Scales

What are you trying to tell me? He wondered

Her mouth didn’t move but the word ‘help’ seemed to echo and to come from far away. And he instantly felt that this sound was not part of this memory.

Two worlds were clashing. Dragging Raese back to present day. In a haze somewhere between wakefulness and sleep.

“Raese.” The voice broke and echoed from far away. “Come back to me…”

He sat bolt upright. “To whom? Who are you?”

“Don’t…” The strange mechanical voice came from a dark corner of the room. He caught the flash of eyes which illuminated her hazy face in the shadows. “Forget me…I’m so…weak…” The image began to withdraw from his room. Subsiding into darkness.

“No! Come back!” He reached out a hand but couldn’t stop the wraith from vanishing.

“Calisto!” He cried reflexively. Barely realizing the name was slipping from his lips. Paralyzed in shock, his hand fell limply to the bed.

Where’d that come from?

There was one more flash of white eyes that told him she’d heard him cry her name.

“Calisto. Calisto. Calisto.” He said rapidly in concession, hoping to never forget it.

It’s her. She’s the one haunting my dreams. A woman he remembered seeing, speaking to, following…A distorted version of herself that appeared with him now.

Making him hunger for something just out of reach. What’s happening to me?

Suddenly Raese felt hot. Incredibly hot. That seemed strange.

In my dreams I do not feel hot or cold…

His insides began to quake, and he grasped his stomach and vomited on his bedding. Trying to alleviate the tightening of his body, he moved to a crawl. His back felt like it was curving upward then straightening. Crunching in his ears.

He began a low scream that grew louder and resonated through the halls of his rented mansion. Green flakes began to sweat from the skin of his hand, generating a glowing light.

Green scales jutted through his pores. Slowly creeping out until they laid flat along his arms. Clacking like metal fitting together. Turning into an armor that ran over his wrist and along his fingers. Spikes began emerging from his fingertips.

I’m still dreaming! I have to be!

But the pain was very real. What’s happening to me?

He reflexively began to slow his breathing. Willing himself to cool off. Closing his eyes to try and slow his heart rate.

Calm, Raese. He could almost hear her voice saying it to him.

As he cooled, his heart rate slowed. Eventually, he felt like he could breathe again. He was suddenly overwhelmingly exhausted. Feeling like he’d just won some tremendous battle with himself.

He was terrified and shaking. Is she doing this to me?

He swallowed convulsively. And collapsed to his side. He wrapped the arm that had started to malform up before him to examine it.

Nothing.

No scales. No spikes. Just an arm…

He could not resist tossing one more look to the corner where she’d been. Hoping to catch one last dim look at her.

Who are you to me?

Why can’t I stop thinking of you?