Cynefrith of Malgaea

Chapter Four: Naughtmare

Cynefrith jerked awake, chest heaving. Where am I? He looked around, and saw he was on a gray marble slab of an experiment table. Cynefrith swung his legs over the edge, attempted to get up, when he was struck by a horrifying realization: he had no legs. Cynefrith threw back his head and screamed for what seemed like hours, until there was a horrible sound, then it all went dark.

Again, Cynefrith woke up. He had reached a terrifying conclusion. "It's the Naughtmare," he whispered to himself. The Naughtmare is a specific kind of nightmare in which it is a chemical-induced vision of all things that terrify the subject the most and their deepest, most secret terrors. Worst of all, the Naughtmare can be viewed by an outsider through a special device called the Rementer. Now Cynefrith knew why so many people didn't pass the Choosing. Could he face his secret fears? More important, could he survive the encounter...?

Alyssa's Point of View

After Cynefrith collapsed, Alyssa went into shock. What could they possibly be doing to him? "What is happening to him?" Alyssa sobbed.

Mrs. Everglow hurried over and enveloped Alyssa in a warm, fuzzy hug (because Mrs. Everglow was wearing a sweater) and patted Alyssa on the head. "There, there, child. It's all a part of the Choosing."

"But what is the choosing, Mrs. E?"

Mrs. Everglow took a deep breath, then recited, "The Choosing is how we, the Malgaeans choose those worthy of rebuilding our empire, the Triation Empire of the Three Galaxies. Those strong enough to pass the test of the Naughtmare—"

"The Naughtmare!" Alyssa gasped. I wonder what Cyn is seeing?

"Yes, dear, the Naughtmare. The children who can pass the greatest test of the Triation Army can get assimilated into our ranks. If they fail, or refuse to take the test, they are sent out to gather orphans from across the universe and bring them here, or to other orphanages located across the globe."

"And if they pass? Do they change?" Alyssa whispered that last part sounding horrified. What would happen to Cyn? He can't become anything else! He's my best friend..

Mrs. Everglow put her hand on Alyssa's shoulder and said, "Some do, my dear, but not all of them. The Naughtmare has a different effect on everyone."

Alyssa looked back at Cynefrith writhing on the ground and was struck by a sudden thought. "Mrs. E, could I join in on the Naughtmare?"

Mrs. Everglow looked startled. "Are you sure, Alyssa, dear?" Alyssa nodded. "Well all right then, let's ask the judges."

Mrs. Everglow walked up to the judges' podium. "Unnskyld, men denne jenta ønsker å gå inn den Naughtmare."

The judges broke out in furious whispering, then the middle one answered, "Hun bør få samtykke fra ham først. Spør ham nå ..."

There was a moment's pause, then: "Ja, er enig han. Come, child, and put on the Rementron, and enter Cynefrith's Naughtmare."

Alyssa hurried forwards and grabbed the strange-looking device, like a helmet with a laser pointing inwards on it. Then she put it on, and there was a high-pitched bum bum bum bum!, then a spiral of dots. Then the world went black.

Cynefrith's Point of View

Suddenly, a high pitched jingle burst through the silence, then Alyss appeared next to Cynefrith. "Lys!" Cynefrith exclaimed delightedly. "How are you here?"

"The Rementron. The judges said they asked you," Alyssa stated matter-of-factly.

Cynefrith remembered the tingling just before Alyssa appeared. "Well, it certainly—"

Suddenly, a burst of tracer fire smashed through the air, shattering the walls surrounding them. Overhead, a burning plane hurtled to the ground. Tanks were flying over the hills toward them, and massive plasma bolts flashed by their heads. Blinking at the bright light, Cynefrith stared, horrified, around him. This was one of his worst nightmares. A plasma rifle was tossed in his hands. The soldier who tossed it yelled, "Go! Front line! Now!" He also threw two plasma pistols at Alyssa.

"C'mon, Cyn! They need us!" Alyssa was dragging on his arm, pulling him towards a tank. They climbed in and somehow knew how to pilot the tank, Alyssa climbed down to pilot it and and Cynefrith was the gunner. He swiveled the turret around to point at one of the enemy tanks speeding towards them. "It's a Russian WWII tank, a BT-7!" he yelled as he pushed fire.

BAM! The BT-7 got destroyed in a fountain of sparks. Cynefrith yelled jubilantly — right until a 44mm Armor Piercing Composite Rigid (APCR) shell slammed into the turret, knocking Cynefrith to the ground, groaning.

"Cynefrith!" Alyssa shouted. "C'mon, we have to go, our M4 Sherman is gonna blow!"

"Ugh," Cynefrith groaned. "Okay, let's go then."

Before they so much as moved an inch, a massive plasma bolt exploded the world.   

(See picture above)