Dreamland

Meetings and Greetings

I stood there watching. I didn't know what to say. She looked like me, and sounded like me, but she wasn't me. What was going on?

She took a step forward and smiled. My heart started racing as her perfect rows of teeth gleamed. She saw my face and frowned. "What's the matter? Aren't you going to say hello?"

I cleared my throat before answering. "Uh.. Mot-Mother says breakfast is ready." She nodded and glided past me. I quicky decided that I wanted to find out as much as I could about this place, so I gathered my wits and followed.

"Ah, Aisling, you found her. Lilly, why don't you put out a plate?"

I stood unsure in the doorway. Mother just looked and grinned, but I couldn't warm to her smile. I went over to the table and slowly drew out a chair, avoiding the heavy gaze. I sat stiff in the chair, and glanced over at Lilly. She caught my gaze and grinned, but I noticed a look in her eyes that I couldn't exactly place. She looked... uncomfortable. Mother walked lightly behind me and layed out the food onto my plate, touching my shoulder as she went. I flinched slightly at her cold touch but I did not look at her. "Aisling, my dear, won't you eat?"

I picked up my fork and looked warily at her. She unnerved me. I began to eat. In my head I couldn't put this all together. It was all so strange.

After I had finished the surprisingly good breakfast, I slipped away from the table and almost sprinted to my room. As soon as I was in the door I shut it behind me. The room was the only thing that I knew. Even though things had been moved around, it still offered that sense of comfort that I remembered.

I sighed and walked around, my fingers hitting the wall and tapping out a random rhythm.  I walked towards the mirro that was hung up over my dresser. I looked at it. 

I jumped. The girl in the mirror had white eyes, like Mother, and her bones were sharp and jutting out of weird places. She started mouthing something and began walking closer but I tore the mirror down and tossed it away. My heart was beating loudly in my chest. I grabbed the mirror and shut it in a box. I began hyperventilating and backed away from the box onto my bed. I pushed myslef back against the wall and curled into a ball. I rocked myself back and forth, and soon fell asleep.

I woke to a tapping on my window. At first I thought it was a branch, but there were no trees outside the house so I bolted upright. It was quite dark and I could not see very well, so I trudged over. I screamed at the sight. There was a gloved hand tapping at my window. My eyes trailed up the arm to the face. Except it didn't have a face. It was a skeleton. Of course it was.

The same gloved hand clamped over my mouth.

"Shh! She'll hear you!". The skeleton said.

"What are you?!" I asked.

It gestured to itself and looked expectantly at me.
"I have no skin, or organs you see. So I suppose that would make me a skeleton."

I could hear the sarcasm in its voice.

"I'm Bree, you see. I'm here to help you." He took off the top hat off his head and twirled it. He cocked his head at me in what I tool to be a smile.

"Oh. I'm Aisling.."

He stared at me with his empty eye sockets and barked a little laugh.

"Oh? You see a skeleton for the first time and that's all you can say? I certainly need to work on my first impressions."
He said annoyed. 

"I know who you are. I'm you're guardian. Dont worry, I'm friendly." He tilted his head again.

"That sounds like something a damgerous man would say you know, how  have I not noticed you before?" I asked.

"Being the way I am, I tend to not show myself. My job is to protect people, not befriend them. But your being here meant that I had to talk to you. You shouldn't be here you see." He answered.

"Why?"

"I'm afraid I can't tell you. I can only offer you advice: Don't say anything. She knows you know nothing. And I'm going to help you. But you need to act. The less she thinks you know the better."

"The less I know about what? Why can't she know?"

"The less you know about this place. If she finds out, you'll never leave."

I gulped.