Then, the lanterns hanging from its shoulders would begin to glow, and it
would hiss in a voice that pierced my very soul. “Cannot resissssst”, it would
say.
Resist . . . resist . . . my mind would become a flurry of fear and
instinct. I must resist!
Every time I’d have this nightmare, I’d reach for my sword and try to lunge
at the creature, hoping to scare it away. And every time, a cold, lifeless cloud
of darkness would overwhelm me . . . and I would instantly awaken.
For years I wanted to confront this beast,
and it wasn’t until after I
enlisted in the military that I finally got my chance.