Dream Time

Prologue

As I opened my eyes, and saw that it was morning. I had made it through another long night. I felt him stir next to me. He had made it through the night too. His body was soft, and his muscles had so much detail just like a Greek god. He had a strong jaw line and his face was the most beautiful face I had ever seen. When I look at him I am happy; he makes me feel safe. He is my best friend and twin soul. In dream time he is my warrior.

Dream time was getting to be a constant fight between good and evil. Sometimes I wish I wasn’t a high priestess and didn’t have to fight every night, but with him next to me I feel I could do anything. I felt like I had the power to defeat any evil.

I looked at the alarm clock and saw that it was 5:30 a.m. I still had an hour before I had to get up. The light was starting to shine through the window and no matter how much I tried to fall back to sleep, it wasn’t going to happen. I got up slowly, so as not to wake him, went downstairs to make coffee, and sat outside on the patio watching the sunrise. It was beautiful. For a few minutes I was able to forget what had happened in dream time the night before.

I was so deep in thought that I didn’t hear him come up behind me. His hand touched my shoulder. Hey beautiful, may I join you? I looked up and smiled. Sit down, and let me get you some coffee. I stood up to walk away, and he grabbed hold of my hand. Rough night last night, but you kicked ass. He winked at me, then let go of my hand, and looked out to the sunrise.

Neither one of us said a word as we sat on the porch, enjoying the beauty of nature, feeling the soft breeze kissing our faces, and listening to the songs of birds awakening. We didn’t want that moment to end, but I knew he had to leave today. Work took him away to California during the week, which meant we only had weekends together. I, too, had a great job though, and that, combined with working out in the evenings, kept me from missing him too much while he was gone.

I am worried about you. Things seem to be getting weird in dream time. I don’t have as much strength to protect you when I am out of town as I do when I am here and close to you. When I am away during the week I feel like you are in more danger.

I knew what he meant—the fight between good and evil was getting harder every night. More and more evil creatures were joining forces, and this didn’t make it easier for any of us. Every night was more draining than the one before and even though he tried to hide it, I could see the worry in his eyes.

CHAPTER 1

Anastasia

It was three seconds after midnight, January 1, 1973. As everyone shouted Happy New Year, her mother gave birth to a little baby girl with a bush of carrot-red hair and freckles she named her Anastasia. She was the first baby born in South Africa that year. Anastasia’s mother held her, knowing this baby was different, that she would be able to change the world. Feeling very protective over this little girl, she kissed her forehead and said, My powerful little angel, you will do much good on earth.

Anastasia wondered why she had always felt that she was different, like she had the power to move mountains, especially since all she really had was a life filled with pain. She remembered when she was just a little girl, and her parents lived in a little African town surrounded by huts. Her mother would join in all the African ceremonies, usually playing the drums. Anastasia would love watching the fire dancers and would join in with the celebrations. One day she would be able to step into her mother’s shoes and play the drums just as her mother did.

The drums were handcrafted and made from wood, leather, and animal skins; they were all different shapes and sizes, and each drum sounded a little different from the next. Everyone had on some kind of traditional African attire, and many of the women and men had their faces painted with what looked like blood mixed with chalk. Some of the women wore short, beaded skirts that were meant to cover their private parts. Even when you dance, nothing gets exposed. The fire looked like it was dancing to every beat of the drums, and if you looked really carefully, you could see images of animals in it.

As the night went on, things started to change, and it was almost like what she was seeing wasn’t real—or was it? A man walked up to her; he was one of the Sangomas, an African healer or medicine man. In other countries these healers would be called shamans. They not only have healing powers but also were known for their psychic skills. It was said they were directly connected to the spirits of their ancestors. This sangoma wore an animal skin that was held up by a rope around his waist; attached to the rope was a bag of animal bones that were used to tell people what lay in their future.

His face was painted all white the same way as everyone else, and his hair was rolled so that it almost looked like snakes coming out his head. He wore a funny looking hat with bones and feathers stuck to it and had a distinctive smell to him. When he smiled, she could see that he had a few missing teeth; she always had to stop herself from just giggling when she saw him.

He looked down and asked her to follow him. Anastasia wasn’t afraid of this man as she had seen him every day around her hut, talking to her parents; she held the painted-face man’s hand as he led her to his hut.

Africans believed that evil lurks in the dark corners of your house, and because of this, they would build only round huts so there would be no corners where evil could hide.

The man lifted the curtain that covered the entrance of his hut, and Anastasia stepped inside; the only light inside was from a few candles burning. After her eyes adjusting to the dark, she noticed there were three women sitting on the floor in a circle around a mat. There were candles on the floor and a few bowls with different spices or herbs in them. The bowls were round and were hand carved. There was also a knife that looked like it had been carved from wood that had symbols on it on the mat. There was a sweet smell of different herbs mixed together that almost smelled like being in the woods but there was also a faint smell of animal blood present. The walls of the hut were filled with African drawings and symbols, and some places in the wall had carved out spots just large enough to fit a candle. There were animal skins and little spears made from wood hanging on the walls.

The women motioned to Anastasia to move closer and join them. Being a young child she was very inquisitive, so without fear she did what they asked. The man with the painted face joined them and started chanting some words she didn’t understand. The ladies then joined in; they started doing a little dance and before Anastasia knew what was going on, they were dancing around her. The man took his bag of bones and threw them on the mat. Then there was dead silence. The knife was picked up, and her hair was brushed away to create a path. The last thing she remembered was the knife cutting her head and the words of the man.

She was born high priestess with power that could bring down nations. Many will come looking for her in hope of taking her life and her power. She has to be protected at all costs. The spell is cast. Only when her true warrior captures her heart will her power be given back to her.

Anastasia opened her eyes, and she was back at the ceremony; the celebrations were just coming to an end. She watched her mother pick up her drum and walk toward her. Don’t worry. Everything is going to be just fine. You’re safe now, her mother said as she took Anastasia’s hand and walked her home.

It is said that when the high priestess is born, the fight between good and evil will begin. With her warrior by her side and all the angels behind them, they will have the power together to defeat Satan and his demons.

Anastasia often wondered what exactly had happened in the hut, who was this all-powerful high priestess and why did she have to be protected? Why had she blacked out and who was the warrior they had mentioned?

Growing up wasn’t very easy for Anastasia; her family didn’t have much money and since her mother was a musician, they moved around a lot. Anastasia hardly ever spent two years in the same school, but for some reason people were always drawn to her, and she never had any problems making friends.

Anastasia’s parents got divorced when she was a young child, so she spent most of her childhood at boarding schools, spending weekends and holidays she switching between her parent’s houses. While at her dad’s place she would be outside most of the time, keeping herself busy milking cows, collecting eggs, feeding the pigs, planting a garden, and just being a child. Anastasia took care to spend her days as far from her father as possible, when called into the house for meals or when night fell, she tried never to be alone with him. She hid away from the world and her mom, a secret about her father that was so devastating she was not able to share it with anyone.

When visiting her mother, Anastasia would have a different life—one of staying in hotels and moving around while her mother sang. She performed on stage with her mother from the age of five and loved the attention; she met wonderful people in the entertainment industry and felt like she was a little star. It was like living three different lives—one as farmer’s kid, one as a princess, and one as an orphan when at boarding school.

At a very young age Anastasia noticed that she was different from other people. She would know things before they happened, and she could feel the fear of kids in the same room. When she awoke in the morning, she knew whether it was going to be a good or bad day, at the age of three Anastasia started seeing things; there were always white shadows following her around like spirits, but she was never afraid of them. She felt they were her guardian angels and guides.

Just after her seventh birthday, Anastasias dream time experiences became much more clear, and instead of hazy images and dim memories, she was able to remember them in sharp detail. Dreams started becoming so real to her that sometimes Anastasia found it difficult to discern between dream and reality. In her dreams Anastasia always wore a white dress, carried a sword, and never wore shoes. Dream time was a time when she could be who she wanted to be, who she always thought she was, and she had the power to overcome any fear. From a very young age Anastasia learned to battle against evil forces during dream time. At first she wasn’t very strong, and she would wake up feeling like she was being pinned down on her bed by something on top of her. She would try to get it off, but it would be difficult. As time passed and she became stronger, Anastasia was able to fight those forces off quicker and easier.

One night during dream time, as Anastasia was standing in front of a group of angles, she noticed the angles shifting position, someone was moving through the angels toward her. Two angels stepped aside to allow a young warrior into her presence. When he reached her, he bent down on one knee, looked up at her and said My priestess, I may look like I am only a young boy, but I have the strength of a warrior inside me. If given the chance to fight by your side as your warrior, I will prove to you that I can protect you. I will give my life for you.

Anastasia looked into the boy’s eyes; they were the most beautiful hazel green she had ever seen. His smile drove a nail through her heart, and she knew instantly that there was something about this boy she trusted.

It would be my pleasure to have you fight by my side, she replied, as she held her hand out to help him up.

You won’t be disappointed, Priestess.

Dream time had gone from always being very hazy to being full of the most amazing colors of the rainbow, bright and very powerful. When Anastasia stepped into dream time, she became this very powerful high priestess, fighting at the front of hundreds of angels, holding her sword up high, with her young warrior by her side. She was helping in the fight against evil. When she woke up it was back to reality where life wasn’t very kind to her, but one thing she was able to bring back from dream time was the strength to go through the day and not allow anything to bring her down. She wore a proud smile and never allowed the pain in her heart to show on her face.

When it came to dating, Anastasia had no problem with guys falling over her, but she never found the guy she really wanted to be with. Because of this, Anastasia was very lonely. Even while with someone, she had this feeling of being hollow inside; no guy gave her what she needed, and none of them took away the pain. Not one really understood her, and she couldn’t talk to any of them about what she was going through or even tell them about dream time for fear they would laugh at her.

In dream time Anastasia was a beautiful high priestess with eyes that could make your heart melt and a smile that could stop time, her hair was the most beautiful chocolate color you had ever seen and it had natural curls that flowed down her back, her skin was milky white and soft as silk, she had the power to move mountains and defeat the greatest evil. During wake time she looked in the mirror and saw a different person, one who had no beauty. She never did know why all the boys wanted to be with her, she couldn’t see what they saw in her.

Sixteen-year-old Anastasia was out singing with her mother at her grandmothers hotel, when she saw him. His eyes were blue like the sky, and his hair was ash blond. When he smiled the room lit up. She knew from the very second their eyes met that he was the one she had been waiting for—the one she wanted to spend the rest of her life with, the hero who would take away the pain and fill her heart with happiness and love. Anastasia couldn’t stop following him with her eyes. When she had finished her song, she got off the stage and asked her best friend if she knew who that man was? She had never seen him in the hotel before.

When Anastasia turned to look at him again, he was no longer sitting at the bar, she looked around the bar but he was no where in sight. She stood up and walked out of the bar to go get some fresh air.

He walked toward her

I hear you want to meet me, he said with a voice of an angel.

For a second Anastasia didn’t know what to say, so she just smiled back at him, hoping he wouldn’t notice her blood red cheeks. She quickly shook herself together.

Sorry. I’m Anastasia and whom may I ask are you?

The man of your dreams, of course, he said with a wink and a sly grin on his face.

Oh, you are huh, she said, giggling.

He took her hand and walked with her outside to the river that flowed past the hotel where she was staying. At the bank there was a little wooden bench; there they ended up sitting and talking until it was time for him to leave.

Will I see you again? he asked as he took her hands in his.

Yes, she said, smiling at him as they walked back to the hotel.

The next morning Anastasia opened the door to her hotel room and found a bouquet of flowers at the door, with a note that read, To the most beautiful woman I have ever met. Thank you for a great evening. It was signed the man of your dreams, and he turned out to be…up to a point. She was never able to talk to him about dream time or her warrior, but he did take away a lot of the pain in her heart. Anastasia was able to talk to him about her life and what she was going through.

They became very close and would spend every moment they could together until he showed up at her house one day with a ring.

I love you and have never been more sure about what I want. Anastasia, will you marry me so I can spend the rest of my life making you happy?

They got married a few months later, and Anastasia decided to put away dream time and devote herself to her new husband and life.

At first it was difficult to close the door to her dreams; dream time was not going to let her just walk away. There was a huge spiritual war going on and without the high priestess and her power to lead the forces of good against evil, there would be chaos in the spiritual realm. Also it would mean walking away from her warrior who had become her best friend and companion. She was born to lead the fight between good and evil, but Anastasia decided that it wasn’t her fight. It was a spiritual war—how can anyone expect a young girl to give up her life of love and happiness to fight a war that no one could even see? It just wasn’t fair for anyone to expect that from her.

The first couple years of their marriage was amazing; it was like living a fairytale. Anastasia and her husband were blessed with two children and an amazing life filled with love, money, power, and everything their hearts desired.

Dream time was dark, and Anastasia hardly dreamt at all. Her warrior was in pain because she had walked out on him. She was completely unaware that without her presence in dream time, the evil from that realm had grown much stronger and had entered her reality. She started seeing more and more spirits around her and these were not white but black and gray in color. She would wake up at night with that old feeling of being pinned down, and it was getting harder to get rid of it. The wonderful life she had made for herself slowly started to fall apart piece by piece. She could hear the cries of falling angels and the cries of her warrior during the daytime.

In dream time Anastasia used to be very powerful but