Sweet Nightmares: A Monstrous Beginning

Cocoa: Gasoline [Chapter Eight]

 Please... Wait... This pain. It hurts, I can't take it! 

 I can't breathe, my chest, my head, God my head. 

  I couldn't see, the pain was blinding. 

What was happening?

"This is... When... Disobey...." I couldn't hear all of it before something sharp pierced my arm. I screamed. I had never screamed before but I couldn't stop screaming. I tried to pull away and escape but I couldn't move. Something burning was pouring into my skin, it felt like it would never end. 

 I suddenly opened my eyes and found myself lying in the forest once more. I felt so hot... I wiped my face, feeling it covered in sweat. 

  What... What did they do to me? 

 I couldn't keep my heart from racing after such a dream. But it wasn't a dream, was it? A memory... 

 A memory of before I became a turned, right? 

  It was the only logical answer, but that was all I could remember. I still don't quite understand it. 

 I pushed myself up and looked around. It was quiet, even the trees were utterly still.

 It was somewhat of a struggle, I couldn't see out of one of my eyes, leaving me half blind. 

  Curled up in a ball was Caramel beside the now burned out branch. I wish I could remember who she was, she seemed nice enough. 

 Alice was laying beside her, eyes closed. Her breathing was fast, and she didn't twitch, I think she was still awake. 

 A monster like her... It was easy to imagine being ripped to shreds by those long nails, or speared with those arrows, though I had already been retrained by them now. 

 I tried to sit up more but couldn't move. Quickly, I felt a pang of fear and was reminded of being tied down in my dream, but as I looked over, I saw Mint using my shoulder as a pillow. 

 I was able to relax and let the fear seep away once I realized it was only him. 

 I wasn't back there anymore. Wherever it was, I wasn't there. So why am I still scared?

  As carefully as I could, I slid myself out from beneath the monster. His head rested against the trunk as I moved away.

 It was a struggle, but with the help of the tree, I managed to pull myself to my feet. 

 It seemed like I was using all my energy just to stand, and when I tried to take a step, my legs crumbled like dust under me. I fell, making more noise against the dry leaves than I intended. 

I froze up, in case I had woken anyone up. After a long, drawn-out minute without a stir, I began to pick myself up again.

 I wasn't planning to run, I just needed... I needed to do this myself. I had to prove to myself I wasn't weak.

  Once I fully stood up, something hit the back of my mind. 

I closed my eyes and tried to focus on it. What was it? Am I remembering something else?

A flash of gold, and shining eyes. 

 What is it? I clung to it, clinging as tightly as I could. If for a moment I let it slip away, I could forget again. 

 Thick fur, as bright as the sun. It was bristling in the wind. 

The flick of its long tail revealed the shining eyes at the end of it. The tail bared teeth and the shock nearly made me stumble.

I opened my eyes once more and ran my hand through my hair. 

 Did I know that creature? I tried to remember more, but the same scene continued to simply repeat in my mind. 

  A voice cleared behind me and I turned back, seeing Mint was awake and watching me. "You're standing." He commented and pulled himself to his feet. "Does that mean you're feeling better? 

 Better? I quietly chuckled at such. "Barely. I just... You know."

"Yeah. I bet you feel useless, huh?"

"You're no-not very good at pep talk." I stumbled over my words in reply. Even when I've been speaking more, my voice still felt strained. Mint sighed. "Ah, sorry. I mean, well, I understand how you feel. Well, I'm trying to. I..." He cleared his throat and started over. "I can only imagine how you're feeling right now. None of this is your fault, okay?"

"But it is." I clenched my fists before looking to the ground. "I don't know what happened to me, but... This st-started because I broke the ru-rules, didn't I?"

 Mint was quiet before I felt his touch on my shoulder. 

 "I keep... Hearing a voice in my memory." I looked back to him. His face was filled with an emotion I couldn't read. "Te-Telling me something about disobeying. What did I do? Please..."

The boy's grip on my shoulder tightened before he released all together and sighed. "You don't remember, but our world is a prison with strict rules. You were a candymaker and shopkeeper back there, and you were secretly selling banned candies."

  That doesn't... I don't understand. "Our world... I don't remember anything." I couldn't, even if I tried. It was all a blank canvas. In a world like that though, why were we trying to get back? 

 I suddenly felt sick and almost fell again, only saved by Mint quickly holding me up. "Do you need to sit down?" He asked, but I shook my head. "Just an ache." 

Pain at the top of my head was making me feel somewhat dizzy. Mint suddenly held me tighter before making a bothered noise. "Your..." He stopped with a noise of disbelieve. 

"What?" I turned around, and he could only stare. What was he looking at? What was it? 

"Your horns-" He suddenly released me, making me quickly have to catch myself before I fell. What about my horns?

 I reached up to touch them and felt them not... Not quite right. 

 They were usually small and nubby, easily hidden under my hair, but they felt longer, with more of a point at the tips. 

  What was this?

"Alright, uh, don't panic." Even as Mint said that his voice shook. 

"I'm no-"

"You're going to be alright." The octokin looked around before hurrying to Alice and shaking her. I couldn't keep myself standing any longer and dropped to my knees. 

 The murderer opened her eyes, which flashed red a moment before returning to blue. "What do you want?" She scowled him down before sitting up. "You're bold for doing that, knowing full well I could s*******r you like scissors to paper."

 The boy hesitated before looking back to face me. "It's Cocoa, his horns-"

"You shook me like I was a maraca... Because of his horns?" Her face dropped, giving a look that said 'I need a gallon of coffee'.

 "No, look. They grew right in front of my eyes."

 Alice groaned, pressing her palm to her forehead before standing up. She approached me slowly, dragging her feet as she did.

  I really wasn't panicking all that much, My horns were just a little longer, I wouldn't have even noticed if it hadn't been pointed out.

 Her face was right in front of mine, and I could smell the blood on her breath. "You," She looked back to Mint. "Wake your friend. We're going to have to move faster."

"What is it?" He moved a step forward, then halted as she rose her voice.

  "Just do it. The distortion is beginning."

A flash of fear crossed his eyes before he went to Caramel and started to shake her awake.

Distortion...?

  After a few shakes, Caramel groaned and picked her head up off the ground. 

 Without a warning in advance, my body was restrained once more by Alice. My heart momentarily stopped as that memory returned but I forced it down as quick as it came. 

 "We need to get on the road now. The Labyrinth and Fire Caves shouldn't be far."

"I don't think so." A loud voice echoed from somewhere unknown. The three others stopped in their tracks, frozen still. Looking around, we didn't have to wait long before a beast came into view in the skies and landed before our group, blocking the path deeper into the forest. "You smell even worse up close." The monster barred its teeth. The powerful dark wings upon its back lowered, tucking down like a bird's. 

"Winged dire." Alice murmured. "What do you want?" 

  A crash behind us and I looked back, another of the beasts standing to block us from running away. 

 They were huge, bigger than any wolf I had ever seen. Double the size of a lion, dark as the night, with glistening red eyes. 

  They weren't... Going to hurt us, right?

 More of the beasts cast shadows upon the ground as the circled us from above.

  "What do we want? We want what you stole." The first dire gruffed, stepping close until its snout was mere centimeters from Alice's face. 

"Oh God, what's happening?" Mint's voice cracked from the side. 

"Puppies!" Caramel giggled. The dire snapped its head back to look at her before chuckling, though it sounded more like a choking growl. 

 "Yes. 'Puppies'. And these puppies aren't happy. Do you know what happens when we're not happy?" His eyes sparkled like rubies when he returned to looking at Alice. The flick of its long tail brushed down the killer's arm as the dire sneered. One of the locks of fur touched my leg, and I couldn't resist shivering with fear. These things looked like they could snap a murderer like Alice in half in a millisecond. 

 "Things start to get a little bloody when our things go missing, you know."

"Trespassers." A second wolf spat. 

  Alice blinked, looking like something clicked in her mind. She exhaled, keeping her eyes locked on the winged dire. 

 "This is because I was hunting in your territory, correct? Take it. You can have your measly Wendigo back." She snorted, pointing at the ground where the bones of the Wendigo sat. "You're pathetic, tracking us down for a single morsel, barely enough to fill up one of your pups. Don't you have better things to do?

 The dire snapped its jaws before rasing itself upon its hind legs. As it fell back down to the ground, the earth shook around us. "Idiots!" It roared, so powerful I thought I would go deaf. "The entire land is after your necks and you're taking a nap on our borders and eating our prey!"

 I felt the monster's binds around me tighten some. "What are you talking about?" She hissed out. 

 "They don't know." Another wolf growled out. A few others erupted in chuckles before dying down into silence again. 

"Forget about the Wendigo." The dire turned his back, swishing his tail across the dirt, overturning a small cloud. The dust hit my face and even as I tried, I couldn't stop myself from coughing. "Word is out that the all-powerful Broken Bones is traveling with two weak outworlders. So vulnerable, so sad." He paused, then looked around. "Though, I see three. What, are you a babysitter now?" 

The dires laughed once more.

"Killing a wraith, entrancing a succubus, even the hydro scorpions are talking about how a mysterious demon saved your lives. Now, don't you feel special?"

 I took a glance to Mint and Caramel, who both seemed too small just then. Their eyes wide with fear, legs shaking. But Alice... The look on her face was only growing more and more into anger. 

 "And why is everyone so interested?" Her eyes narrowed. 

"The demons." One dire answered calmly. 

"The demons aren't happy."

"They don't like your group."

"They want you dead."

"Whoever kills you will get a hefty reward."

Voice after voice, the wolves took a turn answering. In sync, as if it were rehearsed. These dark winged wolves... They were so creepy. 

  "And you want to kill us." Alice suddenly dropped me. When I hit the ground, pain radiated up my body. 

I closed my eyes, expecting a fight between them to break out but the sound of battle never came. 

 I decided to look back up, Alice's tendrils waving in the air readily. The dires though... Why were they all looking at me?

 The leader of them presumably, the first one, he stepped forward, ignoring Alice entirely. 

 Was he going to kill me? What did he want? I couldn't fight something like him. Right now, I couldn't even fight an insect!

 The monster lowered his head and brought his face close to me. I clammed my eyes shut, ready for any sort of pain I might be feeling in a few moments.

 And then... A small tap. 

 What...?

 The beast had tapped his nose against my head and was sniffing me. 

  "You." He suddenly whispered and looked back up. 

 As scary as it was, I found myself smiling anyway. When they're not trying to kill... They were kinda cute? In a weird, demonic evil monster sort of way. 

 "Brothers, what do you see before me?"

"A weakling." Another gruffed. "Just kill it. It doesn't even belong to this world."

"No, not this one. His scent is familiar." The leader once more bumped his large nose against my head. Even when he wasn't trying to be strong, I still was almost knocked over. Suddenly he sneered. "Son of the Unicorn Queen and Chimera."

 What did they just say? 

"Son of what now?" Mint piped up. 

"Yes, of course, you carry the scent of the mighty Chimera and the delicate nature of the unicorn queen." The dire grinned before it dropped to a frown. "Both decided to live in the human world millions of years ago before dying out. Nothing but a disappointing myth. But you..." I felt his tail running down my back. "The offspring. How old are you?"

"I..." I couldn't answer. 

"Don't bother with him." Alice spat. "His sick, poisoned. We want to get to-"

"The night prince. Of course." The dire interrupted her. He stood up tall, showing off his powerful frame. "The Chimera was a dangerous but prideful beast. An enemy to our ranks." The wolf looked around to his brothers. "But the unicorn was a kind healer that saved the life of our once great king when he fell to Ziz."

"Who?" Mint questioned. A creature that even he didn't know?

 The leader flicked his tail quietly before closing his eyes. "A massive king of birds."

"Ziz tried to kill our king to control us as well, because of our wings." Another dire spat.

"But we are not birds!"

"Silence!" The leader roared. The winged dires all fell quiet. "We are not here to speak about history millions of years ago! The unicorn queen saved our king and had a son. This changes everything!"

 As I looked around, I noted the dires began to unfold their wings and take a stance in a circle around us. 

"You aren't going to kill us? Alice questioned, her voice dripping with suspicion. 

 The leader unfolded his wings before me before lowering his head like a bow. "Your father was our enemy only in the struggle of power, but your mother was our friend. We will help you if you'll let us. We can carry you as far as the Labyrinths, but no further."

I reached out to touch his thick fur but Alice grabbing my wrist stopped me. She frowned as she stared at the beast. "Why should we trust you? What about this reward the demons are offering?"

 The dire's eyes glistened and he bared his teeth for a moment before exhaling. "We are prideful creatures. The reward of the demons is nothing compared to the debt we owe. We can carry you there... Or you can keep walking and run into even more dangerous monsters."

 "We should just accept it." Mint moved close. "A one-stop hit right to the mazes. It saves us from all the time we've lost already. Plus, how long can Cocoa really keep going in his condition?"

  I wanted to say yes, but being a nuisance like that... I don't want that at all. I looked to Alice, hoping she'd agree with Mint. 

If the distortion is already starting, how much longer do I have? 

 What would happen to me if the world's darkness got inside me even more than it already has? 

 I already lost my control once. I don't remember it but... If my memory had anything to do with it, it... Probably wasn't good. 

 "Please, Alice." Caramel held her hands in front of her chest as she begged. Alice's eyes drifted between all of us before she clicked her tongue, the tendrils retracting back into her body. "Fine." When she released my wrist, I held my arm up and gently felt the black fur on the monster's face. It was softer than a cloud!

 The dire's tail suddenly wrapped around my waist and I was being lifted up. The beast set me on his back, tucked in front of his wings. I laid down, resting my cheek in his neck fur and hugging him. Even with both my arms around him, I wasn't even close to my hands touching. 

 So soft... 

  I closed my eyes a couple of moments before opening them again and catching sight of my... Friends... Being picked up the same way. The one that grabbed Caramel seemed discontented as he set her on his back, where she gave him a tight hug. 

 That slime wouldn't be washing out for a while, huh?

When Mint was placed on one of their backs, he looked around hesitantly. "Is there any saddle or something to grab onto or..."

"As if!" The winged dire roared into laughter. A hiss from my right made me look in the direction. Alice took a step back from the wolf offering her a ride. She held her hand up, telling him to stop before turning the gear that closed her body. Once the two halves shut, the wolf once again tried to pick her up, with no struggle this time, and set her on his back. 

  Not a moment later, the dire hissed. "Keep your claws out of my neck!" He shook his head, shaking her hands out of his fur. 

The wolf I was on sighed before puffing out his chest. "Brothers, return home. We will go on from here."

 The dires without a rider took flight but not before releasing a united howl. These monsters were magnificent! 

 Their wings pounded against the air, lifting them up higher and higher, leaving a dust cloud behind them. The bones of the Wendigo were easily scattered. 

 They vanished into the skies, leaving only us and the four dires. 

 "We will cross the mountains, the fastest route to the labyrinth." The leader rose his head. "Walking would have required you to go around."

"That would've taken days..." Mint murmured. 

 With a huff, the beast spread his wings and began to take flight. I quickly clung to the long fur, closing my eyes as tight as I could. 

 Flying... In the air... It was both exciting and scary. 

"Behind me, V-Formation." The leader barked the order. I almost felt like I was going to fall off and gripped even tighter. As much as I could at least. 

 "Are you afraid?" The dire suddenly questioned. Was he speaking to me? 

 "I... Uh..."

"Go ahead and look. There is no need for fear."

 Though I was hesitant, I opened my eyes and rose my head off the beast's neck. 

 Almost instantly, I felt the wind in my face. 

  It seemed to weave through my hair, moving it out of my face. Though even with that, my sight wasn't any better. Letting go with one hand, I covered my injured eye. 

 When I wasn't straining to see, everything seemed more clear. 

 I leaned over the side and looked down. It was all looking so small. From this height though, I could see monsters upon monsters. From the ground, they were watching. Did they know?

  It was nice to know we wouldn't have to be walking through this area at least. 

"Hey, uh, you knew my parents?"

"I was just a pup." The wolf responded shortly. 

 I inhaled slowly before resting my head back down. I was... Tired. 

  "Can you tell me a little bit? I... I don't have any memories, please."

 The dire made a noise that sounded like a cough, but I couldn't be sure. 

 "The Chimera was a legendary creature that could live through time. The head and body of a lion, the second head of a goat, and the tail of a serpent. He was powerful, brave, and intimidating, even to us."

 A strong father... I wonder how he died though if time couldn't even kill him. "And... My mother?"

  The wolf's wings straightened out and it glided through the air a minute or so before continuing to flap and raise itself up once more. "The unicorn was one of the only beasts that could use magic. Unicorns were gentle and kind, but shy and hard to find. I wish I could say the whole story, but after giving birth to you, the herd traveled to the human world where they lived the remainder of their lives."

 The human world? But that doesn't make any sense, how could I have been from the other monster world if-

A gust of freezing wind suddenly hit us.