In moments, all eyes were on her and Diana could feel the combined fear and anger rushing off of Tony and his friends—she had spoiled their fun. Diana clenched at her stomach as Tony began to approach her—his vileness was making her sick. He raised his arm to backhand her across the face, like he had no doubt done many times in the past when girls displeased him, and Diana clenched her eyes shut.
A sound of flesh striking flesh resounded in Diana’s ears, but the impact never came.
She opened her eyes to see Tony’s fist clenched in Darien Shepherd’s tight grip. Diana’s astonishment was broken when she heard a sudden splash of water and turned her head to see Andrew rising out of the rippling pool with Eric in tow.
Tony’s eyes were enraged. “Mind your own business, asshole.”
By contrast, Darien’s eyes were filled with an anger of a different kind—anger fueled by righteous judgment. He looked on Tony like a vicious animal that needed to be dealt with.
The football player brought his knee up to collide with his opponent’s middle, but with swift fluid motions, Darien dodged and was quickly behind Tony with his arm wedged behind his back. Tony continued to struggle like a madman while Darien placed pressure on his arm; the animal refused to admit defeat. Finally, with a blunt object that Diana hadn’t noticed in Darien’s other hand, he knocked the football player out. Tony fell to ground with a thud.
Darien turned his head around to face Tony’s two friends but they had already run off, leaving a fearfully confused Lani sitting on the ground against the wall of the pool house. Quite certain that Tony was out cold, Darien tossed his weapon into the grass; it hit a rock and shattered like it was made of thin ceramic.
Diana was struck by the oddity of such a brittle object knocking a football player out cold.
She shook her head and then held it in her hands; it was too much to think about right now. Her eyes went to Darien. He bent down, heaved the unconscious football player over his shoulder, and then carried him towards the side of the house where he tossed him into a pile of trash bags with the rest of the garbage.
With genuine concern in his eyes, Darien quickly returned to Diana’s side and extended an outreached hand. “Are you alright, Miss Selene?”
Not quite sure if she was or not, Diana nodded reluctantly. “I think so, but my roommate isn’t. They drugged her.”
“Mongrels,” Darien seethed under his breath. “Let’s see to your friends.”
Diana grabbed a hold of Darien’s hand, and as he helped her to her feet, a strange sensation quickened to life just behind her temples and quickly coursed its way throughout her extremities. It felt as if the light of the bright summer sun was coursing through her veins. When he finally let go of her hand, the sensation slowly seeped away until Diana was left feeling empty and alone.
What’s happening to me? Her feelings were so much more potent and overwhelming than usual. Diana shook it off for the time being—she had to make sure Lani was alright.
Taking her gently by the arm, Darien escorted Diana to where Lani sat on the ground. Andrew had managed to get Eric out of the pool and propped him up beside to her.
Diana’s eyes went wide with panic—Eric wasn’t breathing. All the remaining heat left Diana’s body and she felt colder than she’d ever felt in her life.
With a strange sense of calm, Andrew closed his eyes and placed one hand in the small of Eric’s back and another on his chest. In moments, Eric suddenly spit up the water that had been sitting in his lungs and began to cough. Diana sighed in relief as he started coming around; he also looked to be in a great deal of pain.
Andrew slightly probed his chest with his hand and Eric winced. “Ugh—I think that bastard broke a rib or two.”
“At least you didn’t drown,” Andrew said through a smirk. “But not bad for putting yourself in between three big-sixers and a tomato.” He put his arm around Eric’s middle. “I better get you to the local Urgent Care, let’s get you up.” With strained pain, Eric got to his feet.
Darien nodded to his brother. “I’ll see to it that the ladies are taken care of.”
With a gentle demeanor, he crouched down to the ground and scooped Lani up into his arms. She was so out of it that she barely registered what was happening, but by the trembling wide eyes and queasy look on her face, Diana could tell she was going to get very sick, very soon.
“I need to get Lani home so I can take care of her,” Diana said to Darien. “I think she’s in for a long night.”
Darien considered her words a moment before shaking his head. “You can stay here for the night. It will be better for the both of you.” Without giving Diana time to register his offer, Darien walked to area with the largest concentration of partygoers, and with Lani still cradled in his arms, yelled out in a strong commanding voice, “This gathering has come to an end! The authorities will soon be here and I highly doubt the majority of you are consuming alcoholic beverages legally.”
In a very quick response to Darien’s declaration, everyone left their drinks and scuttled out of the backyard in a rush.
Once inside the house, Darien tried to make a similar announcement but the music was much too loud for everyone to hear him. Diana was also quite surprised, and rather disgusted, to find that hardly anyone in the throng of people seemed to care about Lani’s condition. A guy carrying a barely conscious girl in his arms must be a standard sight at the typical college party—whether or not they had been drugged.
With Diana following close behind, Darien pushed his way through the sea of people until he arrived in the parlor, where large speakers stood connected to a silver laptop on the nearby table. Holding Lani in one arm, Darien reached down and placed the palm of his hand onto the keyboard. As Diana considered the curious way Darien was trying to close the music program, she was startled by the sudden sparks that erupted from the computer as if the motherboard had just fried. The sudden silence throughout the house brought all attention onto Darien as a plume of smoke began to rise from the laptop.
“Leave.” His forceful gaze matched the commanding tone in his voice.
Without protest, every person in the house poured out of the front door like water through a spout.
Mesmerized by the smoking computer, Diana couldn’t help but be reminded of what had happened to her cell phone earlier in the day. Darien Shepherd and technology apparently didn’t mix very well. Her grandmother had experienced similar problems in the last years of her life. Diana’s father had just about refused to let her near his entertainment center—she had a way of breaking things just by fiddling with them.
Once all were gone, Diana was saved from the awkwardness of the silent, and very empty house, when an elderly lady in a simple maroon dress began descending the staircase to join them.
“Your evening is finished so soon Endym—” her words caught in her throat when she locked eyes with Diana. “Darien sir, forgive me. I wasn’t expecting you to still be entertaining guests.”
“It’s alright Marjorie,” he replied with a warm smile. “These two ladies require aid and will be staying here this evening. Can you prepare a room for them?”
The elderly woman’s kind smile was most welcome. “Of course. This way dears.”
The three of them followed Marjorie up the stairs, Darien still carrying Lani, to a room at the opposite end of the long hallway from Darien’s study. The guest room was just as beautiful as any of the other rooms in the house and was probably three times larger than her dorm. The walls were lined with flowery Victorian wallpaper and the room was dominated by the large four-post bed against the far wall. It looked quite comfortable with its plush comforters, thick mattress, and too many pillows. At the foot of the bed sat a small sitting couch. Exquisite carpets lined the wooden floorboards and on the walls hung old portraits of various people, none of which looked at all like relations of Darien and Andrew.
While Diana looked the room over, Marjorie prepared the bed for them. After Darien gently laid Lani down
, she quickly rolled over onto her side in the fetal position—she was definitely not alright. When Lani began to hold her belly tightly, Diana knew her roommate’s real troubles were going to begin very soon. Diana sat down on the bed and gently caressed her friend’s head.
Darien noticed as well and had a genuine look of concern on his face. She was surprised by how gentle he had been with Lani since the moment he had picked her up. Diana never once sensed he felt annoyed or put out by any of her troubles. He seemed sincerely concerned for her well-being. His current attitude was a stark contrast to how he had been acting earlier in the evening. Diana would be lying if she said she wasn’t the least bit confused by his actions.
“Marjorie, I know you were probably about to turn in for the evening, but could you brew a pot of tea—vethelas, if you please.”
“Of course sir, it would be no trouble at all,” she said with a smile and walked out.
When she was gone, Darien turned his attention to Diana. “The two of you should be comfortable in here. Marjorie will be bringing up an herbal tea that should help your friend’s body purge whatever was given to her. I will leave you be.” He smiled and made to leave.
“Darien,” she called out and he turned to look at her. “Thank you—for everything.”
With a strange look of conflict in his eyes, Darien smiled and nodded before closing the door behind him.
Leaving her extremely mixed emotions concerning Darien Shepherd for the time being, Diana settled in for a long evening of taking care of Lani while her body rejected whatever poisons were currently coursing through it.
Diana hoped it didn’t last too long—she really needed some sleep.
Chapter 4
O Reluctant Prophet, what did you see
As you dreamed in whale’s belly darkness deep?
O Thracian Bard, by what mystery did
You walk the paths of darkest Tartarus,
To charm the hearts of dread Hades
And his reluctant queen Persephone
Thus claiming the hand of Eurydice.
The swirling darkness sprang forth like a mighty fountain, enveloping Diana in its embrace of shadow.
The forgotten fear erupted from within, even before the vertigo of falling took her and she screamed into the nothingness.
The descent could have lasted mere moments or several hours, but Diana finally felt solid ground beneath her hands and knees. Her mind was reeling and unable to focus, her spirit attempting to regain a small amount of peace.
Diana finally opened her eyes. The weight of many years of defeat fell heavily upon her as she gazed out into the dark sky of swirling purple clouds and pulsing green lightning.
Her night terrors had returned.
She’d been sensing it for days but had tried to deny them her consciousness—if she didn’t acknowledge the nightmares then they weren’t real, were they? The tactic had worked for years, but Diana now realized her curse was not so easily broken.
She began to sob, remembering those terrifying nightmares that came on the cusp of adolescence. They had been frightening, seeming all too real; and unlike most people, Diana remembered every agonizing detail when she awoke.
Diana screamed out in frustration to the world of dreams.
Like past nightmares, the atmosphere that surrounded Diana began to shift and contort as if affected by her emotions. The hazy dream world seemed to twist and wrench along with her heart.
Remembering the danger such emotional states could bring upon her, Diana willed herself back to some semblance of calm—if she wasn’t careful, the Terrorfiends would find her. The creatures of the nightmares were always drawn to her when she lost control.
She looked around with caution but saw nothing—no demonic beasts screaming with chaotic fury, nor the little Lurker devils that cackle with laughter at her pain. Neither did she see the more angelic Terrorfiends—the winged beings of frightening beauty who’s judging eyes filled Diana with a deeper fear than any demon. She was safe—for the time being.
Slowly, Diana stood up and continued to gaze at the swirling, otherworldly, sky, seeking answers to a heart full of unknown questions.
Why is this happening? She’d felt the shadow’s familiar pull as soon as she arrived at the university. Had something—or someone—on campus sparked the return of her nightmares? Her strange empathy had been much more potent as well; was it all related somehow?
What should I do? If she continued further into the nightmare world she might wake up sooner; but if she waited out the nightmare, it would feel like days. Diana’s heart sank at the memories—fear and confusion mixed with a large amount of aggravated anxiety.
Diana clenched her hands into fists. After the night she’d had, she was definitely not spending what felt like days inside of a nightmare—she’d face the terrors and wake up as soon as possible.
She began walking from the rubble surrounding her, wondering what personal hell would be awaiting her this time. Beginning the journey was always the easiest; the dreamscapes seemed the most normal and were usually a hazy version of the environment in which Diana fell asleep—unless she let her emotions lose control. The landscape of shattered rocks and erupted ground around her was evident of that fact.
Diana journeyed on, surrounded by large, ominous, jagged rocks and hills of dark stone. They seemed to be taunting Diana, threatening to fall and crush her spirit. At least it’s not water this time. A shiver went up her spine as she recalled the sensations of drowning for hours without ever waking.
With a growing sense of alarm, she ran swiftly up the side of a rocky hillside in an attempt to make the nightmare reach its conclusion faster. It never worked but she always seemed to try it anyway.
As Diana reached the summit, her foot caught on a rock and she was sent tumbling forward. Shards of stone tore into her flesh as her body rolled and twisted down the slope. When she finally stopped, she opened her eyes and was shocked by what she found—a path of smooth pavement.
That’s new. Even though she always looked for one, Diana had never found a road before; every past night terror had always seemed chaotic and meaningless. A strange sense of excitement filled her as began following the path.
Diana paused as a peculiar sensation filled her chest, similar to the pins and needles of a sleeping limb. The pulses and tingles reverberated within her, almost with a rhythm of their own. It was like feeling the hum of a tune rather than hearing it. Am I feeling a song? Is that even possible? Of course it is. It’s a dream—nothing is supposed to make sense.
As she journeyed along the path, the feeling of the song grew louder and more intense—the melody was speaking to her without words and something stirred inside her chest, wanting to answer. By urge or by instinct, Diana reached into her dream-body. For a moment it felt like putting her hand through cold water, but beyond the coldness, a strange warmth lurked within. Diana wrapped her fingers around it and pulled it out—a small fire danced in her hand as if alive. Did the flame ignite when I felt the song? She felt uneasy; nothing like this had ever happened before.
She went to put whatever the fire was back but it seemed to protest. It changed its dance, pointing forward as if a wind were blowing and forcing it to do so. Confused, Diana pressed on.
Before she took three steps, the ground beneath her feet started to quake as the rocky slope to her right twisted and contorted as if made of mud. Diana grabbed ahold of a large boulder for support.
Her emotional state hadn’t changed, so why did the dreamscape suddenly change so dramatically? Diana should have been alarmed by it, but wasn’t. It was strange; the mountains and hills surrounding her did not feel ominous and terrifying. Instead, they felt as warm and inviting as the embrace of a lover—a bizarre feeling to receive from hills of stone.
When the shifting finally stopped and the ground was calm, Diana stood in a valley surrounded by rocky hills on all sides. In the sky above, cracked and broken remains of a moon looked down upon her, red with a portent
ous glow. As comforting as the hills were, she found the broken moon very unsettling.
Diana tore her gaze away from the sky to find a building—also a rarity when fully immersed in her dreams—situated in the middle of the valley. With its broken pillars and marble edifices, it looked like the ruins of an ancient temple.
This nightmare is getting stranger by the second. With caution, Diana made her way towards the building. Perhaps, after all these years, she may finally find some hidden meaning to these nightmares.
After ascending the steps and passing slowly through the entryway, Diana found the building eerily empty save for seven ruined pillars around an altar of stone in the middle.
Fear grabbed ahold of Diana and she hid behind the nearest pillar of stone. Someone was there—and not a regular Terrorfiend. Was it one of them? Could it be a Dark Master?
The memory of Diana’s last encounter with a Dark Master made her slump to the ground behind her shield of rock. Unlike the other nightmare creatures, he had spoken to her, and his taunting had been agonizing. When he opened his wickedly grinning mouth, it had felt like all that was good and happy in her soul was being eaten. Most terrifying of all, he hadn’t been a demonic beast, but rather, a humanoid being that felt more evil than anything Diana had ever encountered in her realm of terrors. She’d thought him the Devil himself, come to take her soul to Hell, but the Dark Master had assured her that he was not the Devil, Satan, Lucifer, or any other demented human personification of evil.
Diana’s sleep therapist had been much more enthusiastic about the experience than she had been—diagnosing the Dark Masters as personality shadows she’d created in her subconscious. Whatever they were, she never left the initial dreamscape again after that night.
Diana slowly and cautiously stretched her neck to peer around the side of the pillar and inspect the being sitting cross-legged before the altar. It was a man, his eyes closed and appearing deep in meditation.
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