Haunted Nights ✅ Completed

Chapter Fifteen: In Dreams

In Dreams

  

Maya was running for her life. The field she ran through appeared clear, but she couldn’t tell for sure. Her pulse pounded in her ears drowning everything else out. The wolf she followed through the dense fog was fast, almost too fast for her to keep up with, not to mention the fog was so thick it was hard to keep it in sight. Still, she ran as quickly as she could manage without falling on her face. She couldn’t risk losing her only way out.

No wait, that was wrong.

It was the only way to find something…someone. Was she looking for a person? An object? She wasn’t sure anymore. All she knew was that she had to find it, whatever it was – the feeling of urgency was almost choking.  

The large brown wolf turned, its eyes glowed a vibrant red which cut through the fog like a laser. Maya saw that she was no longer in an empty field. She now stood in front of an above-ground tomb. A tomb made of flat, shiny stone. She had to get inside! Whatever she was looking for was in there - the draw of its call overpowering all her senses.

But the tomb was made up of four stone walls; there wasn’t a door or any other type of opening to break its surface. It may have looked like a stone tower, but Maya knew its true nature: it was a place to die. She had to get it out of there. Whatever was inside needed her, needed her to free it.

The wolf looked at her, almost willing her to step forward and open it, but Maya didn’t know how.

“Good grief girl, you’ve certainly taken to moving in some pretty weird circles since last I saw you.”

Maya turned and saw the smiling face of her Aunt Freda. She was a short, plump woman, with long ebony hair she kept in a tight braid, large rough hands and white teeth that twinkled with hints of gold. Her skin was the color of weathered leather and she wore her favorite blue dress with the yellow sunbursts. She looked exactly the same as the last time Maya had seen her.

The day she’d killed her.  

“Oh please, mija. You didn’t kill me. If I hadn’t grabbed that box from you when I did, you would’ve ended up locked in that horrible little contraption instead.”

“It should’ve been me.” Maya choked back on the barrage of tears that were threatening to undo her.

“Stop that this instant, young lady!" her aunt ordered. "I did what I always do: I stuck my big nose in and took care of it. Now, come here and give your Aunt Freda a hug. I’ve missed you, mija.”

And just like that Maya was eight years old again, feeling safe and warm in the arms of the only person on the planet that knew what she was and loved every bit of her regardless.

When she could speak again, it was in a voice full of grief, guilt, and remorse. “I’m so sorry, Aunt Freda. I never meant for you to get hurt.”

Her aunt gave her another squeeze, “I know that, sugarplum. Don’t think for a minute I wouldn’t do the same thing a hundred times over. You were like my very own daughter. I would never want to see you suffer.” Her aunt leaned back a little and gave her a knowing look, “I know what they did to you after I was gone. My sister and that husband of hers were always a bit simple-minded. Not like you though. You were always more like me than your mother; sharper than tacks in the floor. Brave too. I’m sorry you suffered child. More than you know.”

“Oh, Aunt Freda, how can you say that? After what I did to you…” Maya sniffed and shook her head, “I deserved worse. It was my fault.”

“No it wasn’t. You couldn’t have known what was in that box. I didn’t even know and I know everything,” she gave her niece another hard squeeze. “You need to let it go, Maya. You can’t move on with your life if you keep dragging the past with you. Everything happened for a reason and know that I have never, ever blamed you."