Strange Dreams

Aletheia had needed no prodding to indulge themselves in food and drink, especially the drink. They were more than happy to join in the revelry. They partook in eating mochi, simply as it was offered to her. She was grateful that her friend had invited her to the party, though she wondered how Montresor would react to her behavior once the party was well underway.

They had spotted Rosamel and other friends as she ambled around Montresor’s estate. The barely decent-for-public bun had to resist the urge to open a closed door as she walked by. It was not like locks would stop her, but she decided that starting off the night on the host’s good side would be for the best.

They took a bottle of whiskey off a tray and drank from it, forgoing a glass. They may have been in a classy home, but Aletheia would never show actual manners. Montresor spotted the caped bun as they drank. He decided to let them be, seeing as they were not causing any actual problems at the moment.

The punk bun made sure not to bump into anyone, even if they had twitchy fingers. They smiled as they accepted another piece of mochi. They could feel the food and drink in their system as they slowly got tired. They decided to wander the estate for a bedroom, as to finish their drinks and pass out. As they did, they grabbed another bottle of alcohol, this time one of the signature Vaults of Nitre Wines that Montresor had out for the occasion.

They opened various doors before finding a bedroom. It was grandiose, dark. They had no thoughts as she closed the door behind her and sat on the large bed. They downed the last of the whiskey and began to sip the wine, enjoying the feeling of warmth the alcohol gave them. They sat the wine on the bedside table and took off their cape. They then took their belt off. They had far too many experiences of how sleeping in their cape and belt could be uncomfortable.

They took one last drink from the wine before laying on the bed. They could tell they would not be getting back up for a few hours as the world had begun to spin. They closed their fiery eyes and let the alcohol fuel their sleep, knowing they would not even toss about tonight.

They found themselves walking on the softest surface they had ever felt. They looked down and saw nothing but a pastel rainbow of mist up to their ankles. They were amazed and reached a skeletal hand down. They felt nothing. They stood back up. It was too bright. They tried to remember the last time they saw anything quite as bright, but the headache that had formed because of the light seemed to hinder their memory. They sighed and began to walk, hoping to find something or someone. It felt too empty here and they soon felt lost as there were no buildings or landmarks or plants to take note of. The light never seemed to change, making it hard to even know how long they had been walking. They stopped and turned in a slow circle.

Aletheia gasped as they felt the misty floor give way beneath them. They landed in front of a cave. Darkness surrounded them now, but the sudden change did not affect their vision. The headache was gone too. They looked up and saw darkness above them. They looked back to the cave and tried to glean what it held. Suddenly, they heard flapping and then a swarm of chirops, too many for the bun to even attempt to count. The sounds they made overwhelmed the bun and they sat on the ground, trying to block the noise out. They began to breathe heavily, their heart racing in their chest.

Montresor had just finished sending his guests home and thought that Aletheia had left hours ago. He walked into his room, Fortunato following close. He stopped when he spotted the mostly pale form that laid on his bed. His frown deepened and he approached the bed. As he got closer, he noticed that Aletheia was not completely still, their hand grasped the pillow and tried to pull it around, only stopped because of how the half-nude bun held it with their other arm.

He put his hand on their shoulder and gently shook them. Their eyes snapped open and they bolted into a sitting position. They looked wildly around until their eyes landed on Montresor. The winemaker saw them relax. He raised an eyebrow, silently asking about the reaction. Aletheia shook their head.

“Look, you are in my bed, I think I have more than enough right to ask what had you panicked like that just upon waking.” Montresor said in a low, gravelly voice. It was gentler than how he would have addressed them.

“It was just a dream,” Aletheia replied, but it sounded like they were simply reminding themselves. They moved to grab their cape, only to be stopped by the usually dour man.

“Lay back down. Firstly, it looks like you drank far too much to make it home, wherever that is, safely. Secondly, you just woke up in a state that looked like you were scared for your life. You’re at least staying here until morning. Or do I need to call Amaryllis?”

Aletheia groaned, but laid back down, providing no argument to Montresor. He pulled the blanket over her. He then collected the empty whiskey bottle and the half-empty wine bottle and left the room to put them away. When he came back, the pale bun had fallen back asleep.