FLASH!
The figure was a lot clearer now, and Jana was sure that her nightmares had manifested in the real world. She had no idea how something so ridiculous could happen. Nevertheless, she knew for sure that her nightmare had come to haunt her, not just in her dreams but in reality as well.
"It's... it's here..." Utter terror was written on her face as she panicked, muttering the words under her breath.
"It's here? What are you talking about, dear?" Jana's mom concernedly asked as she approached her daughter. As expected, they didn't notice the figure in front of Jana, which occasionally showed itself through quick black-and-white light flashes.
"What is it, my daughter? Is everything all right? Are you still not feeling well? You can talk to me about your nightmare if you're still bothered by it." Jana's dad softly offered.
"As if that would help. Don't you remember? The last time you did that, you just went on and on about your nightmare instead of giving her words of advice. Do you think she'd take you up on your offer after that?" Jana's mom whispered to her dad while the two of them looked at her.
"But... isn't that how conversations work? When someone shares something, you share something of equal value. I figured that would help her think about something else instead of focusing on her recurring nightmare."
"In any case, are you all right, my daughter?" Jana's dad asked.
"DON'T COME NEAR ME!" Jana screamed at the top of her lungs, surprising both her parents at the same time.
"Look here, young miss. You can't go around talking down on your dad like that." Jana's dad said as he slowly but cautiously approached her. Just like Jana, he, too, had no idea what was going on. That's why he proceeded with utmost caution.
"PLEASE! DON'T COME NEAR ME!" Jana pleaded, her voice cracked mid-sentence. Her eyes were beginning to water as the first drops of tears dropped from he gaze. That was the time when Jana's dad realized that Jana was looking straight ahead.
Even though he was a little bit to the side, she still looked ahead with that panicked expression on her face. It was a face filled with despair. Jana seemed to have been looking at someone else.
"She can't see us right now. Jana, are you all right?" This time, Jana's mom was panicking a little bit due to Jana's frightened expression. She could tell that her daughter wasn't joking, and something was really unfolding in her eyes for her to let out a bloodcurdling cry like that.
Another flash, and this time, the figure was already right in front of her face. Jana could see her dream happening right now, and she couldn't do anything but stare fixedly at the creature in front of her. She even forgot to breathe due to how scared she was.
In a desperate attempt to wake her up, her dad decided to ignore her pleas, charging toward her and knocking her out of the way. He figured that there was probably something threatening her at point-blank range for her to say something as ridiculous as that, and that's why he risked knocking her over. "Are you all right?" He asked his daughter as he propped her up.
"DAD! BEHIND YOU!"
Without hesitation, his dad decided to kick empty air. To his surprise, he hit something. As his gaze focused, he realized a figure was in front of her daughter. That figure flew towards the kitchen as soon as he kicked it, and its camouflage seemed to glitch out as it did so. A portion of the kitchen turned hazy, and then a static could be heard.
"Honey, let's get out of here!" Jana's dad screamed as he grabbed his wife by the hand. The three of them rushed outside, only to find that the entire village was already in shambles.
As it turned out, the figure that Jana sees in her dreams is actually a premonition of what is to come. The figure in her dream was actually an alien— representing the group of aliens which was about to touch down on Earth for their invasion attempt. And the reason why that said alien seemed to appear nearer in her dreams was that the invasion was almost upon Earth. Jana finally understood the hidden meaning behind her dreams. Even though she couldn't accept what was happening right now, she had no choice but to take it all in.
The aliens looked so black they could be compared to the darkness under the bed (for crying out loud). And every time they move, they release static, causing bright flashes of black and white here and there. Their hands shoot out projectiles that seem to kill people in one shot.
The Alexis family continued to run towards the forest by the edge of the village. They didn't bother heading towards the road since they could tell that it was already cut off by the aliens. At the very least, they should be able to hide behind the lush trees of the forest.
Jana watched in horror as people she knew died one by one. Her eyes witnessed the merciless killings of the aliens that should've only existed in her dreams. She was frustrated. There was nothing she could do but watch while her dad dragged her out of harm's way.
"Get it together, my dear daughter!" Jana's dad exclaimed. "I know what you're thinking right now... and all I can say is... you should never think that way. If you're weak and helpless, then survive to see another day. That way, you'll have a chance at getting stronger when the sun rises the next time."
BOOM!
.....
A dream?
When Jana came to, the floodlights that brightly shone on the Grand Stage greeted her. Out of impulse, she raised her palms upwards before turning her head sideways. She clearly remembered being beheaded by Link. 'Am I dead?' She asked as she saw a figure holding her head.
It was a teenager she didn't recognize, but she felt the warmth of his hands to the touch.
"Ryoko, get Jana out of here. I'm going to take care of this little son of a—"