Negative

Jordan lay in bed. Her pillow was soaked as the yelling in her mind grew louder. The argument recited in her head, over and over. Why can't you accept I'm worthless? I have. It echoed in her head. She wanted to close it off, leave herself with no memory of the affair. ”This is not a new world.” Levi’s words sounded in her head.

”Your only thirteen, so I'll try to put it plainly for your underaged brain. This world is simply an extension of the old one: Since the beginning of time. It has refinements, technological advances, further supporting the destruction of human freedom....”

She tried her best to shut it out, so she thought of anything but Levi. Anything but Mom, anything but... She dozed off into sleep quickly, when she gave herself the chance. And that's what happened, just sleep.

But sleep can be disturbed.

Air enveloped her. It felt... Cold. She gradually opened her eyes, to see she was plummeting. The ground wasn't too far under, either. Panic surged through her, but she tried to calm down. It is just a dream, she told herself. Nothing more, nothing less. It's not real life.

Discomfort shot through her. It felt like something was tearing at her limbs. She didn't know what to do. This was a dream, right?

”Slaughter”

Levi’s words echoed in the chasm. Echoed...? They were spoken. Somebody had spoken them to her... Jordan staggered to her feet, aching. She turned left and right wildly, trying to find the voice that had spoken the-

Something fastened itself around her arm. It felt like ice. It melted, trickling off her arm as another black, liquid tentacle wrapped around her shoulders and neck. She lost her breath as it jerked her backward, up the cliff she just fell down.

She grasped the tentacle, trying to pull it off her throat for more air. She was still being pulled up. She wanted to let out a scream, but nothing came. She couldn't make any noise. It finally brought her to the edge of the cliff. She froze at the sight of what pulled her up.

Torture

It looked like a skeleton, with a round skull. It seemed he was only a dark gray color. He had on a loose jacket and shorts. He looked like he was... ”Melting?” He finished her thought. He looked straight into Jordan’s gaze. She was still trying to give herself more breathing room as she dangled in the air helplessly in front of the skeleton. ”That was a lot of negative feelings. You're not ok. You need my help.” He said coldly. ”A kid like you could be a good addition to my spy. I would offer a way out if you are able to do something in return.” He thrust Gabby forward, to look her in the eye. ”Can you..?” He asked. It went silent. The only thing to be heard was her panicked breaths and the sloshing of the black liquid.

What would she do? Could she do anything? Would she accept? What would he do if she didn't? Her mind spun. She tried to think of a good reason to accept. Her mind flooded with horrid memories. The worst ones first.

When she was a little girl, she became a Christian. Christianity was hard, though. The world now is full of cursing, sexual assaults, kidnappers, you name it. It was hard enough to keep hold of your Christianity. It was hard to believe someone beyond the clouds loves you. But it only got worse. She fell in love... With a woman.

It broke her. She believed she was destined to never be in heaven. It told him she would never find happiness. She started cussing. She got good at lying. Levi, though, caught her cussing. He was also Christian, her whole family was, but her. He blackmailed her for months, saying ’If you don't do what I say, I'll tell you cussed.’ Sad, really, but what choice did she have?

The rules in the house didn't help at all, either. She was cut off from anyone who could possibly relate to her. She wasn't allowed her own phone or tablet, social media and chatting were all prohibited. She didn't have anyone to go to, no one who wouldn't hate her when she told them about her problems.

Misery

”I don't have all day, kid.” He broke through her memories. She let out a shallow sigh and relaxed her grip on the tentacle. ”I will give what I can.” She muttered. A smile crawled onto his face as he let her down. She gasped for the extra air. She looked back up to see what he would do. She met his eye as he said plainly ” Let's see if you have anything at all.”

He thrust a tentacle toward her. She dodged it easily, but it retracted back toward him. Suddenly her Soul flickered in front of her. They were going to fight, and she tried to comprehend if it was to the death or not. *Nightmare is letting you have the first turn. She looked at her choices, then at Nightmare. He looked expectant. She chose to fight. Abruptly, her light blue Soul flickered again, and she had whip-like glowing strings in her hands. She took one and thrust it toward the Nightmare, and started to do the same to the other one.

He blocked the first one with two tentacles, but the other one came quickly, and he barely dodged it. He started to press Fight, but went to act, and checked her. She was surprised at the alarmed look in his eye. *Attack: 35, Defence: 14. Don't underestimate her.

He narrowed his eyes. It was Jordan’s turn again. She chose to fight again, this time she didn't hesitate to hit him. She ran forward and whipped the strings toward his tentacles instead of him. They separated, falling and splashing onto the stone ground. He quickly chose fight, taking his last tentacle and knocking her out of the air. She skidded on the ground, standing up steadily. He took the rest of his turn to regenerate the tentacles he lost. So that doesn't do much good, except buy me some time. She considered.

*Nightmare seems impressed

She attacked again, this time going for the head. She whipped them, for the first one to be blocked by the tentacles, which broke in half and sploshed to the ground. The second one hit the side of his face, slicing into it, but not completely. He touched his hand to the wound, which was already mending back together with the melting gray liquid. He chuckled a bit. ”You’ve got plenty. ’Sides, it’d be a waste to not use your material.” He lowered himself to the ground where she was, retracting his tentacles. ”I’ll see you again. Not in your dreams.”

Jordan trembled awake. She held out her hand in front of her. Jordans Should flickered in her hand. She stared at it for a bit, until something began to wrap around her Soul. It was dark and melted, like Nightmares tentacles. It was Nighmare’s tentacle. She closed her hand and the Soul flickered away. She got out of her small bed on the floor and walked out of her room.

There was an unsettling smell in the house. She walked hesitantly down the stairs, to stop halfway. The kitchen and table we're empty. She walked back upstairs and went into her parent's room, hesitantly. They were gone. She walked to Levi’s room. She questioned if it was a good idea to check. But if she was alone in the house she wanted to know. She peeked through the door.

Anguish

Blood was spattered everywhere. A strangled body lay in the chair near the computer. An arm was dangling from one vain in his arm, swaying from left to right. Levi was dead.

Jordan didn't know what to feel. Should she feel bad? But she felt... Like a burden was lifted off her shoulders. She continued staring.

Something rested on her shoulder. It felt cold. Jordan didn't flinch. She knew what it was. ”Is this what you wanted?” Nightmares voice rang in her ear. She tore her eyes away from the body. She turned to him, letting the tentacle slide off her shoulder. She smiled grimly.

”What do you need me to do?”