Chapter 15... :D!

Chapter fifteen- Nightmare in the Dark

Unsurprisingly, I could not sleep well that night. I kept blacking out in my sleep, and kept hearing the whispers from the wind echo in my mind. I could not understand the meanings of them. The words were spoken as if from a father… But I did not have one.

          Daughter, the time is coming, be prepared. What does this mean? Was my father somehow connecting to me? What was coming? Is it connected to anything near the things that have been happening?

          The endless sleep droned on and on, and I finally tuned out into a calm sleep.  

          Then something went wrong. I felt as if I was being sucked into something, something I shouldn’t. I couldn’t resist- I had no power, no strength against this pull. I was forced to enter the dark abyss of this dream…

           ‘I- I swear, I didn’t realize-“

          “Didn’t realize what, you fool? That I wouldn’t come after you?”

          Two men were fighting, it was clear. They were in a dark room, perhaps a cell..? One of the men was old, shaking and delusional. His white, brown scraggly beard hung greasily over his face, quivering as he spoke. The other man- no, could it be?

          Malistaire Drake, once again, was in my dream. However, this time I had the power to think, not watch. Where was I? Could they hear me? Could they see me?

          But I was hidden in the shadows.

          “It was just a book!” The old man sobbed.

          “Ha! A book with information I will have to kill you for telling the world all about it. Tell me, Adam Deathbringer. What do you know of my wife?”

          “Sh-she was the Life p-professor.” Cried the man. I felt sorry for him, the fright he felt.

          “You stupid, foolish man. You know nothing of her, but only the parts where I do not allow you to go any further.” Malistaire growled. He put his sharp wand at the base of the man’s, Adam’s, chin.

          “Please, spare me! Nobody believed what I wrote, please, spare me!”

          “Of course nobody would believe you, considering you are some idiot. I will destroy you, and all of your books.” Malistaire pressed his wand in deeper. I saw a bead of blood spurt from Adam’s neck, and I reached to help. However, my hand just went through both the men, and I shuddered. I’ve never been this close to Malistaire before.

          Adam smiled, showing disgusting yellow teeth. “Not all of my books, Malistaire Drake.”

          “I will indeed, so do not dare question my motives. What you wrote about Sylvia wasn’t supposed to be known. She died of a cold, and that is all you must know. A cold.” Malistaire’s eyes flashed in a daring attempt to force Adam to believe. But Adam’s emotion didn’t even quiver.

          Of course Sylvia died of a cold, did she not? Why does Malistaire question this man, Adam, about her death? Why is he here with Adam at all? What did Adam do so bad, or write in his ‘book,’ to make Malistaire Drake, so viciously angry?

          “Oh, my lord. People with strong minds believe in only the truth. What you say is your trickery, your cruel sense of blaming your love’s death on a simple cold. You know what happened to her, Malistaire. Admit it- I saw it with my own eyes.” Adam’s voice now shuddered, as though remembering a tragic memory.

          “Silence.” It was all Malistaire replied, before he swiped his wand over Adam’s body, and the old man’s body fell limp. It crumpled to the ground, dead.

          I gasped in horror. Malistaire was a murderer, not someone to reason with. He wasn’t the man I saw in

Golem Court

, but so much more. I watched in shock as he twirled himself, disappearing in a column of black smoke.

          I rushed to the old man, but I couldn’t touch him. My hands would only go through his body like a ghost. I touched his hand, or tried to. I noticed his hand unfurl, and a tightly squeezed up piece of paper lay in his hands.

          I couldn’t take the paper out of his hands, or read it. I wondered if there was somehow a way to take the note, but how could I when I could not touch anything? How could I even get out of the dream?

          All of a sudden, the man awoke. His eyes were suddenly red, with yellow around the ridges. His mouth was turning blue, and his cheeks already pale. I knew as soon as he quickly awoke that he wasn’t supposed to be alive.

          However, he was staring right at me. In the eyes. Did he see me?

          He touched my face, and I felt it. I did not go through his hand.

          “Moonstone eyes… So beautiful…” He whispered, staring at my face. “You… Have… The eyes of…”

          I didn’t know what he was referring to. “What about my eyes? Adam, can you hear me?”

          He didn’t answer. He just took the crumpled piece of paper and pushed it into my hand.

          I didn’t know how or why I was able to feel and be seen in the dream again, but it scared me. I shakily unfurled the piece of paper. It seemed to be an announcement: Book of Adam Deathbringer. Your book (The Golden Age) has been safely stored in the Library of Magical Arts. Since we can only allow one copy, we will keep it safe for as long as possible. From, the Library Council.

          It was like a letter, as well. I knew all a sudden, that perhaps the book could still be in the library. Perhaps Malistaire hasn’t yet found it or destroyed it. Maybe I could see what was so important to Malistaire to hide.

          If this dream was real.

          I looked back down at Adam, but soon realized he was already dead. Final death.

          And I was sucked back into reality.

          I awoke, shivering. The window had been left open, I noticed. I stood up, and my legs shook as if they haven’t been used for years. I closed the window, but had little strength. I sat back down in my bed, shivering to my self and thought.

          The old man’s name was Adam Deathbringer. Who was he? A writer? Surely he wrote some book, but who was he?

          Adam had not thought Sylvia died of a cold. He was obviously insane, not in his right mind… Anyone could have seen that, with his crazy eyes. Surely it was just the dream that made him crazy.

          Then there was the last dream, with Malistaire. Killing his Troll servant, what had he been looking for? These things, I knew they made sense. I felt like I have been solving a riddle, with no help. Headmaster Ambrose was one I could not trust anymore, despite his wisdom.  I had forgotten to tell him about my dream- but what’s the difference?

          Adam was a strange man. What had he known?

          What was it that he saw, involving her death? Did Malistaire kill her?

          No. He didn’t exist. I don’t think.

          I realized that my nails were digging into the flesh of my palm. No pain I felt came from my tight hands, but I did realize I had something. I looked down and opened my palms.

          Right there. Proof. In obvious condition.

          In black and white making, crumpled and tattered.

          The Letter of Adam Deathbringer.