Mandela Prophet AU: Buried Memories
Adam has another nightmare. A nightmare about events he wished he had forgotten about.
TW: Body horror mentions, blood/gore, death implied
Notes: Around 1300 words, so. pretty damn short compared to my other fics. Got this idea randomly and thought it would be funny to write a little something so. yeah! this thing!!!
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5:23 AM
Adam was lying on his side, his body barely covered by the blankets draped over him as he was spread across his twin bed. He silently slept, his eyelids twitching slightly as his body shifted around on the mattress. He could barely get comfortable; despite how many times he fluffed his pillows or put more blankets on, he felt uncomfortable in his own skin on a good day and feeling like everything hurt at worse. However, the discomfort was minimal, meaning that when Adam heard his bedroom door creak open, his attention would snap to it instead of the internal unrest he felt.
Adam’s eyelids flicked open, glancing around the dark bedroom before he looked towards the door, seeing a figure duck out of the way, into the hallway. Adam’s breath hitched as he sat up in bed, throwing the blankets off of him and staring into the oddly pitch black hallway. He swallowed hard, his clammy hand grasping the front of his white T-shirt as if it would give him any comfort. He shifted, planting his bare feet onto the carpet before standing up, his eyes staring into the inky blackness in complete silence. Maybe it was Sarah; getting a midnight snack or something, and Adam was getting restless for nothing. Either way, Adam found himself approaching the door slowly, noticing that the parasite in his chest was oddly calm despite his increasing heart rate.
Adam walked out into the hallway, looking to his right to see Sarah’s bedroom door, noticing that it was closed. He could hear faint snoring from the other side of the wood, his brows furrowing when he realized Sarah was still asleep.
“Adam.”
Adam felt a chill run up his spine as he turned towards the other side of the hallway, two white dots where his pupils were reflecting through the darkness. He saw a figure quickly disappear into the darkness, with no light coming into the hallway aside from the moonlight from Adam’s bedroom, as if the hallway went on forever into the blackness of the void. Adam glanced back at Sarah’s bedroom door all before turning back and taking in a deep breath, walking into the darkness, after the voice he heard just out of sight.
“Adam.”
The hallway went on longer than Adam knew it should have. Every time he thought he reached the end, it only stretched further and further. The carpet beneath his feet turned into cold concrete, with a thin layer of water on top of it. The temperature dropped with every step forward, soon feeling as if Adam would freeze within a matter of seconds. Adam could see his lukewarm breath cloud in front of his face, though despite the cool air, he didn’t shiver or even acknowledge it. He was too focused on the voices he heard in the distance.
“But Adam, if you walk down those stairs, you’d be joining her…” A familiar voice spoke, making Adam’s heart sink. Adam wanted to speak back, but his words were stuck in his throat, unable to be choked out. Adam shook his head, turning back to retreat into his bedroom before he was stopped. He looked forward, his breath becoming heavier when all he saw was a wall in front of him.
“And if by some miracle you come back out, I don’t think you’d be yourself.”
Adam turned back around towards the voice to see a door, stained near the bottom with a red substance Adam didn’t even want to think about. Adam’s mind was going too fast for him to even start to question what was going on before he reached towards the doorknob, jerking his hand back as soon as he felt the ice cold metal on his fingertips. He took in a shaky breath before grasping the handle and pushing the door open.
Cold winter air and snowflakes hit his face as soon as the door opened fully, Adam’s tired eyes widening at the sight in front of him. He stepped outside, his bare feet hitting the snow cloaking the ground of the field, leaving footprints behind. Adam looked around, seeing that the doorway led into the field in between Bythorne and Mandela, seemingly attached to no building or hall. Adam’s heart filled with dread as he walked forward, seeing all too familiar sights.
Adam’s eyes fixated on the car sitting on the side of the road, its doors open and the right blinker flicking on and off. He looked into the vehicle, seeing blood staining the dashboard and splattered against the windshield. He turned towards the road in front of the car, seeing the puddle of blood freezing onto the asphalt. He stared at it, feeling a slight twitch come from his chest before he heard the voice again.
“Adam.”
Adam walked around the car, staring into the field before freezing, though not due to the cold. His arms dropped to his sides as he stared into the dark field, his eyes dilating to see further. Standing in the middle of the field was a man, standing with his arms straight down, his pose stiff and odd, like a mannequin. He was wearing a white sweatshirt underneath a black leather jacket, along with blue jeans and snow-covered red high-tops. However, through his teary eyes, Adam could see that his clothes were covered in snow, freezing the blood running down from the stump where his head would have been.
“Jonah?” Adam choked, feeling a pressure in his chest, not from the parasite that called his body its home, but the overwhelming dread building within his very soul. Jonah didn’t respond, standing as still as a statue, thick coagulated blood dripping onto the pure white snow below his feet. Adam stumbled backwards, tripping over his feet before swinging his body towards the doorway, only to see that it was no longer there. Adam’s breathing picked up speed as he looked back at the car, letting out a yelp when he saw Jonah’s headless body standing in the beams of the headlights. Adam couldn’t look away from Jonah’s body before he glanced towards the other side of the field, eyes widening when he saw a bird-shaped shadow rapidly flying across the ground. Adam shook his head, ignoring the tears streaming down his face as he turned the other way and ran.
He sprinted into the forest by the field, ignoring the intense feeling that something was directly behind him. He felt a pressure building in his chest as he ran, ignoring the burning he felt inside and the inhuman laughing he heard from above the trees. The branches of the trees bent like arms, creaking and cracking on both sides as Adam ran through the thick forest. He kept stumbling over his feet, pressing his arm against his stomach and grimacing as he felt the shifting of half-formed limbs inside of him. He was sobbing; all before he fell to his knees, unable to keep moving as the pain inside of him became unbearable.
He turned onto his back, staring up into the inky blackness of the night sky before he saw something come into view; Jonah, staring down at him as his cold blood dripped onto Adam’s chest. Adam’s mouth hung open, feeling mandibles scratching at his inner cheeks as he spoke. “I-I’m sorry.” He squeaked through the tears, the pain, and the overbearing guilt. “Jonah…I’m s-sorry.” Adam’s bloodshot eyes gazed at Jonah as his body shook, all before he shut his eyes tight, hoping it would all end.
Until he found himself on the living room floor.
Adam awoke drenched in sweat, no longer feeling the bitter cold of winter nor the cold blood dripping on his chest. He felt the burning in his chest continue and the parasite press against his back as he laid on the floor hyperventilating. Adam could feel it; it was wanting out at that very moment, skipping over the five minutes of agony and getting to the point. As his ribs shifted and the parasite clawed at his back, he turned onto his stomach, sobbing as he realized he had no time to warn Sarah.
He just hoped him screaming in agony would be enough of a warning for her.
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Part Three
Warning: If you don't like Taylor Swift, you're not gonna like this chapter that much, homie. But So Long, London is so fitting for this drabble series. (I guess a series since it's longer than a drabble at this point)
Can’t stop thinking about reader just trying to move on
You had to remind yourself several times not to check in with the guys. It had almost become second nature doing something big like this. But going to another country…
Not that they would care. You told yourself. It was for the best that way.
The expo went better than you expected. You didn’t believe that there would be a line out the door of eager readers wanting to read your book, but you got a decent amount. More than a few told you they couldn’t wait to read it. Several asking for photos and asking questions on any future books, a spin-off or even continuing the series.
When one a particular large group of girls your age asked for a group photo, you could have cried. They were had found each other in an online book club. You had given them your book several months ago. All copies signed with a note thanking them for taking the time to read what you had poured your heart into.
You had spent a large chunk of your free time talking to them. Bonding more so as women than over your book.
"Have you listened to Taylor's new album?"
It had only been out for two days and you had been able to avoid it like the plague. You didn't need to even listen to 'So Long, London' to know it would fucking gut you. So you would enjoy your time in the states. Save the listening experience for when you were packing up their stuff.
They had posted and tagged you before continuing on with the rest of the expo. You had reposted the photo to your own social media. Or at least one attached to the pen name you had crafted. You only had twelve thousand instagram followers, but it was something.
The first day was much like the second. You had attended several Q & A sessions with a panel of more experienced authors and managed to go to a few meet and greets. Before you knew it, it was time to pack up shop.
The agent the publishing house had assigned to you had stuck with you for most of the day. You were able to pick her brain a bit about new ideas for possible future plot lines and her thoughts. Overall, the trip was great.
Not only were you able to make great connections and take a lot back home with you to reference, but for a few days you forgot what waited for you back home. Or rather what wasn't waiting for you.
By the time your plane landed back in London you could barely hold yourself up. You left the expo, went straight to the hotel to shower, pack and head to the airport.
Your flight was delayed. Your luggage was taking forever to get onto the belt. It was only seven, but fuck if you weren’t ready to just call it a day. Tomorrow you would have to start again. Opening up the shop. Coming back to an empty flat. Maybe start gathering up the items the boys had left behind.
Should you give them in separate boxes or just one giant one and let them sort it out themselves? It was easy to discern whose sweatshirt and t-shirts belonged to who, but when it got to things like socks and chargers...
Yeah.
They could sort it themselves.
You could drop it off at Kyle's when you knew he would be at the gym. He was good at avoiding you anyway.
It wasn't until you stood in your apartment did it hit you.
You were alone.
For the first time in over a year you couldn't call one of them over to soothe that ache of loneliness.
For the first time in over a year, you had to relearn how to handle just being alone.
You usually showered at night. Washing away the grime of the day before settling into bed. But today was a new chapter. You woke up wanting to start it on a good note. Plus you went straight to bed after getting home so you still had a bit of airport funk on you.
It had been a week. One official since you had sent that text nailing the coffin shut. You had touched base with your friends who didn't bat an eye at you dating four men at once. They liked them, even if Simon scared them. You didn't give them the details of the breakup or the cause. You were pretty private in your problems and if you wanted relationship advice, you would seek an unbiased unopinion.
You had a good group of friends, but the moment you told them that you were well and truly heartbroken, they would insist the best way to get over someone is to get under someone else. Something you were nowhere near ready for.
So you needed to look like you had your shit together. You put on a dress that was feminine and, most importantly, comfy as fuck. An A-line floral frock paired with a light sweater and some white trainers. You knew a few of your friends would be stopping by for tea so you need to look like you were taking the separation well. Even if you were barely holding it together.
With makeup and perfume on, you started the early morning stroll to your shop.
You loved openings. Starting up the register and selecting the playlist for today. Picking out the essential oil to put in the diffuser even though you mostly stuck with a lavender and vanilla blend during the spring months.
For the morning you stuck with a Taylor Swift Instrumental playlist you had found initially for studying, but you liked the peaceful feeling it brought. Even when it covered the most gut wrenching songs.
You had started to collect the online orders that had accumulated over the last week. Sending out the e-mails alerting to your patrons that their orders were ready for pick up. Luckily you weren't set to receive a delivery until tomorrow.
It was eight and everything was set. Although not many people came to a bookstore at eight in the morning, it really didn't bother you opening up that early considering you were the only employee that was on the payroll. It gave you the possibility of making money, but mostly you spent the morning reading or writing.
You flipped the sign over from CLOSED to OPEN. Ready to start take on the day.
You had turned the kettle on in the back room when your friends had stopped by around lunch. You always said it was just tea, but you always had an array of snacks on standby for you all to munch on.
Meredith was complaining about what a dick the new client at the law firm was being. An absolute slime who had been married to his wife for almost twenty-five years before he decided to fuck his twenty-two year old assistant.
Tabitha didn't want to talk about work. To her, her career in tech was just a paycheck. She did what she needed to do and left when she was done.
You talked about the expo and how your book. Although neither of them really read, they had promised that they would read your book. You didn't hold your breath. They had reposted your posts as well as making ones of their owns in celebration of you. Words of praise about your dedication and hard work.
You realized that even though they couldn't give you the support you needed as readers, they supported you blindly. You could have written absolute garbage, but they would still support you.
You talked about how many people liked your book and wanted pictures and to sign their copies.
Then came the question you had been rehearsing since you had texted them a week ago. They both shared a look before Meredith finally asked.
"How are you holding up?" You gave a half-smile and a shrug. So perfectly rehearsed in your head you were ready to deliver your lies lines.
"I'm fine," you lied. "It was just fading so there isn't much of a difference, I guess." Not necessarily a lie. "We just wanted different things and were on different paths in life." Not a lie. "It's for the best." You weren't sure if that last one was a lie or not just yet.
They both shared a passing look before returning their gazes back to you. "You know you can come to us about this stuff." Tabitha's hand reached across the table, placing a hand on top of yours.
"It wasn't going to work out." You added. "Situations like that don't and I should have known better."
"A situation?" Meredith asked. "When have you ever called it a situation?"
"It always was one."
"I love you enough to call bullshit." She raised her eyebrow at you, crossing her arms over her chest. "You loved them and you need to stop pretending this is easy."
"You're a divorce lawyer, Mere," You reminded. "You see marriages fall apart every day."
"I do. I get to see from across the table how a woman is still willing to take her cheating arse of a husband back. So the fact that you went from on cloud nine with all of them to not even talking about the break up is concerning to say the least."
"Tabitha," you looked at your only ally left. "A little back up would be nice."
"I'm with her on this one." She confirmed. "You loved them. Not that I cared, but if you weren't talking about books or the shop, you were talking about them. What you did, where you went. How they fucked you."
"I think I'll miss that part the most." Mere sighed. "I lived vicariously through you."
"You know you could actually date people." Tabitha suggested.
"I'd rather live with chronic carpal tunnel than a man." You almost choked on your tea. If you were wearing pearls you would have used the comedic relief of clutching them to break the awkwardness of the current topic of conversation.
"That should be put on a t-shirt." You suggested
"I wouldn't mind it on a welcome mat to be honest." Tabitha added.
"But in all seriousness, cut this bullshit." Meredith gave you an sympathetic smile. "We're here. Good, bad and ugly."
You returned her smile. "I know."
You had closed up shop for the evening. Your lunch had gone longer than expected so now you were left doing the dishes and clean up during closing. You were setting the last cup on the drying rack when you heard the front door chime.
Shit.
You must have forgotten to lock the door when you turned the sign.
“I’m sorry!” You apologized, making your way out of the back break area and to the front of the store. “We’re-”
“Closed.” He said, locking the door behind him. “I saw the sign.”
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Hey girl, I LOVED YOUR HEADCANONS. Specifically abt Ken x Reader. If you can write about headcanons abt maybe when he's jealous? You covered literally almost everything in your headcanons, so I have nothing to request except this 😭
❥﹒kenji sato x gender neutral reader
✦. synopsis — part 2 of the kenji sato headcanons because i am totally normal <3
✦. love mail — i swear i promise ill post hsr guys 😞 just let me have my moment w sato i beg. i’ve decided to just do this req + add some more hehe. thank you sm requester for enabling my brain rot! (pls more ppl do so)
✦. tags — NO SPOILERS, fluff, dadgirl kenji, non-intimate/sexual kissing, kenji sato x reader, i wrote this w my brain off again ( ´͈ ᗨ `͈ ;; pls
Jealousy was not fun for the Kenji Sato. Before Emi came along and changed him, I can see him being the type to get jealous easily. Why would you need to talk to other people anyway? You had him, he was the best. He’d make it real obvious too, suddenly wrapping his arm around your waist and pulling you close, or the following days he has you wear his iconic jacket while you’re out with him so everyone knows exactly who and what you two are. If it gets to the better of him, he’ll get all pouty about it. He wants all your attention, your eyes all over him and him only. Maybe even hands but that’s a different thing. But I think after Emi’s influence, it’s less possessive and he’s grown to trust you with others instead of letting his feelings get in the way. Of course he’s not immune to jealousy, but you notice it a lot less. It’s less suffocating for you and you’re grateful he’s grown. You did love the pouty face he’d make though, it was cute.
Now if you were jealous, which is really no surprise.. Kenji had thousands of admirers, he had gifts on his doorstep like every other day. He’ll do everything to prove and reassure you that you’re the only one who has his heart. He’ll post you on his social media, take you out on dates, all those things to wash your worries away. Lastly, he’ll hold you in his arms at night and whisper everything he loves about you. Everything you were silently insecure about, he loved. Every date you thought he forgot, he remembered. And to meet a guy like that? How lucky can you be? (He tells you he’s luckier of course. <3)
I think he’s a messy kisser for the most part 🧐. (Forgive me in advance for this part. I am not very good at these things.) When he can take his time, he’s slow and gentle. Genuinely just trying to show you that yeah, he loves you, so damn much. And he’s going to show that through his passion by taking things slow so you can really feel his devotion. Other times, because he’s always in a rush, he’ll do a messy but clearly desperate kiss. He doesn’t like leaving without one, and you can describe him kissing you like it’s his last, (because it’s really not a far-fetched guess considering his line of work) his hand behind your head and pressing your lips against his in an almost ravenous manner. He does give you a very quick kiss on the forehead and runs off after finishing, leaving you a little dazed.
He LOVES to take you out on night rides. If ever you get a little nervous/have a fear of motorcycles, he’ll talk you all the way through via the cardo he put into your helmet. He’ll take you to some nice cafes or restaurants around Tokyo, other time’s he’ll bring you to some favourite childhood spot of his. When you arrive, he’ll tell you about his mother and the memories he’s made in this very special spot. It warms your heart to see his expression be so fond when he talks about his childhood – he truly misses it.
Before you knew of Kenji’s identity, I think it would be funny if you hated Ultraman. You just LOATHED the guy, Kenji asked your thoughts on Ultraman on the first date and you went on a rant about how he threw your car at a Kaiju only to miss. (He felt so embarrassed). It would be funnier if afterwards, he began to actually do his job as Ultraman properly.. and avoided cars on your street and avenue. He wanted to make sure you didn’t utterly hate Ultraman before revealing that he was him.
It would be cute if you and him knew each other like, much earlier. And you called him Ken. And then he made that his alias while he was becoming an All-Star baseball player. :) He’ll brag about it all the time in interviews too, that you’re the reason he uses it. <3
He’s the typa guy to have a picture of you in his room, behind his phone case, in his wallet, in his car and literally anywhere he can get his hands on. He bought a polaroid camera just to take pictures of you, he could care less about the price of film or the camera itself.. he just wanted to have as many pictures of you as possible. He’ll brag about it to his baseball teammates too, considering he also keeps one in his pockets for good luck. :)
You're his goodluck charm. <3
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