The first scream was swallowed by the storm.
The second was ripped apart by fangs.
Rain lashed against the village like silver daggers, drowning out the cries of the dying dryads. The scent of blood thickened the air as bodies crumpled, torn apart by claws and teeth.
The sky once painted in black now burned red as flames devoured the dryad village.
A mother clutched her child against her chest, her bare feet slipping on the muddy ground as she ran through the burning village, trying to get as far away from the merciless beasts.
Rain lashed her face, but it could not wash away the scent of blood. The howls of the werewolves echoed behind her closer, and closer.
"Mother, I'm scared," the little girl whimpered, her tiny fingers tangled in her mother's hair.
"Shh, my love," the woman whispered, her voice trembling as she pressed a desperate kiss to her daughter's forehead.
"We're almost safe."
She knew it was a lie. There was no safety left.
The barrier protecting their village had fallen, vanishing as if wiped from existence. The werewolves had flooded in like a black tide, tearing through her people with fangs and claws.
The Dryad's vines had tried to fight back, twisting up from the earth to impale the beasts, but the creatures were too many, too ruthless.
And now... the mother knew they were coming for her child.
"You must go, my child." The mother's voice was thick with emotion, but her hands were steady as she tightened the red pendant around the girl's neck.
The stone pulsed faintly, as if sensing the danger surrounding them. "Never take this off. Promise me."
The little girl sniffled, nodding, though she didn't understand why.
"Good girl." Her mother kissed her forehead again, lingering for a heartbeat too long.
A growl suddenly rumbled through the air.
She froze, as blood drained from her face.
"They had found her". Her thoughts came crashing down in crumbs.
A shadow loomed ahead, blocking her escape. The pack's leader. A massive werewolf with silver-streaked fur and haunting grey eyes, watching her with cruel amusement.
His lips curled, revealing jaws drenched in fresh blood.
Her body trembled, but she held her child tighter. Not yet. Not yet.
"Run," the mother whispered, forcing her toward the swirling portal ahead.
Tears blurred the child's vision. "No, Mama! Please!"
"GO!" Her voice cracked as she shoved the girl forward, knowing she would never follow.
The girl stumbled forward, her sobs drowned by the roar of the storm.
"No, Mother!" the girl screamed, trying to claw her way back. But her cries turned into a horrified wail as she saw the massive werewolf clamp its jaws around her mother's neck.
Blood sprayed through the air as the mother's lifeless body crumpled to the ground.
The werewolf's grey eyes pierced through her soul, he limped towards her for a nasty attack. And then a blinding white flash swallowed the chaos.
Everything faded into silence.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
" No!!!!"
The scream tore from her lips, dragging her out of the nightmare's grasp. Calista bolted upright, her heart hammering in her chest like war drums. Her hand clutched the damp bed sheets, now soaked with cold sweat.
She grasped for air, her trembling fingers brushing away the tears that streaked her face.
Her heart felt as if it was pricked by thousands of needles, it felt so heavy and bitter, she could not stop the tears from pouring down her face.
It was the same dream, the very same dream that plagued her every night . The dream that appears blurry every time she wakes from it.
She didn't know why she felt so much pain over a dream that she could not remember.
Calista's gaze fell to the faint glow of the pendant resting against her chest.
The red stone seemed to pulse faintly, as if alive. Her fingers curled around it protectively.
"What are you?"
"Why do you feel so familiar, yet so distant?"
She stared into the darkness, her thoughts swirling. The dream never revealed its full truth, but each time it left her feeling emptier, lonelier.
"Who am I mourning?"
"What am I forgetting?"
One thing was certain, this nightmare wasn't just a dream.
It was a memory.
And it was waiting to be remembered.