Awakening: The Deep Sleep (The Deep Sleep Trilogy Book 1) by Victoria Boyson Page B

filled Beloved with panic. The atmosphere around her was charged with intensity and she knew she was in danger, but what was chasing her? Sinister flashes unveiled themselves as she caught sight of the unholy creatures attempting to block her way.
    Trapped by the mist and overwhelmed with fear, she now found herself pressed from every side by a band of tormenting demonic creatures. Chasing her with their terror, they charged at her relentlessly with their menacing lies and malicious accusations.
    Beloved tried to defend herself, but they appeared to her like the ominous cover of mist, blending in with it and blinding her vision – crushing her peace. They were incessant. Like a dripping faucet they pressed in on her, coming back again and again with destructive lies. Trying to rip at her mind with seductions of dissembling defeat, berating her with overwhelming persuasions of self hatred, they were determined to take possession of her. She was to them a great prize because the Lord cherished her so much.
    Overwhelmed, frightened and crying, she tried to run from them. Yet she seemed helpless to get away. Tormented by their unrelenting indoctrination, she screamed against the dark images, “Leave me alone!” Exasperated, she swung around and attempted to break free from their barricade, just when something extraordinary caught her eye.
    It was only for a moment she saw it, but Beloved was quite sure of what she had seen. She was surprised by the failure of one dark creature; he had shown histrue emotion and she had seen it. Just a small flicker in his beady eyes was enough to capture her attention. It vanished as quickly as it had appeared, but there was no question in her mind. She had seen a glimmer of fear in one of the creatures chasing her and it disarmed the lies of accusations entangling her.
    Beloved was amazed by their error, but it was too late. She had seen what they had been desperate to conceal from her. Their power was raised by the fear they inflicted, and she saw now how important her fear was in empowering their lies against her – her fear gave them control. Without fear’s premise, they knew she could easily overpower them. It was, indeed,
they
who were afraid of
her
.
    Beloved turned to face them and planted herself defiantly in front of them. “Wait!” she challenged, “You’re afraid of me, aren’t you?”
    “Noooo!” they hissed back at her, repelled by her suggestion.
    They tried to hold their ground, but it was too late. She had seen the fear in their eyes.
    Wrestling with her thoughts, she questioned in her mind, “What are they afraid of?”
    She was puzzled, but in gaining insight, fury began to build within her. Even more so, she was beginning toremember who she really was, and their contemptuous treatment fueled her anger.
    “They tormented me and tried to convince me they had all the power,” she stormed, “but all along they were the ones who were afraid … of
me
!”
    Fear seemed to rise in the creatures as they watched Beloved’s demeanor change. The reality of their powerless condition swept over them and they stood helpless to ensnare her. They could no longer hold her in the torment of the mist.
    Beloved watched as fear overwhelmed the minds of the sinister creatures, and it pleased her to realize how threatened they were becoming. She knew now nothing could hold her in their grasp. With determined delight she charged right through the midst of the mob as they screamed their pathetic objections. She was leaving their grasp.
    Powerless to hold her, the ambush the enemy had set for her was incapacitated as she embraced the revelation of the power she possessed. As the demonic creatures realized they could no longer hold her, they followed her in a feeble attempt to once again gain control over her.
    She walked steadily away from them in defiant pursuit of the path she’d left. Angry at Beloved for hervictory over them, the creatures were hungry to continue their assault