Seducer of Souls - Chapter One

CHAPTER ONE

Ann stared out into the surrounding blackness.  The sound of heavy breathing reached out to her.  Swinging round, she tried to find the source of the sound.  Nothing but the black void greeted her. 

Since arriving at Draken's castle, the nights had brought nightmarish terrors.  Some evenings flowed with unsettling sounds to haunt her, while others were full of frightening creatures.

A sudden movement from behind her made her jump.  She snapped herself around to face the unknown fear.  Nothing was there.  Closing her eyes, she tried to calm her shattered nerves. 

Taking deep breaths she whispered, "He wants you to be afraid."

Suddenly a dark beast with large teeth appears in front of her.  She instinctively raised her arms to try to protect her face, howling in pain when breast sank its sharp teeth into her right arm dragging her around as it shook its great head.
Tears streamed down her face with excruciating pain.  She tried to focus her ability to flow pain into the beast but to no avail.  The beast felt real but it was only an illusion.
Just as quickly as it appeared the beast disappeared, realising her arm and once again returning to the black void.  Ann stood traumatised holding her throbbing arm.  She felt something warm and wet running down her arm. On closer inspection, she found blood pouring from a deep wound onto the floor. With having nothing to bind it she had to use her hand to put pressure onto the wound in the hopes of stopping the bleeding.
 
Desperately she looked around trying to see where the next attack would come from. Again, all that greeted her were tantalising sounds of heavy breathing.  She slowly edged herself backwards hoping to find a wall.  If she could protect her back then she only had ahead to think about.
Before she could reach a wall in the room two beasts appeared on either side, mercilessly they snapped at her body.
Shrieking and sobbing she fell to the floor, tightening herself into a ball in the hopes of better protection.

A faint light appeared ahead of her.  Growing brighter, it revealed the hansom Draken.  He smiled down at her sympathetically and reached his hand.

"Take my hand Ann.  I can make these beast go away."

Ann closed her eyes to the vision and shook her head.  Still the beast kept up their cruel torture.

"I know it must hurt.  Come.....  Reach out to me," said Draken.
"Go away!" she screamed.
Draken's face darkened. "As you wish."

The light dimmed once again concealing Draken in the darkness, leaving Ann to the mercy of the terrifying beasts.