Moonlight Monster

I only remember one particular scene. The full moon illuminating everything so brightly you wouldn't think it was passed midnight. Slightly glassy snow covering the whole valley. The dream flashes between my own vision of trudging through the snow with the freezing wind whipping around me and... something both mysterious and terrifying. It was weird... very weird... I guess you had to be there.

The horse is jet black but so decrepit... like the poor creature is stretched and contorted. It reminded me of a displacer beast... all gangly-legged and decayed.... Its mouth hangs open, its long purple tongue lolls out of its mouth with each heaving snort and the moonlight catches its startingly white fangs... It's eyes are just empty, sunken sockets... but it runs on... in the snow behind me gaining steadily. I'm trying to run but I can only stagger on in the cold. A shadow is cast over the moon and I stop to look up in exhaustion and exasperation. Big black leathern wings shoot out and cover the moon entirely in blackness. I can make out the vaguely human figure with his long hair whipping behind him as the wind pushes him skyward.

Suddenly, he dives, gracefully at first and then he moves like lightning, and lands upon the horse-beast. It squeals... a cross between a horse's whinny and a rabbit's scream. I see the silver finger armour... or his claws... slice the beast's neck but it keeps running towards me. I see his eyes fix on me and, at first, I forget why I'm running.

Then I'm trying desperately to outrun them. Leather cloak cutting through wind, I hear them approach. He laughs. This quiet, demonic chuckle. I spin on my heels as they're mere feet from me and fall back into the snow. The beast leaps over me and lands a few feet ahead. It turns and I don't have time to stand before I'm in his arms. The beast rides on in its deceptively smooth gait.

He holds me in one arm, I can feel the silver claws digging into my spine. I'm like a ragdoll. He stares at me with a psychotic grin.... and I smile back. A murder of crows blankets the skies overhead... and I wake up to the sound of them calling my name.