Her tired eyes refused to close and sleep in her defense.
No, that wasn’t right.
The warm embrace of summer sleep didn’t fill her with rest. She didn’t even think it could anymore.
Not since she saw it.
It all started innocently enough. Marites had the singular talent of controlling her dreams, she said it was her superpower. Night after night she would fly through the clouds, or make decisions as a queen, everything in the dreamscape bending to her will.
That was until the night she was a superhero. She remembered sitting high on a gothic spire, waiting for a crime to be committed. Through the night she caught petty criminals, all in anticipation for the big fight she knew was going to happen.
She counted in her head the number of villains she was going to face. She knew the Musang would be there, an expert art thief. There was also Simon Sarimaw, a hulking figure that would give her trouble if she wasn’t careful.
But at the end of all this was her nemesis. The Kataw, an amphibious fiend that could control water and hypnotize people to do her bidding.
Marites cracked her knuckles in anticipation. Tonight was going to be fun.
Information came in from the police saying that the villains were all gathered in a warehouse on the north side of the city. Fighting all three at the same time wasn’t ideal, but there was nothing Marites couldn’t handle. Not while she was dreaming.
She grabbed her billowing cape and flew to the warehouse, landing in graceful style on the roof.
As she peered through the window she was confused. She couldn’t see any sign of the three villains inside the building.
She decided to scope the perimeter and used her super speed to do it quickly, still no sign of her enemies could be seen.
The time for caution was over, a forceful punch to the main door would solve her issues. There was the nagging sense that this was a trap, but she was itching for a fight. Besides, the hero would always win out in the end.
The door fell to her super strength and she was met with an empty warehouse.
Maybe the police were wrong this time?
As she walked around the abandoned building the feeling of anticlimax rolled over her. “Tonight was supposed to be fun,” she thought “my dreams aren’t supposed to be boring”
Suddenly she heard a loud crash from the east side of the warehouse. “Yes!” she thought “Now’s my chance.”
Marites readied her superpowers and shouted, “You’re not getting away this time Kataw! Not with me—-”
Her words stopped dead in her throat.
In front of her was a large creature with eyes of fire. It’s shadow-like features twisted and melded with the darkness of the night.
This wasn’t what she was supposed to be fighting. In fact, it was something she had never seen before. It wasn’t right, she had full control over her dreams. Surprises like this weren’t meant to happen.
Marites breathed in deep. Whatever, it was a monster and monsters always lose to the hero.
She looked the monster in its fiery eyes and flew in for the first punch. And then—–
Marites woke up.
It was 10am, she had slept in and was now late for work. It was because of her dream, but the boss wouldn’t take that as an excuse.
She went to the bathroom to wash up and get ready for the day.
If she was more careful she would have noticed a small black spot on her arm.
—————————————————————-
The next night Marites drifted into another dream.
This time she was a general leading her army of knights to siege an enemy castle. They had taken a priceless relic from Marites’ kingdom and her mission was to get it back.
She pushed through the ranks of the infantry to get a better look at what was happening.
The castle was on a hill, its defenses augmented its advantageous position. Marites was losing more soldiers every minute. She had to rethink her tactics.
Marites decided on taking a few of her best knights and infiltrating the castle from behind, using a cave that her scouts had found.
The risk was palpable, but she had no other choice. The way the siege was going there would be no knights left after another day.
This was the only way.
The knights all mounted their horses and made for the caves. They lit their torches and headed towards the darkness.
Marites’ skin shivered. There was something wrong, something that didn’t belong.
As the knights went deeper into the cave system the feeling grew louder, it shouted, “Turn back!” in her head.
She ignored it. In every dream the hero always won, what could be different about this one?
They reached an area right underneath the throne room of the enemy castle. The knights carefully prepared explosives and laid them in a circle.
The plan was simple, go in, get the relic, and get out.
While the knights were preparing Marites was readying herself. The relic would be guarded by the enemy’s elite warriors. It would be a hard fight ahead for her and her knights.
But it was a fight she knew they would win.
The explosion echoed through the caves and it was time to charge. They had to count on the element of surprise to give them an advantage.
What they saw surprised them more.
On a throne sat the creature from Marites’ last dream. It still had eyes that glowed like fire and its black skin was in stark contrast to the noontime sun.
It looked straight at Marites and laughed, a low sound that sent vibrations to her spine.
“What are you!” she screamed, “Get out of my dreams!”
It didn’t work. Marites could not control this creature, it was as if it was an outsider to her dreams.
She lifted her sword and shouted to her knights, “We must fight!”
And then,
She woke up.
10am again, another day late for work. This time when she walked by the mirror she saw a black mark on her right arm. It pulsed with cold purpose.
————————————————————-
Ever since then she would not know peace in her dreams.
If she was a queen exploring her empire, the creature would be there.
If she was an adventurer fighting a dragon, the creature would be there.
If she was a mermaid swimming through a pristine sea, the creature would be there.
She wanted to close her eyes one more time and rest, but the creature would not even give her that satisfaction.
And as she stared in the mirror during her eighth night awake she knew there was only one option.
She took a knife and pointed it at the black spot on her arm.
She would know blissful sleep.
No matter the cost.
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Written by Karl Gaverza
Copyright © Karl Gaverza
Inspired by Lagtaw description in Myth Museum. Medina. 2015. http://mythmuseum.weebly.com/lagtaw.html
Lagtaw Illustration by NightmareSyrup
Tumblr: http://nightmaresyrup.tumblr.com/
