The Forsaken

Prologue

Her innocence had drawn them to the woman. Tonight's prey was named Laura, and her ridiculous optimism made her perfect for their twisted little game. They had been at it all night, hunting her from dream to dream. The two friends, Deverick and Onan, liked to work as a tag team. First, Onan had entered her subconscious, learning all he could about her hopes and fears. Then, he became part of the dream, making himself one with her fantasy like the romantic hero, a dark, mysterious lover. Only after she had succumbed to his friends' influence did Deverick disturb her universe, re-arranging the dream into something horrible and sickening: himself, the monster in the darkness that fed on her fear. Laura kept turning to Onan to rescue her, believing he was her hero. A part of her mind did not realize that he, and the demon that chased her, were in league with one another, best friends enjoying the simple pleasure of tormenting her. Even as children, dream hunting had always been their favorite forbidden pastime. 

In her latest attempt to protect herself, their victim had transformed the dream into a place where she felt safe. Her childhood home, a simple brick bungalow in a non-descript suburban neighborhood. Behind her, Deverick was a pack of red-eyed savage wolves followed by a black tempest that ate up the blue sky as it moved toward her.  

Suddenly, Onan swung open her front door. "Laura!" He beckoned the confused woman, and, like a trusting fool, she ran to him and to the

refuge of the home she loved.  

Once they were out of sight, the wolves melted away into a solitary man. Deverick laughed softly to himself as he sauntered up to the walnut tree in the front yard. He was a striking young man of twenty-two with a strong build and handsome face which was neither too masculine nor too pretty. His hair was black as night, his eyes blue and gold. All around him the tempest still raged in Laura's dream world, engulfing the house in its shadow. He leaned up against the tree trunk to wait. It was now Onan's turn to be the monster. A terrified scream came from within, and Deverick smiled, listening to the sounds of Laura's pain and horror as Onan had his fun.  

Deverick felt no remorse for her, she was just a human and thus inconsequential. It didn't really matter what they did to her. After all, it was only a nightmare. None of this was real. There would be no lasting damage done, no physical damage anyway. Nonetheless, she would awaken in the morning terrified of ever falling asleep again. Usually they only stalked a prey just the once, but perhaps they might visit Laura's dreams another night. The thought made Deverick smile again.  

"Deverick!" Startled, he looked around him, knowing that voice too well to confuse it for something within the dream, but still half-expecting to see his mother standing behind him. 

"Deverick, get up boy!" He felt the waking world tugging at him, with a groan he turned toward the house.  

"Onan, sorry to interrupt but I've got to go," he called. 

All at once, his friend appeared before him. A couple inches taller than he, Onan looked fierce with his long auburn hair hanging wild and free, half dressed with bloody claw marks across his bare chest. Looks like Laura has more fight in her than I thought, Deverick mused. 

"It must be morning; my Mother's come to wake me," Deverick confided, letting out an exasperated sigh.  

"Old Mum again? Tell her I said good morning." Onan chuckled, his smile spreading to his light-green eyes, the gold around the center lending him the feral look of a wild beast.  

"See you tonight." The two friends clasped hands in farewell.  

Laura's dream faded away into a plain white room with nothing but two doors standing side by side, one red and one black. With a wicked smile, Onan turned the gold knob on the red door, stepped through and suddenly he and the door vanished from the dream.