Amidst the Chaos

Chapter 1

Darkness. Once more, I was surrounded by it; darkness so deep, I questioned whether or not my eyes were actually open. It cloaked my surroundings so heavily that if I wasn't conscious of the hard surface beneath my feet, I would've doubted there was even a floor. It was endless, like I was standing in the center of the universe without the stars or the planets - just an infinite amount of nothing.

A flash of red lightning struck, signaling the beginning of the show I grew to know too well. Thunder rumbled as the blood lightning began to crack heavily, casting a red glow against the dark clouds that were once hidden from view. Like clockwork, the clouds parted to reveal a stone box the size of a skyscraper. The stone was worn, it's edges crumbling, and engraved all around were unfamiliar ancient symbols. Strong winds blew against me with hurricane-like force as the box shook against the iron chains holding it shut. The lightning grew more frequent, the claps of thunder growing louder to a deafening level as the box shook violently.

A deep, tortured shout erupted from inside the box, the lid rattling against the force that was locked inside. It wasn't a box, not really - it was a coffin. Whoever was inside was fighting for release, the chains glowing brighter with each shake. A black fog seeped from the cracks of the coffin and the chains grew a hot-white as the bellowing sound of the cry became too much to handle.

I was knocked off my feet as I shielded my ears against the growing volume that made my brain shake against my skull. The glow of the chains became blinding and began to stretch, forcing me to close my eyes. Images danced behind my closed eyelids, each one quicker than the last like a skipping film reel. A chariot with three men riding through the sky, each armored and holding weapons, their faces covered by their golden helmets; flashes of war and bloodshed; a man on his knees in front of what looked like a royal court, his wrists and ankles clamped in chains; finally, signaling the end, a pair of eyes.

One eye was red, the shade of blood, and the other was a bright violet. The pupils were slits, serpent-like, and the blackness began to spread over the color of the irises and the whites of the corneas, demonically painting each of them entirely black. Wake up, I told myself, Wake up, Kiara.

With a harsh intake of air, I awoke in a cold sweat, my fingers gripping the black-stone pendant I've worn around my neck since I was a baby. I peeled my blanket off my body and ran my hands through my damp hair, sighing. The clock read 6:45 am, meaning I slept for roughly five hours. I reached over for the pen and notebook I kept on my nightstand and flipped to a new page, recording the date and the events of my dream.

October 24th

Same as usual - darkness, red lightning, a guy screaming in a coffin.

Three men in a chariot, war, one red eye, and one purple eye turning completely black.

The notebook was halfway filled with the same dream. The same recurring nightmare I've been having for a few years. By the third time, I began documenting what I'd see, keeping track of how often I would have them; the first few times happened months apart, and I blamed the moon for the unnerving movie that played while I slept. When I couldn't blame the moon anymore, I chose to blame Mercury being in retrograde or some other cosmic occurrence that would make even the slightest bit of sense.

With each year that passed, the dream would become more frequent. I couldn't even explain it to myself, let alone others, meaning I haven't talked about it to anybody aside from my Aunt Jenny and Charlotte, my best friend. The last thing I wanted to hear was that it was some psychological screw-up in my head that was manifesting itself into a nightmare.

I groaned as my phone began buzzing.

"Do you know what time it is?" I said, pressing the phone against my ear.