ONCE UPON A DREAM

Chapter Fourteen

A familiar world of green surrounded me in all directions. I looked down at myself, shocked to find that I was in my normal clothes. No tattered, blood-stained kimono this time around.

Uneasy, I stood to my feet, glancing upwards at the cloud-ridden sky. No hint of sun in sight. No animals either. It'd been some time since I'd dreamed of this place and yet, it still had that looming feeling of unease. That feeling of if I ventured too far, I'd be lost. Forever.

"It'sss been a long time, Sssparra."

I spun around. There was a figure about a few yards away from where I stood. They possessed the same lanky build I had, with brilliant scarlet hair tumbling well past their waist. Their emerald skin was covered in swaths of black ink, curling around their limbs like a moving shadow. I found myself in awe of their presence, shrinking back instinctively to put more space between us.

"You ssstill don't remember my name, do you."

In a flash, they were inches from my face. I recoiled and taloned fingers caught me, gently stroking my jaw and raising it upwards to inspect me more closely. Pupiless eyes narrowed once their search was concluded. They released me from their grasp with a hard shove.

"You're ssstill lossst. At the rate you're progresssing you will never remember who I am."

"Lost," I echoed. The words felt sharp on my tongue. It triggered a fear deep within me, an unnamed fear that bubbled up to the surface as I desperately tried to beat it back down before the notion could properly take root.

"I grow tired of thisss! How long do you intend to keep him waiting!" they hissed, hands shooting around my throat. Instinctively, I reached for my side to find my sword missing from my hip.

Oh yeah, I was in normal clothes. Shit.

They smirked at me, exposing pointed fangs. The colorless venom dripped to the ground.

"Foolisssh child. Do you think you can hurt me, of all thingsss? I am the one who hasss never ssstrayed once from your ssside!" the grip around my neck tightened, and my vision began to dance in and out of focus. "A coward could never dream to wield me!"

"I'm... no... coward!" I managed to spit out. I grabbed his shoulders, ramming my head into his own, and sending him sprawling to the ground. I closed in on him, reaching my first back—

Finding nothing but air to greet me. Suddenly, there was a curious sensation of something slithering around my legs, working its way up my body. My eyes darted beside me, finding crimson orbs greeting me. Their jaw stretched wide to take me in.

White fangs flashed, sinking themselves into my neck.

#

I jolted awake with a gasp, hand flying to my neck. The sheets were soaked in sweat, my chest heaving as I struggled to catch my breath. Overcome with dizziness, I threw myself out of the bed and sped to the bathroom, heaving into the toilet.

Once I was done, I rested my face against the cool porcelain of the bowl. Hesitant, I raised my fingers to my neck once more, gingerly tracing the area where I was sure the creature had struck. Of course, there wasn't any trace left behind.

Just another nightmare.

A coward could never wield me.

I gathered myself to my feet, holding on to the wall. Heaviness gripped my bones as I dragged myself back to the confines of my bed. I slithered under the blankets, hand shooting out to grab my phone. It was February 16th, about five in the morning.