The Nightmares Meet

Posted on Fri Oct 28th, 2011 @ 7:13pm by Commander Oralia Zeferino

Mission: In Our Time of Need
Location: Li's Quarters

If spiders could snore, Iggy would have been snoring. Contently swaddled in her own silken hammock, the spider hung not far from where Li Hawke's head might be, were the Intelligence Officer in her bed. She'd finished weaving her own bed and was quietly waiting for Li to return from dinner with Oralia.

LI had left the lights low and soothing for the spider, then she and Oz had said good night and gone out to dinner, leaving Iggy alone in the quiet quarters. The atmosphere was orderly, given one of its primary residents was a Vulcan, and the air held the lingering scent of spice tea. In the wake of the two officers departure, silence settled in around Iggy as she slept undisturbed.

As she settled deeper into sleep, the familiar dark shadows began to rise up in her brain, the soft glow fading to a deep blue glow. Iggy's legs twitched as images of escaping prey came to mind. The cockroach she'd had earlier, that Oz had practically gift-wrapped for her, laughed as it scuttled away from her.

From another corner, a whisper came, "Iggy."

The spider paused and started to turn; in the real world, she shuddered in her silk hammock.

Iggy...

Wha...? Iggy stirred in the hammock, enough that strands of the silk started to entwined around her legs.

Where is she? The voice was one Iggy knew very well by now - deep and husky, menacing.

Oralia?

No...Li. I have no use for Oralia any longer, she's screwed up her own life far better than I could have.

She has not. That male has. But she will correct him and have everything in order soon. Iggy valiantly defended Oralia. As for Li, she is around. Eating, most likely.

There was a brief pause in the conversation, the emotional atmosphere growing darker. You think you can stop me, really? You are nothing more than an overly large insect, one I'd love to smash. I blame you for Li being out of touch. I could not reach her last night

Tough, blockhead, Iggy didn't know curse words; those were the closest she had. You are out to hurt her and I am going to protect her.

There is nothing you can do. You cannot go where I will take her. And then? We will be where we were supposed to be, before that Vulcan, before she ruined my plans. He gave a rough laugh and the shadows near Iggy shifted suddenly.

Really? What were your plans? Did they not involve the waking world? Perhaps breeding Li and creating small genetic copies of yourself?, Iggy asked even as she tried to extricate herself from her own silk. Normally, the stuff would glide off her feet, wouldn't stick to her exoskeleton. Tonight, it was clingy. Was this what Oralia called a nightmare? Iggy didn't like it at all, if so. Whatever your plan was, it seems rather pointless now.

Maybe I'll leave her alone and wait for him. There was obvious distaste in his tone. If I really want to ruin her, he's the obvious route. It's perfect. And I have you to thank for the idea.

Me? The spider squeaked.

Yes, you. Your pointless comment. I assume you meant because she is alive, settled down with the one she abandoned me for. What better payback than to take him from her?

Actually, I meant because you are dead; she is not.

When she loses him, she will likely wish for it. The logic holds, as he is so fond of saying.

How will you affect him? He is off this... station.

He will return. And I am nothing if not patient, as we've seen. And if you think I can't touch him because of where and what I am now....

Without a word, the vague image of Rhys appeared before Iggy and in a flash, his hand snaked out, knocking her free of her silken bed and launching her across the room. The image faded as his laughter grew, echoing around her.

Screaming as only a spider can (which means not much, except in a telepathic way), Iggy tried to save herself, to send out an anchor line towards a wall. She didn't make it... and woke in a tumble of legs and hair on Li's pillow. Hopping up, she danced around, hopping about, to look in all directions at once. She was alone in Li's bedroom... but was she really?

Silence once more enveloped Iggy, the shadows gone and replaced once more by the soft light, the familiar sights and smells. Though her eyesight wasn't great, she could make out that there was a strand of her webbing hanging from a sconce on the far wall. Had she a mouth, she'd have frowned.

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Iggy & The Ghost