THE MUSIC BOX (chapter 4.1)

by Kanga in my own little bubble

4.      FORGETFUL DREAM

Yawning, I click on the forth or fifth ‘o’ in Gooooogle. The clock on the bottom right of my laptop screen said it was 10:47. Yawning again, I glance over all the words. Nothing about ‘Lierins’. It would take year to find out what one was because there were 140,000 results, all of which just say “what” or “is” or “a.” I feel my eyelids drooping. “I guess its time to go to bed” I thought. Then it hit me. What if I spelt it wrong?! I mean, I am and never was, good at spelling. I tried to think, but my mind was at a blank. So I shutdown my laptop, got in my lavender smelling sheets (mental note: thank mum for the sheets) and fell into a deep nightmarish sleep...

...“Ahahaha you cannot escape from me Tess,” screeched the monster, “I am coming for you!” Tess tried to scream but couldn’t and tried to run but was stuck. The red monster was coming closer and was growing bigger and bigger. Soon it was a giant. Still not able to yell out or move Tess held her breath. Its big mouth was coming closer and closer and swallowed her whole. Tess was falling into the darkness “The music box the Lyrine” whispered a kind, loving voice. Suddenly she was floating. Everything was white and there was a strange, alien music playing. It was extremely sad yet blissfully cheerful. Soon Tess, without realising was crying hot tears of joy and sorrow. “You can beat him, you know what to do,” murmured the voice, slowly fading away…

“Tess!” someone whispered, shaking me. “Tess! Wake up! Are you ok?”

“Wh…what?” I said, realising that my bed was soaked with my sweat. Eww. I guess I won’t smell the lavender anymore.

“Tess, is everything ok? You’re shaking,” said my mum, frightened and not whispering anymore.

“Y...yeah,” I answered, jerking, “yeah everything’s ok.” Mum looked doubtful.

“Really,” I said, more strongly now, “just a bad nightmare. I’m fine.”

“Are you sure? You were screaming and crying,” Mum wiped some tears away from my cheek, “and said something about the music box and a Lie…lyrine or something weird.”

“I did?” I never have dreams…well none I remember and this one was no exception, but it must have been bad if I was crying. And if what mum said was true, then a Lyrine was…was the music box! It all makes sense! That monster thing was asking Uncle Ian where the music box was and then took over Lucy so she would find it! But how’d it know it was in Uncle Ian’s house?

Ugh the more answers the more questions.

“Yes. Honey, you look tired get some rest,” said my mum, unconvinced that everything was alright.

“Goodnight mum.”

“Goodnight sweetie,” she said, and kissed me on the cheek.

*    *    *

About an hour after Tess and her mother had gone back to sleep, the red monster known as Morlan appeared in her room.

“I told you I would be back,” he whispered, menacingly. Then, using the tip of his sharp claw, he touched Tess on the forehead and chanted incomprehensible words over and over again, “Sharla kiesk, sharla Kiesk, sharla kiesk!”

When he lifted his claw off Tess, there was a small red mark on the spot where Morlan had touched her. Angrily saying a curse he placed his right hand on her head where the mark was. Suddenly Tess stated thrashing around in her bed moaning, much to the surprise of Morlan. “What!” he almost yelled, but controlled himself, “she has powers?!” Then lifting his hand off, the mark was gone and Tess was still. Morlan glared at Tess venomously for a moment before vanishing in a cloud of red smoke.