Page 76

Amias

Kill the dreamscreecher!

I slowly open my eyes to familiar fluffy white sheets and beige walls that are neatly painted in my room. Ahead of my feet stands a white dresser with gold swirls. There's a family painting with my parents, a twelve year old Eramsus and a six year old me.

I yawn and stretch with Estrella's starlight shining through the window.

Morning already?

I close my eyes, recounting what happened last night. My heart sinks a little when I open them again.

The date with Gloria at the Soulmate festival. It didn’t work out.

I sigh. At least she'll find someone worth her time. Maybe Grandmother was right about me not finding love.

Kill the dreamscreecher!

The thought is loud, as if someone’s yelling at me. I put a hand on my aching head, wincing and closing my eyes.

Kill it!

The dreamscreecher? What dreamscreecher?

I stand up from my bed, my feet thudding on pale wooden floors, and look out the oval window. The summer forest already has spots of yellow and orange.

I raise a brow. Has autumn come already? But it's only the beginning of summer!

“Amias! You're up!”

I turn over my shoulder to Grandmother standing at the door. I force a smile despite my confusion. It's also strange that she's greeting me in my bedroom. “Yeah. I am.”

“Good!” she chuckles. “Do you feel alright?”

“I have a headache, but I'm fine otherwise.”

Kill the dreamscreecher!

I wince at the voice in my head, and the throbbing pain that comes with it. What's going on? Go away!

Grandmother sets a hand on my shoulder. “I'm so sorry about that, Valley Lily.” She shakes her head. “I have to tell you something…”

I raise my brows. Did someone die? “What?”

“Sit down, Amias.” She sits on my bed and pats beside me.

My muscles tense as I plop next to her. “What is it?”

She sighs. “Where should I even begin?”

I scan her body as if it would give me a clue. Is Mother okay? Is Erasmus? Is Father? “Where's everyone else?”

Kill the dreamscreecher!

I wince once again at the voice. Shut up!

“They are nearby, healthy and alive.” Grandmother nods. “They're okay.”

I slowly meet her eyes again with a heavy breath. “Then… what's the matter?”

She draws in a sharp breath. “How much do you remember?”

My heart skips a beat. What does that mean? Am I supposed to forget? “I went on a date last night…” I normally wouldn't have just admitted that, but this case seems to call for it. “I was at the soulmate celebration for Erasmus.”

She slowly nods. “Okay. So it worked.”

“What worked?”

She shakes her head. “You got cleansed this morning. You are missing two to three months of memories.”

My heart stops beating in my chest. What? “I got… But you said you-”

“You begged me for this ceremony. I wouldn't do this without your permission.”

I begged for this? What memories am I missing? What's happening? Why would I do that to myself? “How bad-”

Kill the dreamscreecher!

The loudness of the voice startles me. I gasp and tremble for a moment, before I realize the thought’s still in my head.

No. Stop. It's time to focus. “Did I… Did I get involved with a dreamscreecher?”

Grandmother nods solemnly. “You were romantically involved with one.” She points a finger to my neck. “You even have her bite mark.”

I slap a hand on my neck. No. No! There's no way! I wouldn't be so pathetic and disgusting! Everyone must think…

No!

I scramble off the bed and race past Grandmother into my living room - down the hall from the bedroom.

Mother, Father, Erasmus and Glaide sit on the cream couch and sofa chair, the glass table between them. Their eyes shine with tears.

A full length mirror stands by the wall beside me and I take my hand off my neck to reveal the marking Grandmother was referring to.

I gasp, bile at the edge of my throat. It looks hideous! It's a clear bite mark, dots colored in purple. There’s no way I got this willingly.

I've never wanted to rip my skin off so much. “No!” I glance between everyone sitting in the living room. “Was I really that stupid?”

“You weren't stupid,” Mother whimpers. She pushes off from the couch and slowly approaches, her shoes clicking on the wood floors. “You were a victim…”

She hugs me but I'm in too much disbelief to even return the favor. “I fell in love with a dreamscreecher?” I look at the rest of them sitting down.

They all nod, sniffling and wiping off tears. A deep melancholy fills the room. Each breath becomes a struggle as I finally squeeze Mother back.

Fuck!

“You couldn't handle it when you found out the truth,” Grandmother murmurs from behind.

I turn back as Mother lets go of me. “The dreamscreecher had manipulated and sexually abused you.

It had even attempted to murder you when we caught her just in time.

You starved yourself and then you cried endlessly.

You wouldn't even take care of yourself.”

I try to catch my breath but my lungs fail me.” And... so I begged to get cleansed?”

“Yes. Now you are healed from the lies of that creature.”

My lips quiver as it sinks in. I lost a good part of myself. I lost all of those memories. And I fell in love with something as disgusting and cruel as a dreamscreecher? I begged for the one ceremony I despised?

What kind of sick freak am I?

Everyone was right about me!

Dreamscreecher fucker! Fucking dictator!

Kill the dreamscreecher!

Kill the dreamscreecher!

Kill the dreamscreecher!

I shout, running a hand through my hair, the voices becoming overwhelming! My heart races as if someone were banging my insides with a hammer.

“Don't touch him, Rose flower.” Grandmother looks over my shoulder, then at me. “It will be okay, Amias. It will be okay.”

“This damn voice-”

Kill the dreamscreecher!

My eyes strain with the very idea, the flowers tangling around my arms. A gasp escapes as I look at the black star shaped flowers. They're like wicked versions of Amare flowers.

Tenebris flowers!

Kill the dreamscreecher!

I scream. “What's happening to me?”

“Calm down, Valley Lily!” She holds my hands. “Calm down child!”

“Why am I growing Tenebris flowers?” I sob. “And the voice in my head is so damn loud!”

“What voice, Lily? What voice?” She cups my cheeks.

“There's a voice that's yelling in my-”

Kill the fucking dreamscreecher!

I flinch at the noise, shouting at it. My body’s hot, sweat dripping from my head and arms. It's so loud it's making my ears hurt! “It's telling me to kill-”

The tenebris flowers grow around me and Grandmother steps back. The flowers wave in front of me like towering monsters, ready to feast on its challengers.

I shout. “I'm sorry!”

Kill it!

Kill it!

Kill it!

“Your attraction to that dreamscreecher corrupted you,” Grandmother gasps. “But perhaps this can be used to your advantage now that you're cleansed. Killing the dreamscreecher that hurt you will make it stop!”

“Make it stop?” I murmur.

“Yes. We should find where that little dreamscreecher was sent off to and kill it. Use these flowers as a weapon. Make it suffer. It will set you free. That's what helped Lydia.”

My heart skips. I'm in her shoes now. I'm just like her. Manipulated to love a monster.

I breathe heavily as I look into Grandmother's eyes. Will this voice stay if I don't kill that dreamscreecher? Will it be pounded into my skull forever? Will I be growing these tenebris flowers forever too?

There's no doubt on what I must do. I couldn't feel bad anyway if it's that disgusting creature I have to kill. I'll do whatever it takes to heal and redeem myself from corruption.