Dream a Dream || TAG: Helen Magnus

[ASHLEY MAGNUS]

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"Craaaap… " Ashley bolted from where the creature stood previously, while
looming over the top of her, and her temporary side-kick, Patrick Jane.



The fiery Magnus hit a road block, as her fears clouded her judgement. She
felt different. Not the young, free-spirited, and hot-headed woman she once was.
She was still Ashley, however. But changed. Altered. Like the super-Abnormal murderer
she once was before she landed here.



Now all she felt compelled to do was run, as the creature moved on to chase Patrick
as the both of them disappeared through the high-rise tree’s and unusual flora which clouded
the entire area and filled it with extraordinary color. Ashley moved to do a forward roll, straight
under a mass of bushes and spider-webs, and remained there until the low-growling, hungry
sounds of the creature disappeared. Her breaths were shallow, and her heart raced.
Not of the adrenaline rush. But of fear. Unknown fear.



She really shouldn’t be scared. This was Ashley freakin’ Magnus. Daughter of the
great Helen Magnus. The only thing she truly feared was losing her mother. But
in turn, she lost herself to the darkness.



Once all traces of the creature had vanished, she picked herself up and made
her way back on the path, and tried to follow it in the opposite direction. She
glanced behind her quickly, bright blue eyes blinked with worry. Should she go
back? Should she save Patrick? Was if she accidentally killed him? She didn’t even
know if her had full-control now. Not after was happened with mom.



"Mom… " She blinked back tears, and bit her lip, as she turned back around
and continued forward along the cobblestone path.



She felt the glow of the sun on her back, and felt a slight gust of wind rustling the
trees around her. It was serene. No one else was in sight, and now she was
worried Patrick didn’t make it. She felt horrible sink in her stomach. Guilt.
Well…She didn’t know the guy, but he did strike a remarkable familiarity to Will.
Maybe that’s why she felt drawn to him. She picked up the pace, and began a slight
jog. There was something gleaming up ahead, and whatever it was, she was curious.
Now she bolted into a run, hoping to find someone who may have the answer to her
existence, and why she was brought back to life. She needed answers. She CRAVED them.



Skidded to a halt, she found herself staring open-mouthed at a beautiful stone temple,
as a headstone to the gardens she left behind. Beyond the temple, was a cliff-side, which
had an incredibly breathtaking view of the ocean. A mystical sight. The temple itself
seemed to unnaturally gleam, as if the stone walls itself glistened like white diamonds.
The sparkling stair-case led up to large golden doors, embedded with various encryption's 
and symbols. Neither of which Ashley could decipher. She crinkled her brow, as she
struggled to come to terms as to what she was seeing. It was some sort of temple. A shrine?



…To whom?



Without a second thought, Ashley Magnus barged in, not caring who or what she
may encounter there.

[HELEN MAGNUS]

I can't breathe.

That was the first thought Helen Magnus remembered. There were no visual memories, but the sounds were loud and the temperature was insanely high. She could feel her skin crack, she could smell flesh burning, boiling under a fire she did not recall witnessing. And the ashes. She had woken up in the middle of nowhere covered in ash. It still fell over her, with the innocence of a snowflake.

Rebirth.

Many lifetimes of work coming undone. And now this. She sat up slowly, allowing her body to speak up in case something didn't feel right. Yet all she heard was silence... all she heard was wholeness.

"Where the bloody hell am I?" She whispered as she stood up, her eyes taking in the surroundings. She knew more than enough geography to know that this place made no sense. She closed her eyes for a moment, half-hoping to open them again and find herself amongst the remains of what had once been her Sanctuary. Ah Helen, she thought to herself, You certainly outdid yourself this time.

Yes, she had planned on destroying her Sanctuary. Well, perhaps we should start calling it her old Sanctuary, for she did bring up a new one before getting rid of the old. Why? It bought her more time and more freedom. There were things to be done behind closed doors, things that had to stay behind closed doors. Instead of changing the locks, she had decided, long ago, to change the whole thing. Her partner? Herself. Quite literally, actually. Everything had been working just fine. She was meant to disappear... but not this far. This was too much.

Could it be just a dream, she wondered. Could it all be simply the result of the explosion? How could it, though? She had planned it perfectly. She would have been able to leave on her own two feet. She was meant to survive and go into hiding. This was her lifetime of silence, so why was her still rather uneasy breath the only sound she could hear?

[ASHLEY MAGNUS]

The only sound Ashley could hear, was the shallowness of her own breath. She
entered the temple, and was instantly consumed in darkness. Blinking several
times to regain her eyesight, Ashley’s vision slowly began to return.

There were faint specks of light, and a few candles lighting the way down an
open corridor before her. The glistening marble floors, were as delicate as glass,
as Ashley began to tread carefully on sacred ground. Her baby blue eyes darted
from one side, to the other, up and down, scanning the intricate-engraved walls
for any sign of an answer.

There was a stillness in the air, almost sickening. And the silence was almost too
much to bear. The only thing she could hear was the blood pumping behind her
ears, and the manic beating of her precious heart. Something was off. She could
feel it in her bones. As she stumbled deeper into the unknown, more candles seem
to light the way. And as she moved forward, several dormant ones reignited, as if
she was being expected.

By whom?

The short corridor suddenly opened up to a large circular atrium. In the center,
stood a large golden alter surrounded by candles. Some candles, however, were
hovering, causing Ashley to swallow the bile that had built up in her throat. Chairs
were perfectly aligned around the altar, almost like the inside of a church. There
was something ethereal about this place. Something she’d never witnessed before.

Ashley came to a sudden halt, and planted herself in the front row of the altar staring
directly at the altar. She really had no idea what she doing here, but she was drawn
to it. Something in here held the answer to her re-existence, and she’d be damned to
hell if she didn’t find out what that was. She blinked slowly, staring at the centre. She
had no desire to move. No will. No reason.

She was alone. And that was terrifying enough.