Rest Not My Friend

Time lost

  A woman was running with no breath left in her body, hair whipped around behind her as if an extension of her shadow. Her feet carried her as fast as they could, the dirt kicked up with each step as she started down the side of a hill, the gravel cut at her if she was not careful, but with the sounds of beasts nearing there was no slowing down, no chance to look back. 

 The air was foggy and dark, the scene would not stay in focus, and the woman disappeared... 

 Reality shifted before it soon came back in wisps and swirls with the woman being surrounded in a clearing. Her eyes blazed with several emotions, however a wicked look took over her expression as great beasts of the moon and their brethren who hid in human flesh charged at her. 

They jumped, and she dodged but only for one after another to try and stop her. She was hit, smashed into a tree, the sound of a snapping bone filled the air and silence followed.  The beast who pinned her remained there pressing against her chest.

  A soft laugh was felt not heard, vibrating as if one was under water. The view moved in closer to the woman, closer to her lips, pink but chapped. She whispered to the wind looking up at the one holding her tight against the tree. Her voice was silent and lost, her words were being drowned out, but the vibrations let this world know she was speaking as loud as she could. Everyone there heard her, you could see the rage build, one individual approached. The beast moved away as the man readied himself and tied a piece of rope around her throat. As she gagged and her eyes bulged he moved to tie her to the tree next, all the while dragging her in the dirt. No effort to stop him was made and it seemed everyone, that includes her, knew it was pointless. The man stepped back to look at her; grabbing the woman by her hair the man pulled her close to him, he smiled. The shifting view had caused a loss of understanding for the words that appeared on the mans tongue, but it was clear to see the woman spitting in his face. A thump echoed through the clearing, a head butt to the bridge of her nose had her collapsing 

 A younger man with piercing eyes stepped forward but focus was shifting  again, this time to his hand, right as he threw something that was leaking. 

 It struck the woman splitting her forehead and cheek open. She groaned but didn't move more than an inch. The stench of gasoline was overwhelming the crowd serving as an energy booster. Another man stepped forward with a box of matches, all of which he set a blaze tossing them her way. 

 As if ears  had popped, and the surface of the water was broke, the hazy air cleared and the sounds were breaking through. A pain so deep and agonizing broke free from the woman in screams before she rained her voice in and began to chant. The one who had tied her up now spit at her body only to pause and stare down at the ever growing flame. As if compelled the man gripped his flesh tearing it away, letting the beast from within sprouted free. A howl so fierce escaped before he dove into the flames and tore into the woman's chest. He ate and ate until its muzzle and fur started to burn. The others came and pulled the beast away before he fled the scene, the others could not help but take one last glance at the burning spot before giving chase.

  Whispers were still moving through the air and the pain was growing, as if the woman was not dying but exploding with life, painful life. It was stretching and winding and pulling until it finally snapped. 

 It followed the trail of those beasts, to their place of rest, to the next generation, and the next, she was moving so far from the flames now she became cold. Her life would not end but there was nothing for it to do but wander... 

A gasp tore through Roseline's chest as she awoke in her bed. She gripped at her sheets then her chest and her skin as if to see if she was all there. The shaking which took hold of her would not stop, but she clumsily pulled herself from her shiny dark silver sheets and made her way to the restroom.