Chapter Thirty-Five

When he left her, Orion felt a jubilant fervor he hadn’t felt in a long time; perhaps even before encountering Tracy Kingston and Rick Hopman. He was satisfied when he left Mykella standing alone in the hell he had created for her.

She would, in time, come to understand these dreams and why she was placed in this realm. But, for now, he was beyond satisfied.

In fact, he was so satisfied that Orion had decided to attempt to make more Dreamkillers. This time, he would do it right. This time, he would use hatred instead of fear. He made a mistake when making Beth and Eric; he used visions of total control to turn them, which created pleasant pictures in his own mind. Not this time.

No.

Pure hatred. Blackness. These are what he started with such a long time ago. These are what he will use now. And when he meets Vincent Hopman again, there will be no one to stop him from taking out the little pawn this time.

* * *

Krieger made up the basement for Vince to sleep in for as long as he needed. Vince planned for only that night, and then heading out to Maine first thing in the morning.

It would take him about three days to get there, he figured, and he planned on driving a day and a half – if he could – without stopping at a motel.

Vince thanked his professor for his hospitality and opened the sofa bed up once Krieger went upstairs. He sat down and the weight of the world came crashing down on him and he put his face in his hands and wept.

He wasn’t sure how long he had wept, but some time later he settled down and laid his body under the blanket and closed his eyes.

Vince expected to be walking along the familiar stream, but he was mistaken when he found himself amongst his friends in the living room.

He seemed disappointed at first and then he witnessed the form of Mykella appear, ghost-like, in the far corner of the room.

Chris was the first to approach the frightened newcomer, as she backed herself further into the corner. “It’s all right,” Chris said with her hands up. “We’re here to help you.”

After what she had seen last night, Mykella wasn’t so sure of that. She looked around and her eyes found Vince and she seemed to relax when she saw his smile. She ran past Chris and embraced him. “Oh, God,” she almost collapsed before reaching his warm arms.

“I know. I know what happened,” he whispered in her ear, which only seemed to make her weep even harder. “I won’t let him hurt you.”

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She looked up into his caring eyes. “You can’t promise that. He came into my dreams,” she replied behind a sorrowful smile. “Vince, he tells me he won’t let you in anymore. If he can reject your entrance, you can’t promise me that you won’t let him hurt me.”

This was something new. All right, so he may not know what was said between the two of them. “Hey, I made a promise to your mother that I would watch over you. She made me promise it. I will die for you if I must.”

“Stop saying that,” she cried out. “You keep saying that. I’m nobody. He’s right; he’s stronger than I am. He will win if I try to fight him,” she paused and buried her face in his chest. “I don’t want to die.”

“You see these people?”

Mykella turned and looked at them as they watched her and Vince. She nodded.

“Professor Krieger, Karl, and Chris. The four of us are going to make sure you don’t die. We are your Watchers now.”

Krieger walked up to the frightened Mykella and bowed his head. “It will be an honor, not an obligation, to watch over you.” He reached out and gently grabbed her hand and brought it to his lips.

Chris walked over to them and took the same hand and shook it. “I don’t understand the full scope of what the hell’s going on, but, if Vince believes what he says, then I believe him.” Like Krieger, she bowed her head as well.

Karl stayed back for a while, watching everything that was being exchanged. He was looking at the girl in a different light than he remembered that night when she pleaded with him to have sex with her. There was almost an angelic glow surrounding Mykella. He hated himself for being the Doubting Thomas. He sprinted over to them, took Mykella’s hand, and dropped down on one knee. “You have my life,” he said, head bowed in fear of looking into her beautiful green eyes.

This act of chivalry sent chills down Vince’s neck. He had never seen his friend this way. He didn’t have too long to ponder this over in his head.

The front door opened and they turned and saw Beth and Eric come running into the room. Vince glanced down and noticed that Mykella wasn’t frightened of them. “He’s coming.”

Vince noticed that Beth was wearing jeans and an oversized flannel shirt.

“I see you’ve decided on clothing for tonight’s rendezvous,” Vince said as he looked at Beth.

“Just something I picked up from last nights’ encounter with a stranger,” she said and saw that he had looked away, obviously appalled by where she went shopping.

Karl stood up and put himself between Mykella and the Dreamkillers. He extended his right arm and out of nothing, a long sword appeared, glistening in the light.

As if that were their cue, both Vince and Chris did the same and, like Karl’s, swords appeared in their waiting hands as well. This was just a dream, Vince reminded himself. Anything can happen.

All eyes were watching the door. Everyone made a tight circle around Mykella, making it impossible for anyone to get to her.

And then they heard the heavy footfalls of something coming their way.

No one in the room had ever placed eyes on any Dreamkiller before now, and the shock at what came clawing its way through the front door, sickened most in the room. It was a four-legged creature which resembled a dog, but the flesh it had was yellow-green and dripping with pus and other bodily fluids. Its front teeth were jutting out its mouth. Its red eyes weren’t focused on any one person, just total destruction.

Followed close behind it were three more grotesque Dreamkillers, one of which held a long chain which was wrapped around the dog-like creature’s neck. They didn’t seem to be in any hurry. They were merely awaiting their orders as they watched their enemies.