[A scene]
All is quiet through the house and the morning sunrise still a few hours in coming. Auriana lay in the soft bed, a comfort she had not enjoyed in quite a long time. The effects of the alcohol had granted her the much needed sleep, and eased the transition enough to allow her to fall deeper than what she is accustomed to. Having never been drunk before, the consequences in this late hour are about to reveal themselves..
In her dream state, she can see the shadows moving about through the light of the fires as always. The faint screams echo through the smoke, the clashing of steel pierces the night air. She stirs lightly, rolling over to her side. As her breathing slows, and she falls yet deeper into her slumber, the alcohol in her body acts as an anchor tethering her to this place.
The deeper she falls, the more vivid and real the visions become. It comes in flashes now. The flash of a soldier bearing down on her, only to have her wheel about and strike with the short blade on her side. Dark silence. Another flash, men shouting, women screaming and explosions rock the entire landscape. It is as though thunder itself has descended from the heavens, to deliver it's justice to all who would bear witness.
Another wave of dark silence. When the flash occurs next, it as though she is walking in a living nightmare, unable to escape its clutches. She moves about as a ghost, though she can feel the intense heat, and coughs on the smoke. In the bed where she lay, she stirs all the more. Her breathing intensifies somewhat as she moans and coughs.
In her dream, she now bears witness to her own self as though looking into a mirror. She is wearing leather armor, bow across her back, she watches herself race towards a burning home. Darkness. A few moments pass, allowing her to still her sleep, only to return the flash with an intense violence. Her heart begins to race, both in the real world and in her dream.
Bodies fall as a monstrous machine pushes forward, cutting down all in it's path. She can feel the intense heat on her skin. Shielding her face both in this world, and the dream, she cries out..."NO!" Unable to wake herself from the grips of the alcohol, she is forced to watch the carnage through an obscure fog.
Then, as violently as they appeared, the visions stop. Replaced by blackness, she feels the cold. Her eyes search the darkness for a way out, finding only trees which seem to appear as she runs. The whispers find her, calling to her.."Auriana.." Unable to see the source of her torment, and no escape her heart pounds even harder. She stops, and pleads in both worlds.."Please.." For the first time in a long time, she is afraid. She trembles in the bed as she can feel something unseen closing in on her.
Something grabs her arms, and begins to pull her. She struggles, but it is useless. The trees are replaced with walls of stone, and the fear turns to anger, fueling her as she struggles for her life. In this world, she tosses and turns, moaning as if in pain and muttering incoherent words. Suddenly, the stone walls rush in on her, stopping short of crushing her...leaving her trapped inside a cell of stone.
She looks upward, noticing the incredibly high walls with no ceiling. Through the opening, the moon shines high. As Auriana lowers her gaze, a figure stands before her. Before she could speak, the figure rises up through the hole, looking down on her and whispers.."Forgive me.."
She struggles to wake, but can not. All she could do was defy the haunting figure which taunts her. "No! Why will you not leave me?" Unaware she is speaking out loud in this world, there is emotion in her voice. Emotion not being something she shows, in this dream world..she can not hide it. Another flash, she is now inside a burning building. Disoriented, she spots the doorway. Before she can reach it, something strikes her head hard.
Finally, Auriana snaps her eyes open and gasps for air as she sits up in the bed. The pounding in her head is excruciating. Her eyes hurt, and her throat dry. It takes a moment to realize where she is. Uncertain if she had stirred, and awaken anyone, she lay back down and curls herself into a ball. Afraid, angry and embarrassed..Auriana closes her eyes and curses the pain quietly. Eventually she drifts off to sleep again, only undisturbed and quiet rest until she wakes in the morning hours..
All is quiet through the house and the morning sunrise still a few hours in coming. Auriana lay in the soft bed, a comfort she had not enjoyed in quite a long time. The effects of the alcohol had granted her the much needed sleep, and eased the transition enough to allow her to fall deeper than what she is accustomed to. Having never been drunk before, the consequences in this late hour are about to reveal themselves..
In her dream state, she can see the shadows moving about through the light of the fires as always. The faint screams echo through the smoke, the clashing of steel pierces the night air. She stirs lightly, rolling over to her side. As her breathing slows, and she falls yet deeper into her slumber, the alcohol in her body acts as an anchor tethering her to this place.
The deeper she falls, the more vivid and real the visions become. It comes in flashes now. The flash of a soldier bearing down on her, only to have her wheel about and strike with the short blade on her side. Dark silence. Another flash, men shouting, women screaming and explosions rock the entire landscape. It is as though thunder itself has descended from the heavens, to deliver it's justice to all who would bear witness.
Another wave of dark silence. When the flash occurs next, it as though she is walking in a living nightmare, unable to escape its clutches. She moves about as a ghost, though she can feel the intense heat, and coughs on the smoke. In the bed where she lay, she stirs all the more. Her breathing intensifies somewhat as she moans and coughs.
In her dream, she now bears witness to her own self as though looking into a mirror. She is wearing leather armor, bow across her back, she watches herself race towards a burning home. Darkness. A few moments pass, allowing her to still her sleep, only to return the flash with an intense violence. Her heart begins to race, both in the real world and in her dream.
Bodies fall as a monstrous machine pushes forward, cutting down all in it's path. She can feel the intense heat on her skin. Shielding her face both in this world, and the dream, she cries out..."NO!" Unable to wake herself from the grips of the alcohol, she is forced to watch the carnage through an obscure fog.
Then, as violently as they appeared, the visions stop. Replaced by blackness, she feels the cold. Her eyes search the darkness for a way out, finding only trees which seem to appear as she runs. The whispers find her, calling to her.."Auriana.." Unable to see the source of her torment, and no escape her heart pounds even harder. She stops, and pleads in both worlds.."Please.." For the first time in a long time, she is afraid. She trembles in the bed as she can feel something unseen closing in on her.
Something grabs her arms, and begins to pull her. She struggles, but it is useless. The trees are replaced with walls of stone, and the fear turns to anger, fueling her as she struggles for her life. In this world, she tosses and turns, moaning as if in pain and muttering incoherent words. Suddenly, the stone walls rush in on her, stopping short of crushing her...leaving her trapped inside a cell of stone.
She looks upward, noticing the incredibly high walls with no ceiling. Through the opening, the moon shines high. As Auriana lowers her gaze, a figure stands before her. Before she could speak, the figure rises up through the hole, looking down on her and whispers.."Forgive me.."
She struggles to wake, but can not. All she could do was defy the haunting figure which taunts her. "No! Why will you not leave me?" Unaware she is speaking out loud in this world, there is emotion in her voice. Emotion not being something she shows, in this dream world..she can not hide it. Another flash, she is now inside a burning building. Disoriented, she spots the doorway. Before she can reach it, something strikes her head hard.
Finally, Auriana snaps her eyes open and gasps for air as she sits up in the bed. The pounding in her head is excruciating. Her eyes hurt, and her throat dry. It takes a moment to realize where she is. Uncertain if she had stirred, and awaken anyone, she lay back down and curls herself into a ball. Afraid, angry and embarrassed..Auriana closes her eyes and curses the pain quietly. Eventually she drifts off to sleep again, only undisturbed and quiet rest until she wakes in the morning hours..
