Run.

Dahlia's pov

Darkness, why was it so dark, and foggy. And why do i feel so small.

I coughed.

There was also smoke everywhere. I couldn't make out so much from the surroundings because of how the smoke affected my sight.

In my attempt to find someone or something, i touched one tree, and another tree, and then another one.

I was in a forest. The chirping of birds and sounds of insects proved my theory right. I was indeed in a forest.

I tried to scream but the smoke prevented me from doing so because each time i tried to, i only ended up inhaling more smoke into my lungs, and it burned so badly.

Left with no other option, I decided to walk. I couldn't see but walking was better than standing in a spot waiting for help to come.

As I began to walk without a particular direction in mind, I heard a howling from the distance.

And then it hit me; I was in a forest, of course there would be wild animals.

Without thinking twice, i began to run even though my eyes were still tightly shut. I ran as like my life was in imminent danger, because it was.

As I ran, the gripping feeling of fear began to overwhelm my senses. I had to find somebody! I had to find help soon!

I ran into something and immediately fell butt hard to the ground. It was a human, it didn't feel like a tree.

I desperately wanted to see who it was but i couldn't. The smoke made my eyes red, teary, and itchy.

Situations like this made me realize that I wasn't strong at all. The facade that I put on in my everyday life was just to cover the broken girl inside.

I hated the dark, i was scared of it. I didn't find comfort in it. But i lied to everyone that i did. Another strong girl facade.

I hid the broken girl inside from everyone. I didn't want anyone to see her, even i, didn't want to see her.

So, i did the only thing i knew how to do well- Hide. I hid her away from the rest of the world.

Mama wasn't here to help me, even dada was at work. I was all by myself in a forest with big, wild animals.

With the last bit of strength I had in me, i tore my eyes open as quickly as i could to reduce the effect of the smoke.

As soon as i caught the blurry, tall figure standing before me, my eyes began to sting again.

It was a man, a very unfamiliar man. He wasn't mama or papa's friend from the school council. So why was he here? How did he get here? Was he here to save me?

But I was happy. At least i wasn't alone. I stretched to my hands to the stranger "Please..help me.. Please, there's a big bad wolf coming".

In a scary voice, he asked. "Where are your parents"?

"My parent are busy. Momma is working at the school council, and papa is away at work".

He was silent at first. Then i felt him squat to the ground where i was still seated, due to the pain from my butt and my inability to see anything.

Very softly, he dusted the mud from my face. "You know something". He started. "Little girls aren't supposed to be in the forest all by themselves".

I nodded at him even though i had no reasonable explanation as to how i got here in the first place.

"I'll take you home". He offered. "Give me your hands".

At first I was skeptical about giving this unfamiliar stranger my hand but what could possibly go wrong? If this mister wasn't afraid of the wolves, then he was my only chance of survival.

I placed my tiny hand in his and he picked me up from the ground.

"I'll take you home". He repeated again with a slight grunt.

He began to walk while humming a song.

Something was odd. This man wasn't taking me home, instead he was going in the direction i just came..he was heading towards the wolf!

My eyes were shut didn't mean i was stupid or i had lost my sense of reasoning.

"Mister, don't got that way" I said in a tiny voice "The wolf is right there".

He didn't respond to me. Rather, he began singing, and it was the exact same song he hummed before.

"The way of the wolf is home. Home is wolf. The wolf will save you, destroy you, cage you, liberate you".

Reality hit me, and I realized that this stranger was not here to help. He was taking me to the wolf, he was taking me to be slaughtered.

I sniffed, and tears began to pour out my eyes. "Mama!! Dada!! Help me. Please"!!

"Remember my name" He continued singing. "Ares Arthur King".

The stranger began to laugh, and as his laugher grew louder, i could feel the darkness and smoke grow thicker.

I jolted out of bed with fast enough reflexes to take out a thousand men. I could hear my heart thumping wildly in my ears, and I could also feel it all around my body.

I quickly turned on more lights in my room. I needed the place to be brighter.

My breathing grew intense as I recalled the nightmare i just had.

What sort of a nightmare was that? I've had series of nightmares but never have i had one of me as a child about to be slaughtered.

For six years, i've had the same reoccurring nightmare every night, but why was it different this time.

Was this a sign that i needed to see my therapist?

Or maybe i need to pop more pills.

I put on my flip-flop and went straight to the bathroom. I took out a bottle of pills from the cabinet hanging on the wall, and immediately swallowed four.

Usually, I only popped two pills. But the therapist recommended one daily.

Who cared about what the therapist said?

To hell with therapy and medications too.

After gulping a large amount of water, i returned to bed.

But then the images from my nightmare kept coming back to me and one particular image made me horrified. It wasn't the darkness, it wasn't even the smoke.

It was the strange mister who I thought had come to save me. He said his name was 'Ares Arthur King'.

King? King? Why does that name sound familiar.

The fear returned again, and this time, it was worse.

Hermes-Milo King, Apollo-Leon King, I didn't know HIS name. This could only mean one thing.

Plus, him and the mister from nightmare had the same body build, and odd mannerism.

This feeling had me glued to a spot, sweating and shivering. I couldn't move my body. It was like a lucid dream of some sort.

What was he doing in my nightmare?

Why him?

If I wasn't convinced before, this was enough conviction to stay the fuck away from the king brothers, especially the eldest. They spelt danger.

In no time, i began to perceive the weird smell of cigarette.

Jesus Christ! As if seeing the devil in my nightmare wasn't enough.

I walked to my window, pulled the curtain aside, and right there in my garden stood Ares-Arthur King (thanks to my nightmare)

smoking a stick of cigarette, and looking up to my window in an eerie manner.

As soon as he saw me, he smiled and mouthed "Run".