Kisses From Death | Book 1

N I N E T E E N

N I N E T E E N
Dreams are Kind

WHEN I FIRST opened my eyes and it wasn't the sight of the boathouse or the yacht, I immediately felt betrayed. Red hot fury burned into my vision as I bolted up into a sitting position, eyes darting around just to look. The second thing I noticed was that though I was not in the boathouse, I was also no longer at the carnival.

As evident from the dark skies above me, I knew that it was night time. Stars dotted the heavens for as far as the naked eye could see. Constellations filled the entire span of the dark canvas, glittering like a thousand crystal clear gemstones. I was situated smack in the middle of a forest, one in which I soon recognized as the one at the edges of Riverside Creek.

It was a forest that many adventurers avoided, barricaded away from the park built just in front of it due to the fatal cases. That was because a cliff loomed deep within the forest, sending many unfortunate adventurers to their deaths should they be wandering without proper care. It was also the cliff in which my mother had personally warned me about multiple times. Coincidentally, I was also seated right near the edge.

The trees behind me formed a dark canopy but for now, my view up front was an unblocked art piece of the night sky. From a large distance away, I could see the city lights of a nearby town just softly glimmering. I felt at peace, finally tranquil and safe. Foolishly, I also thought that I had somehow managed to escape the horrors of the boathouse.

Unfortunately, I was wrong yet once more.

"I know I seem to be saying this a lot but I see that you're finally awake." A voice spoke from beside me.

Immediately, I whipped my head over to face the speaker, screams of horror stuck in the base of my throat but never coming out. When I realized that Death wasn't even paying me an ounce of attention, my silent screams died down.

I coughed once, clearing my throat. "I thought you said that you'll see me back in the boathouse. Why am I here? Alone? With you?"

"I don't know." Death shrugged, his posture slackened. He, too, was seated on the floor. His knees were propped up, hands hugging his knees lazily. "You are currently dreaming, in the state of sleep. You were the one that imagined this place with me in it. I should be asking you that question instead."

He turned, facing me. His face was emotionless, completely passive as moonlight reflected in his beautiful storm gray eyes. Half of his face was in the gleaming bright moonlight, enveloped by the ethereal beauty of nature. The other half of his face, however, was darkened by the default shadow. Other than his glistening iris, I could not see his features.

"So, Addison. Why did you want me here?"

Stunned by his question, I blinked once dumbly. I could not answer his question. No words came to my aid as I shrugged. "I don't know. You're just going to kill me, or at least plot to kill me, whenever I run into you."

"I can't kill you in a dream, Addison. I'm not even really here. I am just but a figment of your imagination."

Somewhat eased by this revelation, I sighed, lying back down in the soft grass. From the background, I could hear crickets chirping in the distance. Owls hooted softly further into the trees yet I felt somewhat comforted by the soothing nature. The anxiety that had been instilled in me back in the boathouse was gone, soothed away by the sounds provided by Mother Nature.

"Then there is no reason for you to be here. Go away. Leave me to dream in peace." Waving him away, I shut my eyes, attempting to just simply relax.

I could hear the rustle of the grass before a body hovered over me. The cold from Death's body hit the right side of my body as he laid beside me. When I opened my eyes to glance at him curiously, I realized that he was just lying there as if everything was right with the world. He stared blindly into the night sky, jaw clenched.