In the dream I was in Kusiong, but it's dream-Kusiong. It felt odd and a bit suffocating and looked like it has a sepia filter on. As if it is perpetually late afternoon. There were not a lot of people but I was in a house and things were going okay until a truck showed up. The truck is filled with wares and some logs and it was being operated by what seemed like a group of all-men traders. Someone asked them whether they're staying for the night as it is almost sundown but they said they have to move and go to the next town. Like dream-Kusiong, there is also a dream-next town where things are a bit weird. It is almost always a town that is at the edge of civilization; like a border city to an unknown place.
When they said they were going there, I wanted to join them (as I always do even in the previous dreams I had of this town-next-to-Kusiong). The traders told me that they do not encourage me joining them but that if I want to come, then I could. So, I relented. I was also a bit hesitant because I was supposed to attend a class the day after and the traders said that they will be staying overnight at the next town and will only return to Kusiong afternoon of the next day. But in the end, I went with them.
The people in Kusiong bade me goodbye and told me to be careful and then off I went. When we arrived at the next town, the traders told me to be careful. We went to what seemed like the only inn in town and they told me to try not to catch the attention of the townspeople. We had dinner and I had to speak in hushed voices because the names of all of the guests in this inn have been listed down but it seemed that the leader of the traders did not list all of us (so he can save a few bucks). He wanted to make it look like I was only visiting them and is not going to stay for the night.
At some point near sundown, we heard an activity happening outside. We went out and there was something that seems to be like a festival. There were a lot of people and a crowd has gathered on a half stadium. I cannot see what was going on or what they were looking at but it seems that they were spectators for a big event. Some of the people I was with told me there would be games in the half-stadium; however, he eerily warned me to be careful. I nodded and then joined the long line of people who wanted to go inside the stadium.
While we were on queue, I heard gunshots coming from inside. I thought they were doing target shooting. But then, suddenly, the people sitting at the bleachers got agitated and I heard loud gasps of disapproval from the audience. Turns out, the people on the field were indeed shooting at something. And the "target" was revealed to be a child. The spectators did not know at first what was moving behind the curtains where the rifles were pointing at until it fell down and they saw a child. Such was the scandal that nobody was allowed to leave. Then all of those in the queue were told to draw lots. An instruction was given but I did not hear/understand it properly. All I heard was that every outsider needs to leave by sundown. I got very lucky and picked a small number, allowing me extra time to leave before sunset. So when they sounded the alarm, I ran out and went straight to the rotunda where I know the public transportation was.
As i was making my way there, I saw my friends Annkatrin, Vico, and Mafe with other girls. I walked over to Annkatrin and asked her how things are going. She said it was fine and that Mafe, our friend, just got engaged. I haven't talked to Mafe for so long (even in real life) so I went up to her, apologized for not being able to communicate often, and then we talked a lot. We got so engrossed with the conversation that a small bus arrived and everyone got in except for Mafe, me, and another friend (Meg). I told Annkatrin and the others that we will just take the next bus so they drove off. The three of us went into a waiting shed and continued talking. Not soon after, an Indonesian girl wearing creepy make up (and a uniform!) came up to us and started saying things. I did not understand what she was saying completely as she spoke in Indonesian but I got the message that every outsider who is not able to leave the town by sundown will be hunted and killed.
Apparently, we had missed the last bus and so we were stuck there and are now targets. The Indonesian girl was sort of like a person who is in charge to give prior warning. She then left and I realized the waiting shed has a lift. I pressed the button but I had the feeling that someone will be waiting in the other side of the door so I looked around and looked for a place to hide. There was only one locker and it could only fit two people so I told Mafe and Meg to hide and keep quiet so they won't be found. I apologized for putting them in that situation (because if I did not talk to them, they would have not missed the last bus). After they got inside the locker, I tried looking for a hiding place myself but there is none. The lift made a sound and I knew it is going to open anytime soon so I shifted my focus in finding a weapon. By luck, there were multitude of tools hanging against a wall. I picked out a kitchen knife and waited for the lift doors to open.
It opened to what seemed like the interior of a bus. There were two girls who looked at my direction as soon as the doors opened. I know they were out to kill me but they did not do it right away. It was like we were trying to gauge each other's capacity to injure. There were two males in the front but they embarked on the next stop to hunt 'male outsiders'. The 'bus' continued to move and the tension was high because each one of us are just waiting for the other to do something. The bus driver informed us that we are nearing the town centre where most of the citizens are. So I decided now is the time to act. I climbed up the bus railings silently, reached down to where the two girls were sitting and then I slashed their throats. I managed to slash the other one clean but the second one was still alive. We fought for a minute or two and then I managed to hack her neck with the knife. I was not able to slash her throat but I was able to leave great injury. The bus stopped at the town centre and everything happened in a blur. I do not remember now what happened but all I know is that the kitchen knife had been very useful.
It was like things were fast forwarded and I can only remember the glimmer of the blade as I swished it. I do remember a few kills that I had. Like that one girl who is just so hard to kill so I just gouged her eyes out. There was also this boy who I stabbed on the neck instead. And then suddenly it is almost sundown again. There was this subtitle that came out of nowhere. As if I was in a movie. It said that I had 999 kills and (some number that I have forgotten) maimed or badly injured. I found out that I eventually ended up killing Mafe and Meg, myself.
Then time went fast forward again and around late afternoon, the dead people were resurrected and then those who were just injured were healed but you can still see the marks and scars of where they were hurt. Apparently, that time between late afternoon and the first minutes of sundown is the "safe hour". Outsiders can walk around and not be harmed. I was walking around but I saw some familiar faces (those that I have killed) and they were all looking at me angrily. Like, one can really feel that should another hunting night happens, I am dead meat. I saw Mafe and Meg with scars on their necks (that I knew right then was my fault) and Mafe was looking at me with such disdain and I felt bad because I remembered that she was supposed to get married but now she's dead-ish.
I was ready this time to get into the last bus and leave. I know I should do it to have the best chance at surviving the night. As I was waiting for the draw lots, a new group of outsiders arrived. And my friend, Miraj, is part of them. We were told to draw lots again and she was very excited about joining the game. I tried to warn her secretly that it is not a simple 'game' but an actual hunting. But then I got a high number so I have to wait a bit. This also meant my time to escape is quite short. So while waiting for the signal, I went to the bathroom and planned on how to tell it to Miraj without the townspeople seeing us. But when I went out of the bathroom, the first signal was called and Miraj (who happened to get a small number) was already excitedly running towards I don't know where. And then I woke up.
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