Chapter 4

He wanted to fall asleep very much, but she wouldn’t let him. The creature possessing him relaxed a bit it’s grip; it seemed that by sucking his energy, she was losing her own, too. She looked a bit exhausted. Perun thought again how to stop the torment, but her grip let him know she was against it. He took a deep breath and tried to calm down. He shouldn’t let this creature humiliate him that much. He tried to move and he realised he can do slightly more than before. With one determined movement, he pushed her away, but she was faster; an unhuman cry ripped off from her chest and she caught his arms, holding them tight like a steel clamp. Perun felt her great strength. He went mad; started to throw and strike around, trying to free himself from her. The girl held him, but his efforts to free kept her pretty busy, and at last she gave in and withdrew.

“I will set you free only if you promise to keep my secret!”

“Am I dreaming?”, cried Perun, shocked, who suddenly regained his power to speak.

“No, you are not dreaming” the creature answered. “I am Nightmare, daughter of the darkness. Your soul is too rippled. You will have to carry the burden of my presence for some time.”

“But, why?”

“Because you feel too much fear. Something is bothering you. You think you are in love, but that is not love. There is someone in your life you are not equal to, whose standards you can not reach. You don’t know her well, and you are not even sure she means well to you, because she asks too much from you and you feel a bit used. You don’t know where you are standing, and that is a problem.``

“Yes, it’s true”, Perun lowered his chin sadly “I had a girlfriend back in Zagreb. She left me because I wasn’t giving her enough.”

“That’s sad. How did you feel about her?”

“I loved her like earth loves the sky rising above it. She was elusive; I had her, and it felt like I didn’t. Everything I did was to satisfy her, and it wasn’t enough.”

Perun talked passionately, and sparkles were flying from his eyes. The moon light shining through the window flared him with romantic glare. The Mare stared at him.

“How pretty boy you are! I have never seen prettier. Your eyes shine like the lakes outside and show a lot of feelings. You are beautiful!”

“What is your name?”

“They call me Malina. And you?”

“Perun. Malina, you are not at all that bad as it says in the book about Slavic Mythology. You talk nicely, and your words heal me. Keep talking.”

“Do not be afraid! I will not hurt you. I will come to you at night, like this, and we will talk.”

“And how did you enter the house?”

“I can become invisible and squeeze through any opening.”

“Please, just do not attack me again?”

“Oh, it is just a game I enjoy very much. I am doing it little because I am wild. But you are such an interesting person that I do not want to torment you any more.”

“I am glad you are here, Malina. I am too hurt to be alone. My soul hurts, here”, and he took her hand and put it on his chest, “I am crying”.

“Why are you crying, Perun? Haven’t you done the right thing? Are you afraid you should have given your girlfriend what she wanted?”

“No, no! Oh, I don’t know! I changed my mind a thousand times. Sometimes I am thinking: If I gave her what she wanted, my life would be different. And so on.”

“But Perun, I will ask you something: If you gave her what she wanted, she would stay with you. But would it mean she wanted you, and not something material from you?”

“Hmm, interesting question. I suppose it would be what I can do for her.”

“Do you want somebody to love you because of what you can do for her? Do you want that for yourself?”

“No, Malina. From the bottom of my heart I desire for a girl to love me for being myself, someone with pure heart. I despise girls searching for their interest!”

“Wonderful man! You inspire confidence in me. Your soul is so innocent, I begin to feel afraid for you”.

“Is the nightmare capable of feelings?”

“You would be surprised to know what all the nightmare is capable of. But me, still a bit of a virgin. This is my first time to feel something for somebody.”

“You are flattering me,” laughed Perun.

“If flattering brings me to the target revealing before me, I am going to do it”.

“What do you mean?”, asked Perun suspiciously.

“I like you,” said Malina “I am ready to get to know you better.”