Ten

I was floating and falling.

Ugh! Not again. I had been having the same dream every other night now and it was becoming a nuisance because in the end, I always woke up in the middle of the night after experiencing a terrible headache and then, I would have trouble going back to sleep again.

It was the same every time.

Falling and floating.

Not being able to feel anything at all.

Being surrounded by darkness. No, not darkness. Blackness. Utter and complete blackness.

Then, being thrust in a direction.

The thrusting ceased and my body lay still.

Then came the falling and the fear of crashing down and never waking up again.

And then came the soft touch of grass on my bare skin.

As I lay on the grass, I waited for the headache to come and split up my skull.

But it never came. That's how far the dreams had progressed every time.

I gently peeled my eyes open expecting nothing but blackness to greet me.

It was dark alright, but not black. I could see for a few meters ahead of me and I could easily make out my surroundings.

I gathered I was in the forest because tall trees surrounded me. They were so tall and their canopy so thick, that almost no light reached the ground. It must have been a full moon night that some little light was able to permeate the thick cover of vegetation and create an eerie glow for me.

I shakily got up on my feet, surprised I was able to move them at all. I took a moment to gather my bearings and get used to the shaking of my knees. It was as if I had never stood on my legs. My legs felt like lead and I leaned on the nearest tree for support.

It was ironic really. I dreaded those headaches so much that sometimes I didn't even want to go to sleep because I knew there was a huge possibility, I would have the same dream. And here I was, wishing for the same headache so that I could wake up from this dream world.

Following my gut, I started walking in a random direction. The branches and the bushes were so thick that I expected to be cut and scratched in several places. But when I looked down to check my body, there was not a single scratch, instead, the branches and leaves felt like a gentle caress on my body. It felt soothing.

Weird.

Pushing the twigs and branches away from my face, I kept walking. I was still in the crop top and shorts that Natalie had given me. After about walking for five minutes, I came upon a clearing and when I took the whole scene in front of me, I gasped. Before me stood the most breathtaking site I have ever seen.

With no trees to cloud my vision, the moon lighted the whole area in a halo. There were hills as far as the eye could see. Dense forests covered the hills and I could see a narrow stream on a hill, its water glinting in the moonlight.

The moon looked bigger than it usually does and cast a soft glow all around. 

The scene looked ethereal and I forgot to breathe. I had lived my whole life in the mountains and was accustomed to seeing such scenery, but the sight in front of me was completely out of this world.

A few feet in front of me was a cliff and I was pretty sure it was quite high. On the edge of the cliff, someone was standing.

A female. She was wearing a white dress and the ends of her dress fluttered in the wind, giving the illusion of her having white wings and making her seem otherworldly. Her hair was stark white and reached her hips. Her hair wasn't bushy despite being in the wind.

I was jealous. I was sure after traversing through the jungle, my hair looked like a mess. 

Her back was towards me but taking her creamy skin into account and her authoritative posture, she was bound to be a beautiful woman. She was so close to the edge of the cliff. If she so much as took an inch forward, she would plummet to her death.

"Um, I think you would want to step back from the edge of the cliff."

She slowly turned around and my speculations were proven correct. She was the most beautiful woman I had ever seen.

Her features were soft with high cheekbones, plump rosy lips, and a straight nose. She had a tattoo of a moon at the base of her throat and it was.......glowing? Glowing blue? She smiled softly at me. "I have waited a long time for you, Zara."

Okay, so an apparition who I had conjured in my sleep has waited a long time to see me. Is it me or did it sound mental?

I stood there awkwardly shifting from one foot to the other. "Um, hi?"

She softly chuckled. 

Her voice was like a soft melody that could put anyone to sleep. So lucky of me that I was already asleep.

"We are running out of time, Zara. I need you to do something for me."

"Who are you?"

"You will know soon enough about me. When the right time comes. Right now, you have to help me."

"Help you?"

Help a woman from my dream?

"Yes. Stop Harper from committing a mistake."

Great, now my dreams were muddled with Harper too. I swear that boy was everywhere.

"What has Harper got to do with anything?"

"You will understand in time, Zara."

"I am so confused right now."

"Find Harper and tell him that he will be making the biggest mistake of his life if he is going to mark the girl he has in mind. Tell him the goddess forbids it."

Mark? Did he mark people? He doesn't go around with a hot brandishing iron rod marking people as his, does he? Considering him, anything was possible.

Or was she talking about Harper leaving hickeys on every girl?

"What kind of mark are you talking about?" You better have a confirmation.

"You will know soon enough!" Kudos to this woman's patience because I couldn't understand whatever she was saying.

What was with this woman and her secrets? And what was with this cryptic language?

I groaned. I must be going crazy.

"You must go now, Zara. Remember what I told you. Stop Harper before it's too late."

As if on cue, a blinding headache started in my head and I knew I was going to wake up from this silly dream. 

I woke up panting, covered in sweat with the words 'Stop Harper' echoing in my head.

I looked around to see Nat and Sam sleeping soundly without a care in the world.

Ugh! So lucky.