1 The Dreadbane Disease

It is currently 1870 in the capital city of London, people are sound asleep in their beds, unable to fight the inevitable. Dreadbane has affected everyone, and it is incurable. Humanity has gone through a crisis of unending pain and horror, grief, anxiety, sadness, and rage.

We cannot fight back against this disease that consumes our body and soul, as it is something far beyond our comprehension. Entities long ago given this disease to humanity, and now we must all stay awake, because if we do not, our souls and consciousness will be sent into the dreamworld, they say; this dreamworld is full of never ending horrors as they chase you down and haunt you for eternity. It sounded like a biblical hell... it scared me to death, I could never sleep from thinking about such a thing. Once you're in the dreamworld escape is impossible. There have been others who fallen asleep only for seconds before they were awoken by their loved ones, and what they say that they experienced is downright chilling.

They experienced people killing themselves, unable to escape this realm of nightmares and dreams that these entities created and ruled over. Death there didn't exist, as their souls couldn't die. They were forced to suffer for all eternity in their nightmares, alongside other peoples nightmares as well. Peoples nightmares and fears took physical form from their abstract ideals that they were from before.

As I write this story now, I can tell you my nightmares and fears. I am a simple man, my fear is nothing more than spiders, they just creep me out. Their eight legged structures, and movements gives me the chills, thus, if I was in the dreamworld, I would forever be haunted and chased by spiders. That was my nightmares, that was my fear.

I couldn't fall asleep... no... I mustn't sleep. Escape was impossible, as nothing of good existed in that world such as peace, religion, faith, and hope. They were all nonexistent concepts in the dreamworld.

But moving onto present times; I was currently at my desk with my candle next to me, writing in the dim-lit room with a quill dipped in ink. I was writing a letter to my beloved, her name was Abigail, such a beautiful woman of many talents that never failed to amaze me.

She was poetic, her art felt tangible, and her charismatic attitude was something that always calmed me down whenever we went out on a date. She was perfect, and she was my beloved that no one else in this god forsaken world could have. Every day, every night, I write about her, as she is the only thing I can think of that keeps me up, and that keeps me breathing.

I haven't left my house in weeks, all my food in the icebox has spoiled, and my fruits and vegetables have rotten to their core. I am losing weight, and It seems that I also have gotten pale as well. I can barely walk, my eyes have bags around them, and I barely have any energy to survive these harsh conditions. I was a walking dead man that has abandoned his religion, and belief in god.

Once I ran out of ink in my quill, I placed it down and stood up from my chair, barely able to walk from lack of energy. "Water... I need some water..." I said in a monotone voice, hoping that the faucet could pour fresh and clean water from the supply tanks. I made my way over to the faucet as my bare feet creaked along the wooden, and molded floor of my house, eventually making it to the sink where I grabbed an unwashed cup, holding it under the faucet as I turned it on.

I could hear liquid splashing down into my glass cup however when I looked down I could notice it was all black sludge. Even the drinking water was contaminated. Everything was going to absolute shit, as nothing in this world could work right, ever again. Humanity and our supply of sanity was slowly decreasing from our lack of sleep, as we were afraid of what lies beyond the awakened world, into the dreamworld.

Realizing my dire situation from having a lack of water supply, I was angered by this, thus, I threw the glass cup across my room breaking the window... however this action caused the outside to release a fouler stench into my home.

"...Aaaagh!" I shouted while covering my nose, quickly making my way over to the couch to grab a blanket and use it as a patch. The smell coming from outside was horrendous, and I would rather smell a molded floor than such a thing. While I grabbed the blanket, I approached my broken window, stuffing it through the broken glass to prevent the wind from breaching into my home. I could finally breathe again while my body dropped to the floor, resting on my knees.

"The foul stench from outside is enough to make a man fall unconscious... it is horrendous. It is the smell of rotting corpses of humans who could no longer stay awake, and have died." I cried out loud, talking to no one other than myself. The smell from outside were from people who have fallen asleep in the middle of the roads, on other peoples properties, and even while driving their cars, getting in car wrecks.

Hospitals and other forms of medical care can no longer help us whenever we get in critical condition, as they need to put us to sleep in order to numb the pain of surgery and such. The world has changed, and these events have been going on for months on end. Outside of my window I could hear cars driving pass my house and crashing into objects, either from lack of sleep, or the driver committing suicide.

"...There goes another one." I said under my voice, eventually getting up from the floor and making my way over to my room, going to my closet. "I wont survive on the rations I have now, I must go search for more food. Jobs have declined from lack of employees, and businesses in London no longer works like it use to." Opening my closet, I grabbed an outfit from within, starting to change my clothes.

Taking off my ragged, and worn out shirt, and trousers, I changed into a white T-shirt, black trench coat, and top hat. I placed on black boots and black trousers, making my way towards the outside, but first I grabbed my grey bandana to tie around my face to prevent the horrendous smell of rotting corpses and mustiness from effecting me.

I released a sigh from the lack of energy, knowing that finding food will require hard work and strategy. Yes, that's right, strategy. People fought for food in this god forsaken world now. Everyone no longer works, everyone no longer grows, and takes care of their gardens. They all just steal from the market, and other peoples houses.

I of course didn't go unarmed in the chaotic streets of London. I brought a pistol with me, it was quite large, being that of an English Horse Pistol. Once I opened the door I could see hundreds of bodies on the ground in my neighborhood. They were all asleep in the grass, some were asleep in the streets, and some were outright dead before me, however I was use to this sight.

I walked out my house and closed the door. I made my way down the pavement until I eventually got on the side of the road, walking aimlessly down the streets of starvation, despair, and relinquish. It's been an entire month from my neighborhood looking like this, and nothing about it has changed except from the increase of conceded souls that fell asleep and surrendered to the Dreadbane disease.

I stared down the streets at the vast city in front of me, with grey skies, and beautiful architecture that crumbled months ago from lack of sleep and deprivation. It was such a joyous, and breathtaking sight months ago, but now it was all rubbish and ruins.

The city still functioned as it always has with cars, busy environments, trades, and etcetera... however jobs and such were all rare, and if you're caught selling or trading items on the streets, you're likely to be robbed, or killed. I couldn't blame people, because after all, jobs naturally works the daylights out of people until they're tired and worn out, making them want to sleep, and that isn't a good thing, that's why jobs, and businesses have declined drastically.

I lived quite far from the downtown part of London, it would take me at least twenty minutes to reach there by walking... but perhaps it would be an hour depending if someone tries to rob me or not. Robbing and killings are quite common, as the lack of sanity brings people to do deranged things.

And oddly enough, it was like I jinxed my situation once I could hear three men yelling out their car window as they drove toward my direction, shooting their guns into the sky like maniacs. The sight shocked me, and I was pumped with adrenaline... my legs wiggled like flimsy sticks and my skin felt cold... very cold. I pulled out my pistol as they stopped their car in front of me on the sidewalk, blocking my path.

"Welll welll, look what we have here! Quite the little scrawny man isn't he?" The one driving the car had mocked me as he gotten out the vehicle and adjusted his bucket hat. He too wore a trench coat, however it was brown. Actually, they all wore the same clothing.

"I don't want any trouble, just let me walk by... I'll give you anything you want, long as I don't have a reason to use this!" I desperately pleaded with them, hoping they could go after another person. I had nothing on me except clothes... and a gun. Money and those things that kept the economy going no longer mattered anymore. It's kill or be killed sometimes, and I hope it doesn't lead to anyone dying.