The future that we write together

The Encounter

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Strong pair of arms were heavily bounding her to the stone hard ground thus adding to the paralyzing pain that was coursing through her entire body. The ringing in her ears dimmed faintly allowing her to register a vague muffled call. Her labored breathing was exhausting her lungs, her throat burned and her brain could no longer bear the painful currents send by her twisting veins. 

Everything started fading as the invisible force biding her body down started shaking her shoulders harshly. 

"-ki"

The faceless voice echoed all around her.

"-yuki"

The voice grew sharper and clearer with every whisper.

"Shirayuki!"

Nearer and nearer it drew.

"SHIRAYUKI!"

It called deafeningly, yelling in her right ear. 

Shirayuki's eyes bolted open and she shot upright. Cold sweat trickled down her forehead and drenched her back. Her chest heaved uncontrollably with sharp intakes of breath.

It took a solid minute for shirayuki to recognize her whereabouts.

She was in yukitopia. 

Back in her new grand room. 

Safe and sound from harm.

 She blinked rapidly and for the life of her could not suppress the enormous sigh of relief that escaped her lips.

"Well good morning to you too." shirayuki yelped at the cheerful but quite unexpected greeting.

"Liliana! what in the world are you doing here ?" 

"One would think it obvious, shirayuki " liliana said with mock puzzlement "Why I'm hunting elephants in your very room at nine in the morning!"

Shirayuki sighed before flopping down in her bed and grudgingly closing her eyes.

"I came to wake you up since you were showing no signs of doing so yourself " she started more seriously "But when I reached your room I heard screaming and thrashing" she glanced at shirayuki out of the corner of her eyes before continuing " Quite alarmed I rushed inside but was no more assured than mother when dealing with the red council -and that's saying something- when I found you yelling and shouting at the top of your lungs."

"I tried to wake you by calling out your name but it was overshadowed by your angelic humming" she half grinned trying to cease the frown that settled over her cousin's usually smooth brows "And so I had to gently shake you out of whatever it is you were dreaming about."

Shirayuki creaked one eye open "Such tenderness! I could've sworn that I've been touched by an angel!"

"Oh really now" liliana shook with  barely contained laughter. She straightened and with the best deadpan expression she could muster she continued "Have you any idea how hard it is to be yukitopia's angel. I am not complaining but ,dare I say, I would like to be treated like everybody else." 

"The horror." both girls chuckled.

"But seriously, are you alright ?" liliana asked worry etching her face "you've got me scared there for a second"

Shirayuki closed her eyes. She inhaled a deep breath through her nose and let it out through her mouth several times as to calm her budding nerves. She could feel a deep frown slowly overtaking her features and her heart rate quickening unpleasantly whenever remembering those brutal merciless eyes. Her body gave an involuntary shudder at the dreadful memory of her haunting nightmare and she subconsciously reached for her lower abdomen.