ALAN
A taciturn Oneironaut obsessed to revisit a specific past in his dreams. He meticulously arranges his sleep environment with items linked to that mysterious event.
It's called 'forced associations', an advanced version of the old 'book under the pillow' trick.
A Ritual
Can forced associations stop memories from stealing away in the mists of time?
I've positioned them carefully, all these stuffed birds and squirrels. I know, it looks like a ritual. These specimens, once vibrant and alive, now serve a special purpose: Each one's a marker, a pointer to that event I'm chasing in my dreams.
Every night, same routine, hoping it'll finally lead me to that piece... that piece I can't quite nail down. Maybe tonight's the night it all comes together. Just got to keep pushing through the dreams, hunting for that elusive something.
Just need to catch my beautiful little shadows, piece them all together before they're lost in the fog of forgotten moments.
The danger isn't just getting trapped, it's something in the dream FEEDING on my terror.