Chase the fear away

Lightning flashed outside the den as thunder crashed like heavy drums in the empty black sky. It was a dark and stormy night over Boreas, the rains of this year's autumn striking in force on this night and drenching the grass plains with sheets of heavy rain and howling winds. Inside the warmth and dryness of the den, Satira whimpered quietly in her sleep, her little legs kicking feebly out at nothing while she ran with all of her might in her dreams. Her face contorted in panic and terror as her nightmares claimed her mind.

She was running, running as hard and as fast as her tiny legs could carry her. She didn't know where she was or what was going on. Everything was dark all around her, but just behind her she could hear the rippling of scaled muscles getting closer and closer. Satira didn't need to look back to know what was chasing her. She panted as she ran with all her might, desperately trying to get away from the reptilian predator hot on her heels. Her muscles ached with the strain, her lungs burned for oxygen she knew she'd be deprived of if her hunter caught her. But there was no escape anywhere in sight! No Asla to save her, no place to hide, nothing! A sudden bolt of green shot in front of her vision, making her yelp in fright, but the sound was immediately cut off as a cold tubular body wrapped around her and began to squeeze hard. Satira tried to scream, tried to beg, tried to breathe, but it was in vain. The snake squeezed tighter around her. Satira' heart beat faster and faster, desperately trying to keep her alive. The coils tightened, tighter, tighter, tighter...! And then Satira felt her body break.

Satira shot up with a start, gasping in fright and scrambling about with wildly flailing paws. One paw accidentally smacked into her brother's side as he lay curled up next to her, but Tira was too far gone in her hysterics to notice if she'd woken him up or not. The little tan-furred girl gasped for breath, looking all over herself with huge eyes to make sure she was all still intact. A dream... it was all just a dream! But the tears falling down Satira's face were very, very real. Curling up onto herself, the little ball of fluff girl covered her face with her tail and paws and sobbed silently to herself in the darkness of the den, thankful for the heavy storm outside drowning out her sounds as she broke down, hating herself for feeling so weak.

"Satira Fatalis"