A Shakespearean Nightmare

Author's Note: This story is a little on the surreal side.

The night after delivering the letter...

Darcy was in the midst of a nightmare. In his dream he had become Iago, separating Bingley/Othello from Jane/Desdemona, with the help of Bingley's sister, who resembled the witches in MacBeth. They cackled gleefully when their actions succeeded.

Suddenly, he was in a court room and Elizabeth was suddenly in the dream, too. She was Portia, though she demanded his pound of flesh, rather than trying to save it.

"How do you defend yourself on these accounts?" A Greek chorus/jury began to chant "Defend yourself--Defend yourself"

Darcy was in the box, "It was all for the best." He wanted to run to Elizabeth, to explain his actions, but he was frozen, his feet would not move.

"Who's best, certainly not theirs!" Elizabeth pointed to Jane and Bingley lying dead on the floor, though now they were Romeo and Juliet.

"Defend yourself--Defend yourself"

"My actions were not malicious. Bingley would have recovered from his infatuation."

"Well, he cannot now, can he? Your interference has led to the destruction of their lives. One is ridiculed for caprice, the other pitied for having false hopes. You are Guilty!"

"You are Guilty! You are Guilty! You are Guilty! You are Guilty! You are Guilty! Guilty! Guilty! Guilty! Guilty! Guilty!" cried the chorus/jury.

And the judge/Wickham, agreed to her demands. "Oh, take your pound of flesh, my dear, or better still take his heart, though I doubt you will find it worth the bother." He handed Elizabeth a large knife. She advance on Darcy, knife held high.

"Elizabeth, NOOOOOO!"

Darcy awoke in a cold sweat. He got out of bed, grabbed his robe and the poured some water into a basin. He rinsed off his face. He then poured himself a glass of brandy. This morning he had delivered his letter to Miss Bennet. "Was that defense enough," he wondered, sitting down in front of the fire.

Darcy rub his hand over his chest. Strange, he thought, I awoke before my heart was cut out and yet it feels as if it is missing anyway.

the end