NIGHTMARES

Time passed again...

Ryan Lance, now, a delusional, pale, bald, and underweight man with dark bags under his eyes sat silently against the wall of his cell. He would occasionally be visited by one of his jailers, who would feed him scraps of food. Then there were those wizards and witches who visited him and announced his sentence... When was that? He doesn't even remember anymore.

He would often scratch his bald head and scream at nothing, his voice hoarse from all the shouting. His eyes were filled with madness and he would often bang his head on the wall or the bars of his cell only to be restricted by the spell in his cell. Why did he do that? Well, he doesn't know either. Sometimes, he would hallucinate and see things that weren't there. Other times, he would hear voices.

"Ryan! Are you okay?"

"Please say something!"

"Don't leave us..."

"Please don't give up..."

Those voices would be a woman's voice, or sometimes children's. He didn't know who they were or where they came from, but they were always there. They would sometimes scream at him when he tried to hurt himself or bang his head on the walls or bars of his cell. But no matter what, he could never see them or recognize them. All he knows is that they're always there to comfort him.

Comfort? What is that? Ryan thought. He had forgotten the meaning of the word, even though he had remembered that it was important at some point in time. Now he just doesn't care. Everything was meaningless, and nothing mattered. He was alone in this dark place with only a few friends... A small mouse, who would scurry around his cell. Or maybe a rat... He couldn't tell, and he didn't care.

One stormy night, Ryan was peeking out the small window of his cell, looking outside. It was pitch black, but he could see flashes of lightning in the distance. They reminded him of something long ago when he was younger... he could almost recall what it was, but he couldn't put his finger on it. The sea waves crashed violently against the prison, and the wind howled fiercely as rain poured down in sheets. The cold night air doesn't bother him anymore since his body has grown used to it.

Another flash of lightning illuminated the sky. He could see the dementors flying around the prison. Their wrath figures floated among the clouds as they screeched and shrieked in the stormy night sky.

Suddenly, the storm grew stronger and louder. Thunder boomed across the land. A giant bolt of lightning struck one of the dementors, which fell to the ground in a heap of ash. A thunderbolt must have killed it. Ryan Lance, now a half-mad man, laughed hysterically at the scene. This was the funniest thing he had seen in a long time. He continued to laugh uncontrollably until another flash of lightning lit up the sky. This time, it hit another dementor, sending it crashing down to the ground below. Ryan began to bang his head on the iron grill of the window, not because of insanity but to see whether those flashes of lightning would hit the dementors again. He wanted to watch them die over and over again.

He kept banging his head and laughing hysterically until he slipped and fell on his back, lying on the stone floor. He quickly stood up and peeked out once again and watched as a third dementor got struck by lightning and died instantly. The rest scattered quickly, fleeing from the storm.

A green glow!

He could spot a green glow-in-the-dark stormy night. As Ryan watched it slowly got bigger and brighter. Something was coming towards him... A green crystal came like a bullet and pierced through his right eye. His body flew back, crashing on the door of his cell, denting it badly as green light covered him whole. The iron door creaked loudly as if it would burst open anytime and the whole cell began to shake.

Ryan lost his consciousness...

[Some unknown times later...]

"Hufff!" A teenage boy woke up with a jolt. Sweat dripped from his forehead and his eyes were bloodshot. He breathed heavily as he looked around, his body trembling uncontrollably. He had been having nightmares lately, the same torment-filled dream of being tortured every night in a cold cell. He could vividly remember watching those Dementors vaporizing with each lightning strike and then something flew toward him, then... "Fuck!" He grabbed his head, trying to stop his brain from overthinking.

This dream... or rather, nightmares have been plaguing him ever since he went to visit that weird lady pretending to read his future.

"I shouldn't have gone there," He mumbled to himself as he tried to calm down his nerves. The images were too fresh in his mind and he couldn't forget them no matter how hard he tried. His eyes darted around the room, trying to focus on anything else except the nightmares. He wanted to share his pain with his aunt, but he couldn't. She would never believe him. Besides, who in their sane mind dreams of being trapped in Azkaban or getting his eyes stabbed by a crystal ball?

"I am fucked up." He sighed.

He looked at the clock and realized it was five in the morning. He had woken up an hour early today. Well, he didn't care, though. He would have a long day today and an early start would do him good.

He got off the bed and walked over to his closet, changing his clothes. As soon as he finished, a sharp knock on his door caught him by surprise. "Wake up, you lazybones!"

The boy's face contorted in exhaustion. "Yeah, yeah... I am awake already. Give me a minute!" He shouted. He opened the window and stretched his arms, feeling the cool breeze brushing his skin. The weather was perfect for a stroll outside. He took in a deep breath and exhaled. The nightmare was still haunting him.

After spending a few minutes standing at the window, he closed the window and sat down on his chair, pulling out a small chest from under the bed. Inside the chest were numerous items ranging from books, parchment papers, quills, ink bottles, and a wand. He picked up the wand, a simple piece of wood with a smooth handle. A single white stripe decorated the tip of the wand. He gripped it firmly. Pointed it at the ceiling, he mumbled, "Expecto Patronum."

A white mist swirled out from the tip, forming nothing but white mist. It lasted for a few seconds before disappearing. He sighed.

"I guess my Patronus needs some practice."

He put away his wand and closed the chest. He has been practicing Patronus ever since he got these endless nightmares. So, far, he is doing good for his level, without a guide.

He got up and walked out of the room. As he reached the staircase, a pleasant aroma filled his nose. He quickly took a nice bath and freshened up, then went to the dining room.

"You're up early, Ryan," His Aunt Alice smiled warmly at him. She was a tall woman with blond hair, pale blue eyes, and a slightly rounded face. Her figure was slim and fit, and her clothes were stylish and expensive-looking. Although not related by blood or anyway, she has been taking care of Ryan after his parents disappeared while investigating a case for the Ministery, that's what everyone knows. Alice was Ryan's mother's friend.

"You look a bit pale, everything alright?" She asked with concern.

"I had nightmares," Ryan replied honestly.

"Oh, I'm sorry," She pulled him closer and hugged him.

'Oh, crap! Not again!' His face was between her breasts. "I am fine now, Aunt Alice. Let go," he mumbled, his voice muffled by her ample bosoms.

"What are you talking about? We haven't hugged in a while," She cooed as she pulled his face even deeper into her bosom.

'This pervert woman...' Ryan was getting hard. Her sweet lavender scent filled his nostrils, making his heart beat faster. He tried to push her away, but she held onto him tightly, refusing to let him go.

Alice finally let Ryan go.

Ryan quickly took a deep breath, "Stop doing that. I almost suffocated."

"Oh, I'm sorry," Alice made a sad expression. "Don't be angry with me."

"Haaa... Don't make that face. You ain't fooling anyone. Anyway, I'll take a stroll today," Ryan announced.

"Oh," Alice clapped her hands, "...that's a good idea. Some fresh air and sunlight will do you good. And..." She looked at him with a stern expression.

"Yeah, yeah, I know... Stay away from Grave Forest," Ryan interrupted her, finishing her sentence.

"Be careful. Those Dark wizards have been causing a lot of trouble lately," She reminded him.

"I'll be fine," He reassured her.

[HOW LONG ARE YOU GOING TO EAT HUMAN FOOD, RYAN?]

Suddenly, a voice echoed in his ears as a wisp of icy wind touched his neck. Ryan turned around, but there was nothing. He rubbed his neck as a shiver ran down his spine.

"Weird..." He whispered, staring at his hand. There was no moisture on his neck.

"Hmm? Did you say something?" Alice asked.

"No, nothing. Just thought I saw a bug or something," Ryan shook his head and returned to eating his breakfast.

After finishing his food, Alice prepared to open her shop. She sells potion ingredients and other useful materials in Diagon Alley. Ryan helps her sometimes when he isn't busy with his schoolwork.

"Alright, lock up the house before going out."

"Sure. Have a nice day..."

Alice took out her wand and apparated out of the house.

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