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spacedogfromspaceFungus, Locusts, Corpses
Trektober 2024
Jim has a nightmare.
Fandom(s): Star Trek TOS
Character(s): Jim Kirk
Tags: Tarsus IV
Rating: Teen+ Audiences
Content Warnings: Mild Gore
Word Count: 347
Type: Oneshot, Standalone
Collection: Trektober 2024
Trektober Day 23
Prompt: "Nightmare"
The fields stretched for as far as the eye could see. They were all dead, turned chalky white by the fungus. Children screamed and gunshots rang out all around him, but no matter which way he turned, all he could see was the empty, dead fields.
A dark shadow crept across the fields towards him, like the shadow of a cloud. But the sky was clear, there wasn't a hint of a cloud in the sky. As the shadow got nearer, he realized it wasn't a shadow after all, but a dense wave of locusts, systematically destroying what little was left of the crops as they advanced.
He turned and ran, knowing that if the locusts caught up to him, he would be devoured too. His legs pumped as fast as they could, but his speed was slow. It was as if the air was thick, pulling him back.
Something wrapped around his ankle, and he tripped, hurting his wrists as he put his hands out to catch himself. He looked back, and saw the dead eyes of a child staring back at him. The corpse— he knew it was a corpse because its skull was cracked open and brain matter dripped out —gripped his ankle tightly, with a strength no child should have.
The wave of locusts drew closer. He kicked at the corpse, but it wouldn't loosen its grip on him. A shadow washed over him, and the cloud of locusts loomed. He closed his eyes tight, knowing his death was imminent.
Jim sat bolt upright in bed, breathing hard. It was just a dream. A nightmare. But one that brought him back to a very real, very horrible place. He checked the time. Two hundred hours. He sighed, knowing he wouldn't be able to go back to sleep. He called for the lights to turn on, got out of bed, and went to his desk to work. Maybe work would help him forget the image of that dead child. Maybe work would help him forget what had happened to him all those years ago.