A Shadowlander’s Dream: Book Three - Rules of the Flesh
Written by Kathryn K Williams
Chapter Fifty-Four
Kris and Jessica returned, quickly closing the doors to the cafeteria behind them.
“Did you find anything?” Amy inquired worriedly.
Kris nodded, “We found where the blood came from.”
“It… it was everywhere…” Sarah stammered, a blanket now around her, her bloody clothes in Amy’s hands as she headed for the office, dropping them into the sink for the time being.
“Nate?” Alyson’s worried voice rose over the couch she slept in. Kris looked around to find Alyson leaning over the blonde, lightly touching the girl’s cheek and drawing back. She scanned the room, lines of worry upon her brow; “She sudden started to shake and is ice cold to the touch.”
Amy jumped to her feet and leapt over the sleeping forms of Tanya and Cherilyn, who wiped sleep from their eyes.
“What’s going on?” Tanya groggily asked as she sat up.
Amy placed the back of her hand to Natalie’s head and quickly pulled her hand back, “Geez, she is like ice.”
Angelina slowly crossed the room from where she stood and looked down at Natalie’s sleeping form, tilting her head slightly she studied the girl carefully, “She is lost in a dream.”
Alyson glanced up at the Death Angel, “She has been lost in a dream before, but this has never happened before. She knows not to get too deeply involved in Dreams.” She insisted confidently.
“This is no ordinary dream.” Angelina insisted, and then looked over at Sarah, “You friend is also there. He has the both of them.”
“He who?” Tanya asked anxiously, sitting up and lightly touching Natalie’s arm to see for herself just how cold she was, “Is she dead?” Her eyes quickly moved to Angelina, “Are you here to take her?” There was a slight tremble of fear in her voice.
Kris stepped forward, “Not likely.” She said confidently, “Angelina only takes those who have died due to suicidal intend.” She glanced around at the other girls and dropped down next to Jenn, lightly shaking her awake, “Jenn, Jenn wake up.”
Jenn slowly shrugged off the sleep that surrounded her and looked up at Kris and smiled, “Kris? I was just dreaming about you.” She said sleepily. Kris returned the smile and gently stroked the girl’s cheek, caressing it for a moment. Jenn instantly spotted the worry in Kris’s eyes and sat up straight, “Is something the matter?” She glanced around to see everyone being awoken.
“Natalie appears to be trapped in a dream and Amber is missing.” Kris explained quickly.
Jenn swung her legs off of the couch, “Drake?” She inquired worriedly.
Kris shook her head, “Something far worse it would seem.”
“Kim?” Penny’s frightened voice drifted across the room. Lauren was already hovering over the two girls, a hand upon Kim’s head.
“Is she alright?” Jessica asked, chewing on a fingernail, recalling the nightmare she only recently escaped from.
Lauren shook her head anxiously, “She should be fine.” She insisted, “I just stopped something from trying to deceive her. She should have awoken.”
Angelina slowly moved to the side of the couch and looked down at Kim’s sleeping face, and then up at Lauren, “You left her alone?” she said, an eyebrow raised.
Lauren raised her hand to her head in frustration, “I thought he was after that other girl so returned to see if I could find her.” She explained franticly.
Angelina snarled, her lips parted to reveal a set of sharp fangs, “I freed you so you could watch over her.” Her hand shot out from within her cloak and grabbed Lauren by the throat, “She is the key, do you not get it?” She glared at Lauren, her eyes glowing red, “I should not have allowed Brother to talk me into letting you return.”
Amy’s head snapped up to look at the Death Angel, “She Is the Child of Dream?”
Kris sprung to her feet and jumped over several girls to land next to her sister, grabbing Angelina by the arm, “Let her go Angelina!” Kris demanded.
Angelina turned her raging eyes upon Kris and the two of them stared into each other’s eyes for a moment. Then, slowly, the hate dissipated from Angelina’s eye and she released Lauren, who tumbled to the ground, gasping for breath.
Jessica knelt next to Lauren and rubbed the girl’s back, “You alright?” She asked softly, afraid her concerns for the Ghost would turn the Angel’s anger upon her, but still not able to control her need to help.
Kris did not allow her eyes to move from Angelina’s, “You will never attack one of my girls again, Is that understood?” Kris said in a low breath.
Angelina lowered her eyes to look down upon Lauren, who was gratefully accepting a paper cup of water from Tanya. Then she returned her eyes back to Kris, “Are you saying you place this Ghost of a Dream under your protection?” She inquired curiously.
Kris nodded firmly, “She is part of the Western Dorms, by Melissa’s word.”
“Melissa….” Angelina broke free of Kris’s grasp and walked away, “Have it your way, but I will not allow anyone to get in the way of my saving April.”
Jessica abruptly stood, “April? Is there something wrong with her? Where is she anyway?”
Amy shook her head miserably, “She is in a bad state of affair. Something has a grip on her soul and it is using her to get to the other girls.”
Jessica spun around to face Amy, “Using her? How? Why?”
“What is your connection to this girl?” Kris demanded, “Angelina answer me.”
Angelina faced her sister, her face now calm once more, “She is a friend.”
“Sister’s don’t have friends.” Kris insisted coldly.
Angelina returned her sister’s gaze, “They don’t have lovers, if that is what you are implying, but that is not what we are.” She countered, “I’m not like you Aigneis. I know how to draw the line.”
“You are acting like she is a lot more then just a friend.” Kris retaliated angrily, “What is she to you? When did you befriend her?”
Angelina lightly closed her eyes and raised her head to face the ceiling, “She is a torn soul who needed someone and I happened to be there.”
Kris studied her sister sceptically; “You just decided she needed a Death Angel for a friend?”
Angelina shifted her head so she faced her sister, her head still tilted slightly towards the ceiling, and she opened her eyes, “She was laying in of tub, her own blood clouding the waters and death slowly approaching her. I meant to only comfort her in her last hours. She turned out to be a lot stronger then I expected.”
Jenn put a hand to her mouth in shock, “How horrible.”
“She began calling out for me in the night.” Angelina continued, “At first during her stay in the hospital and then at the foster home. That was when I first stumbled upon her,” She nodded towards Kim, “and the other one. I suspected they were the missing Children, but was not certain so used the girl as an excuse to visit and watch over them.”
Sarah stood, wobbling for a moment and staring at the Death Angel, “You were in our room?!?” She said in astonishment with a mix of fear, shuddering.
Angelina raised her hand in defence, “Not often.”
Jessica glared at the angel, “But you saw the tortures we were put through, didn’t you?”
Angelina only nodded.
“You watched as they… they…” Jessica was shaking uncontrollably, “You claim you wish to save April, but you let those horrors happen time again. What kind of Angel are you?”
“A Death Angel.” Kris reminded the girl, “She couldn’t do anything to stop what happened to you or your sisters.”
Amy shakily pointed a finger at Angelina, “Did you say missing Children? Do you mean…?”
Angelina again nodded, “I found both of them.”
“Both?” Kris looked from her sister to Amy and back, “What do you mean both?”
“There are two Children of Dream.” Angelina announced, “Twins.”
Penny’s screams interrupted their conversation and everyone turned to find out what scared the girl. Penny was sitting on the couch next to Kim as the girl slept soundly, her eyes never leaving Kim’s face. At first it was not apparently what had frightened the girl and Kris they had to move in closer to see a thick black substance leaking out from under the girl’s right eye and slowly crawling across her face.
“Oh god, it’s real.” Jenn breathed in disbelief.
Kris glanced at Jenn, “What do you mean? You’ve seen this before?”
Jenn shook her head, “Kim was rambling about it earlier. She said her face peeled away revealing a black mask with a glowing blue staring at her, accusing her.” She explained, not able to tear her eyes from the blackness that continued to devour her friend’s face.
“Black mask?” Angelina spun around and joined the others.
Sarah shook her head, “That is the same stuff from the tub in our dream. It tried to swallow Kim and Amber.” She said in a trembling voice, “It almost pulled the both of them in, but somehow Amber managed to free Kim from the stuff.”
“He already had a hold of her…” Angelina stated as she staggered away from the couch, and then glanced around, “How long ago did this happen? The thing with the tub?”
Jessica shrugged, “They were trapped the dream during most of the day yesterday.”
Angelina pulled her hood around her shoulders and began to pace, “He’s been working his way here the whole time. It really is my fault after all.” She muttered as she shook her head.
Kris stopped her sister’s pacing, “Would you finally explain what in the Lord’s name is going on?”
“In due time.” Angelina halted her sister’s questioning, “We need to stop Draigo before he does anymore damage.”
Kris crossed her arms, “How do you proposed to do that? Just jump into their dreams?” She gestured to Kim, “We don’t even know who’s dreams they are lost in or how to get to them.”
“I do.” Everyone turned and was startled to find a newcomer had entered their conversation. Melissa stood in front of the dorm’s front entrance, Her long hair damply clinging to her soaked blouse in long tangled strains, her eyes staring out behind her bangs like something from an Asian horror film. She combed her fingers through her hair, awkwardly tucking the left side over her shoulder and around her ear. “We have to shut down the barrier that protects this world from the World of Dream.”
*****
To be Continued . . .
*****
Note: The world of the Shadowlands, Its stories, Characters and ideas are a copyright of Kathryn K Williams.
This story is based upon my manga of the same name. If you wish to view art from this series please visit my deviant arts site at: http://shinigami-shimai.deviantart.com/
For more of my stories visit my deviant hearts site at: http://www.devianthearts.com/viewuser.php?uid=159
Also if you spot any typos or other errors please contact me at katwilliams @ rogers.com
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