redfive]

"Alan has nothing to do with CLU," Dairine replies hotly. "That crazy program turned long before Alan even had to start searching. At this point, you’re just grasping for straws.”

Dairine narrows her eyes at the smirk, adopting an expression she usually makes before a fight. If he's not careful, Sam is going to have a touching reunion with Dairine’s fists.

The implication that Alan had lied goes ignored. Dairine’s trust in Alan is strong enough that it won’t be shaken by a few biting words. ...Of course, that also means Dairine believes Alan now.

“What? No... no, it can't be," she whispers, but this time the denial is weak. Dairine looks back and forth between the two men, getting more obviously upset by the minute. "What happened to him?”

[is0latedthinker]

The room is dark at the edges in the way only a nightmare can be, but Alan doesn't notice anything's amiss.

Sam barks a harsh laugh from where he stands at Dairine's disbelief. "Why don't you tell her, Alan? That thanks to you I grew up too fast. That you kept me hanging on a thread of hope, only to crush me each and every time." He scowls. "Couldn't be bothered to stand up for himself, either. Just let Mackey and the Board sweep him right outta the way. Face it, Alan, all you were ever dedicated to was a pipe dream."

Alan doesn't launch into a counterattack, but by now Dairine must expect that. "He grew up. Old enough to realize that he didn't want to hang on anymore. That his dad wasn't coming back."

[wizard_redfive]

"Life makes you grow up fast, not people! Yes, people move on... or die, and there's not much you can do about it." Dairine gulps a little, her eyes turned to the floor. This subject was rather painful and very personal. However, the one benefit was that it gave her considerable insight in this debate.

"That would happen eventually no matter who it was! Entropy's running, and we can't stop it yet. Not without causing great damage to the universe." Her voice steadily becomes stronger, more determined and fierce. "But that doesn't mean we should let despair consume our lives. We can fight back! Sometimes the battle is direct, but more often victory comes in the strangest ways. Reducing energy usage, saying thank you to the cashier, reaching out to the new kid. A little hope at the right time can make all the difference."

She gives Alan a warm smile, before turning to Sam and glaring. "You wanna give up on Flynn? Fine. That's your choice to make. But don't drag Alan down with you!"

[is0latedthinker]

A little hope at the right time. Dairine might not know it, but that's exactly what she's giving him. The strength to move past the guilt that his nightmares have magnified tenfold. He sets a hand on her shoulder - he's grateful that she's doing all this for him.

The nightmare shifts and suddenly the Sam in front of them is visibly younger, - twenty, maybe, instead of twenty-seven. Alan looks a little less helpless.

"I'm not the one draggin' him down," Sam says stoically. He raises both eyebrows. "Just tellin' him what he already knows."

Alan's voice is firmer, this time, and he's able to respond. He doesn't rationalize his statement, but it's a sure one, not made weak by doubt. "No. It's not like that."

Something shifts again. The earlier differences hadn't been so apparent, but now Sam looks more like a petulant thirteen-year-old.

[wizard_redfive]

Dairine blinks at the shifts in Sam's appearance when it occurs to her. The shadowy edges. Sam's strange behavior.

She's in another nightmare.

But she is not alone, nor is Alan. They have each other, and together they can chase away the darkness. Placing her hand over Alan's, Dairine faces Sam with a confident stance.

"Just telling him what he fears is more like it. But fear does not equal truth."

[is0latedthinker]

"Fear? Maybe a little," this Sam admits darkly. While he certainly looks and sounds like the young Flynn, the words don't quite ring true as 'Sam' the way they did before, nightmare scrabbling for a hold in Alan's mind.

"Guilt's already there. All I'm doin' is making sure he realizes what he's done - or, more importantly, hasn't done."

Alan doesn't get angry, but his tone is firm, stubborn in the way he's always been. "I know you're in there, Sam. You always saw past this."

Even he doesn't realize what the nightmare's done. But something must be going in their favor, because finally Sam shifts smoothly again. Six. Young and helpless.

"Why didn't you find him, Alan?" Sam's voice is shaky and he looks up at Alan, eyes filled with unshed tears. "Why'd you let him get me?" Alan opens his mouth to speak hoarse words, to ask what Sam means, but he's too late. Instead of shifting, the nightmare flickers. Everything changes around them in a way that doesn't make sense yet doesn't invite Alan to question it.

Alan's alone again, frozen in place. Sam's scream dies off into a moan.