Dreamweaver

Chapter 6

Amirra started to scream as soon as Selene finished her sentence. Not in fear, but in horrid, blood-curdling agony. She screamed on and on, falling to her knees and clutching at her stomach. She started clawing at herself, making deep scratches in her legs, though no wounds were visible besides the ones she inflicted on herself. "Stop it!" I yelled desperately "Stop it, you'll kill her!"

As if verifying my plea, Amirra started forming words along with her screaming. At first she pleaded the goddess to kill her, to let her die instead of the pain, but as Selene only smiled and shook her head, Amirra's sentences became more broken, racked with sobs, eventually becoming nothing more than incoherent, rambling shouts. For the first time in her life, her pride and dignity was gone, replaced by the all-consuming urge to stop the pain that racked her frame.

I yelled at Selene to stop, pleading in Amirra's place, but she ignored me, delighting in her victim's ordeal. Amirra let out a final scream, then collapsed to the ground, her screams and movements subsiding abruptly. She didn't try to get up, and neither moved nor spoke again.

Selene laughed, a terrifying, mirthless laugh that revealed the demon she must truly be. After a moment, she calmed herself and gave me a disdainful glance.

Apparently satisfied that I was scared to death and feeling entirely helpless, she asked curtly, “Nicholas, do you know what you’ve done?” I thought about asking how she knew my name, but figured that at this point it wasn’t a real surprise. Sitting down gracefully on a large rock by the water’s edge, she asked again, “Do you know what you’ve done, Nicholas?” I hesitated, then shook my head. Selene sighed, then beckoned me over with a wave of her hand.

“This won’t be pleasant,” she warned after I had settled nervously before her, taking a firm grasp on the top of my head. She was right. A thousand images swept over me like giant waves, accompanied by a torrent of mismatched sounds and screams. Picture after picture slammed recklessly into my head, I felt as if my brain would explode. None of it made sense, just horror and screaming and death over and over. Every time I tried to decifer of an image, it disappeared, only to be replaced by another, even more confusing then the first. Eventually the entourage slowed, and stopped but for a single, horrible scream that sounded like it came from a young man. After a minute I realized the screamer was me. With considerable effort I clamped my mouth shut and looked up, panting.

“Now you know.” Selene said simply, smirking in a way that told me she had no true belief in this. “Um…” I said, flashing my never-ceasing intellect. Once I regained full use of my vocal chords, I politely inquired the goddess as to what the freaking hell was going on. Her response was a look that made me feel about the size of an ameba.

Wonderful.

Selene sighed, but despite her obvious distain, I could tell she was pleased at her display of superiority. "That was an attempt to transfer my knowledge and memories of this demon into your brain, but apparently -" She was cut off as Amirra stirred slightly and let out a weak little cry, like a dying cat. Immensely relived that she was still alive, I jumped to my feet and started to hurry over to her. I never made it.

One minute, I was running, the next I was flat on my back, looking up, bewildered, at the starry sky. It was as if an invisible wall had materialized, blocking my path. I got up slowly and felt the air in front of me. The barrier was still there, and try as I might to break through; all I achieved was what would have been an extremely convincing mime-stuck-in-a-box routine, if anyone had been around to see it.

“We’re not finished yet.” Selene said coldly behind me, “Your little wench will have to wait.” “She’s not my...” I began, but broke off at Selene’s glance. “Don’t argue with me, mortal.” She said cooly, but at the same time putting cold influence on the word ‘mortal’ as if to remind me of my prior ameba-sized significance. I gulped, and, at the deity’s beckon, sat once again before her like the obedient pup I had become.

She smiled in a way that would have been infuriating, if I hadn’t been shaking in fear of a fate close to Amirra’s. “I suppose I should have known your tiny brain was too slow to process the information I gave you. Pity, it would have saved some of my time.” I didn’t respond to the insult, but Selene didn’t seem to expect me too. “You’ve unleashed a terrible ancient evil and doomed your planet.” She continued calmly, sounding quite unconcerned.

I looked at her blankly, struggling with the insane concept. Rediculous I thought, but all I could say was “Oh,” then, realizing the lameness of it, added “Really?” “Uh-huh” she said absently, glancing at her fingernails, apparently bored.

“So…um…” I started, after an awkward silence. “What do I have to do to, er, stop it?” “Her” she corrected, without looking up, “To stop Her, you must find Her and rebind Her to the lake before She launches her attack on your race.” “Oh.” I said again. Another pause, “How long does that give me to, uh, bind Her?” “I’d say one cycle.” She answered, now examining a spot on her robe. “Only a month?” I burst out, mortified. Selene laughed silkily. “A cycle of the Gods,” she said, now obviously amused, “A week of your time.” “Oh.” I said. “Oh crap.”

We sat in yet another uncomfortable silence for a minute or so, then Selene stood up abruptly. “I must go.” She said, and began to walk away. “Wait!” I yelled, “Wait! No! I don’t know what to do!” Selene sighed, making a show of being utterly overwhelmed by my ignorance, and paused to look back at me. “The lake, it’s a gateway. Swim straight down the middle. I’ll send a guide to meet you on the other side.” With that, she disappeared. Literally, one minute she was there, the next I was alone, well except for Amirra!

Remembering my fallen comrade, well, not so much comrade, but we were both confused and screwed so I figured we were in the same boat, I ran to her side. The ‘wall’ had vanished along with Selene, so I arrived unscathed and un-mimed. I knelt beside her, but just as I bent to wake her, her eyes snapped open, she sat up, and proceeded to slap me hard across the face.

“What the hell was that for?” I asked, taken aback, “For getting me into this mess.” She said coolly, “Now tell me what’s going on.” I told her everything Selene had said. Granted, it wasn’t much, but it’s all I knew. Amirra sat and listened, raising her eyebrows every now and then, but said nothing. She seemed to sink into thought for a moment, then said “Well, let’s go then.” “Er…” I started but she had no intention of letting me continue. “Well what else are we supposed to do?” she exploded, “If the human race is doomed because of you,” She put emphasis on the you, “Then it’s not looking too well for us, is it? We’ve only got a week, so I suggest we make the best of it.” I nodded nervously, but backed away a little, still rubbing my cheek where she’d hit me. Having her as a partner may prove more difficult than I thought...