Artistically  Speaking 

 

  She called to the Chimera that lay in wait for her, every night, on the other side of consciousness. She sat and stroked its body. Rubbing its soft hair lulled her to sleep. Lois heard Cheryl come out of the bathroom and shuffle around, but  she didn’t bother to open her eyes. She looked at The Chimera she named Lucian after her uncle. Her loving uncle, who took her in when her mother was detoxing at one place or another. He was her protector as a child, and upon meeting the Chimera in her dreams she gave it that special name. Lois learned to rely on Lucian when the nightmares were more than she could handle, he devoured them and anything else that threatened her while she slept.

 

   As they laid on the beach she put her head on him and listened to his heart beating, the wonderful sound made her feel safe. In the vastness of her mind she and Lucian readied themselves for the approaching nightmare. Lois felt strong with him by her side. The nightmares always began the same. Her mother walked out  of  the nowhereness of her dream, smiled then morphed into that thing that displayed its  jagged teeth before attempting to devour her. But, on this night, her mother reached her without changing. Lois greeted her with a hug and while they embraced her mother whispered in her ear.

 

 “You should not have allowed it any freedom. You will pay the price for that. I taught you nothing is free, everything has a price, even love, If such a thing exist.”

 

  Immediately upon finishing her sentence that thing appeared and took Lois into its large mouth, head first. It clamped its teeth on her stomach cutting her in half. It spit her out and as she lay there bleeding, cut in two, she saw a injured Lucian dragged away by his tail clawing at the sand, howling. He was staring at her, and for the first time she thought she saw fear in his eyes. He disappeared into the darkness and she prepared to pay the price for letting it free.