Her legs ached from the strain, her heart raced in her chest, pumping the life giving blood that her body needed. Her lungs burnt from the strain of the long chase. Darkness and mist surrounded her on all sides, as she ran. From what, she did not know. Only that she ran to be safe. To be secure.
Suddenly a shape stepped through the mist ahead. She slowed, trying to stop, but it's appearance was too sudden, she barreled into it. It caught her in it's powerful arms that wrapped themselves around her holding her fast. Struggling to get free, she panicked as she realized it's grip was too strong. Kicking her legs and battering the shadow with her hands frantically trying to liberate herself from it's embrace, her eyes captured an image of it's face. It was one that she knew. One that she was all too familiar with. One that she feared. It was her uncle.... Ram....
She whispered hoarsely, "Let me go." She continued struggling in an attempt to get him to release her.
He loosened his grip on her, setting her free. She stumbled back, still on edge from the chase and the shock that he had given her.
Ram flashed her one of his savage grins, that took on a much more sinister aspect in this land of mist and shadow. "You can not escape it my dear, darheeji."
She stared up at him, her body going cold all at once as she said, "W-What?"
He laughed knowingly and mockingly at her in his deep guttural laugh. After a moment he raised his hand and pointed to her right.
Hugging her arms around her chest she turned and peered through the shadows, still not sure where she was, fighting down the cloud of fatigue that choked her thoughts. Out of the fog in the distance she saw a buck deer, looking scared and trapped. She could not tell from what, however. There was nothing but endless clouds of shadow all around.
She blinked as a bad memory played itself at the corner of her memory. Was she running from the deer? She didn't think so. Why would she? She shook her head trying to shake off the haze.
His ominous laugh halted suddenly as he growled. ""Kill. Eat. It is your honor, darheeji."
She stared at him a moment, her body still tensed and on edge. Kill? Eat? A deer. She would never.... Suddenly something nagged at her. She had done this before. She remembered vaguely the feeling of chasing a buck down and attacking it.... Only it wasn't here.... It was at a big house....
Her uncle snarled, now standing closer to her. "Do not fail now. You cannot."
She stood there uncertainly, fighting down the feeling of deja vu.
He continued purring into her ear, "You cannot deny your nature. You are a predator and it is prey. It is your right and your place to hunt it down."
She wavered slightly, but his words brought forth a side of her she did not know existed. One that she had never needed living on the streets of LA. It screamed for her to do as her uncle said. To chase down the deer and k.... She choked on the thought unable to let it be finished. But her uncle continued to snarl comments into her ear, but she was ignoring him, waging her own battle. Her predator side wanted the thrill of the chase, the feeling of power as she ran down the animal and snapped it's neck ending it's life, the feeling of the blood, running through her teeth and down her throat. She shivered against the thoughts.
"No!" She cried it out soundlessly in her head.
Just then the scent of the buck reached her nose and it made her knees weak. The feeling of the hunt slammed into her hard. She closed her eyes as she battled against it, knowing she was slowly losing the battle. She tried to whistle a tune she had heard before, but it died on her lips.
At that moment, the deer, chose to run. To run for it's life. Almost as if it sensed what was coming.
She cried out again, only this time it was out loud. She wasn't going to pursue it, but even as the thought was finished, she was changing. Her Uncle's encouraging words reached out offering support and showing his approval.
She bolted toward it as if possessed, her blood raced, her mouth watered, desiring to taste the buck. She yielded to the hunter and pursued her prey. Her paws beat only lightly enough on the ground to propel her onward as she narrowed the distance quickly. She felt the wind rush through her fur and felt at peace and at home. Closing on the deer she launched herself at him and....
It was no longer there. Neither was the mist. Both were gone. They were replaced by bright sunlight that greeted her as she landed in a low crouch, now back in her human form. She blinked her eyes against the light and the confusion she was feeling. Glancing up at the blue sky, she held her hand up to block out the sun.
Suddenly something warm and unbelievably soft grabbed her hand, and tugged on it, from behind.
A feminine giggle reached her ears and the voice that always left her feeling weak and euphoric said, "Come on sleepy head. There's more down here."
She turned, smiling and laughing lightly, the hunt already forgotten. She marvelled at how soft and wonderful the other's hand felt in hers. She gazed at the others lips lovingly for a moment before saying, "Okie." She ran down the hill, following her love, her heart swelled with joy.
At the foot of the hill, and around a towering ancient tree, a vast meadow of flowers greeted them.
Pandoria thought her heart was going to leap out of her chest at the sheer happiness she felt.
They exchanged a glance and a giggle and set off running into the meadow, their hands bound them together.
The wind rushed through her hair, making her close her eyes as the sensation made her feel like she was in heaven. And at that moment she thought she must be. Everything she ever wanted she possessed.
Taking the lead now, she felt like she was flying, as they continued running through the meadow. With her eyes closed, she never saw the rock. She stumbled over it and down she went, their grip on each others hands separated. She half giggled at her clumsiness.
Landing, not against flowers or grass, she landed hard against dirt and rock, grimacing in pain. Opening her eyes, she saw that she was in a bleak place, a land of death. Standing stones that seemed vaguely familiar were nearby. She glanced at them, part of her expecting to see a large figure. But there is noone there.
After a moment however she does hear soft singing which brought a slight smile to her lips. Off to her side, Katia was kneeling in front of a pool of blood in the dirt. She watched somewhat fascinated as the blood was slowly being absorbed by the soil.
Suddenly she realized that Katia's hand was wrapped in a bandage with blood soaking through. She sighed and sat down near Katia, staring at the wound. "You're weak..... Do you... need to feed?" She glanced away and fidgeted with her skirt.
Katia shook her head... still singing, eyes closed.
Pandoria sighed and frowned as she gazed at her, a memory flashed in her mind concerning how Katia had reacted in the van that had been filled with the mutilated bodies.... She sighed again, not wanting to force her, but wanting to help, knowing she couldn't help or at the very least Katia wouldn't let her.... A momentary pang of loss gripped her that she had never been granted the chance to merge souls through the drinking like Niki had with her..... Suppressing thoughts of the room in Japan she stared at Katia's lips as she sang... attempting to fight down the longing she felt....
Pandoria bent forward, not able to repel the longing and passion anymore, she kissed Katia's lips lightly to gauge her reaction and to enjoy the softness and moistness of her lips against her own.
Katia stopped her song, opening her eyes, blinking, "Pandoria...." She then looked down at the soil, where the blood was completely absorbed into it.
Staring at Katia's lips, unsure if that was a rejection or not. "What? What's wrong?" Her boiling blood however, was too strong and right after she had uttered those words she bent forward again, kissing Katia more passionately this time, her resistance fading fast, to the desire she felt and her lifelong loneliness.
Attempting to hold her back, gently, Katia says, "Pandoria.... Please... no...."
Pandoria stopped, her reason returning slowly, as she realized what she was doing. She paused, confused at the conflicting emotions battling inside of her.... Lowering her head, she caught sight of Katia's breasts, along with the continued touch on her shoulders, caused her to slowly start to lose her grip again. Her blood raced and the loneliness wracked her with intense pain. She battled against it all silently, a torn ravaged look crossed her face, as the years of being on her own, without another raged inside of her.
A voice whispered to her, it sounded familiar, but she couldn't quite place it, "Here is one who could fill that emptiness inside of you."
She placed her hands on Katia's and slowly, lovingly, stroked her arms, working them up Katia's.
Katia wore a pleading look as she said, "No...." She whispered. "I'm not ready...."
Summoning all of her willpower, Pandoria tried to stop her hands at the other's plea, her eyes locked on Katia's lips, heart racing, body covered in perspiration as she was engaged in a battle within herself; against all the longing and desire she felt. The softness and redness of Katia's lips drew her though. She started to bend forward again, knowing she was doing wrong, but no longer able to control herself.
Pushing harder this time, Katia sobbed, "No! I said no.... Niki....
A sudden strong feeling of jealously consumed her at the sound of Nicholas' name. Pandoria, now no longer listening to her protests, having blocked them out, changed to her half form, not noticing the gasp that that drew either, grabbed both of the Katia's hands and forced her down to the soil, taking advantage of the other's weakness from her lack of blood.
The sounds of sobbing reached her ears, but she was not locked in hunter mode again, her ears hearing, but not hearing, she pressed her body weight down, maneuvering for more leverage. Grabbing, both of Katia's hand she pushed them above her head, lessening the strength that Katia could bring to bear. Quickly she switched both hands to one of her own, leaning into it with all her weight, as she let her free hand roam, running it along the moist, red lips, the body below her more a victim then a person she had known. Lower she brought her hand, resting over the other's chest. The victim below her struggled hard at this point, crying out more and pleading. Her heart beating in her ears, she reached her free hand out and ripped the shirt off her victim, exposing the others breasts to her. Swiftly and determinedly she groped one of the breasts, enjoying the softness, and suppleness. Her fingers traced over the nipples, pulling at them, trying to make them hard.
Completely and totally consumed by desire and passion, she was unprepared for Katia's powerful thrust to free herself. Hurled backwards, painfully, she heard Katia call out, "No, Niki...."
Laying on her back, Pandoria watched as Katia clawed at the ground where the blood was absorbed, sobbing wildly.
Tears filled Pandoria's mind as she realized what she had just done. The sight of seeing Katia sobbing caused something inside of her to shriek. To be heard over the longing, the passion, the pure... lust..... That's the word for it she realized.... Even still she knew it went further then that. Her jealously of Nicholas had helped start it. It had been the catalyst of her attack on Katia. She repressed the desire burning through her. She lowered her head as her eyes teared up. She had hurt the one she loved.... The pain was intense.
A figure suddenly passed in front of her and stood staring at her. She glanced at it and was shocked to her core. She stood slowly, unsure that what she was seeing was real....
"Daddy," She asked uncertainly?
He didn't respond one way or the other. Unable to stop herself, she bounced up and ran toward her father, wanting more then anything, to hug him one last time. Holding her arms out wide, she cried, wanting to tell him what she had done. All that she had done. She wanted to confess it to someone. She was repulsed at what she was becoming. It scared her to her core and here was her father, returned to make it all better. She couldn't believe her good fortune. That is till she ran right through him.....
She blinked and turned around. He was just an image. A phantom.
Her father laughed at her as she slowly sank to her knees hugging herself, feeling even more alone. She could feel the void that was her heart. Her life. All that she ever had.
Her father's voice mocked her, "I'm dead my little Pandy. Even here you can't touch me....."
His laugh returned and he turned toward Katia, who now appeared to be just a ghost like image in the background. "But you proved you can touch her." His laughter turns harder. Darker. More sinister as he mocked her pain.
Crying openly now, she responded, "Daddy, why are you doing this?"
"Why?! You're the one who chose this path. Not me."
She stared at him, confused and hurt all over. "Path?"
Her father rushed at her now, suddenly moving unbelievably fast, yelling at her, "This is yours!"
She cringed, not able to escape while on her knees, not that she could had she been standing. Her father was too quick. She closed her eyes expecting to be attacked. A moment passed. Nothing. Silence greeted her.
Opening her eyes she looked out and saw the great wastes outside of Annwyn all around her. There was no sign of the elven compound or LA for that matter. She nibbled her lip as she stood alone watching the vast sea of dust that so mirrored her heart. She realized that she was shaking, almost uncontrollably. Falling to her knees she tried to regain control of herself and almost laughed at herself for the thought. She had no control, she realized. She remembered a line from a holovid she once saw, "That control is an illusion...." She hugged herself tight and just waited for the shaking to stop. She kept her eyes averted from the great despair that she was sitting in. The world was largely a wasteland she thought. Both physically and emotionally. She was the poster child for it, she thought bitterly.
After what seemed like a lifetime a figure stepped up in front of her. Her eyes caught sight of a familiar pair of boots. She smiled brightly and looked up to see that indeed it was Kangee. She stood and went to hug him. The one who had been like a father to her. More then her birth father in fact....
That is why she was shocked and surprised when he pushed her away, the loneliness returning full force.
Kangee shook his head and smiled his mocking smile at her.
"I-I don't understand. What's wrong, Kangee...?"
Greg suddenly appeared and walked off toward her right, drawing her eyes with him, "Don't you, Miss Little Savage?"
She whimpered, trying to stop from crying again.
Greg ignored her tears, continued, "What's wrong, not, able to just take what you want? Not able to live in the way of your uncle."
Pandoria flinched as if struck and thought back to what happened with Katia. The fact that she had let her jealously and lust overcome her. She had acted just like her uncle and her... mother's people....
Kangee stepped forward and in her heart she thought that he had come to protect her, to shield her like he always had done in the past, but instead he struck another blow to her, "Rakshasa."
Greg circled around and started a low, deep sounding chant of "Rakshasa." Whirling around and around her he continued his chant, wielding it like a weapon against her.
She cowered, feeling as if she was struck, watched as Kangee stepped forward, into her face as he said, "Innocence. Love. Those are things incapable of a Rakshasa."
Pandoria shook her head, some part of her fighting back for herself, "I-I'm not like that...."
Suddenly images flashed in front of her.
She was running, chasing, at one with the Hunt. The predator inside her consumed her as she ran down the buck, launching herself onto it, biting it's neck, snapping it in the process. Her uncle quickly gutted it for her and pulled out the heart and liver, handing them to her. Her prize. Her goal was hers. She bit into them hungrily.
The scene changed and she was in the crashed air car. Mountains overlooked everything, her uncle fallen, hurt, trapped inside the front part. Jhorji has been beaten back and she was raining blow after blow on him, as Greg tried to convince her to stop....
Another image appeared and she was now in her were-tiger form attacking and tearing into one of the Rakshasa. The name Rangi came to mind. She watched as she faced three, one at a time and beat back all three, using fang and claw.
The land of nightmares and death appeared, overlooking the standing stones she watched her do the unthinkable... throw herself at Katia, kissing her against her will, as Katia struggled and protested.
The images slammed into her, bearing her down, causing her to fall to her knees again, unable to stand against the accusations, knowing they are true.
Suddenly her father was there again, standing over her. He laughed lightly and said mockingly, "I-I'm not like that...."
She cried harder now, all of her defenses were gone, leaving her raw and exposed to all the pain being rained down onto her.
Her father continued, not seeming to care at the grief his words were causing. "You are your mother's daughter. You cannot change your nature. You will kill again. You cannot help it. It is in your predator nature...."
An image filled her mind suddenly and to her horror she saw herself standing over Nicholas, a battle ranging all around. She could see the others fighting some unseen enemy. Niki had fallen. She could hear Katia call out her concern. She smiled down at Nicholas and offered her hand to help him up. He started to stand on his own, thanking her and saying that he was all right and could stand without her help. He never knew what hit him.... She raked him across the neck with her half-form's claws.... The blood squirted all over her. The sounds of Katia's scream reached her ear.
Pandoria shivered and shook her head no, feeling the cold mist against her skin, as turned, opened her eyes and ran from the images shown to her. Racing along through the shadows and the fog, feeling all the grief bottled inside her, trying to weep it's way out, she saw an image in front of her. It looked familiar to her. She realized it was running from her. That she was chasing it. Hunting it.... She was closing the distance rapidly and suddenly she realized who it was..... Herself....
She woke soaked to the skin in sweat, pale skinned from the dream.