In Your Dreams

Chapter 23

I was at a loss of words, and I stared wide-eyed at her.  She was right.  I didn't want anyone to get hurt.  I also didn't know what feelings were real and what were from their blood. Everything in the last few weeks have happened so fast.

Is that enough time to fall in love?

I mulled it over.

"I don't want a war."

"But you already have one," she stated, plainly.

I felt ashamed. Have I really been that careless and naive?  I adverted my eyes to the wall opposite of her.

Are they expecting me to choose?

"I'm going to go take a shower." I suddenly changed the subject. Thankfully, she didn't object.

I made my way to the bathroom and stripped off the dirtied clothes.  As the hot water hit my body, it washed away the dry blood, turning the clear liquid into swirls of red and pink. I scrubbed my body over and over, hoping I would scrub away what I was feeling, but guilt was an emotion and couldn't be washed away.

I sat on the bottom of the shower with my knees to my chest and hugged my body. I'm not sure how long I stayed that way, but I let the water pour down on me until it was cold. Even after turning off the shower, I continued to stand there, pondering my thoughts. I knew once I went into the bedroom, I would have to face one of the boys, and that thought scared me.

But why?

I finally got the courage to leave the bathroom after putting pajamas on. Sure enough, Tristan was there. He was laying down on top of the comforter with his legs crossed and his hands behind his head. He stared into my eyes with an intensity that threatened to burn me. I knew a fight was going to start.

Before I could blink, he was standing in front of me.  "Claire...". There was a hint of a question in that one word.

"Yes?"

I knew it was coming.

"Is there something going on between you and Julian?" Tristan asked, his eyes never leaving mine.

"What do you mean?" I responded with a question.

His eyebrows shifted as if he was thinking about what words to choose.

Tristan finally responded with, "Do you like him?"

I knew he would ask about him, but I still wasn't mentally prepared for his question.

"I...uh..." I stuttered. "I—I don't know. Like?  I mean, I don't know him enough to like him like him.  I've never had a chance to like someone before. It's not something that has crossed my mind."

I mentally crossed my fingers, hoping my answer would be enough, but of course it wasn't.

"How do you not know? It's simple. You either do or don't, Claire," he stated with a darkened tone, and his eyes briefly flashed black.

"Tristan... I don't have experience with all this."  I sighed and looked away before meeting his aqua eyes again. "Why does it matter?"

"Because it does!" He raised his voice.

I shrieked back at his tone.  "Why can't you just tell me why it matters so much to you instead of just being angry with me? I'm not Julian. I can't read your mind. What was that earlier, by the way? You looked like you wanted to murder him when he was just comforting me," I argued, agitated.

Tristan locked his eyes with mine before turning around. He pinched the bridge of his nose in irritation. "Just drop it, Claire. Never mind."

"You can't just start a fight with me and then tell me to drop it," I demanded angrily. "I swear sometimes you are so..."

Tristan turned back around and was inches from my face.  "I'm what?"

"You're difficult...and infuriating...and confusing...and you push people away! I am stuck in your room for God knows how long, so you need to stop pushing me away, or my time here is going to be insufferable," I huffed, my breaths came out ragged.

"Well, I'm sorry I'm so horrible," he spat, his face deadpan.

Guilt racked my brain again. I didn't mean he was horrible. I reached for his arm, but he stepped away.

"I don't think you're horrible..." I said softly. "I didn't mean it like that."

His forehead creased. "What did you mean then?"

"I meant that you can be impossible sometimes, and it can be hard to get close to you or understand you," I explained, gently.

His lips tightened to a thin line as he looked down.

"I'm not Julian, you know. I can't read your mind."

A hint of a smile played on his lips, and he rubbed the back of his head. "I'm sorry. I know I can be difficult sometimes. I didn't mean to start a fight. I just wasn't thinking..." Tristan apologized, and sat down on the couch. He fidgeted with his fingers.

"It's okay, I guess," I replied, trying to suppress my smile.

Tristan smirked. "You guess?"

"Yup," I stated, popping the 'p'. "You'll just have to make it up to me."

Tristan laughed and patted the couch next to him.  "Alright. Why don't we watch a movie? Unlike Julian, I'll let you pick what we watch."

The air felt lighter, and I was happy we were past it.

"Deal." I beamed at him and grabbed the remote.

We watched a romantic comedy before falling asleep on the couch. The next thing I knew, I was plunged into another, terrifying reality.

"Eretria!  Come on!  Don't leave me!" Tristan sobbed as he cradled her limp body.

Tears streamed down his face as one hand gripped the wet soil and the other pushed on her chest. His aqua eyes were lined with red and anguish. As he pushed on her chest, light radiated from under his palm and extended up to her eyes.

"Come on!" He yelled and pushed harder before the light slowly disappeared.

His eyes were wide with both hope and fear. He reached and grabbed her limp hand as he whispered something inaudible into her ear. Moments passed before a shadow moved closer to him and Eretria. Tristan looked up at the figure.

"Father...Eretria...I...she won't wake up," he began to blurt out.

"Son... I don't think she is coming back. How long has it been?" King Gabriel reached down and rested his hand on Tristan's shoulder.

Tristan shook his head.  "No! I will try again!"

Tristan put his hand back on her chest and light once again emitted from underneath his hand and swallowed her body. This time, he screamed in agony when the light faded away.

"You can't leave me!" He cried and pulled her limp body up to his. He caressed her hair and sobbed into her shoulder. Come back to me, Rhea."

"Son, I'm sorry, but she's gone. It's not working. We must..."

"No!" Tristan snapped at his father and gripped Eretria's body tighter. "They can't be gone! I tried..."

Everything began to swirl and fade away as another scene unfolded. This time, I was holding Eretria's body and carrying her towards trees near the castle. This time, I didn't know who I was, but I knew it wasn't Tristan. I looked down at her lifeless body, which was now changed into a pretty, blue dress that was free of blood. As I approached the trees, I looked down to see what looked like an open grave with an empty white casket at the bottom. I hopped down into the hole and put her body into the casket. Everything began to get distorted and faded into black.

My eyes shot open, and for a moment, I forgot where I was until I saw Tristan laying on the couch across from me. From the lack of light, I could tell it was nighttime. My heart was pounding in my chest as I thought back to my dream, and I ached for Tristan and what he had to go through. My mind then wandered to what he was doing to her with his hand and that strange light.

What was Tristan trying to do to Eretria?

Who was carrying her to that grave?