17 Nightmare (Part-2)

Voices.

A multitude of voices kept overlapping in Kaia's dreamscape of dark nothingness making her frown in her sleep.

Sometimes they whispered, sometimes they yelled, sometimes they sounded incoherent, sometimes clear. Soon they resounded distinctly and faint imagery appeared.

A six-year-old Kaia tumbled out of the weeds to see a clearance among the tall trees of the forest. There was a bright blue lake in the middle of the clearing. Bright streaks of sunlight poured down from between the leaves of the trees illuminating the small pond in the middle.

Among the blooming flowers of various colours that surrounded the pond, stood a boy around ten years old. His midnight locks glimmered in the morning rays of the sun forming a beautiful painting. When he turned around to look at her, the first thing that caught her attention was the light green eyes that etched themselves deep in her heart.

The scenery slowly dimmed and changed. The sight cleared up to the view of the canopy of a bed. An eight-year-old Kaia was lying down on her bed with her eyes on the light creme covering. Her body was twitching and she felt all the blood vessels in her body burn. She heard voices, calm and collected beside her. "No signs of inflammation, toxins seem to affect the nervous system..."

The scenery changed again. A brown-haired woman held a ten-year-old Kaia in her arms as she read her a book. They were sitting on a rocking chair beside the fireplace, the sky darker than usual due to the season being winter. The gentle voice of the woman and the warmth and comfort made her sleepy and her eyelids drooped.

Just then the door to the room opened waking her up and in walked a brown-haired young man, his usually soft dark eyes twinkled upon seeing her.

"Nora!" Kaia heard herself yell as she jumped off Danika's lap and rushed towards him, just as Nora reached out to hold her in his arms, the scenery whirled and changed.

Now a thirteen-year-old Kaia stood holding a bow, with the string stretched taught in her hands, another pair of hands guided her, the familiar sensation of touch and the melodious voice was something she'll never forget.

"Now let go." His voice sounded beside her ear. Kaia let go immediately, the arrow hitting the target right in the middle.

"I did it!" she laughed excitedly looking at the target before she turned around and was caught off guard as she found him much closer than she thought. Her cheeks blushed as he softly smiled at her. "Yes, you did."

Kaia felt her heart beat louder and louder as her eyes began to get engrossed in his light green ones. Before she knew it their lips touched and Leortes drew her into his embrace as he deepened the kiss.

The scenery changed again, a seventeen-year-old Leortes was panicking as he held a fourteen-year-old Kaia who was half conscious. She tugged onto his sleeves with the remaining strength she could muster and mumble softly.

Leortes heard her and immediately took out the pendant of her necklace which she had hidden within her clothes. Not wasting any more time, he poured the contents of the small bottle down her throat.

The scene changed again. A bloodied Leortes stood over corpses holding his black sword which dripped crimson as the soldiers fled amidst the flames. "It's the Demon Sword! Run!"

The fifteen-year-old Kaia was held back by Charlie from reaching to him as she watched for the first time the ruthlessness of her lover.

She then saw him turn towards her, his eyes cold, cruel and indifferent.

The scene changed again. A sixteen-year-old Kaia gasped as she felt the warmth of his body above her. They kissed intimately as the two lovers spent a night of passion, her bare skin grazing his.

Kaia's eyes fell on the roof of Leortes' quaint cottage as she threaded her fingers through his soft dark hair before she closed her eyes and let him conquer her.

The scenery changed again. Kaia held Leortes as he breathed his last. She screamed out her sorrows and before she could calm down she was pulled away from his lifeless body by the soldiers.

She screamed and struggled for nought until she saw Charlie rushing towards them through the woods. "Take him away! Charlie take him away! Don't let this filth touch him. Take him away!" She cried as she was dragged away.

The scenery changed again. A young Cynthia cried while holding eighteen-year-old Kaia in her arms.

"Princess! July you must hold on! You must hold on! July!"

Kaia's pulse slowed down with each minute as a ringing sound echoed in her ears.

The sound became louder and louder until Kaia suddenly woke up gasping for breath.

Her nightdress was sticky with sweat and she felt cold underneath the warm blanket. She clenched her hand around the clothing over her chest, trying to control her breaths. She felt sick as nausea rolled around her stomach.

Her whole life just played before her eyes, precious memories and haunting memories together. Memories she wished she would never forget and memories she could never forget.

Maybe the exhaustion from the past few days piled up, the nightmare of his death being the last straw, Kaia felt her consciousness fade as she collapsed back onto the bed.