Loretta of the Lamp

Fear

The dream faded and Loretta remained curled in a ball on her blanket in the sand. The night was still thick, and her stomach was still twisted with the sensation of fear she had felt in her dream. Like waking from a nightmare.

It took a few moments for her to realise that she was not alone.

Earlier, when she had walked away from Akil in anger, she had headed toward the mountains in the west, going as far as she could before she simply felt too sick to go on. When she had to stop, she turned north and pushed forward toward Misbah. Only then had the sickness faded, and she knew that Akil had to be somewhere east of her, also walking north toward Misbah.

In this way the day passed, making slow progress forward. Loretta was constantly pushing them further west, purely out of spite, and she knew she was winning because she was gaining ground. Somewhere out there, Akil was slowly moving in her direction. Eventually the stretch of the connection between them made her feel so sick that she keeled over onto her knees and vomited. Then she curled up in a ball on the sand and fallen asleep, at the absolute end of her will.

But now she was awake. It was still night, and she was not alone.

"Akil?" she whispered as she opened her eyes and sat up.

The shadow moved.

But it was not Akil.

Loretta started to scream, but the cry was lost in her throat. She pushed herself backwards, slipping in the sand and ended up on her back, defenceless.

This time she did scream, and she screamed loud as the shadow of the man loomed over her.

He paused, raising his palms up, stretching into the sky, and then he moved faster than Loretta could comprehend. His face, all darkness and shadow, was suddenly right up to hers, and the world became dark.

She screamed again, putting her arms over her face and turning away.

A sharp pain burned into her arm, as the lips of the creature narrowly missed her face. She felt the hard edges of his teeth behind the paper thin lips, it was only a kiss, but the terror she felt was real, twisting and consuming, and she couldn't escape.

She could hear shouting. Someone was calling her name, and the light was coming back. She opened her eyes with renewed strength to fight back, but the creature had pulled away and climbed off her. His dark eyes took one last look over her, and a roar escaped from his lips before he disappeared over the dune with unholy speed.

"Akil," Loretta shrieked, but it was not Akil who came running toward her, waving a torch over his head.

It was Bennou.

"Bennou," Loretta cried his name.

"I'm sorry, I ran as quick as I could. When I woke to the cold and saw the sky so dark over here I knew they must have found you." He didn't elaborate, but threw the torch down into the sand and placed his hands on his knees while he paused to catch his breath. "Are you okay?" he asked finally.

"Th—? Wh—!" she could barely breathe. It took a long moment before she managed to allow air into her lungs again, as she sobbed and rubbed her arm.

"Are you okay?" he repeated, with greater urgency in his voice. He picked up his torch from the sand and held it up to her face.

"I want Akil, where is Akil?" she clutched her arm tighter, unable to control her shaking.

"Yes, where is he Loretta? Why are you alone out here?" Bennou's face was grave. His concern clearly fuelled by the presence of the thing.

"She was not alone," Akil snapped, appearing suddenly out of the shadow of Bennou's torch.