House Of Nightmares

Chapter Five: Oneirophobia

Man, dreams sucked when I got to the House of Nightmares.

Dreams previously: Late to school when suddenly a bunny rabbit wearing a tux and green bowler hat jumps out of the bushes and tells me Fairyland is in danger and I need to go save it accompanied only by a superpowered kitten and Donald Trump.

Dreams now: Evil snake lady threatens to murder me.

You know. That kind of stuff.

In my dream, I was sitting at the end of a long table, a feast spread out across it. There were cakes, pieces of unidentified meat, and all the potato chips I could ever want in giant bowls, each as big as a fish tank. At the end of the table, a woman sat in a golden throne. Her hair was hidden beneath a green veil. Her green dress was long, with a long red train trailed behind her, with scaly accents of green.

All in all, there was a lot of green.

She lifted her hands and flicked her veil back, and I gasped. Green eyes- the same I had seen on Ms Welle that day in the hallway. I glared. "I know you."

"I am so recognizable, hm?" She started towards me, and I realized she didn't have a train- her bottom half was a giant red snake. I scrambled back, falling out of my gilded chair. "I have been waiting to meet you, Pyrophobe," Snake-Lady hissed. "A descendant of the Ancient Council... how interesting."

"Okay. Slow down. Look, I don't know who you are, but I don't even know what the Ancient Council is, and... is this a nightmare?"

"You're living in a nightmare, Edelie," Madam Snake-Lady said, trying to be sympathetic and definitely failing. "This is no nightmare. This is a message. My name is Amaru. I am the empress of the people known as the Bane. Perhaps you've heard of us."

"Evil snake people that gave me the power I definitely do not want? Yeah, I've heard of you."

Amaru made a hissing noise. "Snake, yes. Evil, no. I wanted to tell you... I have something I believe you would like back." She waved her hand, and a body, floating in midair, appeared. She had her mouth open in a scream, and her eyes were closed in pain- frozen in torture. Her curly dark hair floated around her like she was underwater.

"Kendra," I breathed. Then I got angry. And what happens when I'm angry?

That's right, kids.

I shriek in rapid French.

"VOUS AVEZ MA MEILLEURE AMIE COMME PRISONNIÈRE?! QUI ÊTES-VOUS? VOUS ALLEZ ME DONNER KENDRA MAINTENANT, PETIT, INSIGNIFIANT, SERPENT D'UN FEMME! JE TE DÉTESTE, ET JE VAIS-"

Amaru held up a hand, and I couldn't speak. I literally could not. I moved my lips and tongue, but no sound came out. Eyes wide, my hands flew to my mouth. I felt powerless under her gaze.

Amaru smiled, fangs showing. "Now. Here's what I'll do. Since your friend is going through some... unexpected events'q, you can get here in a week. Meet me where this war all started, and you can have her back! All I ask is adequate payment. I need a certain item: the key to the gates of the House of Nightmares. That, or face a test you will not survive." She flicked her hand and I felt myself falling away from the feast as Amaru gave me a final warning: "At midnight on the seventh day, she dies... so get here fast."

For the second time in a row, I woke screaming.

This time, both Alex and Kanan were standing over my bed, Alex looking extremely worried, Kanan looking like she had been mildly inconvenienced.

"Seriously," she moped. "I was trying to focus on the darkness in my soul."

"Don't mind Kanan," Alex butted in, waving her off. "Are you okay, Edelie? That was... a lot of screaming."