Nightmares and Family

The biting chill of the cold waters surrounded him, and his lungs burned from the lack of air, he struggled to see in the darkness as the creature continued to drag him into the depths of the water, the creature was transparent, made purely from water, the speed with which it swam in the water impossibly fast, he struggled against the iron grip of the creature but it was impossible to break free.

As they continued into darker depths Amari felt as though his lungs were about to give out, he felt the grip in his hand disappear, and the darkness that surrounded him seemed smoke-like, its cold tendrils evoking fear.

Amari gasped when a pair of hands wrapped around his neck, choking him.

"I am going to die". Amari thought air fast leaving his lungs, he reached behind and grabbed the hands wrapped around his neck, a white light shot out from his hands and the creature let out a deafening screech.

"Arkhhhhh". It released its grip, the smell of burning flesh filling the air.

"Cough! Cough!". Amari coughed his relief, but his freedom was short-lived as more hands reached out from the darkness, grasping at him almost desperately, their hungry screeches deafening to the ears.

Amari closed his eyes, willing this nightmare to be over, he cracked open an eye when the screeches suddenly stopped, he was no longer in the darkness, but was now standing in a forest, tall lush trees surrounding him, he caught a peek of the moon hidden by the trees, yet there was a deathly stillness in the surroundings, not a single noise from any animal and the air felt stagnant, so the sound of a broken twig was very loud.

Amari caught only the flowing white dress as the figure whipped through the forest.

"Wait". He called out but she didn't stop, Amari darted behind her weaving through the bushes, she was probably a native for she ran as though she had lived here all her life. His feet coming to a stop a the sight before him.

The blood in the snow was an extremely glaring contrast, broken roofs and cracked walls, arrows stuck on fallen bodies, and fire razing down whatever was left.

Amari's eyes widened in horror at the sight of Ikran, or better yet what was left of it.

"No, dear Nyx this is not happening". He cried, eyes locked with the broken figure of the goddess, her lips still curved in a gentle smile, the blood splattered on her face made her look as though she was crying blood.

"You shouldn't be here". A soft voice said, he turned to look at her, it was the lady whom he met in the forest, her long black tresses cascaded down her back in soft waves, and her flowing white dress made it look as if she was standing on a cloud, the large white wings at her back made her look like an angel.

"Who are you? Where you the one who brought me here? Where am I?".Amari asked.

"Who I am, you will come to know in time, I didn't bring you here, you are in the future, this will be the starting point of your life, your journey begins here". She said.

"My future?" Amari was skeptical. " This is not my future, Ikran can't be destroyed".

"I don't know why it chose you, but fate knows the reason for choosing you, you will face challenges like never before, but promise me that you will never give in". Her eyes held a deep solemnity.

"Give in? Give in to what?" Amari felt anxious. She didn't reply, instead gazing at the far distance as though seeing something he couldn't.

"Time is running out, you have spent too long in this realm, you must go now before nothingness claims your soul". She started to fade away body dissolving into tiny white lights.

Suddenly he was overwhelmed with nausea, his feet rushing towards his home before his brain could process why, his heart lurched when he found his home covered in flames.

"Brother help me". "Freya". His heart thudded at her fear-griped tone as he struggled to find her but couldn't as the fire that shrouded their home blazed with increasing fury.

"Amari". "Ma, I am here".

"Amari". "Pa, where are you?". He gasped for air the burning smell choking him, the heat of the fire scorching his face.

"No". He screamed as he watched their home devoured by the flames, the tortured screams of his family ringing in his ear as the flames devoured them.

✨✨✨✨✨

"No". He jolted from the bed with a scream.

Amari's eyes widened as he gasped, body drenched in sweat, heart beating at a speed that would soon cause him a heart attack. The sweet floral scent of the darneas his mother had planted in the garden, brought in by the wind through his open windows, Freya's happy giggles as Gareth chased her round the house, and Selene scolding them not to break anything, helped him melt back to his reality.

"That's right, it's just a nightmare". He assured himself as he ran a hand through his disheveled bed hair, he got up from the bed and went down the stairs in bare feet.

The sight of his mother making pancakes in the kitchen, and Freya fighting against their father who was playing the villain in whatever fantasy she had cooked up, brought tears to his eyes.

Selene was the first to notice his presence. "Do you think you are still a child roaming barefooted in your bed clo...". She trailed off as she met his tear-filled eyes, her frown melting, a worried look filling her eyes, Gareth and Freya too had already stopped their play.

Amari rushed down, stumbling into his mother's hug, her arms tightened behind his back, he felt Freya's small hands wrapped around his waist, as his father's muscular arms wrapped around them all, he savored the feeling, his family was here, alive, warm and solid.

"What's the matter, baby?" Selene asked.

"Nightmare". Amari sniffed.

"There, there it's alright now, you are safe Ari". Gareth's soft voice was a sharp contrast to his rough timbre yet it soothed Amari.

"Now what is this, such a big boy still crying over nightmares, where did my brave little knight go". Selene teased laughingly. Amari laughed, a watery laugh, but one that filled him with joy, they remained like that until the smell of burning pancakes filled the air.

"Oh dear Nyx, breakfast is ruined". Selene groaned as she disentangled from the hug and struggled to salvage what was left of breakfast.

Gareth laughed. "Well, it won't be the first time we are having burnt pancakes for breakfast".

Selena glared at him.

"What, when we got married you couldn't cook". Gareth shrugged

She gasped. "Oh! So I am a bad cook".

"I didn't mean that sweetheart, you cook better than the lyrtes, I swear". He rushed to explain.

"But you said I cooked burnt food". She argued. "

That was only when we first got married".

"So you lied, you said I made the most delicious of meals when we got married". Selene's voice was alighted with fury. Gareth grimaced, stuttering over his words as he rushed to soothe his angry wife.

"Pa is such a mess I bet it's going to take a week before Ma will forgive him". Freya giggled, her soft hands still gripping his, Amari chuckled in acquiescence, but his mother remained frowning as she dumped the pancakes in the bin, his father still all over her as he begged for forgiveness, Freya watched it all with glee, one of the chairs was missing a leg, no doubt due to his father, Freya's sword tossed on the floor, they probably needed to repair the roof it was leaking in many places, the door creaked when it was pushed open and a few steps were broken, but this was his family, his home and he wouldn't change anything even for the world, he didn't believe in the dream, he was going to do everything to protect his family and keep them alive, that was not his future, he refused.

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