Lost Zendori excerpt
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Ali’s tired eyes burned. She’d been up for two days now, and though she desperately needed sleep, she could never voluntarily succumb. Dread weighed heavy on her knowing that the dreams would be there waiting for her when she finally gave in.
Though Ali had lived her entire life in a city in northern Missouri, she dreamed of the jungle. In the beginning, only frightening sounds came to her in the dark. But a dim glow soon grew in the blackness, casting faint shadows.
Massive animals crept around her periphery, and voices echoed like hazy memories. Some nights, Ali heard a woman crying. She never saw her face clearly, but she could feel the woman’s sadness and fear as if it were her own.
At fifteen, she dreamed of a strange man with eerie dark eyes and long, flowing hair the color of the palest corn silk. Despite his unusual beauty, something about him terrified her.
Since then, she’d dreamed of him often. Stalking her. Chasing her. Cornering her. She’d wake trembling with fear, knowing that if he ever caught her, horrible things would happen.
She fought hard every time she felt the pull of sleep trying to drag her under. She knew when she finally closed her eyes again, he would likely be there waiting. The other dreams could be scary enough, but he was the reason she dreaded sleep. She didn’t want to see his beautiful, frightening face or his hollow black eyes.
Feeling the inevitable sleep coming, Ali lurched to her feet and paced the length of her living room. As a distraction, she counted her steps and forced herself to take slow, deep breaths. It wouldn’t help, but she tried anyway, clinging to the hope that one day something would give.
As expected, a surge of anxiety swept in like a tsunami, knocking her off balance yet again. Gripping the doorframe, Ali breathed deep and fought against the lump rising in her throat. Her stomach churned like a washing machine, and no matter how hard she fought it, she knew she would be sick.
Rushing to the bathroom on unsteady legs, Ali dropped to her knees in front of the toilet. Like countless times before, she let wave after wave roll through her as her body rebelled against itself yet again.
The retching seemed to go on forever, but when it finally subsided, Ali gave in to exhaustion. She collapsed against the tub, letting her body slide limply to the floor. Hot tears seeped from the corners of her eyes. And as sleep claimed her, she wondered how much longer she could endure the torture her troubled mind created for itself.
Something changed that night. When the dream came, Ali knew it was different from the others. Gone were the hazy glimpses of unknown creatures skulking in the darkness. This time, she saw everything with such clarity it no longer felt like a dream.
As she strode through the dense foliage, everything assaulted her senses. The humid air clung to her like a second skin, the earthy scents invaded her lungs, and the chaotic drone of nocturnal animals echoed all around her.
Her skin prickled with awareness. Something or someone followed her. She could feel eyes watching her every move. But for the first time in her life, she didn’t feel afraid.
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I hope you enjoyed a little sneak peek of Ali and Nicolai's story.
If you want to read more, you can find it here.