Chapter 33

Luna Queen Astrid Jameson, has such a nice ring to it! I take one of my shopping bags to the house as the guards carry the others, they file into my bedroom one by one placing the bags they carry by my bed so I can go through and sort them out.

I start feeling very light headed, ' oh Gods not right now! ' I stagger over to the bed and plop down before I pass out.

* DARKNESS SURROUNDS ME, I FEEL LIKE I CAN'T BREATHE! I'M LOOKING AROUND BUT I SEE NOTHING, WHAT IS THIS PLACE? I SWIRL AROUND WHEN I HEAR SCREAMS AND SHOUTING COMING FROM A DISTANCE, I TURN AND RUN TOWARDS THE SOUNDS, I DON'T CALL OUT BECAUSE NATURALLY I DON'T WANT TO GIVE MY POSITION AWAY IF THERE IS DANGER, AND FIGHTING IS NOT EXACTLY MY STRONG SUIT...

" RUNNNN!" I SEE WOMEN, CHILDREN AND ELDERLY PEOPLE RUNNING FOR THEIR LIVES " IT'S COMING! THE DARKNESS! IT'S COMING! DON'T LET IT GET YOU! IT WILL CONSUME YOU AND TAKE YOUR SOUL! "

THEY RAN PAST ME AND I'M ROOTED ON SPOT TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT IS GOING ON, I CAN FEEL IT BEFORE I SEE IT, IS IT POSSIBLE TO SEE A DARKER SHADE OF BLACKESS? I NEVER THOUGHT THAT WOULD BE POSSIBLE, I WATCH IT SLOWLY CREEP TOWARDS ME AND A SUDDEN CHILL CRAWLS DOWN MY SPINE, I TURN TO RUN AND TAKE OFF AS FAST AS I COULD BUT SOMEHOW MANAGE TO TRIP AND FALL, I TUMBLE AND FEEL IT CREEP UP FROM MY FOOT, IT BURNS!

NO MATTER HOW MUCH I TRY I CAN’T FREE MYSELF, I SEE MYSELF BEING TAKEN OVER AND SCREAM AS I FEEL LIKE I’M BEING BURNED ALIVE BUT NOT DYING.

THE SCREAMS FADE BECAUSE THE PAIN FADES, I LOOK AT MYSELF, WHAT IS THIS? MY SKIN IS LIKE COAL AND I FEEL SO EMPTY, SO HOLLOW MY BODY STANDS UP AND I TAKE OFF RUNNING, RUNNING WITH UNBELIEVEABLE SPEED, I CAN’T SLOW DOWN OR STOP, MY BODY IS NOT BEING CONTROLLED BY ME I WATCH AS I LEAP AND LAND ON ONE OF THE SHEWOLVES WHO WAS RUNNING AWAY SHE’S SCREAMING AND BEGGING FOR MERCY.

WHAT AM I DOING?! STOP IT ASTRID!! I HOLD HER HEAD WITH BOTH HANDS AND VERY QUICKLY PURPLE AND BLACK THINGS OOZE FROM MY FINGERTIPS AND ENTER HER MOUTH, NOSE AND EYES. SHE STRUGGLES AS SHE TRIES TO FIGHT IT BUT IT’S CLEAR HER EFFORT IS FUTILE.

SHE SEEMS TO MELT AWAY INTO A PUDDLE OF SOME SORT AND SLINKS AWAY TOWARDS TO THE FLEEING WOLVES AND THE SCREAMS CONTINUE.

My eyes open and I spring up from my bed with my eyes scanning my surroundings wildly as I try to calm myself and my racing heart “ what the hell was that?!” I have never experienced such fear and dread in all my life and I know usually my visions are of things that are to be, what do I do with this information, who do I tell?

Usually I just go to my father and tell him my visions but I have never experienced anything like that, how do I tell him about the possibility of a new threat when I don’t even know what it is or what it means, where does it stem from, the entire dream was covered in darkness so I am not able to tell which region it will happen to so how will I be of help?

“ No, I will just keep it to myself for now until I can make some sense of it, that’s the best for me to do right now” I’m still trying to steady my erratic breathing and stop my hands from shaking.

Slowly I rise and slide off the bed, I need to wash my face and go get some water. I stare at myself in the mirror after rinsing my face, even Carmen is oddly shaken by the vision ‘ do you have any input Car?’ ‘I am sorry but I do not, I have never seen anything quite like that before nor have I ever felt that sort of helplessness and pain, I can not find the right words to describe it Astrid, are you sure keeping this from father would be the best course of action?’

‘ Yes, until we can get some clarity on what it could possibly mean, I will log it in my book after I get some water, I feel so thirsty, like my throat is scorched or something’ I walk down to the kitchen and gobble up Three bottles of water one after the other until my thirst is finally quenched ‘that feels so much better, I hadn’t realized how thirsty we were until now’ ‘I told you my throat felt scorched that was so satisfying’