Hidden Messages [Klance AU]

1: A Letter to The Ocean

Keith was surrounded by darkness. All he knew was that he wandered across a beach, as he could hear waves next to him. His muscles were tense; he didn't like the ocean. But somehow he wasn't sure why.

A single spot of light could be seen ahead of him, and he followed it. There was something in the center of the light, something that Keith was drawn to. He approached it and reached down to pick it up. Now in his hands was a large piece of fabric, soaking wet. It slipped out of his hands and dropped to the floor limply. Keith gasped when he saw his palms, red from the liquid on the jacket, which he now knew was blood.

In the distance he heard the sound of waves crashing against the shore. Water surrounded his feet, and the blood-soaked fabric disappeared from view. The water got deeper, until it was up to his chest. Keith looked up to see a tall wave over him. It crashed into him, and he was pulled under the water. A scream echoed in the darkness, one he knew well from hearing it constantly in his mind. Something grasped his leg, and he was pulled deeper under the water. He could feel the liquid start to fill his lungs, and the corners of his vision faded away...

Keith's eyes snapped open as he gasped for air. He pulled at his shirt; it felt tight around his neck. After a moment he realized that he actually wasn't wearing a shirt. He placed a hand against his heart, which was pounding in his chest.

After a moment he picked up the glass of water that was always on his nightstand. He drank it all, then opened his phone to check the time. 4:47 AM. Keith sighed and let his head fall on his pillow once again. Might as well try to get some more sleep.

Sooner than he realized it was 6 AM, and his alarm was going off. Keith hadn't gotten any more sleep since he woke up from the reoccurring nightmare. He got out of bed, slowly and lifeless. He got dressed and ate breakfast as if he was a mindless robot; it was simply the routine he'd gotten used to. By 6:46 he was putting on a coat and grabbing his keys. He traveled out to the front of the house and started the long walk to the shop he worked at.

By the time he arrived at the shop it was 7:25. He looked up at the sign above the shop, which read Holt Hydrangeas Flower Shop. The stumbled into the shop, the small bell on the door ringing as he entered. He was greeted by a smile from the owner as usual.

"Keith! Good to see you! I wasn't sure if you were coming in or not, but I'm glad you are, we've been short on workers lately..." The woman trailed off when Keith threw his backpack on the floor with a sigh. "...Are- are you okay?"

"Yeah, just tired," Keith responded sleepily. The woman brushed a strand of brown hair behind her ear and looked at Keith with a concerned face.

"Couldn't sleep again?" The black-haired boy glanced up at her and nodded. After a moment she spoke again. "You know, if you want, you don't have to work today," She started.

Keith opened his eyes and stood up as straight as he could, being so sleep-deprived. "No-no-no, Colleen, I'm fine, I promise. I can work." Colleen smiled.

"There's the Keith I know." She threw an apron at Keith, who just barely caught it. "Here." Keith forced a smile through his tired eyes. He pulled the apron over his neck and tied the strings around his torso, then grabbed a hair tie off his wrist and tied his long hair up in a ponytail.

He walked over to the cashier and set up the area for the day. Colleen watched him carefully to make sure he didn't seem to be falling asleep.

Just as Keith finished organizing the café to his liking, a customer walked into the shop. She had long, platinum-white hair and chocolate skin. Dotting her cheeks underneath her eyes were many small freckles. Keith would say she was beautiful, for a girl. He recognized her from seeing her around town, and plastered a smile on his face as she approached the counter.