Chapter 1

FROM THE  moment Terah woke up, she knew it was a bad day. 

Rain was heavily pouring. She did not bring her umbrella with her. It was a sunny day earlier but now she was soaking wet. 

She should have listened to her mother. She was shouting to bring her umbrella every single day but it was her laziness which made her not too. 

She scanned her surroundings. 

People ran back and forth. Some were walking slowly with an umbrella in one hand while hugging their significant others. 

At the age of twenty-three she still didn't have a boyfriend. She was jealous of the others. Why was it easy for some to be in a relationship while it was the other way around for her? 

Maybe she should focus more on her studies. That was the sign. 

She was still in Grade 12 despite her age. It was because they lacked the finances. She had seven siblings. All were going to school. Her mother was working as a teacher in a private school while her father was a security guard in a mall but their income was not enough. So she had to work to help them. She was twenty years old when she decided to go back to school. She saved enough money to finance herself but still she accepted any part-time jobs. 

Terah shivered. The cold was getting on her skin. She must hurry or else she will die from the cold or get sick. 

She waited for the bus. 

It was still two o'clock in the afternoon but it was getting darker as the hour passed by. She must hurry or else she will receive an ample scold from her mother. She asked her to run an errand. To buy some groceries as well as some medicine for her sick brother. 

She turned her head. She was able to catch the man who was staring at her. His brows were furrowed. He looked like he was still in his twenties. He had ash gray long hair that reached his shoulder and had a chiseled jaw. In short, he looked like an actor but for her, she was still a creepy young man.

"You know what," she started. "It's rude to stare. That's creepy, dude," she voiced out. The groceries that she bought were getting heavier as moments passed by. 

He sniffed the air. Then nearly stumbled while gasping for air. His body slightly shook. He breathed heavily.  

She secretly smelled herself. Did she smell that bad? But she did, the rain already washed the traces. 

“Who are you? You, okay?” 

“Who are you, yourself?” It took him a couple of minutes before he became okay and pretended like nothing happened. 

She gripped the groceries tighter. If this man was a thief, she wouldn’t allow him to snatch them. They were already running out of cash. 

He stepped closer. She did the opposite. “Another step or else, I will call the police.”

He put his arms above. In surrender. “Did I scare you? I’m sorry. I didn't mean it. Zachary by the way.” 

“Are you out of your mind? You want me to believe that?” She shook her head. Where was the bus? She was shivering already! Damn! She was stuck with a pervert.

“I meant no harm, really.” He stepped back to prove his sincerity, giving her enough personal space. He suddenly remembered something and scavenged his bag. He brought out an umbrella. Held out his hand with an umbrella in it. 

“Use this, instead. You looked like a wet chick.”

Her eyes turned into slit. “What’s your hidden agenda, Mister? You barely know me and you want me to take your umbrella?”

He stared at her for a long time. Something crossed in his eyes. Confusion? Doubt? Bewilderment? Fear? Terah was not sure. “I just pity you.” 

When she did not move, he put it in her plastic bag then waved goodbye. “Take care of yourself or else, you’ll get sick,” he recalled, then turned his back and walked away. Without minding the heavy downpour.

“Your backpack will be soaked!” she shouted but it seemed he did not hear any of it. 

Terah sighed. Well, she still needed the umbrella anyway. She will just return it when they meet again. If they meet again.

TERAH was having the same dream again. No. It was not about the stranger in the bus stop. She had been dreaming about it for a couple of nights. It was harmless at first. It was about the things that she wanted to achieve when she finished her studies. But then she dreamed again and again. To the point that she was afraid of sleeping. What’s weird was that she remembers all of it whenever she awakens. Plus the fact that she was inside her dream.

She scanned her surroundings.  On her right side was a narrow road with a lamp post attached to a greenery shrub. At the end part of the road was a tree placed on the center of the road. How could that be?

These strange things only happen in dreams. This must be a dream.

A moment from now, a stranger will make an appearance. But he was still not here. He was always on his back while she attempted to talk to him.

Where could he be? Was it him who called her? Or maybe this time, this is an ordinary dream. Where she will just forget about this when she awakens.

Actually, she had an idea what he was. A dreambender. That's what he was. He was a psychic who can change people’s dreams for better or worse. 

She was constantly told magical stories by her grandmother. At such a young age, she became her caregiver. Both of her parents were busy working as well as her aunts and uncles who were not in the country but were working abroad. She did not mind at first because Lola (what she calls her grandmother) was a great storyteller. She kept saying that another world, the world of Hancia existed that even humans can't fathom the powers that they possessed. They ranged from fairies, mermaids, werewolves, vampires, shift shifters, and others. And that power could be used in good or in bad. She also added that some of them went to the human world to interact with us. 

Children love stories, that's why it was okay for her to take care of Lola. But then she grew up. She got tired of taking care of her. She told her parents about it but they insisted that because she was the eldest, it was her duty to do it instead. They even gave pennies to console her. 

Years passed when Lola suffered from Alzheimer’s disease and succumbed to death.  Was it evil for her to feel relief after her passing? Her grandmother will finally rest from her sickness and sufferings. Same went with her. She wanted to play with her age groups but then they matured and grew up easily while she was stuck picking up her missing childhood.

I will just hope that the dreambender will use his power well and won't do anything that could kill me in the process.  Let's just hope.

.Terah had no idea of him. 

She could do anything she wanted  in this world starting from having lots of money (which she wanted to have in the real world) to having no seven no siblings at all to enjoy her youth up to creating her own world where there is only peace and luxury. Peace where she could only find it here.

How she wished that this was her reality and the moment where she would open her eyes was her dreams. How lovely was that? She could only hope, right?

She froze when a hum filled the air. Followed by the sound of the flute. It travelled in the air until it felt like it stopped in her directions. Like the sound was intended for her. Calling her. Waiting for her to move her legs and searching for its origin. 

Terah’s heart skipped.

It was him! The dreambender. The hooded man who was always humming whenever she was here. It was how she recognized that he was here with her.

Without even realizing it, her feet started to move and looked for him. Her heart beat so loud that it was the only thing she heard. Was it him? Was he the man who always called her? What does he really want? She wanted to know so that she can finally have a good sleep. 

Suddenly, the beauty of the lake welcomed her. The water was so calm which was so different to what she was feeling right, chaotic. It was mesmerizing. Why does everything in this place calls her? 

The moon was hiding from the clouds. Luckily, there were the lamp posts again. 

A couple of meters away was a hooded man. He was staring at the water. 

Terah started to move. Her fist clenched. This time, she will uncover his identity. This man was always bothering her and she did not like it. She had to attend school. She needed to focus if she wanted to pass. A couple of months more and she will be a senior high school graduate. Plus her siblings and part-time jobs. She was getting crazy if she kept on thinking about those. 

She just wanted to enjoy her youth. A couple of years from now, sooner or later she will build her own family but never will she burden her child to take care of other people. If she wanted to do that, it would not be against her will. She will always give her the freedom to choose.

"You came," he said. She stopped on her tracks.  "I was afraid you wouldn't respond to my call."

Why does his voice always feel so lonely? Like all the problems including her problems were on his shoulder?

"Who are you? What do you want from me?" Terah asked.

A laugh escaped from his lips.  "So many questions, Terah. I am afraid I can't answer that. For now." 

That man! He had the audacity to laugh? He was the only one who liked the situation. Not her! "Who do you think you are? Don't ever call me again or whatever you are doing to me. You are nothing but a stranger. Remember that," she hissed. “FYI. What you are doing is a clear violation of my rights. You give me no choice but to be in this place.”

“Then what will you do? Will you call the police just like what you wanted earlier in the bus stop in that vampire?”

Her eyes widened. “How did you know? What the hell are you talking about? Vampire? Oh come on.” That must be a lie, right?

“Oops. You did not know. When you are here, I can look into your memories if you don't have a strong mental barrier. I’m sorry about that. I was just tempted to know what you are doing for a couple of hours.”

“If you are really sorry then stop evading my mind! I want my privacy, thank you very much,” she said with sarcasm.  

There was no way that the man who gave her an umbrella was a vampire. Like for real? She encountered a vampire and he did not even sucked her blood like those movies she kept on watching during her free time? No freaking way! 

She bet her blood was not appetizing. She will run out of blood soon if she does not settle this problem with the hooded man. She will deal with that vampire later after she settles this mess. He was nothing but a coward hiding beneath his hood. That’s what he was. He always called her without having a proper conversation with him. Not that she was having a good time looking at him or his face. 

I bet he has an ugly face.

She just hated his existence. On why he could always summon her in this world. She couldn’t even distinguish her dreams from his. Was this his dream? Or was it hers?

"Again, I am sorry, Terah. Don't worry on that part. I am afraid this will be the last time that I will see you. I am thinking of the danger that it will befall on you. I am really stupid. I should have not called you in the first place. If you keep on appearing in this spiritual world, there might be a chance you will be trapped here with no point of return. So...this is really goodbye. Wake up, Terah. Go back to your reality."

A TAP on Terah's shoulder jerked her awake. She blinked a couple of times and found one pair of gray eyes staring back at her. It was Mariah, her best friend and classmate. She was still groggy from sleeping. Where the heck was she?

The four corners of the classroom welcomed her. It was not well-ventilated. She and her classmates were tortured by the humidity of the place. There was only one electric fan functioning. It was located beside the teacher who was staring at her with disappointment in his eyes. Lucky, teacher. She was the only one experiencing the luxury of this classroom.  

I’m back and was asleep while our teacher was discussing. Now, she was staring at me like she wanted to eat me. Very good, Terah. I will surely graduate.

Wiping any trace of saliva on the side of her lips, she faced her professor and gathered all the knowledge she learned from her drama class as well as the rebuttals. She badly needed those right now. She was facing the terror of terrors. Was it because of her teachers' life problems or love life?

"M-maam, it's nice to see you," she whispered. Her teacher’s perfectly drawn eyebrows met. Terah was envious. She didn’t even know how to do those things. Dolling herself. “It’s nice to see you, maam,” she uttered, this time louder. 

The classroom became silent. All eyes were trained on her. Like she was put in trial in front of the judge. She just wanted the earth to swallow her. 

She was supposed to be listening to Teacher Dela Torre's lecture about tax when sleep invited her. No. When he called her and whenever that happened, she would always fall asleep. Stupid man. 

"It's also nice to see you sleeping in my class, Terah. Keep it up and I might flank you in this subject. That was the second time." She gulped.

This is really bad. I should maintain a good reputation with this teacher. Some of her classmates were trying their very best to hide their giggles and she might congratulate them for a job well done. Seemed like nobody wanted to have a destiny the same as hers.

"I promise that it will never happen again, Maam," Terah said.

She snickered. "Looking forward to that, Terah," the teacher answered. She continued her discussion while Terah tried her very best to catch up. 

THE REST of the afternoon flew so easily and Terah was heading back home. Her part-time job was waiting for her. Plus her seven naughty siblings. But first, she needed to go to the park. No more dreams, please. She just wanted to have a good sleep. For eight straight hours. She suddenly missed her bed.

She nearly fell to the ground when somebody bumped her. Wiping all the traces of dirt, she looked at the culprit. "Hey!" she spitted.

Someone giggled. "Hey yourself, Terah. What happened earlier, girl? First time sleeping in Teach class, huh?" Mariah asked.

She was her best friend since they were elementary. Their five years age gap was not an issue. She was stuck with the girl. Not that she minded it. Mariah was a good friend minus the days when she will have her period. There was always a note on her forehead telling everyone to back off. That we should not play any pranks and jokes on her or we will be dead. They will be lucky if they heed her. Terah was lucky she did not experience dysmenorrhea while having her red days. That would be a disaster in her life. What will happen to her part-time jobs?

"It was him. Again," she started. She did not know why but at this moment, she wanted a good cry. She knew about her dreams. About those hooded men. Those sleepless nights. The circles in her eyes were getting darker and darker each day and the eye bags. She did not want to mention those or else, she will be more stressed. Then she would look like a hag. And nobody would dare to court her. Men always looked first at the physical attribute of a woman before her inner beauty. But that was all her opinion. 

She just hoped that her future husband would accept her regardless if she was pretty or not.

Mariah gave her a puzzled look. That look again. 

Terah always knew Mariah. The latter will not leave her alone if she did not spill all the juices. So she told her.

She groaned after. 

Mariah's mouth formed an O. "Oh. That's bad?" she sympathized.

Mariah knew about the man but not him as the dreambender. She was always careful about hiding her dark side from her friend.  She was glad she was her friend but when it comes to secrets, she better kept it to herself. Especially those creatures who were not supposed to be talked to.

"Not really. He said goodbye."

Mariah beamed at the announcement. "That's good," she danced. "You can sleep now without him bothering you. Look at those eyebags, by the way. You look older than my mother." Mariah’s mother was already forty-nine years old. 

"Hope so. By the way...I can't join you. I need to go to the park.” 

Her eyes turned into slits. Terah knew that Mariah’s wild imagination had started again."Why is that? You will meet a man? You have a boyfriend already? I thought you were forbidden to have a boyfriend by your parents? Friend, your parents will spank you!"

They were always against her meeting another man and added that man would only give them problems and impregnate them if she would not be careful. Like she would indulge in such things. She wanted first to have a good job and maybe she will think about boys.

"Of course not. I need to do something. Art projects." 

Mariah beamed. "It’s okay. Wish you luck!"

THE PARK was full of people. Not the usual thing because at this hour, the majority of the people went to work. Terah shrugged. Well, lucky they have their free time. She, on the other hand, found it difficult to balance her time.

Not as lucky as me. Why did it matter, Terah? Just move your butt and draw.

Right. There were still more important things to do than ogle at them. It will be a waste of her time. She got her sketchpad and pencil and scanned the place. 

There was no particular thing she would draw. The teacher said to draw anything that was close to their heart. Can she draw money? It’s the closest thing on her heart now after her grandmother died. Or maybe not. She still needed that grade for her scholarship when she went to college. If she will not prepare for college, her parents will tell her that they couldn’t afford to send her to school. It was better to take care of her siblings. Again. 

Am I a caregiver?

It has been months since she started saving and it was not easy. She needed to budget all the money she earned from her part-time jobs. She also made sure her parents did not know about her savings or else, they would just borrow it. Without even minding to return. Then she would be back again to square one.

Mariah insisted she transferred to her house but she couldn’t do it. Her friend depended on her mother who worked as a clerk in a company. The ample salary will also be budgeted among ten children. But at least, her mother still gives her time for herself.

She sat on the ground.

A couple of minutes had passed yet she couldn't think of something.

Stupid man for doing this to her. Now, she looked like an idiot staring at her sketch pad. 

What will she really draw? Her mind was already drained and now she still wanted to use her brain. 

Then her eyes landed on the fountain. Beside it was the vampire (not sure if he really was) she met at the bus stop. The one who lent her the umbrella. It was a good thing she brought the umbrella with her. Thinking that maybe her roads will cross.

Without realizing it, she walked towards him.