It is an eerily quiet evening. Thick clouds lay across the Mediterranean, cloaking the coast of Africa as the sun casts the sky in bright red and pink.
I feel a certain sense of unrest as the quiet becomes like a clogging presence on my senses and make me climb up the hill to look out over the valley, stretching down below straight to the shores of the pale gray sea.
The city is smog-covered, but still the air all around is crisp with a late autumn chill that penetrates my warm woolen vest that falls down to mid-shin. Around me the dogs move restlessly. They too sense that something is off, and utter an occasional whine when my eyes settle on a particularly dark patch within the clouds across the body of water in the south.
Suddenly, a blinding flash of lightning, or perhaps an explosion of sorts, bursts from within the threatening mass of black that suddenly rumbles and roars as the large gathering of heavy clouds surge forward, over-casting the sea with a gloomy shadow that hides the last remnants of the low beams of sunlight coming from the west.
I jump at the sound, backing off involuntarily as the dogs around me squeak in alarm and start running every which way. Another flash, this one bigger and longer than the first, breaks apart the rolling, violently moving mass, spreading out, heading towards the shore like some horror movie.
Blinking vigorously against the glare of light that seems to come from within the center of the tear-like zigzag I see widening right before my very eyes, I take but a moment before I gather my wits and dogs alike and hurry towards the house.
Stumbling down the uneven path, I see dark fluttering movements from my right, thinking, 'this can't be real' even as shapes burst forth from the light, flying -yes, flying, indeed- straight towards the shore, and inevitably our mountain.
Just as one of the glimmering shadows reaches the property, I slam the gate of the courtyard shut, frantically looking around to see if all the dogs are there and exclaim a sigh of mild relief when I watch the lot flee into the house.
Another roar shakes the ground under my feet, my balance challenged almost beyond managing, as powerful flapping overhead announces the presence of more of the... the living things gather over the property.
The sounds they make are deafening, making my ears hurt as I carefully -but as fast as possible- make my way to the door, where the dogs are barking like mad at the creatures that swoop down every so often, blowing fierce gusts of wind through the covered courtyard.
Desperately, I call out alarm to the rest of the family, grabbing the door post for balance when I find the main room of the house empty of any living creature except my own personal pack of dogs.
Overhead wooden boards that make up the ceiling, crack with a terrible sound of something heavy hitting it full force from straight above.
All around the walls begin to break, painted stucco changing into a mosaic of cracks while I dodge to the side, just when part of the ceiling comes crashing down.
I scream for the sibs and my mom, my voice not strong enough to overcome the now constant roar of what can only be mighty creatures swirling madly outside the house, slamming against the walls and roof we built so many years ago with so much diligence.
Skidding over rubble and splintered wood as above me the last remnant of the day's light falls inside through a large hole that was slammed through the roof. It gapes frighteningly as the walls that supported that part of the ceiling begin to crumble even more.
Calling out to my dogs, who miraculously actually listen, and obey, I stumble my way towards the corridor, diving into it when the first floor comes crashing down with a lot of noise, bringing with it a choking cloud of dust and sand as I elbow myself further into the narrow passage, squeezing my eyes tightly shut.
Somehow I know that little sister is upstairs in the tower, and no matter what -preferably before the patio roof comes down, too- I need to get there. Barely finding purchase on the debris littered tiles, I scrape my knee on a sharp edge sticking out of the wall to my left. Somehow one of the second floor wooden support beams has slammed straight through the wall, obstructing my way enough to make me climb over it, lest I be caught within the crumbling confines.
With the dogs pressing close to me, hindering my way even more, I manage to squeeze out into the patio when another violent collision with the eastern wall of the house makes the floor beneath my feet shake dangerously.
The water main has burst inside the courtyard, composting leaves raining down on the deep blue tiles and making them dangerously slippery as I mount the stairs for what seems to be an eternity.
Upstairs I hear a child cry, and I increase my efforts to climb up the steps that appear to crumble beneath my feet. The banister gives way when I grab hold, the moment everything around me shakes again and again, the sheer rock wall on my right breaking violently apart when the corrugated aluminum roof overhead is torn away with enough force to make me slam face down on the steps.
One of the dogs squeals frightfully, but a glance in old Bommel's direction shows him prancing agilely away from one of the steel supporters that came crushing down and he hurries after the others and me.
My ribs hurt, and my lower lip bleeds steadily, since the latest fall has made me bite through the soft tissue. Still, much to my own surprise, I manage to scramble to my feet once again and make it up the final steps leading to the tower.
The door, leading into the bedroom there, is closed when I reach it. The handle not budging under my shaking hands as a violent stream of stuttering wind beats at my back from where the patio roof once was.
"Tess!" I scream over the roaring sound of wind and moving creatures alike, throwing my full weight against the door time and again until it finally, and suddenly, it gives way, making me stumble into the room and come to a skidding halt when the southern wall that is no longer there makes the door swing in the open air.
I gasp at the destruction before me, remnants of the wall like battlements on some ancient castle while I slowly turn my head to the right where I know little sister's bed is supposed to be. There, some of the wall and ceiling are still intact, casting a gloomy crevice in the distant glow of the sun that has lowered down to sea level.
At first I see nothing within the darkness, until at last the scared pale face of little sister becomes apparent from behind a tilted wardrobe. The six-year-old's eyes are watery with tears and her face is smeared with dust and dirt alike when I stumble in her direction muttering something about everything being alright and for her to come to me.
Support beams lay in disarray across the distance that still separates us, but with some effort I reach her at last and lift her onto my hip... as I feel frantically for damage on her young and fragile body.
The fierce growls and howls of the dogs make me spin on my heel to stare open-mouthed when suddenly a large threatening shape appears right there, floating... flying in front of where the wall had once circled the tower room.
It is huge: Shimmering scales covering a chest that is twice the size of my body, as gigantic wings spread out for a good twenty feet in both directions.
They flap sluggishly and a large intricately shaped head moves this way and that on a thick, yet snake-like, neck. Long tendrils protrude from arching cheekbones and pointed ears alike, as a tuft of what appear to be deep red and blue scales, dangles elegantly from a viciously toothed snout. Unlike hair, the tendrils defy gravity, moving almost separately from what I now recognize as a real live Dragon, right there, before my incredulous eyes.
Clasping little sister to my chest, I watch in mute horror as Amri bravely charges the flying beast, squealing when one mighty paw lashes out and sweeps him off his, until he comes to a thudding halt against a jumble of beams. He is momentarily dazed, but then shakes it off and backs into my legs as he continues his role as fierce protector.
I am unable to move at the sight before me, my other dogs bravely gathering around me, fighting their own fear as they try to keep their distance of the beast that continues to watch us from where it keeps itself suspended right on the edge of the demolished tower.
It's eyes are large, sparkling with what appears to be interest when from behind an earth-shaking rumble breaks apart the last remaining wall.
Another Dragon comes into sight, mighty wings flapping noisily as brick and wood crumble around the dogs, little sister and me, before it settles on a perch just beyond what was the tower room, leaving nothing but the half-moon shape, littered with debris... and us.
Wind tugs at our clothes as we stand there, high above the ground, as more and more Dragons gather around us, their scales shimmering in the final beams of sunlight just as the orb disappears for the night behind the distant horizon.
Darkness falls with menacing speed and just as the first Dragon tentatively moves closer, its hot breath brushing me from top to bottom... I wake up.
Another friggin' dream.
Yes, it was scary, and I'm slightly breathless as I stare numbly up at the turquoise wooden planks that make up the ceiling of my cabin, but still... it would have been a marvelous adventure if it had been for real. Hah.
I grimace at the sound of Knight II and Trin Trin rough housing by the side of the bed, tugging playfully at the quilt that covers me. Chaos is right beside me; lazily opening his eyes while he perks at the realization that I'm finally awake.
Knowing that returning to the dream, in hopes of finishing the story (I always want to finish these dreams, since they make for wonderful books someday) is futile I reluctantly roll out of bed, instead.
Dried laundry needs to be folded by the time I get down to the house, but no new batch is waiting, much to my delight.
Since exercising won't have to be done until tomorrow, I decide to divert from the usual schedule a bit and make up on some house cleaning instead.
After an hour's stint with the duster and broom, and hosing down our collection of fake plants that have become so dusty over the past few months that no more colors are visible, I settle behind the computer, as I do every day, to start on yet another editing session for the Chronicles of the Asthah-Mahk, part one.
Though little can compare to dreams such as I experienced during the night, I do manage to clean up and improve a good eighteen pages before big brother and I need to head up the mountain and start on some repairs for our friend's place that needs to be ready before the end of the month.
By the time we return a meal is waiting. Dinner consists of Pasta with fresh tomato sauce, created by little brother, who makes the best darn sauces when he puts his mind to it... like he did to today.
I'm most pleased with dinner awaiting for us, since I wasn't looking forward to having to cook at all, after finishing the day's repairs up in the bungalow.
Oddly enough my stomach is very upset again today, so for a good hour after dinner I refrain from as much movement as possible to prevent the food from coming out again.
Since the Closer and Criminal Intent are on TV I don't mind all that much, and enjoy the day's shows before my stomach finally settles and I set myself to the task of painting six more drawers that will, some day, be built into the kitchen we're in the midst of designing.
By the time I clean up, have a smoke just to treat myself after a job well done, it is time to go to my cabin and prepare for the night.
Once there, and ready to settle in for a couple of hours on the net, I realize that I have forgotten my mobile connection to the Internet and hurry back to the house to search for the dratted little device that I know the dogs can shatter into pieces in less than a minute.
With the siblings' help we comb the house from top to bottom, as I despair over the loss of the necessary device that is nowhere to be found.
On the one and only occasion that I forget to put it back in my bag after use, it has somehow come down from it's niche six feet above ground, and appears to have disappeared into the stomach of some chew-happy canine.
I am literally close to tears when younger sister and I even go as far as searching outside in the dark with only a small flashlight to aid us... but it is nowhere to be found.
Just when I'm about to resign myself to several days of agony without any connection to the Net, a call from the house informs me that the device has been found, intact and safe.
Mom had located it while big brother and I were at work in the bungalow, and safely tucked it away in her own computer bag, lest the thing I dreaded most happened.
Relieved I finally connect to the Internet and start my nightly ritual of surfing into cyber world.
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