buzzing began in her head. The world tilted.
And in one heartbeat everything went black and her body froze....
Erin felt herself falling down a deep, dark hole. All around her, winds rushed and howled in her ears, sounding like huge, frightening beasts trying to shred her.
They were hungry. They were desperate, and they wanted her.
They whispered her name on breaths of fire. Told her they waited only for her.
Not again! She couldn't take any more of this horrible nightmare.
Wake up, wake up!
But she couldn't.
Erin reached out to grab anything in the darkness to stop herself from falling. There was nothing to hold on to. Nothing to save her.
"Help!" she screamed, knowing it was futile but needing to try.
Still, she fell.
She didn't stop falling until she reached the cavern she knew all too well. Dark and dank, it smelled of rotting decay. She heard the hissing and screams, the absolute agony of souls in torment.
Run away!
Her heart pounded as she stumbled in the dark, over the rough floor that seemed to grab on to her feet with rocky fingers as she tried to find an exit. She struggled to see, but the oppressive darkness wouldn't let her. All it did was stab at her eyes like tiny needles.
She reached out with her hands and touched a slimy wall that slithered and moved under her fingers. Disgusting though it was, at least it gave her some support, something tangible that might lead her home.
And she had to find a way home. The frightened voice in her head told her that if she didn't get out of this now, she'd never be able to escape it.
Panicked, she saw a dim light flickering up ahead. She ran toward it as fast as her legs would carry her.
The light. It would save her. She was sure of it.
She ran into a large cave where the light was shining over the veined and broken walls that oozed some kind of gelatinous muck. The smell of sulphur burned her nose and the screams grew louder.
Erin skidded to a halt. If she had been terrified before, it was nothing compared to what she felt now.
The dragonlike monster, with shimmery blood red scales and jet-black wings, rose up in front of her, snarling. His long teeth snapped as he eyed her hungrily.
He moved closer to her, lulling her with his eerie silver-blue eyes. Eyes that seemed to see more than just her physical self. It was as if they saw all the way into her mind, her soul.
And she knew the beast wanted her. That he longed to possess her with a fevered madness.
Oh God, this was it. The beast was here to take her. To consume her.
There was no escape.
Erin stumbled back, toward the entrance. She wouldn't just lie down and die. It wasn't in her. She was a fighter. And she would fight until the last breath left her body.
Turning around, she ran to the opening, but before she could escape, it closed up, sealing her in.
"You're not going to leave me so soon, Erin," the scaly dragon lisped, his talons scraping the floor as he drew closer. "I need the light inside you. Your thoughts. Your feelings. Your goodness. Come to me, and let me feel the warmth of you wash over me."
He lunged for her.
Erin closed her eyes and imagined a sword in her hands to fight him.
She got a tree limb. Not her weapon of choice, but it was better than nothing. She swung it at him, catching him hard across the face.
Laughing, he shook his scaly head as if he didn't feel the blow at all. "Such spirit. Such intelligence and ingenuity. And you wonder why I want you so. Show me more, Erin . Show me what else you can come up with."
She forced him to step back while she wielded her tree limb. It was a stupid weapon, but it was all she had for the moment.
As if growing bored, the dragon jerked the limb from her hands. "I want your mind, Erin . I want to feel your fear of me."
He moved even closer.
Before the beast could reach her, a bright light flashed between them, stinging her eyes even more. It grew in intensity until it appeared brighter than the sun. When it finally faded, it
And in one heartbeat everything went black and her body froze....
Erin felt herself falling down a deep, dark hole. All around her, winds rushed and howled in her ears, sounding like huge, frightening beasts trying to shred her.
They were hungry. They were desperate, and they wanted her.
They whispered her name on breaths of fire. Told her they waited only for her.
Not again! She couldn't take any more of this horrible nightmare.
Wake up, wake up!
But she couldn't.
Erin reached out to grab anything in the darkness to stop herself from falling. There was nothing to hold on to. Nothing to save her.
"Help!" she screamed, knowing it was futile but needing to try.
Still, she fell.
She didn't stop falling until she reached the cavern she knew all too well. Dark and dank, it smelled of rotting decay. She heard the hissing and screams, the absolute agony of souls in torment.
Run away!
Her heart pounded as she stumbled in the dark, over the rough floor that seemed to grab on to her feet with rocky fingers as she tried to find an exit. She struggled to see, but the oppressive darkness wouldn't let her. All it did was stab at her eyes like tiny needles.
She reached out with her hands and touched a slimy wall that slithered and moved under her fingers. Disgusting though it was, at least it gave her some support, something tangible that might lead her home.
And she had to find a way home. The frightened voice in her head told her that if she didn't get out of this now, she'd never be able to escape it.
Panicked, she saw a dim light flickering up ahead. She ran toward it as fast as her legs would carry her.
The light. It would save her. She was sure of it.
She ran into a large cave where the light was shining over the veined and broken walls that oozed some kind of gelatinous muck. The smell of sulphur burned her nose and the screams grew louder.
Erin skidded to a halt. If she had been terrified before, it was nothing compared to what she felt now.
The dragonlike monster, with shimmery blood red scales and jet-black wings, rose up in front of her, snarling. His long teeth snapped as he eyed her hungrily.
He moved closer to her, lulling her with his eerie silver-blue eyes. Eyes that seemed to see more than just her physical self. It was as if they saw all the way into her mind, her soul.
And she knew the beast wanted her. That he longed to possess her with a fevered madness.
Oh God, this was it. The beast was here to take her. To consume her.
There was no escape.
Erin stumbled back, toward the entrance. She wouldn't just lie down and die. It wasn't in her. She was a fighter. And she would fight until the last breath left her body.
Turning around, she ran to the opening, but before she could escape, it closed up, sealing her in.
"You're not going to leave me so soon, Erin," the scaly dragon lisped, his talons scraping the floor as he drew closer. "I need the light inside you. Your thoughts. Your feelings. Your goodness. Come to me, and let me feel the warmth of you wash over me."
He lunged for her.
Erin closed her eyes and imagined a sword in her hands to fight him.
She got a tree limb. Not her weapon of choice, but it was better than nothing. She swung it at him, catching him hard across the face.
Laughing, he shook his scaly head as if he didn't feel the blow at all. "Such spirit. Such intelligence and ingenuity. And you wonder why I want you so. Show me more, Erin . Show me what else you can come up with."
She forced him to step back while she wielded her tree limb. It was a stupid weapon, but it was all she had for the moment.
As if growing bored, the dragon jerked the limb from her hands. "I want your mind, Erin . I want to feel your fear of me."
He moved even closer.
Before the beast could reach her, a bright light flashed between them, stinging her eyes even more. It grew in intensity until it appeared brighter than the sun. When it finally faded, it
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