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Therian Dreaming II

Chapter Eleven

© Cederwyn Whitefurr

19th April 2023

All Rights Reserved.

For three quarters of an hour, Fawnie nursed from Kelsie, her small belly growing to three times its normal size. At last, the suckling grew weaker and weaker, Fawnie's eyes growing heavy then with one last half-hearted suck, her eyelids slammed shut.

“Wow... you alright Kelsie?" Pete asked, as he knelt down and lifted up their fawn, cuddling her close.

“Urgh - “ Kelsie groaned, giving a weak tail flick. “Take her home Pete – I'll be along in a few...moments."

Pete looked at her, before he stroked the sleeping Fawnie between the ears.

“Its getting dark, so don't take too long, okay?

Kelsie lay her head back down and gave another weak tail flag.

“I mean it, Kelsie!" Pete told her sternly. “There are things in these woods – and I'm not talking about us..."

“What in its right mind..." Kelsie began, then shivered, her mind starting to wander.

Almost as if he could read her thoughts – or maybe it was the way her ears went flat, Pete sighed and walked back to their house, carrying the sleeping fawn gently.

*

Kelsie dreamed...

In her dream, she heard fragments of a song, her eyes twitched beneath her pale lids, one ear flickered and she murmured quietly; before a sniffle come from her throat.

Little one... Something whispered.

“Nngh..." Kelsie moaned, then trembled as a freezing cold paw touched her shoulder.

Little one, my child...hear me...

“No..." Kelsie growled, then her eyes fluttered. “Pete...hands...cold..."

Kelsie, Come that voice like it was right next to her ear. This is not what you were named little one – yet I know it is a name you answer to. Now, awaken my fawn – awaken – for my time and strength are shorter!

Kelsie squealed as she felt a slap – yet it was cold as mid-winter and where it struck, there was no pain, the skin and muscle beneath were numb like it'd been put to sleep.

“Who did that!" Kelsie whimpered, her head snapping up and looking around.

Something – shimmered, then formed from the early night air, barely discernible as a feral deer. It looked at Kelsie with eyes filled with sadness and pain, before it took a step closer – its spectral hooves not making a sound.

“No, no, no..." Kelsie squealed, stumbling to her hooves and trying to back away. “Go away, you're not real..."

With a sigh, the deer bowed its head and seemed to exert itself for a moment, before it looked straight into Kelsie's eyes.

“Fallowen, so true named, do I command you to stand!" It spoke quietly.

Kelsie froze, every muscle rigid.

No, you can't, run, run you foolish doe, RUN... Her mind screamed at her – yet she couldn't even twitch a single whisker – such was the compulsion that froze her.

“Fallowen, my love, my... daughter – look at you! You've grown into what I imagined you would! You're...beautiful yet - “

As the spectral deer walked past Kelsie, Kelsie's eyes widened as she seen the throat of the deer – a deep, wide slash across the middle from one side to the other...

No, you're not... Kelsie tried to squeal.

“Real?" Sighed the doe sadly. “No, my daughter, I am not – I'm a – a spirit, of sorts..."

Kelsie's mind reeled in fear, it feeding itself and growing stronger, her heart pounding in her chest.

“What was – me – died that night my daughter. You do not remember much of what happened – to me – to our herd... I will be forever grateful, such memories are lost to you..."

Let me go, please! Kelsie screamed in her mind. Terrified and traumatised, yet the spirit held her helpless.

“Fallowen, listen to me!" Snapped the ghost in sudden frustration. “Listen and heed me little one!"

Kelsie felt like her very heart stopped, as the deer just – shifted – from feral to a strange hybrid form. It reached out, then placed a spectral paw on Kelsie's forehead. Its touch was like an icicle, and Kelsie screamed... she couldn't help it...her piercing shriek echoing out through the forest...

Or so she thought – her mind screamed – her voice was taken from her...

“Forgive me Fallowen, I wish there was another way – I need you to understand, to awaken to know what you truly are... I see your past, I see your now, and I see your future – yet I can not speak to you of such. I can only do that which I do now – now hear me, Fallowen, daughter of Silverhoof and Shadowmane – hear me, not with your ears, but with your very heart and soul... HEAR ME AND AWAKEN..."

Kelsie did scream...loud and long, as the spirit bowed its head down and rested it against Kelsie's, tearing down her mental defences she had spent her whole life building – effortlessly, mercilessly, revealing that thing within her – that dark, empty void in her soul...

Yet it was not empty – Kelsie cried, tears sluicing down her muzzle, as she saw herself standing in that place – it was indefinable – an infinite void, a wind that would flay her very spirit roaring – yet silent. Beside her, stood another doe – just as real as Kelsie herself, yet when she turned her head, Kelsie felt her stomach twist as she seen the slashed throat and the dried blood on the Doe's chest and forelegs.

“Stand, Fallowen - “ Whispered the Doe next to her. “Face the darkness, see what our kind has fought for thousands of years... See what lives within us..."

Kelsie squeezed her eyes closed, sensing the presence – it was cold, colder than the arctic like wind that flayed at her very soul. It walked on cloven hooves, it looked like Kelsie – even with her eyes closed, she could see it – trapped as she was in her own mind by what the spirit had done to her.

Give her to me, Spirit, or you will not like what I will do to you... later – to – her – Come a voice that made Kelsie want to run.

“I will not," Growled the Doe, stepping defensively before Kelsie. “I know what you are who you are – you think I do not? I fought my own battle with what you are – when I was much younger than her... You will not claim her spirit, nor her body."

Tempt me not spirit, for you are not indestructible – you are but one, weak, ineffectual, - alone – I will take her, - break – her, show her what our kind truly are capable of...

With a snort, the Doe flicked her ears, glaring at the dark spirit before her.

“How very...presumptuous - “ Laughed the doe contemptuously. “You think I'm alone?..."

With a toss of her head, Kelsie squealed as fifty other spectral deer – Bucks, Doe, and even a few Fawns, materialized from nowhere, forming a protective semi-circle before Kelsie.

“Fallowen is ours - “ They roared with voices louder and stronger than was imaginable, forcing the dark shade to step backward involuntarily. “Born to us, loved, by us, and protected – by us..."

NO! Screamed the enraged dark one. I know how pure and clear her heart is! It's mine, I will take her, literally...

“No..." Kelsie wept, shaking her head from side to side.

No? It laughed at her. Foolish doe, you think that – pah – that human you turned pleasures you? You have – no – idea of what I will do to you little one...

“Listen not to it Fallowen, for with us protecting you, it will threaten and mock, it can not harm you... Now... your husband comes for you, I can sense his heartbeat – I have not long left..."

They parted and Kelsie found herself involuntarily walking forwards, the Dark Therian doing likewise.

No, I will not submit, her heart is mine, MINE! It screamed and dug its cloven hooves in, inexorably dragged forwards almost like some rope was around its neck.

“Mother, stop!" Kelsie squealed in terror.

“You know what you must do my love," Her mother told her, watching impassively. “If you do not..."

Kelsie's will fought back, screaming, struggling, pleading to be released from the hold – but her legs dragged her forwards again and again; before she was almost touching the Dark Therian before her. Her mother walked over, her own cloven hooves silent, before she raised both her paws – placing one over her daughter's heart, the other over the chest of the Therian.

No! It screamed. I won't, I won't submit...I wo...

Kelsie screamed, feeling something cold flood her body from ear tips to trembling cloven hooves; before her mother turned and gripped her cheeks between her spectral paws.

“By our will and word," Kelsie's mother began, the others taking up the words. “Kelsie, Daughter of Silverhoof and Shadowmane, Therian, Sister, Beloved...last of the Silverhoof Herd – by our will and our word – do we bond your spirit – draw from the darkness our beloved – never – let it consume you! By our will and our word, from this day until your last, you will have dominion, it will obey and concede to your will and whim, for so it has been spoken – so must it be! Now, awaken daughter – awaken and remember..."

Kelsie shrieked, as the spectral deer moved in closer, then closer again, touching her through their closeness, those behind moving closer and closer, until she was surrounded by them – their warmth and love for her driving away her fear and her sadness.

Her mother stared into her eyes, placing a paw on Kelsie's ears and gently stroking them.

“AWAKEN..."

Kelsie snapped awake, her legs instantly collapsing beneath her, tears streaking down her muzzle and she cried helplessly. Pete heard her terrified wails and ran to her, dropping to his knees and pulling her tight against himself. He held her shaking, sobbing body, cuddling her as Kelsie slipped her forelegs over his shoulder and squeezed with everything she had. Her head was on his left shoulder, her tears dripping down onto his back and soaking through his shirt.

“Kelsie, Kelsie!" Pete gasped, holding her tight and feeling her sweat-wet body shaking like she'd had a nightmare. “Come back to me my love...please?"

TO BE CONTINUED...