Surrounded. Dark clouds everywhere. People shouting, throwing things.
Suffocating. I can feel the noose around my neck. I reach for it. Skin! No
rope! The clouds are moving in tighter. Squeezing me. Sucking the oxygen
out of my lungs! My Legs! I can't move my legs! Everything's growing
darker. The air is gone. I can see it now. My doom. An arrow slicing
through the blackened pillows aimed straight for my heart! I'm struck.
Gravity Shifts and....
THUNK!!!
I open my eyes to see confused, blue crystals staring at me.
"Are you alright, Malon?" Link asks, glancing over the side of the bed at my tangled figure. "Boogie man trying to get you again?"
"Ugh!" I groaned, unwrapping the blanket from around my neck and twisted legs. "Ha. Funny. Really. Can't believe you're not charging for that wonderful humor of yours. I'd definitely pay." I said, my tongue slashing with sarcasm and my eyes casting a cold glare upon him.
Looking around the room I realized that the clouds had completely disappeared and my heart finally began to settle back to it's calm pace. The sounds of Talon yelling at a cow for kicking over the milk seeped in through the partly open shutters, and this lovely floor had yet again become my throne. Another dream, another broken jar, another bruise. "Ah how much I cherish mornings like these," I sighed as I climbed up onto the bed, "who'd want it any other way?"
His eyes flashed with amusement. A sign that he had a smartass comment, bubbling up somewhere beyond those golden locks of his, but before he could muster a word, I greeted him with a "good morning" kiss and walked out the door to find my dear old father waiting for me with an angry look and a milk soaked shirt.
"Damn those cows. DAMN THEM ALL!!" he yelled as his face smeared to a sniffle. "Malon, will you pleas-"
"Yes, yes, let me get dressed and I'll fetch you your milk."
"Thank you, hun, I knew there was a reason your mother and I had you." a weary smile formed on his cracked lips.
"Hmm.. Thanks dad.. That was.. Wow.. Thanks dad."
Just by looking at his blood-shot eyes I could tell the poor guy was up all night again. The past couple of weeks had been full of mysterious happenings around the ranch. Cows wouldn't come out of the barn, horses would fall sick, chickens would up and disappear, and the sky hadn't changed from the dark shade of gray it's withheld for the last nine moons. There was a constant churning in my stomach, now. My dreams were getting worse. Something bad was about to happen, but what?
~¤~¤~¤~¤~¤~¤~¤~¤~¤~¤~¤~
The hinges let out a sore moan as I opened the door and the darkness of the barn filled my sight. The storm clouds had caused a complete black out. Even at dawn the land remained shadowed and silent. The lantern in my hand pouring out enough light for me to make out the four occupants of the barn. Epona over in her corner, the utter in her stall waiting to be milked, and our last two chickens. Ouna and Liora.
I could hear the floorboards groan as I made my way across the barn toward Epona. Looking rather spooked, she took a few steps backward and I could see her coat twitch as I walked near.
"Easy, girl" I muttered in a soft voice I only used with the animals. I rubbed her soft mane and to my surprise, I felt her trembling. Something really had spooked her, not something she sensed, but something she saw. Suddenly feeling uneasy I spun around holding the lantern up into the air, my eyes catching a glimpse of shining rubies dancing rapidly and then disappearing with the arrival of fast footsteps on the ground. Instantly I jumped back and drew the sword that had hid in the scabbard attached to my thigh, not knowing my mistake until Epona whinnied and violently pushed me against the wall of the stall.
She didn't recognize me. Trying to calm her was just another mistake in it's own. Again I was thrown against the wall and rammed into. I lifted my sword to keep from stabbing her, leaving my body open to her smashing blow. Her weight crushing me against the wall and a popping of my ribcage slowly breaking and caving in. I let out a yell of pain and as I drew my breath in the doors of the barn swept open and two floating lanterns darted toward me. My vision blurring from the lack of oxygen, I could barely make out Links face as he pulled Epona away, I could only recognize him from the bright light known as Navi floating above his head. Strong arms grabbed me, the owner of the other lantern, I looked back to see a round face laced with black hair looking down at me and as I started to make out my fathers eyes, the dark clouds consumed me for the second time.
THUNK!!!
I open my eyes to see confused, blue crystals staring at me.
"Are you alright, Malon?" Link asks, glancing over the side of the bed at my tangled figure. "Boogie man trying to get you again?"
"Ugh!" I groaned, unwrapping the blanket from around my neck and twisted legs. "Ha. Funny. Really. Can't believe you're not charging for that wonderful humor of yours. I'd definitely pay." I said, my tongue slashing with sarcasm and my eyes casting a cold glare upon him.
Looking around the room I realized that the clouds had completely disappeared and my heart finally began to settle back to it's calm pace. The sounds of Talon yelling at a cow for kicking over the milk seeped in through the partly open shutters, and this lovely floor had yet again become my throne. Another dream, another broken jar, another bruise. "Ah how much I cherish mornings like these," I sighed as I climbed up onto the bed, "who'd want it any other way?"
His eyes flashed with amusement. A sign that he had a smartass comment, bubbling up somewhere beyond those golden locks of his, but before he could muster a word, I greeted him with a "good morning" kiss and walked out the door to find my dear old father waiting for me with an angry look and a milk soaked shirt.
"Damn those cows. DAMN THEM ALL!!" he yelled as his face smeared to a sniffle. "Malon, will you pleas-"
"Yes, yes, let me get dressed and I'll fetch you your milk."
"Thank you, hun, I knew there was a reason your mother and I had you." a weary smile formed on his cracked lips.
"Hmm.. Thanks dad.. That was.. Wow.. Thanks dad."
Just by looking at his blood-shot eyes I could tell the poor guy was up all night again. The past couple of weeks had been full of mysterious happenings around the ranch. Cows wouldn't come out of the barn, horses would fall sick, chickens would up and disappear, and the sky hadn't changed from the dark shade of gray it's withheld for the last nine moons. There was a constant churning in my stomach, now. My dreams were getting worse. Something bad was about to happen, but what?
~¤~¤~¤~¤~¤~¤~¤~¤~¤~¤~¤~
The hinges let out a sore moan as I opened the door and the darkness of the barn filled my sight. The storm clouds had caused a complete black out. Even at dawn the land remained shadowed and silent. The lantern in my hand pouring out enough light for me to make out the four occupants of the barn. Epona over in her corner, the utter in her stall waiting to be milked, and our last two chickens. Ouna and Liora.
I could hear the floorboards groan as I made my way across the barn toward Epona. Looking rather spooked, she took a few steps backward and I could see her coat twitch as I walked near.
"Easy, girl" I muttered in a soft voice I only used with the animals. I rubbed her soft mane and to my surprise, I felt her trembling. Something really had spooked her, not something she sensed, but something she saw. Suddenly feeling uneasy I spun around holding the lantern up into the air, my eyes catching a glimpse of shining rubies dancing rapidly and then disappearing with the arrival of fast footsteps on the ground. Instantly I jumped back and drew the sword that had hid in the scabbard attached to my thigh, not knowing my mistake until Epona whinnied and violently pushed me against the wall of the stall.
She didn't recognize me. Trying to calm her was just another mistake in it's own. Again I was thrown against the wall and rammed into. I lifted my sword to keep from stabbing her, leaving my body open to her smashing blow. Her weight crushing me against the wall and a popping of my ribcage slowly breaking and caving in. I let out a yell of pain and as I drew my breath in the doors of the barn swept open and two floating lanterns darted toward me. My vision blurring from the lack of oxygen, I could barely make out Links face as he pulled Epona away, I could only recognize him from the bright light known as Navi floating above his head. Strong arms grabbed me, the owner of the other lantern, I looked back to see a round face laced with black hair looking down at me and as I started to make out my fathers eyes, the dark clouds consumed me for the second time.