Opening his eyes, he noticed that everything around him was dark, rubbing his eyes in an attempt to 'wake' up, it didn't help.
"Hah, a dream huh? Alright then, but this dream seems a little, ominous" he thought to himself.
Then he hears a clang and noises that seemingly get closer to him.
"Hey you, funny looking kid, Hide." said a voice.
"Who are you calling funny? Hide? Why?" he asked it as he get up from his sleeping position, and streches.
"I am calling YOU funny, but for now hide cause something coming for you, I'll answer your questions later"
Heeding the warning of this mysterious voice, he gets up, feeling a stinging pain and stifling a cry of pain, he hid behind this wall that looked like it was about to break, a creature, unimaginable terror, Johns eyes opened widely. The creature was twice the size of a human and had human features, but anyone could tell, this creature wasn't human. It turned around and John hid behind the wall, heart racing faster. He then look back and sees that 'it' disappeared.
Asking around "Weird voice in my head, you still there?"
"That was close kid, almost got turned into mince meat ey? Haha" he replies.
John then sees a shadowy figure sitting on a tree, it asks
"Be grateful I saved your hide. Whats your name?
John replies, "Let me ask you the questions this time, I already listened to your warning, what was that?"
Even though the figure was all shadow, he noticed a grin forming on its face "Got a bit of spunk do ya? Haha, alright then, Those things are what roam this world, I think they wanna kill ya. Thing is, you're dreaming, and no it's not a normal dream, its a nightmare and those things can actually kill you"
"What? No way I can believe that" John says with wide eyes.
The figure shrugs "Believe what ya want, I am only telling the truth here. Anyway kid, what's your name, mine's Cledereux, i am a spirit here. Well, this might be awkward, but we need each other to live in this god forsaken world"
"Ah, my names John Marrow. What do you mean we 'need' each other?" he replied.
"I can offer you an edge, not power, just something that might JUST help you live in this world, but I need something precious in return." He says ominously.
"What do you mean by precious?" John asks
"Well something that you hold dear, part of a body maybe? I notice that you're a painter, I can take your left arm haha." he replies in a cheerful tone.
"But I use this to paint in the real world, I need this arm!" He says shrewdly.
"Don't worry, it'll be back there in the waking world, you won't feel it, but it'll be there."
"Well, maybe if you can tell me that 'edge' that you can give me" John says.
"Alright, you cheeky kid, I'll give you 3 pieces of paper everytime you come into this world" He replies to the kid.
"What? That's it? What can these pieces of paper do?" he asks
"Well, with whatever you can muster to draw with that right arm of yours, it'll come alive, well only inanimate objects."
Putting his right hand on his chin, he thinks, "This power might help me live."
"Alright old man, I'll take this deal of yours." He shouts to the shadowy figure on the tree.
"Hey I am not old, but alright. Don't regret this kid."