Live, Love, Laugh and Dream
an excerpt

His mind rose from his body following the hand towards the glowing rim. The dull ache that started in his gut was more annoying than painful. It was the burning of his flesh from the glow that hurt like hell. He gulped knowing it was only going to get worse. He eased closer to the shield pressing against it with his hands until they easily slipped through the white mass. The needle sharp pain started radiating outwards from his stomach in giant circles until ever fiber of his being felt like it was being stabbed over and over again by an unseen attacker.

A hiss escaped his lips when the shield grabbed his arms yanking him forward to slam into what felt like a concrete wall of fire. The force of the blow rattled his teeth. When his vision cleared he could make out Megan waiting on the other side. The only problem was she didn’t know he was there because her back was to him. She was gazing at the ocean, which she did a lot of. It seemed to Nicolas that the water was a calming effect for her whenever she was upset, just as the rain comforted him in times of need.

If he had wanted to he could have took control of the dreams and put the two of them anywhere he desired. Yet, he never altered her dreams and intended to never do so. His only desire was to be with her whenever possible. A second jerk slammed him back into the wall, this time knocking the wind from him. It felt as if that blow had cracked a rib or two. Breathing was painful, and the burning was searing his skin clean from the bone. The shield was excellent at mentally abusing him. At times he forgot it was not real, and the panic would start to creep in, as it was now.

He called out to Megan, praying she would see him and invite him in. If she would just turn around and offer her hand the shield would let him pass. Until then it would continue its assault. Subconsciously he knew the pain was an illusion created by the shield, but that did not help his rising panic any. Even his beast did not want to battle the shield.

“Megan, please turn around!” He screamed over the high pitched squeal the shield has begun making.
Nicolas formed a bridge with his mind that stretched from where he was being held to where Megan was. All she had to do was turn around and offer him her hand and the beating he was taking would end. He wasn’t sure how long he could hold the image of the bridge. It was taking more and more energy to withstand the shield’s attack.
“Megan please hear me”

The shield answered the creation of the bridge with stepped up efforts to prevent his entry. Slimy hands crept from the wall wrapping around his body, pulling ever inch of his body against the wall. The smell of burning flesh was all around him. A wave of nausea worked its way up to his throat threatening to bring with it all that was in his stomach. At the same time what felt like silver swords began carving hundreds of open wounds all over his body. The blood seeped from the wounds soaking his clothes with its sticky warmth. The silver blades were cauterizing the wounds open instead of closed so they would continue to bleed. He grew dizzy, wishing Megan would turn around. All she had to do was turn around and the pain would end.

In past visits there had always been a fight, but tonight the shield was fighting harder than ever before. In his efforts to not give into the pain Nicolas missed the brightness of the shield to his left as something slipped out of her mind. Nicolas could not figure out why the shield was trying to kill him this time. Normally it attempted to prevent his entry, but never really assaulted him like this. The pain was excruciating, there was not a single part of him that did not hurt.

It made no sense and Nicolas was trapped, held firmly in place by the shield, which continued inflicting as much pain as it could. The shield would not even let him retreat instead it held him firmly in its grip. Nicolas forced his eyes open. He wanted Megan to be the last thing he ever saw before death claimed him. Wait, she is coming, his mind screamed. He was only half aware of her walking towards him in slow motion.

“Oh God please hurry” he pleaded though no sound came from his lips.
Sweat poured off his skin, or was this blood? He was no longer sure of anything. He tried to stay focused on Megan as she got ever closer, but the darkness lingered at the edge of his conscience offering instant relief from the pain. All he had to do was close his eyes and give into it. When one of the blades nearly nicked his heart, his body sagged against the wall, no longer aware of the burning. The assault had done damage to both the inside and outside of his being, now the darkness was closing in around him.
He barely made out Megan’s hand as it reached towards him. He tried to lift his hand to her, but it would not move. The shield was holding him back. Coupled with his lose of blood and energy, he was not sure he could have reached for her even if set free.
“Oh God please no.”

She was inviting him in. She wanted him with her. He couldn’t get to her. Why couldn’t he get to her? Fear overtook him, as he struggled to get through the pain and away from the blackness swallowing him. He didn’t want to die. Not like this. Not in front of Megan. If he died here no one would know, until morning when Megan would wake up and find him dead in her room. What would she think? A man she thought was a dream suddenly dead in her room.

“Oh God Meggie I am so sorry.”

Tears began to stream freely down his face.

“Nicolas take my hand!”

Megan’s command was like a remote control. As quickly as she said the words the shield released its hold on Nicolas and the assault stopped. With the hands of the shield letting go of him, he fell forward unable to stop the momentum he landed at Megan’s feet. He wanted to thank her, to tell her he loved her, that he was real. He wanted to tell her so many things, but was unable to speak. He curled around her feet, wrapping his arms around her ankles clinging to her in hopes of fighting of the darkness still trying to take him to his death.