One Shots

Nightmare from Hell

     It started the same way everytime.

Tongues of fire rising from the ashy ground, reaching for me. Hunting me. Wanting to drag me back the hell I fought so hard to escape from.

     Ashy grey wings unfolded from my back, but I could never fly far with them. I rose in the air quickly, beating my frail wings in a desperate effort to escape.

     With a snap, my right wing broke. I continued to beat the left one, fighting through the pain,  but I was slowly losing altitude. Lower and lower I flew, and then-

     CRACK
My left wing snapped, sending me into free fall. It was all I could do to tuck myself into a ball to soften the impact.

     Pain flared in every part of my body as I stumbled upright again, and my ankle gave out as I took a step. It was broken, shattered in the fall.

     The flames grew closer, and closer, the malicious crackling of fire an omen of doom. I began crawling, desperate to stay away from the fire.

     The pain was to much. My arms gave out, and I collapsed. With eyes so widened you could hardly see the blue, I stared in fear as the fire reached my trailing wings.

     I opened my mouth to call for help, but all that emerged was a scream. And another. And another. Scream after scream rent the air, each one worse than the last as a new part of my body was consumed in flames-

     "Cassia, wake up."

     My eyes shot open, and for an instant I could have sworn the fire was still here. But as my eyes adjusted to the semi darkness, I realized where I was.

     "You were having another nightmare." Crim, the friend who's house I was staying at,  said with a tired note in her voice. "And don't trying to convince me otherwise, you were screaming like you were being murdered. Luckily my parents aren't home tonight, or you'd never be allowed back here."

     Color flooded my cheeks as her words sunk in. I thought I'd be able to handle the nightmares, that's the only reason I said yes to a sleepover at Crim's. "I'm... I'm sorry. I don't know what's wrong with me..." Even as I spoke I realized I did know what was wrong with me, but no one else in this world knew about it. Not even Crim, and she's my best friend.

     "Don't." Crim's voice was firm and sharp. I glanced up at her, wondering why she was using that tone. "Don't be sorry, nightmares aren't something you can control. And considering you don't talk about your past much anyways... I'm guessing there's some traumatic memories you would rather leave behind." She sighed, and laid back down on her bed, staring at the ceiling. There was glow in the dark stars up there, something left over from our middle school years.

     "But we're best friends, Cass. We've been friends since you moved here in 2nd grade. And even now, so many years later, we're seniors and we're still friends. You know you can talk to me about anything, yet you don't." She rolled over and peered off the side of her bed to where I was laying on a blowup mattress. "Why don't you ever come to me for help? I can help you, no matter what it is."

     Oh, crap. I could feel little pinpricks of moisture starting to gather in my eyes, and it strung. I glanced down, keeping my eyes clear of her gaze. "I... I can't." I muttered, trying to stay strong in my resolve. "I don't want you to get hurt."

     There was a moment of silence, and I could practically hear the gears in her head turning as she thought about what I said. Hopefully she wouldn't pry anymore into it... But knowing her, she would.

     "... Hurt?" Crim glanced back up at the ceiling, lost in thought for a moment. "Oh, Cass... If it would help you, I don't mind getting hurt. You know that. We've always looked out for each other, told each other all our secrets, shared stories and memories alike. Whatever is bothering you, I promise you can tell me. I won't judge you, I swear on my collection of ceramic ponies." There was a pause. "And you know I really mean it when I swear on those." She added quietly.

     "... Not all secrets." I muttered, fresh tears leaking out of my eyes. I had been carrying this secret for so long that now I was on the brink of telling someone, it hurt to let go of it. But I'd known her for almost as long as I'd known this world. If I couldn't tell her, I couldn't tell anyone. "There's some about me no one in the world knows, and I don't know if you want to hear it or not... I don't want to lose you as a friend because you become scared of me."

     Crim looked back down at me, pity and compassion in her gaze. "Cass, there's nothing in the world that could make me stop being friends with you. Besides." she grinned, a trace of amusement in her expression. "I'm a big, strong girl. You won't scare me, I promise."

     Okay... Here goes then. This was the moment that would make or break our friendship. I pushed the covers off me and stood up slowly, turning to face Crim as I stood. With a small sigh, I willed my battered wings into existence, dropping the spell that had hidden them for so many years.

     "I'm a demoness, Crim."

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sea-of-flames
Uhhhhhh
I did the thing, Ash

To all you others, there's a part two. If anyone would like to see it, let me know. Maybe it'll be a mini series, cuz I've got tons of ideas for it.

ShadeFinder

Tell me what you think in the comments below, everyone~

~©@$$