In Your Dreams

Chapter 4

My bare feet slapped against the wet pavement and my long, brown hair clung to my frame. The white jumpsuit I had on started to soak through, freezing my body. I had no idea where I was going or what I was going to do, especially in the dark, but my feet carried me anyways.

The rain drops kissed my face, dripping down my forehead onto my pink cheeks. In front of me was the road leading away from this hell hole and on the right side of it was forest.

I decided to make a break for the forest; the road was too risky. I continued to run and not look back in fear that someone would be behind me. If I could just get far enough away from the hospital, I would be safe. They wouldn't be able to find me in all the trees. So, I just kept running, despite my weak, thin legs wanting to give out.

I pushed myself for about thirty minutes until my legs felt like jello. I stumbled over roots and uneven terrain, and my eyes were desperately trying to stay open. I didn't have anything on me to start a fire or to keep me warm. Maybe the forest wasn't such a good idea.

My breathing became ragged, and I finally collapsed next to a tree from exhaustion. The faint moonlight shined through the trees, caressing my face as I finally shut my brown eyes.

The world faded from black to show the edge of a forest with moonlight shining through.  Upon reaching the edge, a clearing came into view, unveiling an extravagant castle surrounded by gardens. Something about the castle was alluring and drew me into it. As I got to the garden, a patch of flowers caught my eye. Bluish-purple and pink flowers bunched together under the shadow of rose bushes. Entranced by them, I plucked a bluish-purple one and held it between my fingers. I remember reading about them in one of the few books I was allowed to read in the hospital.

They are call forget-me-not flowers, which have the meaning of true love memories. These simple, dainty, little wildflowers are my favorite because they can adapt, and they are able to self-seed to spread their beauty.

As I admired the small flower in my hand, I heard a laugh. The laugh made me smile instantly. For some reason, I felt like I could listen to it forever and didn't want it to stop. The sound got closer until I heard footsteps approach from behind me. Turning around, my gaze caught the man behind the laugh, causing me to drop my flower. The guy from my dreams with the aqua eyes stood before me. A nice suit wrapped around his muscular, hard body. His mouth was slightly agaped with emotion drained from his flawless face. He was the most beautiful thing I've ever seen.

"Who are you?" He whispered as he stepped a little closer to me.

I could see the stubble lining his jaw and lips, complimenting his shaved head.

Before I could respond, everything started fading out; my dream was coming to an end.

My eyes snapped open, and I could suddenly feel the ice in my veins underneath my soaked clothes. My body was shivering, and the moon was still high in the sky, meaning that I hadn't been out for too long, but needed to find warmth and shelter before I froze to death.

My mind kept going back to my dream though. It was like he could see me and as if he was trying to talk to me. That is something that has never happened before.

A cool breeze interrupted my thoughts, and I forced myself off the ground, wincing at the slight burning pain coming from my foot. I lifted it up to find red on my heel, along with a small, deep cut that must have happened while I was running. With the adrenaline gone, pain rushed into my body.

A pulling sensation made me look to the right of me, beckoning me to go that way. Although strange, I decided to follow my gut, so I went in that direction.

After walking for long time, a rustling sound came from the bushes behind me, but I couldn't see anything due to the lack of light. A gust of wind gave me chills, and the rustling sound began to shoot around me.

There was definitely an animal stalking me. On instinct, I ran as fast as I could with my heel burning from the cut. Every breath stung my lungs as I pushed myself harder, jumping over obstacles and navigating through thick trees. Despite my efforts of running, whatever was in the bushes was able to keep up. I could hear twigs snapping and brush moving; this thing was fast.

I will not die like this. I survived a car accident, a mental hospital, and a potential lobotomy. I will get through this.

I really thought I would make it through the night, but I made a fatal mistake. I looked back. That's when I tripped over a log and my face collided with the floor. The moment my head hit with the ground, I was instantly dizzy, and I knew that I was about the pass out. The last thing I remembered was a pair of expensive dress shoes instead of paws in front of my face.

***

The tall, tan man pulled on his sleeves of his expensive suit while hovering over the unconscious girl. White, sharp canines bared from the scent of her blood. He was able to smell her from miles away, making it easy to track her down. He pushed back his once-kept, brown hair while smiling; he knew he got lucky. No one usually comes into these woods. His eyes moved to her white jumpsuit and bare feet.  He couldn't help but wonder who she was and what she was doing so close to his predatory species.

"What were you doing out here?" He asked curiously in a Spanish accent. "It is definitely my lucky day."

He crouched down, examining her body and saw the exposed cut on her foot. The blood was still dripping from the deep gash, filling the air with the sweet aroma.

He smirked. "Ah. You know, if it wasn't for you cutting your foot, I would have never known you were wandering around out here."

She sure is a pretty thing, though. He thought.

As he reached underneath her head to sink his teeth in, his body froze and his brown eyes glazed over. Flashes of a castle, exotic eyes, and a party flashed through his mind. An image appeared, showing a dark-skinned man with blue eyes and a shaved head in a garden, asking a girl who she was. Then, he saw blood. Lots and lots of blood. The vision was so strong that he could practically taste the metallic liquid.

He managed to pull away from the girl and fell backwards, only then his eyes then returned back to their normal state. He tried to catch his breath and contemplate what he just saw. What was in that vision was impossible. There was no harming this girl after seeing inside of her head. Something about her was both surprising and intriguing, and he couldn't wait to see what would happen when he brought her back to the castle. A smile played on his lips, revealing a dimple in his cheek.

Scooping up her fragile frame and holding her against his muscular chest, the man declared, "You're worth more to me alive now than dead, princess. Now it's your lucky day too."