More Fractured Tales stories!
It was there again last night... invading her dreams once more... just as it had done every night for the past five weeks... and no matter how fast she ran... she couldn't get away from it.
Every morning was the same... she woke up exhausted... as if she'd been running a marathon... she was sleeping... but she wasn't resting.
Five whole weeks... a little over a month... or a grand total of thirty-five days... in her opinion, that's too long to go without proper sleep.
It wasn't hard to figure out why she was feeling drained and worn out... too tired to do anything but the bare necessities.
At first the thing was small... and it had just stared straight ahead... motionless as a boulder... she wasn't even sure if it was breathing or not.
But, over the past couple of weeks... something had changed... it had started growing... inch by inch... every night becoming a little bigger... and no doubt stronger as well.
She could also sense a restlessness... as if it was growing tired of being passive... getting ready to break the pattern... becoming eager to move... to explore the unknown.
As if it had been waiting... perhaps until the time - or season - was right to move... or until the temperature was warm enough.
She knew it needed the warmth of sunlight to warm its cold-blooded body before it began to move about.
And it isn't just the movement... there is something more... an increasing sense of hunger... for food... raw, juicy flesh.
But deep down inside, it hungers... not just for sustenance... but for knowledge of its surroundinge and... whatever may be out there.
It seems to need an intimate awareness of its territory... and is developing a strong desire to move... to expand its boundaries.
Now that it's on the move... she can sense it... sense a deep-seated determination... but for what purpose?
She doesn't know how far away it actually is... what it is focused on... or why... she knows only that it is moving... with a purpose.
The warmth of the sun is slowly fading from its blood... the life-giving liquid running slower through the reptile's veins and arteries... causing it to feel a bit sluggish.
It moves precisely... plodding along... one slow, measured step at a time... but time seems to have no meaning for the creature.
She can sense the cooling blood running slowly through its veins and... suddenly, she realizes the thing is coming towards her... there is no doubt... but why?
Its progress is slow and measured... like the ticking of a clock... as if it has all the time it needs to reach its destination.
It has grown... so much more than she had thought possible... it is huge now... practically the size she imagines a dinosaur might have been.
As it draws closer, its mouth opens slowly... revealing small, razor-sharp teeth... so many teeth... and it is close enough that she can feel its breath... cold, foul-smelling lizard breath.
********************
The back door opened and closed. "Auntie Jean, where are you?" Without waiting for an answer, the visitor walked into the living room. "Hey, have you seen my... never mind, there it is."
Her nephew walked across the room, to the chair he usually sat in. He reached out to pick up one of his favourite toys. "I thought it was lost." The small rubber toy fell to the floor and scooted under the chair. He reached in to get it.
His aunt screamed and he whirled around to face her. "Auntie Jean, what's wrong?" There was a quiver in his voice. "Are you okay? What happened?"
She shook her head and drew several deep breaths. "Listen to me, Matthew. You must put that... THING... down." Her voice was shaky and her eyes were wide.
"What are you talking about?"
"That thing in your hand... it has been stalking me... at night... I see it in my dreams... growing bigger... and coming towards me... with its mouth open."
"Auntie Jean," he said quietly. "This is just a toy, one of my zoo collection." He sat down beside her and held out his hand. "See? It's just a little rubber toy. It can't hurt you."
Shivering, she drew several deep breaths and gave him a shaky smile. "Of course it is. I'm being silly, aren't I?"
Then she hugged him. "Let's go to the kitchen and get some milk and cookies."
No need to alarm him with her fear of lizards and other cold-blooded creatures, she thought... and then she wondered... had Matthew's toy caught her eye without her being aware of it... and triggered her dreams?
Or was there a real one out there... drawing ever closer... and was it safe for her to sleep tonight?
