Archive World of Darkness: The Academy - Uneasy In Slumber

[Sylvia Dorn]

[afternoon of SSDD]

One of the cherished privileges to a packed morning class schedule at Dalton was a particular period of the afternoon free from duties. A thousand or so miles to the south, it would have been referred to as siesta. Here, Sylvia simply thought of it as nap time.

With her room catching the afternoon sun, the tradition was one that the educator enjoyed in the warmth of those golden rays; she'd long ago re-arranged the room for exactly that purpose. Curled upon the bed and with the alarm set, she would fall into slumber, to be refreshed for the late afternoon lecture.

But lately, Sylvia's naps weren't so refreshing.

It was out there. Whatever the hell it was, Sylvia knew, it was stalking the village.

Behind her, children played in the dirt, their laughter mixing with the wind and birds in the trees. In any other circumstances, it would have been delightful. But now, it somehow served to underscore the threat.

As she stalked around the edge of the clearing, Sylvia caught the tell-tale sounds, out there in the jungle. The crushing of leaves, the snap of a branch, a certain quiet from the normal background din of the local fauna. And when the wind carried just right, there was a faint but distinct musk that fired off alarms somewhere in the recesses of her mind. *Danger!*

Something flashed past out there, just at the corner of her eye. What it was was still an utter mystery, but it was circling the little clearing. Sylvia knew in her gut that the thatched huts would provide no real protection for the villagers, and the fire that burned in the middle of the circle suddenly seemed far, far too small. Keeping a careful eye in the direction of the latest sounds, she stalked to the fire, tossing a bit more fuel into the mix.

A sudden scream swiveled her around. A girl who couldn't have been five was running with all her might toward one of the huts. And out there in the darkness, beyond the frail reach of man, Sylvia saw two bright dots of reflected firelight.

[Ravi FitzCoventry]

[A couple of days after SSDD]

In the pre-dawn Ravi slumbered with limbs a-tangle in his silk sheets, one arm thrown over his face as he murmured something incoherent.

It had caught him, he knew, yet still he ran. The Beast had caught hold of him, marked him, then set him free to run again for it's amusement. He was being harrowed, and the thought caused a flame of defiance to leap up in his breast even as he continued to run, feeling it's faint footsteps padding behind him, always just behind him.

How dare this thing hunt him. He was the Hunter, not the Hunted, damn it. The thing had no right... and yet it did. He felt that too: it's burning anger and fury at being caged. It had been kept prisoner for too long, and now the Beast wanted out.

Well too bad! Ravi FitzCoventry was not one to roll over without a fight. He ducked around a tree and turned at bay, muscles coiled to spring and fingers clenched into claws. He could hear the creature's light footsteps coming closer and his heart soared with savage satisfaction. It wouldn't be expecting him to strike: it would be easy prey.

A shape came into view, feet treading lightly on the leaf-strewn floor. Shining eyes turned towards him too late as he leapt with a snarl of feral glee.

A girl's face filled his vision and she screamed, throwing up her arms in a futile attempt to ward off peril. Too late he realised that the Beast was behind him again, it's growl like laughter in his ears as he looked down into terrified, pain-filled eyes.

Sweat covering his body, Ravi sat bolt upright, breathing hard and his heart hammering in his chest. He felt a curious mixture of arousal and elation and recoiled from it, sinking back into his sheets with a heavy sigh.

"Damn food poisoning." he groaned under his breath. It was evident that he wasn't yet over the weird dreams. He looked at the clock: still a couple of hours left to sleep in. Pragmatic as always, he did his best to dismiss the unusually vivid dream.

As he fell back into slumber the last thought in his mind was Mari's face, her large dark eyes forming a tear-filled, futile query as she looked up at him.

[Atomicweasel]

Two days after SSDD...

A thin carpet of mist lay over the forest, coiling around Mari’s ankles, reaching with a serpentine curl up her calves. Her bare feet padded over wet grass and moist leaves. She was wearing only a nightgown, a thin shift that rippled against her skin and provided little protection from the early morning chill. She shouldn’t be out here, but there was something Mari had to do. There was someone lost in this place. She could hear the faint sounds of running. He needed her help and Mari had to find him and bring him back...or the forest would close over him and draw him in, and then he’d be lost forever.

The trees grew taller and thicker as Mari walked deeper into the forest. Branches stretched overhead like crooked palsied claws, bare and skeletal and black in the dark. Mari felt her heart thumping behind her ribs. She felt like a frightened rabbit. Every rustle in the bushes, every whisper of the wind was like an omen.

Mari padded on, feeling the branches tug at the gossamer of her gown and scrape across her skin, leaving angry red scratches. She was drawing closer. The running sounds had grown louder, then stilled. She could hear the heavy breathing of some creature shrouded in the darkness up ahead. She could smell fear and anger mixed together over the musky scent of dirt and pine tree. Ravi, Mari called faintly, but the mist stole her voice away into the murmur of the forest, the crisp crinkling of some twig underfoot, the whisper of the wind as it lapped against Mari’s bare skin and swirled over the fallen leaves.

The breathing stopped and Mari looked around in confusion. She started walking between two thick oaks when she heard the animal growl and twisted to her left. Too late she saw the bared claws and slavering fangs. She threw up her arms and screamed, but the beast was on her, tearing into her, rending her soft yielding flesh. Mari felt the warmth of her own blood bubbling out of her. She stared up into the darkly handsome face of her attacker, into his unforgettable green eyes...

Mari woke screaming. Sitting up in her bed she drew her knees up tight to her chest and felt the panic slowly ebb away. She was damp with sweat, her pajama-top clinging to her wetly, her hair plastered to her face. “Mari, shut up! I’m trying to sleep.” Rachel groaned grumpily from her side of the room.

“I’m sorry...” Mari watched her roommate burrow deeper under the covers. Mari was still trembling as she slipped out of her bed and wiped the tears from her eyes. It had been so real. She glanced across the room at Rachel’s alarm clock. 4:47. Padding to the window she looked out upon a foggy Colorado morning...

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Height: 5'1", Weight: 102 lbs, Hair: Dark brown, Eyes: Hazel, Striking looks 4, Dexterity 4, Presence 4