Book of Demons: Gabriela

2.

Gabriella woke up in her messed-up bed, trying to realize where she was. In her mind, the nightmare was still a reality. 

Slowly inhaled and exhaled, focusing on the normalization of her heart rate. The bed sheets were all messed up, as she was running in her sleep. And indeed she has. She swallowed and looked around. Yes, it was just her room and despite the darkness, not scared anymore.

These shadows were bright and welcoming. Something at the end of the bed shifted, pinning glowing eyes at her. Her muscles tensed, ready for a jump. Then she heard a familiar noise coming from the creature. It took her a few seconds to calm her body after realizing that the noise she was hearing was a purr. The cat stretched their paws and snuggled against her owner. The heat from the furry little body brought her comfort.

However, the experience made her unenthusiastic to take any chances by setting a foot on the floor.

She continued with some breathing exercises, while frantically thinking about the dream. She knew that it was not just a dream. Also realized that she was on the brink of losing it all. Tried to go back into her memories, searching early. Tracing the connection between their feelings, instinct, and visual elements of the dream. But the more she tried to remember, the more distant and blurred all of it was. In the end, all she had left were residual effects of horror, pounding in her heart. 

Of course, lying in the dark and trying to remember could seriously damage the tiniest remaining memories. So she decided not to push it any further.

Gabriela thought about her new bedside lamp and reached out to turn it on. Her body ached terribly, and the nightmare though now forgotten, still ruled her emotions. She shifted her body to see the damage. Light spilled around the room, letting her out of the closet on the other side of the bedroom. Small bookshelf beside her. Beautiful dresser with many small bottles and tubes on it. Under the window, there was a small sitting place with lots of cushions, where Isis, her cat usually slept. The colors of blue, pink, purple, yellow, and green flowed merrily and little by little drove away the anxiousness. 

She sighed and cupped her pet's face with her hands. Her breathing was normal and the woman decided to try and rise from the bed. This was not her first night of nightmares. One after another, they were being more influential and more terrible.

She left one foot on the ground. Then slowly released the other. Stood there for a moment, staring at the floor. Everything was fading in the presence of light, but what meant its absence? Anger took over again. She was running and praying like a helpless little girl. How humiliating! Was this for real? Weak and defenseless. If it happened to any of her relatives, they would have realized what was happening from the beginning. 

Was it all a test? Even if it was, Gabriella knew the results. She behaved like a coward, running and praying through the darkness, rather than confronting what haunted her, like a real witch. Shame filled her. Awareness of the dreadful, but the unfamiliar thing to come, brimmed her soul. All she knew at this point was that those foreshadows brought nothing good. Evil was coming her way and she will have to fight tooth and nail for not only hers but others' souls as well. But her survival was unclear. She could always hide and pray for mercy, she thought with bile.

It was one of its deepest fears - to be unworthy of the name, which was carrying. Mago was a big magical family, whose sole purpose was to safeguard and protect the innocent. Therefore valor, courage, and sacrifice were required of her. Was she worthy of this inheritance? The answer was unclear.

She shook his head and walked to the bathroom. The clock showed almost half past five in the morning, but she knew that she would not fall asleep again. It was time to freshen up, drink some tea and take on work. Nothing helped and refreshed better than a little hard work.