Dreams of the Oracle

Chapter 32

Cassandra ran blindly into the thick darkness. Her feet pounded against the cold hard ground. The cloth covering that she had felt over the ground earlier had disappeared. Now he feet smacked against a icy cold hard surface. It was like running on steel.

She sucked in air as fast as she could but it wasn't fast enough. Her heart pounded in her ears and her lungs burned. She closed her eyes since she couldn't see where she was going anyway. She shook her head back and forth but she could not escape the voice of her tormentor.

Cassandra, why do you run? Why do you run from me?

The oily voice slithered across her mind and she struggled to recoil from it. It filled her with unrelenting dread. She wondered how she ever could have trusted such a voice. Her feet stung from pounding against the cold hard ground but she kept on running.

Do I frighten you Cassandra? Do I frighten you, sweet Cassandra?

Finally, Cass couldn't run anymore. She collapsed on the cold smooth floor. Her chest was heaving as she struggled for air. She felt bile in the back of her throat. She choked and turned on her side, gasping.

Then an eerie blue light appeared ahead of her. She looked up at it in horror. It wasn't possible! She had run as far as she could! How had he gotten ahead of her?

In the blue light was a manshaped silhouette that walked towards her at a leisurely pace. As he approached she felt a cold ancient evil spread across the surface of her skin. Despite her exhaustion she managed to jerk away, but the grim presence grew stronger with each step the silhouette took. She began shivering uncontrollably.

You cannot escape me, Cassandra. Not here.

Cass, still trying to get her breathing back to normal after her panicked run, found that suddenly the air had vanished. She tried vainly to breath but nothing came in. She fell, still shaking uncontrollably onto her back attempting to suck in air that no longer existed.

Here, I have all power. In this place I am the master.

Abruptly, air returned. Cass remained on her back taking deep breaths and trying to bring her shaking body under control. She felt Semildinatch step right up to her. The terrible aura that emanated from him grew stronger, until she was fairly paralyzed with pure terror.

As I said I may not have been entirely truthful. There is, in fact, no cythraul here. Those wondrous creatures are long departed from this realm.

Cassandra curled into a ball as her breathing slowly regulated. Her muscles responded sluggishly as her whole body shivered against the fear and the cold.

Forgive me, Cassandra. It was I who was chasing you. It was from me that I appeared to save you. I needed to gain your trust, you see.

The blue light had vanished but Cass knew that Semildinatch was standing directly over her. She could feel it.

Cassandra, sweet Cassandra, let us bargain.

Blue light illuminated his face as he knelt down over her. Cassandra blinked and tried to pull away but she couldn't move. Only half of his face was illuminated. Roguishly handsome features smiled down at her cruel amusement. The amusement of a child pulling the wings off an insect. The other half of his face was lost in shadow. Cassandra tried to pull away again but her body refused to obey her commands.

"Let me go," she whimpered.

The smile broadened wickedly.

Let you go? Why would I let you go after going through all the trouble of bringing you here?