Lunar

06 | Coal

The moon shines bright above my head, beckoning me to come closer to her cold glow. 

"I have something for you," she calls.

I cock my head to the side, unsure of where I am or who is speaking to me. 

She is beautiful, covered in a soft, white light. 

I cannot make out her form, but I can tell she is a figure of justice. 

"If you do not take it, terrible events will occur."

A deep hole appears in the ground before my feet. It's darkness is all consuming, except for a single black shadow that I cannot make out. The pit is silent and horrifying, and I know nothing good lies within. 

"You must enter," she commands.

I stay staring at the hole.

"You must."

My breath is knocked out of me as I am pushed into the pit. 

Darkness surrounds me, and I grow lonely and afraid. A blood red appears on the walls of my eyes, and I see someone I know. I see him. He stands alone, screaming into his hands, his nails clawing into his skin, ripping at his face. His teeth grind together, blood pouring from his lips as he cries out. Someone has left him, someone has died. And now all there is is screaming. All there is is death. 

"I can fix this," she promises me sweetly. "Please, let me fix this."

The wailing stops, that sickening red fades, and I am no longer in the hole.

I hold out my hand, now desperate for what I am to be given. I will take anything to stop what I have seen. I will do anything. 

She places a circular locket in my hand. It's black and cold like a piece of coal. 

"Use it well. It will be with you always."

I wake up in a cold sweat, my body trembling.

I hate nightmares.

My hands continue to shake as I get ready for school, and it takes me several minutes to finishing clasping the buttons on my shirt. I forget to say goodbye to my mother and can hardly make out a word Alex says to me as we wait for the bus. The ride to school is a blur, and before I know it, I'm staring at the back of my locker. 

Even though it was only a nightmare, I can't help but feel a bit changed by it. It was so vivid that I can still feel the locket in my left hand. My nightmares aren't usually so... thought out. They're typically a bunch of disconnected scenes slammed together. They never have a distinct plot like this one did. They're never so graphic or disturbing.

Why did I dream what I did last night?

And why did it feel so real?

I stretch out my fingers, trying to rid myself of the scary feeling, but to no avail.

As the final bell rings, I grab my books before shutting my locker and heading to class.

I can't get the nightmare out of my head.

I almost feel like it might never leave me.

---

"Are you ready to go?" He calls from behind me.

I twirl around to face Bennett, excited to see him. We've only been apart for less than 24 hours, but, for me, it has felt like an eternity. 

"Yes," I say with a sweet smile. I'm so happy to be with him. I almost forget the feeling from my nightmare.