Viridescent Shadows
By Daring D.D. Danger
IV: An Eternity In Sable Black
The voices and images faded in and out, the rocks vanishing into thin air, my body being carried, green fire flying through the air, then everything was black.
When I opened my eyes, the sun had risen. I tried to prop myself up off the ground but my arm felt… backwards. I raised it and nearly shrieked when I realized it actually was backwards... but why didn't it hurt? I used my other arm to pull it and it went back into place with a snap, and again, no pain. That was when I heard a noise behind me. I turned and saw Alma sitting in Eunice's lap. They were kissing. Passionately. Girls couldn't kiss girls, right? I found myself watching helplessly, noting they both had hands up the others blouse. Alma finally opened an eye.
"Just hop in if you want." she said, immediately being slapped by Eunice.
"Show some loyalty." Eunice said.
"Sorry Euni." Alma said.
"Girls can't kiss girls." I stammered.
"Considering how red you turned, I'd say otherwise. It's really impressive you can do that at all."
"What do you mean?" I asked.
"You don't have a pulse anymore." Eunice said. I checked my neck. They were right.
"We're dead, too, and I say that's cause enough to kiss whoever and whatever I desire." Alma boasted.
"And she will do exactly that." Eunice said, loaded with sarcasm.
"What happened to me?" I asked.
"We made you a Marra. Burned through all our fear to do it fast enough, too. You're welcome." Alma said.
"A Marra? Fear?" I was confused.
"You're a nightmare spirit, created by the sorceress, Huld. You feed on fear to survive." Alma continued.
"We're all going to have to do double time to build up enough fear to not starve. Eunice, you'll have to show her the ropes." Alma said.
"What will you do tonight?" Eunice asked.
"Try and beat my record."
"Please, you'll never get to eleven nightmares in one night." Eunice said competitively. "You're just mad that I've done it and you're older than me."
"What's a little competition between wives?" Alma said, her eyes turning green.
Several hours passed as the purpose of the fire pit and nightmares was explained… between the couple's sarcasm and fooling around. Soon I found myself with Eunice outside of the mayor's home.
"Okay, this is where I show you how to enter a keyhole." Eunice whispered.
"I can shrink?" I asked.
"No, you can turn into a wisp. Take my hand." She grabbed me and everything turned green, followed by being dizzy, now in the mayor's house.
"You'll get used to that, it's all about believing you are in control." Eunice assured. The mayor lay in front of us. "Let's go." I was once again pulled into the light, and spat out floating over Trolberg. It was daytime and the mayor was walking the streets. I turned and Eunice had changed to look like me. I watched as she floated down, wearing a witch's hat.
"You thought you could kill me!" She taunted the mayor.
"Leave me alone!" He backed up in fear.
"Now I get to have revenge for you killing me!" Suddenly, the world began turning black around Eunice as her… er… my head grew and bared razor sharp teeth. She bit down, and we were ejected into the real world again.
"Wow, he didn't even wake up." Eunice said. "That witch-eating-your-head thing has been killing lately."
"You just don't know him well. Can I alter people in his dream?" I ask.
"Yes." Eunice replied before taking us back in. This time I took the form of Maven, the witch hunter. I swooped down next to the mayor.
"What do you want, witch hunter?" He asked.
"Didn't you hear? I was just elected mayor!" I said.
"A woman can't be mayor."
"Are you sure about that?" I snapped my fingers and the people of Trolberg began appearing around me. They grabbed the mayor and I began leading them through the dream Trolberg.
"No, what are you doing? I'm mayor!" He was now sweating.
"Goodbye." The people of Trolberg threw him over the wall, screaming. Then he turned around and a troll with glowing green eyes screamed at his face.
We were suddenly forced out from the dream violently. The only reason the mayor never saw me was Eunice pulling me out of the room. We were both holding in our laughter.
"That was insane!" Eunice whispered.
"Nice touch with the troll!" I whispered back as we left the house.
"Alright, you might just be good at this." Eunice said. "Let's see if we can hit a few more houses tonight!"
"Hey, do you ever feel remorse over causing nightmares?" I ask.
"Well, in people like the mayor, no."
"It seems like your best target would be..."
"Kids?" Eunice finishes. "Nightmares don't ruin anyone's life. And they keep me and Alma around."
"Oh, so we have to give nightmares, 'feed on fear to survive', right?" I asked.
"Nightmare fuel is what keeps you here, unless you want to be dead for real." I shuddered a little bit before we set out on our way.
"Hey, wanna see something cool?" Alma asked. She'd returned to the fire pit last, as I'd gotten strangely tired. It seemed strange that I could get tired, even though I was dead. Suddenly Alma snapped her fingers and a bit of fire flew into the pit, which began burning green.
"Don't be a braggart, Alma," Eunice said. "She's apparently the only Marra she knows that can summon fire directly from her hand. Bet it still didn't help you beat that record." Alma crossed her arms and pouted. "Thought so!"
"Anyway, Christabella, this is the part where we tell our nightmares over the fire pit, and consume the fear."
"Makes sense." I said.
"Go first, then." Alma said. I sunk into my seat a bit.
"I'll go first." Eunice took a position over the fire.
"We were in Trolberg, and Christabella became the witch hunter. She and the rest of the town started chasing the mayor, taunting him with how they chose a woman as mayor instead of him, he was already screaming! Then the mob threw him over the wall, where I was waiting as a Troll, and I bit his head off!" Eunice started laughing as three wisps of fire exited the pit, one worming it's way down my throat, burning like I'd just eaten food that was far too hot. I felt it writhe through my entire body.
"Hey, before we go on, I know who I want to give a nightmare to tomorrow." I said.
"Oh?" Both girls replied.
"The Witch Hunter."
To Be Continued