Hello, readers!

Nightmare is the sequel to Phantasm, so if you haven't read that yet, head on over to my page and read that before this one! I suppose you COULD read this one, but it may not make sense at parts? I don't know the whole experience is better if you read Phantasm first, IMO.

These chapters are being edited, so please excuse me if things seem a little messy! I'm hoping it doesn't take me as long to revise this as it did to revise Phantasm. I might add chapters as I split some or. . .feel like a scene needed to be added or something. Let me know if missed some typos or if something doesn't make sense as you read! I'll try to fix it!

This chapter has been updated as of 2/11/2018.

~ Crayola

Preface

Drenched

Rain poured down like a single, inescapable sheet of icy water, punctuated by blinding flashes of lightning. Each drop pelted my face with the strength of high-velocity pebbles. It stung my cheeks and flattened my hair against my scalp; it dripped from my forehead and into my eyes. Half-frozen clothes pinched my skin with icy fingers every time I moved. Violent shivers wracked my body—but only some of it from the chill.

Water pooled around me where I was stretched out, partially held up by strong, scaly arms. Though I attempted to scramble away from the darkened, bleeding carcass next to me, my feet only slipped in the water and Wolf was an unmovable wall keeping me in place.

Panic squeezed my heart like a python, constricting my chest and making my stomach churn. I gasped and clawed at my abdomen with one hand, the other scraping around to find Wolf's arm in an attempt to pull myself upright. My mouth worked like a fish out of water and I fought to ignore the taste of bile at the back of my throat.

What do we do?

It took me several excruciating heartbeats to realize I hadn't vocalized the thought. My jaw bobbed and for another brief spell I only managed a strangled sound before I found my voice at last.

"What do we do?"

In the end I wished I hadn't spoken: my voice was shrill in my ears, slicing through the sound of rain pelting around us. Through the deluge and darkness, I could barely make out Wolf's features and it was his heat that drew me in, the strength that he promised.

My nails dug at the fleshy part of Wolf's bicep. He inclined his head toward me, his mandibles pressed tight over his mouth. His brow was furrowed, his muscles tensed and body rigid. Vibrant green blood mixed with the rain and I remembered—he was hurt, too. Yet he wasn't panicking. He wasn't even showing any pain.

I had to get a hold of myself.

I couldn't show my fear.

However, dread had sunk its fangs into me. It tore at my insides and drew fresh tears to my eyes. Ah, the rain was a blessing in disguise—it concealed my weeping. It was fear that shortened my breath and clouded my thoughts.

Wolf didn't show such emotions. Never since I'd met him. Why couldn't I be like that? Why couldn't I just calm down?

Every part of me not entrenched in terror was disgusted at how human I was.

At last, Wolf made a move: he growled and swept me up into his arms. I held tight to his shoulder, choking back sobs and gripping the front of my shirt with one hand. My eyes scanned his face, looking for an answer.

There was nothing there.

Nothing that I could read, anyway. His expressions were too foreign. Were his mandibles pressed in anger or concern?

"You have to help me you have to do something! Do something!"

Hysteria had won.

The words tumbled out of my mouth uninhibited. My throat was burning and made my voice thick. Each syllable was a kick in the teeth, each breath drawn was a betrayal to myself, to the strength I wished I had.

The rain poured without relent as he moved me to the edge of the roof. I wished the weather would swallow me whole or tear me apart.

Anything would be better than this.