Pandora's Vengeance

Chapter 6

   Tonight, I found myself on a mountain. The view from there was horrifying. Thorns and jagged rocks covered the ground and the plains. It looked like before these thorns and rocks were there, the plains were beautifully green with gorgeous flowers and neverending rows of fresh greenery. But now, the plains were nothing but scary and harsh. It all made it look that much more like a nightmare.

   I tried to move around, looking for clues as to what will happen to me or, preferably, how to get out of this nightmare. And it was at that precise moment that I realised...I was tied to a wooden chair by some heavy -and extremely tight- black rope.

   I was supposedly on the summit of this mountain. It was covered with layers of thick bleach white snow that seemed to cover everything. I looked around, hoping to find something that could help me cut this rope off. Nothing. I was trapped on this blistery cold mountain with no way out.

   No... No, no, no, no. This really can't be happening right now! I thought to myself. I was going to starve to death or die of thirst. Literally.

   I tried to wriggle myself free from the chair and rope but with every move, the rope would become sharper and dig itself into my bare skin, creating small gashes with blood that would flow out of them like a rapid river. So I just sat there, waiting for whatever was going to happen to me to happen. I had realized from my previous dream that trying to change my fate in this dream is impossible and that I would be better off waiting to see what was going to happen to me.

   The mountain was so silent it was scary. I was alone and I knew it. No Medusa tonight. But if this is still one of those nightmares, then something ought to happen to me... right?

  Then, finally, an eagle appeared out of nowhere and started circling itself around me. It was getting lower and as it did, I started panicking more and more. Maybe it's going to help you with the rope Cal, I thought to myself, yep, definitely going to come and chew the rope off. But the eagle had another idea. It was looking for something a little more... fresh.

  When the eagle perched itself on my leg, I couldn't contain my fear. I almost yelped, but muffle it by biting my tongue so hard that I was able to taste the metallic flavour of blood. All that to not scare the god damn thing away. It turned my way, digging its sharp claws into my skin. Well, there's some more red there. Let's see, maybe I'll bleed to death before actually waking up this time! I thought sarcastically. Tonight was not going to be a good night at all.

   The bird looked me straight in the eye and I could tell something was wrong with it. Its eyes looked hollow. It's not like they were missing or anything, they just looked vacant, empty. The eyes themselves were nothing like what usual eagle eyes looked like. They looked inverted, like someone decided to switch the colours positions by making the pupil yellow and what was usually the yellow of the eye was now black. The pupil itself was not what I expected. There was a hint of gold in it, going down in a ragged line creating what looked like a thunderbolt. I continued to stare at the bird and it continued to stare at me. Its eyes bore into mine and it seemed like they could see through my soul and dig out my deepest darkest secrets and desires. I almost felt naked staring at this bird, as if I had laid out everything -good or bad- in front of it, letting it pick and chose the things it wanted to know about.

   The bird then snapped out of our staring contest and started pecking at me. Its beak was nice and pointy and came out red the minute with just the first poke. I, however, felt nothing.

   How we gonna die in this dream today, Cal? Snake bite? Or maybe will it be drowning? None of the above! We're gonna have an eagle peck at your skin all day as you die of thirst and hunger! But wait... It gets better! It's gonna tear your skin right off but you won't feel anything! Oh, but don't forget that we've got the ropes that can become razor sharp to keep you in place! Better yet, those can inflict more pain than ever before! I told myself.