QUEENLY QUEST

Chapter Eight-The King's summons

As my birthday approached, I couldn't help but feel a mix of emotions. I was excited to celebrate another year of life, but also anxious about the strange occurrences that had been plaguing me. I had written to Tiffany several times, but haven't received any responses yet. I really hope that Tiffany  was doing well at the palace.

Meanwhile, Asher and mother are being extremely supportive. They help me prepare for my birthday celebration, and they are always there to listen to my concerns. One day, as we were decorating the house, I confided in them about the strange happenings that had stopped as suddenly as they started.

"I'm glad it's over, but it's also weird that it just stopped like that," I said, furrowing my brow.

Mother and Asher exchanged a knowing glance. "Sometimes, things just resolve themselves," mother said. "But we'll always be here to watch out for you, okay?"

Asher nodded in agreement. "Yeah, we'll always be here to support you, Helena. You're not alone."

I smiled, feeling grateful for their love and support. Of course I could count on them, no matter what happened.

***

I felt like I was burning from the inside out. My body ached all over, my head was pounding, and my mind was foggy. I couldn't think straight, couldn't focus on anything except the intense heat that seemed to be consuming me.

My mother's voice was a distant murmur, a soothing sound that couldn't penetrate the haze of pain and discomfort that surrounded me. I felt her cool hands on my forehead, her gentle touch a stark contrast to the raging fire that seemed to be burning inside me.

I tried to speak, to ask for help, but my voice was barely a whisper. My throat was dry, my mouth parched. I felt like I was dying, like my body was shutting down from the inside out.

The room was a blur, a swirling vortex of colors and shapes that made no sense. I saw Asher's worried face, his eyes red from lack of sleep. I saw my mother's pale face, her eyes etched with worry. But I couldn't focus on them, couldn't hold onto their faces for more than a moment.

The doctor's voice was a distant rumble, a sound that seemed to come from far away. I felt his cool hands on my forehead,but even his words of comfort couldn't penetrate the haze of pain and discomfort that surrounded me.

I was trapped in a living hell, a prison of pain and fear that seemed to have no escape. I felt like I was drowning, suffocating under the weight of my own body. I couldn't breathe, couldn't think, couldn't escape.

And then, suddenly, everything went black.

When I came to, I was lying in my bed, my mother sitting beside me, her eyes red from crying. Asher was standing in the corner of the room, his face pale with worry. The doctor was nowhere to be seen, but I could hear his voice outside, talking to someone in hushed tones.

My mother smiled weakly when she saw me awake. "Hey, sweetie," she said, her voice trembling. "You're going to be okay. The doctor says you just need to rest."

I tried to speak, but my voice was barely a whisper. My throat was dry, my mouth parched. My mother quickly gave me a glass of water, which I sipped gratefully.

As I lay there, trying to gather my strength, I couldn't shake off the feeling that something was off. The fever had been so intense, so real. And yet, the doctor had found nothing wrong with me.

Asher came over to the bed, his eyes filled with concern. "Hey, Helena," he said softly. "You're going to be okay. We're here for you."

I smiled weakly at him, feeling a surge of gratitude. But as I looked into his eyes, I saw something there that made my heart skip a beat. Something that looked like fear.

What did he know that I didn't? What was going on that I wasn't aware of?

I tried to ask him, but my voice was too weak. I could only lie there, my mind racing with questions and fears.

And then, as I drifted off to sleep, I felt it again. The presence. The whisper in my ear.

"You're not safe, Helena," it whispered. "You'll never be safe."

I tried to scream, but my voice was trapped in my throat.  I felt a sense of unease settle over me. My dreams were always vivid, but this one was different. This one was terrifying.

I dreamt that I was in a dark forest, surrounded by the people closest to me. My mother, Asher, Tiffany - they were all there, their faces twisted into grotesque grins.

As I watched in horror, their bodies began to contort and change. Their skin turned scaly, their eyes glowed with an otherworldly light. They grew claws and fangs, their faces elongating into snouts.

My mother, once a symbol of comfort and love, was now a monstrous creature, her eyes blazing with a fierce hatred. Asher, once my rock, my confidant, was now a snarling beast, his claws snapping wildly.

Tiffany, my dear friend, was now a creature from my worst nightmares, her body a mass of writhing tentacles, her eyes burning with an evil intensity.

I tried to run, but my legs were frozen in place. I tried to scream, but my voice was silenced by some unseen force.

The creatures closed in on me, their hot breath on my skin, their claws snapping at my face. I was trapped, helpless, and alone.

And then, just as suddenly as it had begun, the dream ended. I woke up with a start, my heart racing, my sheets drenched with sweat.

But as I lay there, trying to catch my breath, I couldn't shake off the feeling that the dream had been more than just a dream. It had been a warning, a message from some dark force that lurked just beyond the edge of my perception.

I knew then that I had to be careful, that I had to be on my guard. For in the world of dreams, nothing was as it seemed, and the creatures that lurked in the shadows were always waiting to pounce. I was alone, helpless, and trapped in a living nightmare. 

As I lay there, trying to calm my racing heart, I saw my mother and Asher approaching me, their faces filled with concern. But as they drew closer, their faces began to contort, their features twisting into the grotesque grins I had seen in my nightmare.

I screamed, my voice echoing off the walls as I scrambled away from them. But they kept coming, their faces still twisted, their eyes glowing with an otherworldly light.

I knew then that I had to be hallucinating. There was no other explanation for what I was seeing. My mind was playing tricks on me, conjuring up monsters from my deepest fears.

But even as I told myself this, I couldn't shake off the feeling of terror that gripped me and I didn't know how to escape.

My mother and Asher tried to calm me down, but their words were lost on me. I was too far gone, too consumed by my own fear. I knew I had to find a way to snap out of it, to shake off the hallucinations and face reality.

But how? How could I escape the monsters that haunted my mind? I need help.

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