Shadow-Land by Heather Parsons (best books to read for teens .txt) 📕

you will not leave me.” She cried on her shoulder.

“Honey we've been trying to wake you for the last few hours but you didn't move. You didn't even acknowledge our presents. All you did was scream. At some point you didn't even look like you were breathing. Your father called Travis to come over and see if he could help but when he touched you, you only screamed louder. Baby what happened?” Joyce asked with tears in her eyes.

Sierra didn't release her hold on her mother. But when her mothers hands brushed up against where the thing had clawed her it sent violent tremors all over Sierra's body. The burning sensation was still very present and she couldn't take the pain much longer.

“It was only a nightmare but it felt so real. And my sides are still burning. Why? How is it possible that I can still feel it's claws burning into me? Mother, Father, what's happening?” Sierra asked looking between them.

Still within arms length from her mother she reached down and lifted up her shirt. There were three equal jagged lines on both sides of her stomach and as much as she tried she couldn't take my eyes off them.

“Sierra sit down please.” Charles said in a soothing fatherly voice. Offering his chair to her and trying hard not to touch her. “Joyce could you get the first aid kit. We need to see if we can clean these up.”

“Father what does this mean? How can I have these if it was a nightmare?” Sierra asked looking him dead in the eye. His calm nature in this matter was unnerving.

“These marks are from a demon and the only way the can get to you is through your dreams. You need to tell me what your dream was about so I can figure out what we are going to do.” Charles said as he took a seat next to her. She looked up at the same time he'd mentioned dreams and asked herself how could he know so much about demons and never have mentioned anything to her? Was it to protect her? because it wasn't working.

“Please don't make me have to relive my nightmare. Once was hard enough but to tell you it all over again, I can't.” She hesitated looking around. “Not right now. Please don't make me.” Sierra cried fresh tears while looking back down at the jagged lines and wishing they would go away.

“Charles I have the first aid kit. Baby your going to be fine. I will not let anything happen to you.” Joyce said in a soothing voice. Hearing her say this broke Sierra's heart. She wasn't worried about herself but about them.

“This thing that did this to me, killed......” Sierra started saying but was interrupted when the door bell rang. Her head snapped up to the sound of it and she watched as her father causally walk away to answer.

“Mr. Michael I came back as quickly as I could with my father. Maybe he'll know what's going on with her.” Travis spoke firmly and just hearing him seemed to lesson the fear she felt.

“She woke up a few minutes ago, screaming again and ran down the stairs. She's in the kitchen crying but there's something else. There are marks on her from a demon. The only way they can touch you is through your dreams. Please Phillip for my sake tell me you can do something about this.” Charles' voice shook.

“I'll see what I can do Charles but first I need to see her.” Phillip said in a doctor's tone. Sierra watched out the corner of her eye, both Phillip and Travis enter the kitchen. Lowering her shirt as they all come into view.

Travis moved closer to Sierra but whatever she'd seen in her nightmare was still present now and that something she saw in him. Something she's never seen before but it terrified her to see his face distorting. “Don't touch me. Please.” She said turning away from him and still trying her hardest not to show him the look of terror she had.

“Honey lets get you upstairs and I'll see what I can do about helping you.” Phillip said and reached out his hand to help her up. Without even looking at it, she put her hand in his and left the room. “Charles, Joyce you two need to stay down here until I'm done. Travis I need you to go outside and grab my bag.” With these finally words he took her up the stairs and into her room.

“Sierra I need you to lay down and try to explain to me what attacked you. I understand it was a nightmare you had but if you could explain what this thing looked like then I'll have a better understanding of what I need to do.” Phillip said. She only nodded yes. Laying down on the bed and trying not to blink.

“It had a....” Sierra started saying when Travis came into the room to hand his father his bag. She tried to look up to meet his face and to apologize to him for how she acted but couldn't. His face was still distorted and she cringed away once more.

“I'm sorry son but you can't be in here either. This is something I have to do alone. Thank you for bringing in my bag though.” Phillip said and watched as his son disappeared back out the door.

Sierra watched Phillip go over to the door and lock it. She wanted to say something but he's never hurt her before so she shouldn't feel as if he would now. After all she was already hurt so anything he did now she probably wouldn't feel. Or so she thought.

A scream escaped her lips as the burning sensation coursed it's way through her body. Taking in a deep breath, she bit down hard on her bottom lip to cease the pain. And ended up drawing blood of her own.

“Sierra you have to tell me what it looked like and fast. The poison is spreading faster than I thought.” Phillip said in a rushed tone.

“Spikes on it's back and," she gritted her teeth, "and sharp claws..very fast...” Taking in as much air as she could while trying not to pass out.

“I think I know what your talking about. Sierra just stay with me. Keep your eyes opened.” He said and she did try her hardest but it felt useless. The pain was coming on faster and faster. Sierra felt the weight of it before he even came back into view.

The darkness that now covered her eyes, was horrifying. This creature that attacked her was standing in front of her now and smiling. Showing it's jagged teeth and it's claws were extended out. It was closing in on her. She turned around to run but there was no where to go. All around was darkness and she couldn't see where she was headed. Blinking her eyes a few times caused the scene around her to change.

Sierra now was standing in what looked like a large glass enclosure. The sun was shinning bright in the sky and she felt some what at peace. There was a lake in front of her and her parents were beckoning her to come to them. The closer Sierra was the further away they were.

With no where else to go besides walking into the lake, she stood there and cried out. “Mother, Father. Please wait for me. Don't leave me.” As soon as these words escaped her lips did they fade away.

“MOTHER, FATHER. DON'T GO!” She screamed. Scared to be alone but more scared to see that they were really truly gone again. There was nothing she could do to save them. Not at home and not here.

“Sierra, honey. Wake up.” She heard the voice but couldn't face them. Her heart was broken seeing them fade away without a word being said.

“Why is she not waking up?” Another voice asked.

“You will have to give the medicine time to work. The poison that she had in her had been there longer than I thought.” This voice came in clearer but still Sierra couldn't open her eyes to see who it was. “Son maybe if you said something she'd respond.”

“I can't. You saw how she acted towards me. She's scared of me.” Travis said. His voice she could hear clearly. But why?

“That was not her. It was the poison in her system. It distorted her vision.” Phillip said to reassure his son that Sierra didn't hate him.

“Sierra come back to us. Please I can't go through life knowing you won't be in it with me. There's so much more we haven't done together. For one thing you still have to graduate and then you know we will all go wherever you choose to go to college. Teri, Joseph, Carmen, Dean, Christy and even Ben, I'm sure will follow you wherever you go. Just please wake up so I can see those beautiful eyes of yours.” Travis spoke in whispers. She felt his hand in hers but she still didn't open her eyes.

Sierra did see the lake disappear before her and the glass enclosure too. But the creature was still there and still had a hold on her. “You can never escape what you are. For that reason alone, you can never escape me.” The creature hissed while saying this.

It's claws punctured her skin bringing her screams that were buried down deep in her throat, out. The pain shooting through her insides made her sink deeper into the darkness of her mind. Further than she's ever been and one she couldn't escape from.

Sierra took in a deep breath and released it slowly. The last one she was able to take before it's claws dug deeper inside.

“Breathe Sierra, breathe.” She heard Travis' faint voice scream. “Dad something's wrong. DAD!” His voice was fading further away. She tried to reach out for him but he wasn't there. There was no one there to reach out to. No one to help her climb back out.

“Sierra take my hand. Listen to my voice and take my hand.” Charles' voice was only a whisper.