Encounter With the Nightmare

Sirena Lauria is delighted to see that the kava tree is still there. She removes her knife from her pocket and cuts off just enough for the potion she must brew today. When she stands up she feels something surrounding her. She shivers. It is not her God. She stands still, listening, feeling, seeking to know. She turns to the dark tower and enters it. She hears a chant, dark and thick and demanding. She follows the hum as it leads her up. The song becomes stronger and more insistent as she spirals toward the top. Mesmerized, she no longer wishes to turn around. She rises through each loop of the path, the dark power becoming stronger and darker. Frightened, she no longer has a will of her own. The urgency to know , to follow, to do, becomes too strong for her to resist. She finally arrives at the top to find the same dark, brooding figure she has seen before. She stands , swaying with the effort to break the enchantment.

Nightmare looks to the globe and with unpleasant look on his face "What is this feeling?" He looks over to her with anger "What have you done to me?!"

Sirena sees the dark figure who has haunted her dreams and her waking "why have you called me here?" she asks

Nightmare: "This feeling that runs in the veins and in my stomach... it hunts me when I am awake, and when I am asleep! What have you done?!"

Sirena feels the dark music draw her again and she realizes that it emanates from this figure. Drawn against her will, she moves toward him. "I? I have done nothing. It is you who have drawn me here. I do not want to be here. I want to be freed"

Nightmare lowers his head "So do I..... but this feeling.... what I feel... it hunts me..."

Sirena is repulsed by the figure in front of her, but she prays to Belenus for strength and she stops swaying "tell me of these feelings. I am a healer, perhaps I can help"

Nightmare shakes his head "Emotions? Feelings.... I don't know anymore.... my being is not this...."

Sirena closes her eyes and concentrates on the figure in front of her. She tries to see with her third eye, the one she is supposed to receive impressions with and senses a confusion that is dark and angry. She opens her eyes and takes a breath. "tell me who you are and perhaps I can help. Tell me how you got here." She shivers as she sees his piercing red eyes stare at her over his black mask. She is very frightened, but is determined not to let him know that. The power of the dark aura still surrounds her, but it seems to have abated a little. She thanks Belenus and hopes He will continue to protect her.

Nightmare sighs and shakes his head "Love?" he sighs as he walks to the edge and looks down "No...." He takes a deep breath "Why Love?" shakes his head "No, it cant be...."

Sirena moves closer to try to read his emotions again and says "tell me, why did you call me here, if not to help you?" She concentrates and looks for his aura, seeing only black at first, but then noticing a faint tinge of red.

Nightmare closes his eyes and trys to hide the emotion if it was love. "I never called you, it must have been my aura. I attend to give us strong aura when I'm.... concentrating...."

Sirena begs "then release me and tell me of this..concentrating...you have been doing"

Nightmare sighs "Stupid girl, I have never even taken you in my grip.... you were curious... maybe something drag you... besides the aura."

Sirena says "I do not wish to be here, but I cannot leave. Your dark power drew me here, and as I neared you, I was unable to leave. We must resolve this. I cannot be here" She is terrified that he will not release her.

Nightmare sighs and walks back down inside the tower.

Sirena feels the dark energy pulling her, and she follows him against her will. She says "please, I beg you, release me. I cannot continue like this"

Nightmare sighs and shakes his head "it's not me girl...."

Sirena says "I cannot leave you. Your power keeps me here"

Nightmare looks to her "Hm, it may seem that way.... though I am confuse how and why...."

Sirena draws herself up and tries to explain "Your feelings have bound me and called to me. You are very strong and I cannot fight you. Indeed, I am unarmed by the wish of my God"

Nightmare shakes his head "Feelings? Now you say such nonsense...."

Sirena says "You are tired. I can heal that" She casts Flames of Passion and restores his stamina. She says "Do you not acknowledge that you have feelings? When I reach to sense you, they are there"

Nightmare closes his eyes and tries to feel his most inner emotions.

Sirena says "Each of us have emotions, a mix of good and evil.. I have sensed that you are a demon. You are black as the night to me, so that is how I will call you...Night"

Nightmare walks to her and puts his hand on her cheek.

Sirena startles but she cannot move away. "I pray you, please... Do not do this thing"

Nightmare sighs "I see... so it is..."

Sirena, terrified, begins to sway again, enthralled by a darker power than any she has ever encountered before.

Nightmare shakes his head "Such a shame....."

Sirena whispers "what is a shame?"

Nightmare: "love..."

Sirena's eyes widen "love? you ...love me? then this is not a way to show it." She is sure now that she must find a way to leave.

Nightmare sighs "I need to release the inner demon, until this never happens again...." He motions his hand "leave... You wont see me again...."

Sirena feels the power lessen and suddenly she is free. She runs, terrified, down the spiral path and out to the freedom of the world.

Sirena's Nightmare

Sirena wakes in the middle of the night to find the door to her house open. Shivering in the cold, she rises and closes it. Slipping back into bed, her mind wanders over a list of possible offenders. A dark figure comes to mind and she shudders at the thought. She had noticed him watching her at the Beltane Festival and he had been several times to The Place, each time exhibiting odd behavior. She recalls one such meeting:

Sirena says to the stranger "Welcome to The Place. I am Sirena, Manager and First Dancer." She does not ask his name, knowing that most guests prefer to remain unnamed.

Nightmare smirks "Your the girl from the kissing both".

Sirena grimaces "oh, how I wish I hadn't done that. I must have been mad. But then, I am not used to drinking such wine"

Nightmare shakes his head "Agreed, to kiss one I believe in the emotions that should be shared between the two..." Smirks at himself for even thinking of such things

Sirena says "It was my first Beltane and it was so wonderful" she stops and thinks of her God "except for the foolishness of the kiss"

Sirena says "may I offer you refreshment?"

Nightmare begins laughing "I think I will refuse... on that."

Sirena says "then why did you seek The Place? Most come here for a quiet meeting or a smoke"

Nightmare goes silent for a moment "I was looking for you..."

Sirena looks at the man "Many come here to see me dance. I am easy to find"

Nightmare shakes his head and goes into silence

Sirena says "It is early yet for me to dance to entertain the guests.” She looks around the empty room. “Are you sure you do not want some wine?"

Nightmare takes a breath "You wished to talk to me... but it seems the memory of that has come to a lose."

Sirena shrugs "I am unaccustomed to drinking and I took too much yesterday. I do not remember what we were speaking of. Perhaps you could refresh my memory?"

Nightmare sighs and begins to walk away

Sirena watches him walk away and shrugs

She burrows deeper under her sleeping furs as she thinks of how he stood on the bridge last night , watching her, and she thinks how fortunate it was that Damian was there to convince him to leave.

The dark figure had appeared at The Place last night while she was dancing and once again he was silent and brooding. She thinks he followed her to the Healing Ceremony but she is not sure. Suddenly afraid of the dark, she lights the candle and tries to sleep.