Two

Glancing up from her book to see the wall clock she noticed that it was beginning to get late. Cupping a hand in front of her mouth she yawned as she placed the marker between the open pages. Closing the book she sat it on the end table next to the chair. Reaching up to turn off the floor lamp she rose from her chair and headed towards the bedroom.

Flicking on the bedroom light the freshly cleaned bedding looked inviting. Removing her clothes she laid them on the chair sitting by the closet door. Slipping on the night gown, the cotton print felt so comfortable against her skin. She noticed the alarm clock still laying on its back from being knocked over that morning. Beside it the crystal still sat where it had landed on the night stand. Picking up the alarm clock she set it up the right way and checked to make sure it was working.

She considered briefly moving the crystal from its place but it looked kind of decorative there. I can always move it to somewhere else later, maybe tomorrow. Besides it's not hurting anything where it’s sitting tonight and I’m tired.

Turning off the light switch by the doorway she turned around in the darkness. A faint red glow illuminated the top of the night stand and surrounding area which caught her attention. Crossing the room to inspect it closer she picked up the crystal and took a closer look. After satisfying her curiosity she decided it must be some natural feature of the translucent object.

Pulling back the sheets she sat down on the bed and yawned once more. Lying back she pulled the covers over her as she snuggled into the fluffy pillows. She closed her eyes and sleep quickly overcame her. Soon after her breathing deepened her body elevated to hover just above the mattress. Without the bedding holding her in place she would have floated around the room.

Through the night she had many vivid dreams. Most of them could best be described as nightmares. In the last and by far the scariest one she found herself standing at the top of a cliff and fire stretched as far as her eye could see. A soft glow reflected off of the roof and faint smoke that was rising from the flames. Pungent odors assaulted her senses in this nightmarish place she found herself.

Her thoughts uncontrollably raced in fear. What’s this place? It’s really strange it doesn't feel all that hot here!

Before an answer would manifest itself to her wheezy breaths below the edge caught her attention. She gazed at something regarding her with a pair of yellow glowing eyes. As it began reaching the place she was standing it swiped at her feet with blackened scaly claws. She stepped back in time and caused the creature to just miss her. In its rage it uttered and ear piercing screech.

Scanning the area quickly she tried to spot some place to hide without success. What is that thing?! Where in the hell am I?!

It shocked her to realize that this just might be hell she found herself. Her heart was pounding loudly within her chest. The expanse that extended behind her of flat cracked rock offered no sanctuary. Continuing to back away she stumbled and fell. Landing awakened her to hear the sounds of her own screaming in her bedroom. Cold sweat covered her whole body and drenched the bedding as terror caused her to violently shake.

Sitting up she recognized a few of the things close by that were illuminated the soft red glow. It relieved her to find herself back in her little house once more and in relative safety. Everything in the nightmare was gone. Taking a few deep breaths she closed her eyes while she willed the jitters to subside and her hands to quit shaking.

As her mind cleared she feared going back to sleep. I think I'll have a cup of tea and do some reading. Yeah, that sounds good.

Rubbing her eyes she turned the covers back and got out of bed. Passing through the living room she picked up the novel and walked into the cool kitchen and turned on the light. The sudden brightness caused her to blink and shade her eyes. Setting the book on the counter she grabbed the tea kettle from the back of the stove and filled it at the sink. Setting it on the burner she lit the flame. As she pulled out the tin of loose chamomile she could hear the sizzling sounds of the water heating up.

Opening the tea ball she dipped it in the loose tea until it was half full. Folding it closed she secured the two halves together and placed it in the cup along with two teaspoons of sugar. Stretching her arms out as she yawned she came close to knocking the tea kettle off of the stove. The heat of the burner instantly registered on her forearm. Yanking her arm back she placed both of her hands on the counter.

While waiting for the water to boil she looked at the cabinets in front of her. I’ve never liked that color on the cabinets. I think that would be a great weekend project. Turning to see the entire kitchen she tried to think of what color she wanted but nothing came to mind. She realized she probably wasn’t awake enough for those kinds of decisions. Thankfully, she heard the pot begin to whistle as it signaled it was ready. Any of her home decorating choices would be delayed for the moment.

Pouring in some of the hot water she carried the cup and the book over to the table. The aroma of the chamomile grew stronger as it steeped under her nose. Closing her eyes she breathed in the pleasant scent and smiled in her enjoyment. Her mind was carried back a moment to a memory of the lake where her parents would take her on vacation every summer. The birds, the water and the sand of that place meant home to her.

It was part of the reason she picked this particular place to live at now. So much of this place was so similar to that time so long ago when she was a child. Taking walks along the little beach around the lake felt like heaven. Seeing the glint of the sun on the water and hearing the breeze rustle in the tall grass refreshed the soul.

After living with Neil she felt she needed to clear her head. She really felt that this place would do the trick. Here she began to feel free once more after what had been a very controlled existence. He seemed to want to know about every little thing she did so there was never any such thing as privacy for her. When he raised his hand back at her literally was the last straw for her. It was far too easy to see what would be happening if she didn’t do something. The very next day she packed a few things in a suitcase and left. She thought she had walked out of his life forever.

She looked around the kitchen once again as she took another sip of the soothing chamomile tea. Savoring the experience she set the cup down and picked up the novel. Taking a look at where the marker was at she noticed she didn’t have very much left to read. Opening it up to her last place she sat the bookmark beside the cup. Well, I might as well finish it. The crinkle of the turning pages synced with her occasional sips from the cup. Soon, the book was finished and the cup sat empty next to it on the table. She sat for a few minutes thinking about the ending of the sweet romance story that she had just read.

In the bedroom the crystal started glowing brighter. Ascending up from the night stand it began to rotate as it hovered above the surface. Moving slowly at first it began speeding up. Beams of red light flashed around the entire room until it appeared continuously bathed in brightness. Able to escape its close confines something dark began to take shape in the middle of the floor. It searched around the room with glowing yellow eyes and fangs. Acting as if it were sniffing the air it located where Angel was at in the house. It made its way down the hall to the kitchen entryway where it stood back and observed her.

Pushing the chair back she started to get up so that she could go back to bed. Dissipating a little it moved along the floor to underneath the table by her feet. As she reached for the cup to take it to the sink the entity crept up her body and joined itself into her. She swayed a moment as it took her over completely. Her eyes turned pure white as in jerky motions she sat back down on the chair. Staring at the wall she awaited the desire of her captor.