HOME FIRES MISTS LIFEBLOOD SPOKES
Beth is an innocent, and Jonas a magely servant of evil. Jonas has, however, fallen in love with her and will defend her as best he can.
Beth has had nightmares all her life about darkness and terror, and she doesn't sleep well. Jonas resolves to do something about it, and takes her to his Sanctum, where he makes her sleep...
Beth feels the danger begin and looks up. As might be expected, she's wearing a thin, flowing, diaphenous gown in pristine white...in the middle of the forest. Jonas seemingly floats off in the distance, obscured by dream forest, watching. Beth looks up and around, rising. The dress snags on a branch, and she spins to look at it. Her body begins to jerk a little, with the slight movements of REM sleep. Jonas presses his hand against your chest to comfort you in the real world. IN the dream he continues to look on, watching you intently and trying to become aware of your surroundings. You realize there is the sound of heavy breathing, like a panting dog, coming from the trees around you, directionless. Jonas grips his crucifix both in the dream and in the real world and focuses, surrounding himself in soft, white light. The whole thing begins to look like a bad remake of "In the Company of Wolves" as you watch. She looks around, trying to place the breathing, a faint frown appearing on her forehead, the beginnings of worry. Jonas simply studies Beth more, taking a scholarly fascination in the entire scene. He waits patiently, biding his time, unfearful for himself. He looks around the forests occasionaly, trying to spy this beast. Beth starts to step away from the tree. She looks for darker shadows, she looks for the source of the panting...and quite unconsciously, her steps get faster, and faster.. Jonas follows slowly, keeping up within his sights but watching for the thing which she is running from. You catch a dark, indistinct shadow in the trees...looming taller than most men. Jonas hmms quietly to himself, waiting to see if the thing will follow in pursuit or whether the child is running from nothing. Beth speeds up, darting glances over her shoulder, her eyes wide and fearful. As you watch, the scene shifts slightly...and you realize she is younger..much much younger. Maybe five. She didn't mention this...does she even realize it? Jonas mms and licks his lips slightly, whispering to himself, "Yes...inside she is still just a child..." The shadow pursuing correspodingly shifts in size...still huge to her, but to you, no more than the size of a large dog. Jonas hmphs and smiles and closes his eyes, shifting himself to someplace else in th dream. Beth is still terrified, tears streaming down her cheeks as she runs blindly, tripping over things. The thing could catch her if it chose...but it hasn't yet.. Jonas appears again, this time in front of you, a glowing figure in the night of the forest. Beth gasps and almost stops, but then puts on a fresh burst of speed and rubs behind you. She's about to run past. The shadow continues to lope forward, unconcerned. Behind you, you hear laughter... Jonas reaches out an graps Beth's arm and holds her behind him. As he does so, he ignores the laughter and kneels down, reaching out for the muzzle of the animal. "Just like a girl...hah hah...sic 'er up good, boy..." The shadow manifests, as expected, into a large dog, perhaps a Rottie or Dane. The features are blurry here in the dream. Beth screams and tries to pull away, and the laughter intensifies. Beth moans aloud, sweating, in the sanctum. Jonas clutches you tight in the real world and in the dream he frowns, his face angry. He reach out and grasps the dog by the muzzle , clamping its mouth shut with a hand which seems too large. The dog whimpers and tries to backpedal but Jonas holds him there as tightly as he holds Beth. The air seems to stir as he closes his eyes, shaping the dream to HIS will. Beth screams again, unable to fight free. The dog whimpers again as well and then it begins to change. Shrink is a better word really. It shrinks and shrings in Jonas' hand until it is nothing more than a puppy. The catcalls behind you turn into cries of outrage. "That little BITCH! That's my dog!" You feel Beth jerks as if someone's pulling her, and feel her cower. "I'll kill ya, you little whore!" Jonas growls and turns, leaving the dog on the ground. He rises up and pulls Beth to him as he faces her 'brother'. He peers down over his thin, hawkish nose and grits his teeth. looming like a beast himself over the young lad. The lad is a full six years older than Beth, and tall for his age, but you still top him considerably in height. "Little bitch running off to the woods to be with strange men..." and Beth is her own age again, face burning, but somehow still smaller than her brother, who looks up at you defiantly. Jonas reaches out and points at the boy. "Little boys who taunt their sisters with wild animals...how would you like it if it were turned on yourself." Slowly Jonas is even TALLER over your brother as he begins to youthen more and more, becoming childlike. The voice rises in pitch, but loses none of its defiance "She's scared of a damned dog!" Perhaps it flashes through your head: In Roanoke, there was none of this attitude, no torture of innocents... "I'm not scared of nothing!" Jonas says "We shall see about that boy." Jonas pulls Beth back, leaving the boy in the darkness. In the distance there is howling but Beth sees none of that as Jonas leads her and the innocent puppy into a field of flowers and sunshine. Beth sighs softly, still wearing the translucent dress, and kneels in the flower bed, weeping gently. Tears leak from her eyes in the sanctum, as well. Jonas kneels down beside you and pulls you close, the puppy jumps around chasing bugs but then flops over and nudges your foot. Beth sobs against your chest for what seems like a long time. She gets younger and younger again, until she's actually in your lap comfortably. Jonas gently strokes your hair as you lay in his lap, the puppy laying his head at your foot. In the sanctum, Jonas has pulles you down into his lap as well and strokes your cheek gently. Beth finally seems spent, just lying there in your arms for a bit. Her eyes are closed in the dream as well, and unless you hold it, it begins to dissolve. Jonas indeed lets the dream dissolve, leaving only the image of Jonas holding you, keeping you safe. He leaves it to resonate, as a memory to remember when you wake. Beth seems inclined to go on sleeping peacefully, her head on your shoulder. Jonas rocks you gently and leans back against the small couch, thinking to himself until he too falls into sleep.
HOME FIRES MISTS LIFEBLOOD SPOKES