Soft, hissing laughter greeted Ogygia from the murky darkness. As the young knight tried to peer through the haze and shadow, she felt something slide against her hand. Felt a rush a fear as that same something roared out of the darkness, knocking her to the ground and sinking curved fangs into her arm, just above the horrible scar on her wrist. Then, the darkness oozed away just enough for Ogygia to see a long, slim-yet-supple snake-like beast. It had latched onto her arm and watched her through balefully amused eyes before beginning to twine it’s body around her, trapping her. Smothering her.

Screaming, Ogygia suddenly found herself in a dark, oily fog as a barely remembered voice drawled, “How disappointing you are. I’d expected better.”

From the fog, another voice laughed as a sharp, hideous pain erupted from Ogygia’s chest.

Silly, sweet little child. Should have listened. Should have obeyed. Should have let itself be eaten alive…

It was this second voice that frightened Ogygia more than anything. Even as she screamed out her fear, she found herself doing her best to ward off that voice. It reeked of darkness and evil and barely recalled nightmares from before… Before what? Not knowing was almost as frightening as the thick darkness. Ogygia found herself fleeing the voices, trying to flee the darkness that felt so familiar.

The darkness that part of her seemed to welcome. But that couldn’t be right, could it? She was Ogygia, a Squire of Cosmos! She had a sacred duty to protect her Wonder and to help people fight against the forces of Chaos! She wasn’t supposed to be some stupid, scared little girl!

Sweet one, you are a stupid, scared little girl, the voice crooned as baleful, hate-filled eyes peered out of the darkness. Come now, time to return home.

Home. Home was with her cousin. Home was safe.

Home was a tiny island floating out in space somewhere. This darkness wasn’t home. She wouldn’t let it be home.

Pity. We had hoped you’d be reasonable.

From the darkness, the snake like beast roared out, increasing in size until it resembled something out of a primordial nightmare. Jaws opening as it hissed hungrily, it towered over Ogygia, blocking out what little light illuminated this dark place. Quicker than thought, the beast darted and struck, wrapping Ogygia in its coiling and squeezing.

If the sweet child won’t obey, it wil be eaten.

Mouth opening to reveal rows upon rows of needle-like fangs, the monster’s face dove for Ogygia, blocking out everything as she became nothing more than a snack for a monster.

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Screaming, Nimue bolted upright, sweat pouring from her body as she trembled with reaction to her nightmare. Sobbing brokenly, she clutched at herself, trying to reassure herself that the world she’d woken back to was real. That she wasn’t snake food. That that awful darkness didn’t exist.

Still crying, she stumbled out of bed and to the room her cousin inhabited. Without hesitation, she crawled into bed with Niamh, wanting nothing more than her cousin’s soothing warmth and presence. Niamh even roused long enough to realize that Nimue had had another nightmare before sleepily wrapping the taller girl in her arms and dropping back to sleep.

And after a time, Nimue followed her cousin, the two sleeping quietly as the night passed.