Replies

I had traveled far beyond what was prudent, and heard the growls and snarls of creatures that were the proof of my lack of prudence.
I felt my heart hammer in my chest as I gripped my weapons in my hands.
Sweat dripped into my one eye, the lions came into view.
I swung with my bronze sword as the lead female leaped at me.
I had enough time to-

I sat bolt upright screaming.
After all these years, one would think I wouldn't have nightmares.
My kind isn't supposed to be able to have nightmares.
I padded in bare feet into my kitchen and grabbed a glass of water.
Not that water would do me any good, but it would help calm me down and keep me from dehydrating from sweating.
I opened my refrigerator and had stuck my head inside whenn I vaguely sensed something wrong, right before a voice intruded upon my existence.
"You really should look into therapy."
Anything else the speaker said was drowned out by the sound of my head banging the inside of the refrigerator and then the sound of catastrophic collapse of everything in my hands.
I looked over the counter darkly at the speaker.
She tried to look demure, but I knew far better than that.
"How.. ow, did you get in here? And why are you here?" I rubbed my now rather bruised skull with one hand and surveyed the destruction.
A smile and my spare key being held before my eyes were my answer.
Perfect.
"So what name do you go by now? If I may ask?" my head hurt and my humor was rather nonexistent.
"You may call me Karen for now." she purred.
Not too different from what I had known her as.
But vastly different from who she really was.
"Oh, you've been around for closer to 60 centuries deary."
Rule one in the realm of fiends, never remind one of their age.
I glared at her darkly for a few minutes.
How could I ever forget?
After all, she was the one who had made me what I was.
All because I was a foolish boy who had seen a pretty face and had wanted to offer her father a dowry for her hand in marraige.

I shook my head to clear the memories that came.
But it was no use.
I remembered still.