The Poems of Calliope

4. She Needs Me

Cesz

DARKNESS.

An unknowing agony.

I wasn't sure what, but something or someone was just stabbing my side. I knew what I was having. A night terror. On average, I had 16 night terrors each week. Whether they come all at once or take their sweet time each night, I have too many to bear with. Pai had them too when I had them. We connected through our dreams. Our minds were linked in the dreamscape. Hers were often different, we had glimpses at each other's night terrors in a split second or an entire minute, and we wouldn't have noticed until one of us described the night terror to the other.

I heard the maniacal laughing of the demonic entity as it raked its talons through my sides. I tried nonstop to remind myself it wasn't real. As I had in previous night terrors, it seemed to take off the edge of the pain. But this night terror seemed far different. It felt more real. No matter how many times I told myself otherwise, the surrealistic aura tore through my mind with more force than the talons.

You will never prevail, young demigod. You are strong now, but in time you will grow weaker as your only ally will distance herself from you.

My heart stopped. The only 'ally' I had who was a female was my twin sister. Pai could never possibly distance herself from me, right? She loves me...I'm all she has left in this world. I couldn't live with myself if I did something to make Pai hate me. I pondered on what the entity meant by me never prevailing. What would I fail to do? All I was intent on at the moment was getting to that demigod camp to keep Pai safe.

I was torn from my thoughts when my vision flushed red and I felt like my chest cavity exploded from extreme pressure.

Olympus will fall. Zeus will fall. Without harmony, all shall fall. And I will rise! RISE!

The entity suddenly screeched in horror as a blinding light ripped through the crimson abyss. I was virtually blind in my dreams, my eyes were always in a weird position and I couldn't move them to see anything better. I struggled to see what provided the light, sitting up as I clutched my gaping side. I couldn't see anything, I didn't have much control over my dreams anyways.

"Hello son. You don't know who I am yet, but when you do find out, I pray you'll forgive me for not being there in your life."

I squinted, confused. Who was this? I couldn't distinguish the gender, it didn't sound like either a male or a female. Or was it both genders? But I was hooked when they called me 'son'.

"The world is in grave danger. When you are told why, you will be confused. But know that the world will go to chaos if you do not save them."

I felt a warm embrace, then like my body was someplace else. Like a million feathers were caressing my skin...I could slip away..

"CESZ!"

I jolted awake with a scream. A manly scream of course, my voice is finely toned. I turned to see Pai, tears in her eyes. I pulled my sister close, holding her against my chest. She must've gotten the rest of my night terror. I felt guilty for it. But it wasn't like I could even control the entity. I recall feeling like my brain was being chained down while the entity had been speaking.

"It's okay..it's okay. I promise."I whispered. She moaned in agony as she clutched her side. I remembered being stabbed there in my night terror. I gently lifted her shirt, knowing she was used to me doing this after night terrors. Some days there were bruises, some days there weren't.

My eyes widened, this was a full on wound. She whined and thrashed as I brushed my fingertips along the gaping gash. "Oh my gods."She cocked a brow and I just shrugged.