Dominance

Chapter 1: Dreams And Face Skating

She was floating.

At least that's what it felt like. Her body was weightless and numb, but it was not an uncomfortable feeling. In fact, it was quite pleasant.

Her mind felt totally at ease as she drifted effortlessly in a sea of nothingness. It was dark and the air around her felt cold on her skin as it encircled around her form softly and lingered like a cool blanket.

And then she saw something. Not with her eyes, but a mental picture that glimmered softly in her mind. A droplet fell softly into the never-ending black. Ripples danced out gracefully where the drop had fallen, and then faded into the dusky silence.

"Why are you here, girl?" a hollow, unfamiliar voice whispered. It sounded like it was somewhere far away and stirred in her consciousness.

There was another moment of stillness and then another droplet fell. This time its fall was louder and clearer than before. The ripples danced away more violently, turning a vivid crimson before fading away.

"Who are you to wander here?"

Who am I? 

Her mind was blank for a moment, and then it clicked as her thoughts fragmented back to receptive.

"I'm Sara." 

That's my name, she realised, reassuring herself. And then felt foolish. Of course, that was her name. She couldn't possibly forget something like that. Her name was Sara and she was-

She faltered. Questions flaring in her mind.

Where was she?
What was she doing here?

She couldn't remember.
She couldn't think.
Her head was just too foggy.
A moment of dread washed over her. This wasn't natural. It just didn't feel right. 

And then she was no longer floating in a place of peace. She felt heavy and sluggish. Her feet were unsteady on her heels. She was being weighed down by an enormous pressure.

As her muted senses began to return there was a horrible metallic taste in her mouth. It made her stomach queasy and her throat burn.

Finally, she could open her eyes.

Initially, it was far too bright. Her eyes stung and she blinked repeatedly trying to adjust to the light and get a glimpse of her surroundings. Yet, eventually, there appeared to be extraordinarily little to see.

The world was nothing but a blur. Space, but with nothing occupying it. It went on forever, hazed over in a thick white fog. Below her was sand, pure white and incredibly soft under her feet. So fine that it felt like flour.

The air, she realised, smelled like it tasted, an awful metallic and smoky scent. It frightened her. This place was just so wrong. But it was also familiar to her somehow. Strange, considering there was nothing to distinguish familiarity at all. It was just a continuous gloomy mist on a white landscape.

"Sara."

Sara's body stiffened. It was that voice again, deep, yet somehow soothing, testing her name on their tongue. It echoed through the silence and sent shivers up her spine.

Where was it coming from?
Her eyes darted into the distance, searching. She whirled on the spot where she stood, too afraid to venture out. But still, she saw nothing but the fog.

"Where are you?" she called out, her voice warily croaky.

But there was no reply.

Finally she spotted something moving through the mist. She couldn't work out what it was at first as it was easily camouflaged in its hazy surroundings. But then the fog swirled and dissipated around the creature, and it came into view. It gazed back at her with a still and fearless glare.