Chapter 1: Return of a Nightmare

The sky was grey, no sun, and no rain. Everything about the land was grey. The buildings, while they looked modern, seemed dead and decaying, like they haven't been used in years. All the houses had fallen into states of disrepair. Yet there seemed to be a sign of some kind of life, hidden but very present, lurking behind the locked doors and boarded up windows. As she walked through this seemingly dead town, she smelled the distinct sent of dead fish. The air reeked with it. Soon she found herself on the beach, staring into an ocean as black as the abyss. She stood there, waiting for something. She didn't know what she was waiting for or why she was even there, but there she stood. She tried to leave, but it seemed that some force was keeping her there against her will. Than she started to hear a sound coming from the ocean that could only be described as a voice. Yet that voice was speaking in a tung that no human could possibly speak in. Sounds like that were not human. Terror arose within her. She tried to leave, tried to run away, but she couldn't. Some force had paralyzed her. Than the thing that was speaking began to rise from the ocean. The creature was massive. Its shape could only be described as a human caricature with an octopus head and dragon wings. The creature's eyes blazed as red as fire. She tried to scream as the creature reached for her but couldn't. She was within the creature's grasp.

Kari woke up in a cold sweat. She checked her surroundings to see where she was. She was back in her apartment. Kari's Digimon partner, Gatomon, was still sound asleep at the foot of her bed. The golden ring around the white cat Digimon's long tail glistened in the moonlight coming from the bedroom window on the right side of the room. This was the fifth night in a row that Kari had had the nightmare. She had had this nightmare before, but it was years ago, back when she was only a school kid. Kari had actually been to the place of her nightmare, pulled there by an unknown force. In that world, Kari encountered a group of humanoid fish like Digimon called Divermon. The Divermon were having their powers drained by devices called Dark Spirals, creations of the evil Digimon Emperor, who had since reformed and became Kari's friend and fellow DigiDestined, Ken. Kari helped remove the Dark Spirals from the wrists of the Divermon, but once they came off, the Divermon transformed into some kind of shadowy creatures, still humanoid fish like creatures, but much taller and with sunken eyes. The creatures wanted to mate with Kari in order to produce offspring strong enough to fight all those who would oppress them, until the day their God would arise from the depths. Had it not been for Gatomon's evolved form, Angewoman, and for her fellow DigiDestined T.K., Kari might have suffered a horrible, unspeakable fate. Kari suddenly found herself wishing that T.K. was with her right now.

For a few nights after that incident, Kari had nightmares about being back in that horrible place. After awhile though, they faded and became nothing more than a memory. Now the nightmares had come back, and were more vivid than ever. Tonight was the worst because she had seen that horrible creature. Not wanting to go back to sleep, Kari carefully got out of bed so as not to wake up Gatomon and went to the kitchen for a glass of water.

As she stood out in the kitchen, Kari wondered why the nightmares had now started again. She thought stress might be the reason. After all, Kari had been having a pretty rough week. For one thing, finals were coming up, but the main reason was probably her break up with Davis. Kari and her fellow DigiDestied, Davis, had been friends for years. Although Davis had had a crush on Kari since they first met. When they were in high school, Kari and Davis started to date, and after they graduated they moved into the same apartment together. Kari started attending college and Davis got a job at a near by video store. Kari got a part time job too a coffee place near the college, and her job payed more than enough for the rent on the apartment. The first couple of months were great, but after awhile Kari and Davis started fighting. Some of the fights were so bad that Kari would throw Davis out of the apartment. They would always make up after two or three days, but this time different. Earlier the previous day, Kari was working her shift at the coffee place when she saw Davis from across the street kissing some blond girl on the lips. Kari had suspected Davis of cheating on her for a couple of weeks, but now she had seen it with her own eyes. Kari was able to get off work early, and as soon as she got home, she threw all of Davis's stuff out of the apartment. When Davis came back, the two had a fight so loud that everyone in the building could hear it. Davis left with his Digimon partner, Veemon. Kari didn't like throwing out the little dragon Digimon too, but it had to be done. Kari had broken up with Davis for good.

The clock on the kitchen wall told Kari that it was 3:36 AM, and she had a class at 8:15 in the morning. So Kari reluctantly went back to bed, still being careful not to wake up Gatomon. Sleep did not come easy to Kari, as she was afraid that she would have the nightmare again. Sleep did come though, and it was dreamless and peaceful.