I hear the whisper of turning pages, and then night takes me, hard, fast, and vicious.
*
Wings.
Carrion bones picked clean, dropped from above to clatter on sheer rock. The incessant drip, drip, drip of water from a stalactite, bloody with minerals, iron and salt.
A pterodactyl shadow closes out the world, swallowing hope, huge human claws, grasping, choking like smoke.
Screams. A bird’s shriek of despair, but her nestlings are too far to hear her cry.
Tearing pain.
Dark underworld, black iron bars, white salt tears.
*
“You look like warmed over crap.”
I push past my brother and grab the coffee I’ve ordered off the counter with a grateful nod to the campus barista. “Thanks. You look like an ass.” I walk away, but he’s hot on my shoes.
“We’re you able to get back to sleep?” he asks.
“After the shadowy thing touched me? No. That was too fucked up. Did you?”
“No.” We sit on a bench outside the dining hall. “What was that about anyway? It was different—was it a cave? And I’ve never heard them scream like that before.”
“I have no idea.” I sip the coffee, ignoring my shaky hands.
“Was it yours this time, or mine?” His voice is flat and weird, and he runs his hands through his hair, and it spreads between them, like feathers. I shudder.
“Mine,” I say. “No naked girls running around with birdseed in their hands.”
“Ha-freaking-ha,” but a smile flickers over his tired face. “Have you sketched it yet?
“Don’t I always?” I sigh, and wrap my fingers around the coffee to keep from fixing his hair, which is tugged in all the wrong directions. “Have you written it down already?”
He nods. “Trade you later.”
“Hey guys,” Faye walks up with a muffin and a bottle of juice. “Memory, I hope you got back to sleep last night. That was a pretty violent nightmare.”
“I’m so sorry. I hope I didn’t freak you out too bad.” I glance at Julian. “Faye woke me up.”
“I was just worried about you. It took me a minute to shake you out of it.”
“At least I didn’t rip the curtains down and start chanting REDRUM, REDRUM!” I force a tired chuckle, but her eyes grow even wider, if that’s possible. “I’m just kidding!” Sort of. Well, at least about the Stephen King reference. I look around the quad, eager to change the subject, and spot Ethan walking toward the dining hall with Danielle. I gesture to the couple. “What’s that about?”
“Not sure, but he came back in just five minutes before curfew last night. I’m pretty sure he’s going to give me an ulcer before the summer is over,” Julian says, scowling at the pair. “I’m going to the study room.”
Faye steps in his direction. “I’ll go with you.”
“Be there in a minute.” I wave. I’m still watching Danielle and Ethan. They’re not touching, but there is a comfort level going on that indicates they have been. He leaves her on the front steps of the dining hall.
“Miss Erikssen! Exactly whom I was hoping to find.” Professor Anders’ shoelaces are untied and one side of his shirt is untucked, and his hair looks like it hasn’t seen a comb in months.
“Good morning, sir.” I stop, and he catches up to me, eyeing my coffee like I’m holding a lump of gold. “You were looking for me?”
“I’d like to start the individual student meetings for the cooperative project today. When would you be free to stop by my office?”