Plagued by never-ending nightmares and cursed with a mysterious ability to sense others' emotions, 19-year-old Diana Massey is no stranger to the peculiar. Bizarre events start piling up when a young man named Casimir comes to live at her family far...
I was standing in a vast, empty space. All around me was a deep, foggy haze, and when I went to move, I felt the heavy sloshing of water between my legs. I looked down to realize I was almost knee-deep in dull, grey-looking water.
Where am I?
The fog was familiar, like I could be on the edges of the town lake, early in the morning. Despite its familiarity, I couldn't see any of the local buildings nearby or feel the soft breeze that came down from the mountain. Everything about this space was stale and unnatural. I heard a splashing noise, and I turned to face it. It was the strange man from earlier. He was no longer talking, just moaning as he stumbled towards me, black liquid leaking from his mouth.
"Go away," I yelled. I tried to run, but my feet felt heavy. With each step, I was sinking into the ground, and the water was rising to meet me. The man continued to approach, his skin falling from his body. Blood and black ooze began seeping from his wounds. I tried to free myself, and only sank faster. "No!"
The stranger's face began to change; his eyes were now a bright red, and teeth razor sharp. The skin that was revealed below was now a purple so dark, it appeared almost black. He expanded as he screamed, arms reaching towards the heavens. Everything about him screamed danger. I prayed that this was just a dream and that I would wake up soon. A large, unexplained root shot up from the watery ground, impaling the monster through its stomach. The creepy melting man looked down at the root but was somehow still alive. He reached out for me, yelling in a language I didn't understand.
Casimir appeared suddenly, leaping at the monster from behind. In his hands was a sword that glowed as brightly as the sun. I watched, transfixed, as Casimir slew the monster, easily cutting off his head in one swing.
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The creature slumped over, the root now the only thing keeping it upright. Small flakes of black ash began to fall from the corpse, floating up into the sky. Casimir had landed just behind me, and I turned slowly, almost afraid to look him in the eye. The water had loosened its grip, but I was still waist deep and sinking slowly.
"Casimir?" I whispered.
He heard me call to him and turned his head, a haunting sadness in his eyes.
A hole opened up below me, and I plummeted into the water below, gasping for air as the waves covered my face. I struggled for a moment in an attempt to swim to the top, but it was no good; a strong force had a hold on my leg and was dragging me under. As I reached out for help, Casimir stood there, a grim look on his face, as I was pulled under.
My eyes snapped open as a jolt of fear ran through me. Quickly, I realized that I was not drowning but instead was surrounded by warm, soft blankets, safe in my bed. The images from my most recent dream were fading quickly. Another new dream?
This last one was much like my other dreams, so vivid that it felt almost real. Except for this time, I was myself and not some strange, unknown woman. I was perplexed by the fact that after years of having the same set of dreams with almost no variation, that I would then have two new ones so close together. I hoped vehemently that this last one would not be a repeat offender. That strange man's body twisting, breaking, and then transforming into what seemed like a monster was too gruesome.
