It jumped on me and grabbed my throat.
I couldn't breathe. I couldn't scream. But I saw the shadows vanish slightly from his face as if it wanted me to only see something specific-and then I saw eyes. Violet, glowing.
"Now you see," it whispered.
I couldn't respond. Just gasped, choking for air. My hands slid over empty space, trying to pry away something that didn't feel real. How is this even possible?
I reached for the door handle, trembling, when the shadow opened its mouth. The world stilled. And then-something inside my chest began to rise, demanding to be let out.
My mouth opened wide, and a beam of light surged from me into its gaping, unnatural maw.
I felt it. It was consuming me. Devouring my soul.
Am in a harry Potter nightmare?
I kicked into the void, reaching desperately for the door.
Almost there. Just a little more...
But it knew.
It lifted me high, higher, until I was suffocating. My vision blurred. I was fading.
"Taty, open your eyes! Follow my voice!"
"E... e... e..." I couldn't speak.
"Tafukt!" Dreck's voice cut through the dark.
Help... Help...
I looked around. A dark room. I was alone. No one could save me now.
Only I can.
If this is my mind, my dream-then this is my empire. Touching me means touching fire.
And with fire... you burn.
I heard the crackle of flames and smelled burning wood. The shadow's eyes widened. Its grip weakened-like it had seen something I couldn't.
But I could feel it. Heat, anger, power rising inside me.
I imagined the sunset. The warmth of the beach. The strength of the sea.
I am strong. I am powerful.
I closed my eyes.
"No. Open your eyes. Look at me," it hissed, its voice dry and crawling.
"E... N... n..."
"Look at meee!" it screamed, moving closer.
"NOOOO!" I roared.
and a blinding light shot from my hands. I touched its arms-and burned it.
The shadow screamed and released me.
I fell, freefalling into darkness, slamming into a surface that turned to water-and carried me to a warm, golden shore.
I looked up. The shadow was ablaze. So were my hands.
But it didn't hurt.
The shadow shrieked, its scream a pitch that pierced my mind. I turned to run, toward the door-but the closer I came, the farther it drifted, like it was running from me.
The shadow doused the flames with water.
I saw its arms-tan, strong, inked with tattoos.
It lunged.
I ran again. "Please, please, please..." I begged the door. "Stop. Let me out. Please!"
The fire on my hands faded, but glowing symbols remained-Amazigh letters, bright against my skin.
Then the sand, the water... vanished. Only darkness remained.
"Dreck!" I cried out.
And I understood. It feeds on fear.
I couldn't escape-but maybe I didn't need to. Maybe it should be the one running.
I stood, focused, and tried again. The beach. The waves. The fire.
But nothing happened.
"Tat! You have to get out of there now!" Dreck shouted.
"I'm fucking trying!" I screamed back.
"Taty?!"
The shadow slammed me into a wall, pinning me.
"Dreck!"
"Taty! Oh my God-I can hear you! What's happening?"
"About to be killed! HELP!"
"Get to the door!"
"I can't! It keeps moving!"
"You have to control it, Taty! The shadow is in your head. You have to push it out-or it will consume you!"
"I tried. It worked before but-now it's not."
"Try again!" Dreck's voice cracked. "Taty, listen to me. If you don't, he'll consume your soul before you reach the door and you'll be stuck there forever!"
The shadow grabbed my neck again, draining me faster.
"You can do it, Taty"
" I can't " I cried back
" Yes you can. Remember who you are. You're the sun. You're the light. You're everything. Focus!"
I shoved its hands off and kicked it away-just like Dreck once taught me to protect myself from bullies.
I fell, hit the ground, and stood up fast.
"Dreck!" I called. "Is he immortal?"
"What?!"
"Can he die? Can I kill him?"
"No! Do not engage! Just RUN!"
But I looked at my hands.
I closed my eyes.
************
I remembered my mother when I was a child, singing old Amazigh lullabies when I was scared of the dark.
How she'd walk me to the beach at midnight.
"You love the beach in the morning," she'd say, "but why not at night?"
"Because it's scary. There are monsters."
"Do you see any monsters here?" she'd whisper.
"No... but maybe they're hiding." And I'd cling to her skirt.
"What if they aren't? What if they don't exist? Then you'd miss out on the beauty of the dark. Look up, honey."
I looked. Stars. Endless and bright.
"Whoaaa..."
"You see what you were missing?"
"But what if the monsters do exist?"
She'd smile. "Then my strong, courageous daughter would destroy them all."
***********
A warmth bloomed in my chest-then spread, burning through my limbs. I opened my eyes.
The darkness was now a galaxy.
I stood barefoot in cold sand, glowing tattoos across my arms.
A white robe shimmered around me.
I couldn't hear Dreck anymore. Couldn't speak to him.
But I saw the shadow.
Terrified.
It looked around, searching for the door.
Now he wants to run.
I didn't know what I was-but I knew what I could do.
"What are you?" he asked, voice trembling.
"I should be asking you that," I said coldly. And I stepped toward him.
"No. Please. I-Be-"
And then he exploded.
The shadow vanished, taking the nightmare world with it.
I jumped out of the dream, gasping, shocked. What just happened?
My knees buckled. I collapsed, fighting for breath, falling again-
-and then I was in Dreck's arms.
My whole body throbbed with pain, especially my neck.
Dreck looked at me like he was seeing me for the first time.
"Dreck?" I whispered.
"What is my mom's name?" he asked, deadly serious.
"What is this, a 90s couple test?" I groaned.
"What. Is. My. Mom's. Name."
"Cyra," I answered, squinting at him.
His eyes widened.
"Oh my God. It's you. You made it!"
He pulled me into a tight hug. I held him back, shaking.
"We have a lot to catch up on," he whispered.