Online Life

Chapter 5 - My Angel

It was hot.  Hotter than it should be.  Hotter than any desert could be.  Claire looked down at her feet.  They were achingly sore and she could feel sweat trickling down her back.  Looking up, everything was a haze and nothing was in focus.  She could feel herself nearing the point of passing out.  Looking deeper into the haze, she could just barely make out a building in the distance.  As if a child drawn to candy, she was walking mesmerized to the building hoping for a bit of relief from the stifling heat.  The haze was clearing now and she could just make out the name on the building.

"The Whispering Web".

The sun began to intensify and burned brighter and hotter on her already parched skin.  Beyond the building, she could spot the formation of dark clouds and the rumbling of thunder in the distance.  Licking her cracking lips, she could already taste the refreshing ice water that would await her inside.  Taking a few more steps and she was approaching the door to the building.  Her hand reached out to open the door, but then stopped as a voice inside her was telling her to run and never look back.

She couldn't though.  She was so weak and thirsty and the temptation for relief from the heat was too strong.  The sky overhead was darkening further.  The thunder becoming closer and louder.  She turned the door nob and entered the building.  Inside, it was black as night and the only light that could be seen was filtering in from a few windows to the right.  The thunder seemed to be overhead now and the light from the windows was slowing fading away.

"Come to me Claire.  I need you" a voice could be heard in the distance.  "Trojan, is that you?" Claire whispered as she began searching in the darkness, walking towards the voice.  "Yes Claire babe, I need you so badly it hurts.  Come to me." Claire stopped, lowered her head and closed her eyes.  "I can't... not any more... something has happened"

The air around her began to change.  She felt hands around her neck, choking her, but no one was there.  Pure evil could be felt crawling through her skin.  RUN.  RUN. RUN.  Everything inside her was screaming for her to run. 

GET.   OUT.   NOW.   RUN!!!

"Claire, wake up, honey, wake up"  Claire's mom was holding her tight as her eyes began to flutter open.  "Mom?"  She could feel herself shaking in her mothers embrace.  " Honey, you were having a bad dream, are you alright?"  Claire felt relief flood through her at the realization that it was only a dream.  "I'm ok  mom, thanks for waking me up."  She sat up and began to rub her eyes, realizing that her pyjamas were soaked from sweating.  "I was so worried when I heard you crying." she gave Claire another brief hug and then moved further down the bed.  "I'm fine now mom, but I could really use a shower." Claire didn't like the feeling of the damp pyjamas against her skin.  "Of course honey, I have some eggs and bacon ready in the kitchen when you're done."  Her mom moved towards the door but then turned around and gave her a concerned look.  She didn't say anything though but continued on toward the kitchen.

Claire couldn't make out why she had such a dream.  Reaching over to the bedside table, she retrieved her laptop and turned it on.  She had a few messages waiting for her and saw that Trojan was one of them.  Claire was hovering the cursor over his name, hesitant to read what it said.  After a few seconds, she finally clicked.

Trojan:

Where are you babe?

Trojan:

I need you!

Trojan:

Babe, are you there?

Closing her laptop with a quick jerk, she felt her hands shaking again.  OK, you're over reacting Claire, it was only a dream, GET A GRIP!  Besides, Trojan doesn't know your real name, and he can be out of your life with a simple click of the mouse.  Claire had to reassure herself that nothing was wrong and that the dream was merely a dream and nothing more.