by Liz

I create suffering, and I watch the people suffer. The blood of countless lives flows freely beneath my feet. Cries of pain and anger ring loudly in my ears.

I am the Goddess of War. And as I watch over the world in this time of chaos and strife, five young souls catch my attention. Five young tormented spirits, each one alone in the dark of the night. Curious about the results of my handiwork, I pause to watch them sleep.

The first one dreams of pain. He mourns for those who have died, and laments over the suffering of his family. The pain experienced by those whose lives have been touched by the war weighs heavily upon his soul. His dreams are filled with sorrow.

The second one dreams of fear. He feels my silent servant, the Reaper, standing just behind him and breathing down his neck, using him like a puppet. Although he is never afraid in his waking hours, when he sleeps, the full horror of his life torments him. His dreams are filled with terror.

The third one dreams of anger. He remembers his lost wife, and all the other innocents that have been murdered in the war. He can’t forget the injustices committed that have resulted in the suffering of countless people. His dreams are filled with rage.

The fourth one dreams of disorder. He looks back on the many people he has known, and lost – and killed. Hiding behind a mask, he wonders how many of his decisions in the past have been right; knowing that many were not, he can’t remember why he made them. His dreams are filled with confusion.

And the fifth, ah, the most intriguing of this little group. His sleep is empty. Dreamless, it is filled with a terrible, voracious void which creeps up around, him seeps into him and flows through his veins. His sleep is without thought, feeling, or purpose; it mirrors the superficial life of vacuity he is leading.

His dreams – they are torn to shreds by this void before he ever sees them. And he doesn’t know what is happening to him, because he created the void himself, of his own will.

And eventually, it will destroy him.