Shadows of a Hero

Author's Note: This chapter was difficult to write. I hope it still flows cleanly together with the rest of the story. Enjoy chapter 4! (Sorry for the hiatus, but I will try to keep adding chapters when I get free time. Thanks for your patience!)

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CHAPTER IV

Suddenly, Kris awakens from her sleep in a dark room, dazed. "What just happened? Where am I?" she asks, but no one replies. She quickly stands up and looks around her, but the room is completely empty. Standing in the darkness the shadows seem to close in on her, yet the air remains still. Kris takes a step forward but is quickly stopped in her tracks as she feels her foot give way underneath her. She shrieks in pain and falls forward toward the ground. She closes her eyes as she falls, and waiting for her body to make hit the ground, but nothing happens. She slowly opens her eyes, and to her surprise she is still standing, but in what seemed an open, dark space. Her foot still throbs, and so she begins to call for help into the pitch blackness as she continues to scour the shadows for any hint of life besides herself. She turns forward again trembling in fear and in front of her stands a black figure staring directly into her eyes. Panicking, Kris tries to scream but no sound comes out of her mouth. It takes a step closer to her, and raises its hand to point at her. With its crooked fingers pointing at her underneath what looked like a tattered robe, it slowly groans at her, "Disruption…Nightmare…Destroy…" It holds out its decrepit hand and reaches for Kris now. She continues to try and scream, but quickly realizes it was a waste of time. She tries then to turn away and run, but she can't move, frozen in her tracks by her aching foot. "Get away! What do you want??" she tries to shout at it, powerless against the eerie figure who was now nearly breathing down her neck…

"GET AWAY!" Kris screams, and sits up in bed, sweat dripping down her face as she looks around the quiet and peacefully dark hotel room. Liz and Sierra were still sleeping, and the alarm clock beside the bed blinked 1:30 A.M. at her. She forces herself take a few gulps of air and tries to calm down, and lies back on the bed, resting her head gently on the pillow. "It was just a dream…just a dream. Relax…" she keeps mumbling to herself, forcing her body to go back to sleep.

The next morning, Liz lets out a big moan as she shields her eyes from the new day sunlight pouring in the window. She sits up and wipes the crust from her eyes, then mumbles, "Lazy bums, sleeping in." She motions at Kris and Sierra who are still quietly sleeping despite the light shining over the room. Liz stumbles into the bathroom and turns on the faucet, then splashes the cold water onto her face.

After about five minutes, Liz emerges from the bathroom ready to get a new day started, and notices Kris is awake, staring up at the ceiling. "Good mornin' Kris," Liz says cheerfully.

Kris looks over then sits up. "You're up early," she tries to joke but fails tremendously. She quietly grabs her clothes and heads to the bathroom to change. Liz sits next to Sierra on her bed and pats her shoulder, "Sorry girl, we're ready to go except for you. Time to get moving." Sierra still sleeps, a look of a frown written on her face. "Hmph!" Liz growls back, "I said, it's time to get up Sierra."

Kris comes out, dressed, and stands over Sierra and Liz, "Sierra, come on. We're just waiting on you know." Sierra doesn't respond, still sleeping soundly. Liz and Kris fall dead silent, and the only movement in the room is the gentle rising and falling of Sierra's chest.

"Sierra, get up!" Liz's face turns pale, "This isn't funny!" she begins to shake her by the shoulders, trying to get her friend to wake up.

A cold chill shoots up Kris's spine, as the two of them come to the realization of what is happening. Kris quickly grabs the phone and dials for the hospital. On the verge of tears, she quickly alerts the voice on the other line as Liz begins to raise her voice at Sierra, eyes watering, "Not you Sierra, not you!" A tear begins to fall down Kris'cheek as she stands there in shock. She forces her eyes closed as images of the black figure appear in her head when Nurse Joy comes rushing into the room with a stretcher and two Chanseys.

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Even shorter I know. Thanks for reading though!

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