Tension before Dawn (Luca)

The dream hit me like a punch to the gut- raw, vivid and impossible to shake. Sienna . Her lips. Her eyes. Her Skin, glistening with sweet, gliding under my fingers like silk. I could feel the heat of her body against mine , a constant pull that threatened to break everything I knew. 

We were in a room I didn't recognize- dark, shadows creeping in the corners. But all I saw was her. The way she moved, slow and deliberate, like she was daring me to make a move. I didn't hesitate. I never did in dreams. My hands found her, gripping her waist, pulling her closer. 

She gasped, breath catching in her throat. "What are you doing?"she whispered, but her eyes told a different story. Her body arched into mine, lips parted in a silent invitation. 

I kissed her then, hard, desperate. She tasted like fire- sweet and fierce, like nothing I'd ever known. I was drowning in her, lost in her taste, and the feel of her against me. 

But then, just as quickly she pulled away, her eyes wide with something I couldn't place- fear? Want? Confusion? 

And before I could reach for her again, she was gone, leaving me in the suffocating silence of the room. I woke up with a jolt, heart pounding, and the weight of her absence heavy in the air. 

I rubbed my face, trying to shake the fog from my head. What the hell had that been? It felt too real, too....intense. 

I glanced at the clock- 6:30 a.m. My alarm was set to go off in half and hour, but I already knew I wasn't going to get back to sleep. Not with her still haunting me, even in the quiet of the morning. 

The dream’s intensity lingered as I lay in bed, staring at the ceiling. Sienna’s presence had been so palpable, her touch so real, that it left me questioning the boundaries between reality and imagination.

I couldn’t deny the growing attraction I felt toward her. It was more than just physical; there was something about her that drew me in, a depth I wanted to explore. But I had to be careful. My focus needed to remain on rugby, on securing my future. Distractions could jeopardize everything I’d worked for.

Yet, the more I tried to push thoughts of Sienna aside, the more they consumed me. Her laughter echoed in my mind, her smile a constant presence in my thoughts. I found myself looking forward to seeing her at school, to the brief moments we shared, even if they were filled with teasing and banter.

I glanced at the clock again—6:45 a.m. With a resigned sigh, I swung my legs over the side of the bed and stood up. There was no point in trying to sleep any longer. Maybe a morning run would clear my head, help me regain the focus I desperately needed.

As I laced up my running shoes, I couldn’t shake the feeling that my life was on the verge of changing, that Sienna was at the center of that shift. The thought was both exhilarating and terrifying.

I stepped outside, the cool morning air a welcome contrast to the heat that had enveloped me during the dream. With each stride, I tried to outrun the thoughts of Sienna, to lose myself in the rhythm of my footsteps. But no matter how fast or how far I ran, she was always there, a constant presence in my mind and, I feared, in my heart.

By the time I returned home, sweat dripped from my brow, and my muscles ached pleasantly. But my thoughts were no clearer than when I’d started. I knew I had to confront these feelings, to find a way to balance the undeniable pull toward Sienna with the demands of my rugby career.

As I prepared for school, I made a silent promise to myself: I would get to know Sienna, understand the connection between us, but I wouldn’t let it derail my ambitions. I had to find a way to have both, without sacrificing either.

With that resolve, I grabbed my backpack and headed out the door, ready to face whatever the day—and Sienna—had in store for me.