I go to sleep...The calm of sleep wore away, and a pair of eyes cracked open to the light of morning. Deep dollops of orange, with black pupils blooming in the center, then retracting as they reacted to the soft light. The world around her materialized, once fuzzy and dark... now crystal clear and bright. Summer birds chirped outside, their calls floating in on the breeze that ruffled her bedroom curtains. She heard a soft bubble of laughter from downstairs. Her mothers voice... happy, stress free. A small smile tugged at her lips and she lifted herself from the warmth of her blankets. It felt almost effortless, as if she weighed nothing. Bare feet touched her soft carpet, a feeling she had forgotten to miss. Long green toes curled in the fibers as she stood and stretched, enjoying the crisp morning air on her skin. Fingers that had grown delicate and nimble danced though her hair. Gloves were absent, and snakes gone. A distant memory that she didn't wish to think of.
With a grace she couldn't remember owning, the twenty three year old moved to her window. The panes were open wide, revealing a glorious sun rise off in the distance. Rays of every rue danced off of the rolling ocean waters, casting reflected colors on the many buildings that wound their way up the hill towards her small house. She lifted her chin, listening to more laughter from downstairs as a chill flew down her spine. Soft voices rolled up from the yard below, and she opened her eyes. A bark of laughter, a voice she would never forget. Orange irises fell on the relaxed figure of the man that made her heart leap and shudder. He stood, tall and proud, with his hands shoved deep into his pockets. His back facing her, leaning against the white fence that surrounded her home. Others were with him. A female with black hair, a smile on her lips that the Greek recognized like it was her own.
Verdy... She sat at a little metal garden table, one leg draped gracefully over the other, sipping a china cup of tea. Beside her sat a messy haired male, skinny and cheerful. He held a little stone flower in his hands.
Mat...More figures seemed to part from the shadows... materialize before her eyes as the sun rose higher and her garden was bathed in light.
Alisa.. Allie.. Aurum. She Saw mansion kids, running about. Laughing and playing. She saw a blond girl with strength in her eyes, easily perched on the fence like gravity moved around her, talking with a dark haired girl who face was graced with a mischievous smile. A tall, burly figure stood next to Saph, his sheer size forcing him to stand out amongst the rest, with a smaller scaly male standing next to him. It seemed like everyone she had ever met was present... Below, her parents stepped out into the light... with a third figure in their presence. Her mother was wearing a pretty sun dress.. something she could barely remember seeing the woman in from her childhood. Her father was in his normal Sunday attire, vest, white shirt, pressed pants....
Oh, father. So predictable. The third male shook her fathers hand and all three of them laughed, the same happy laughter she had awoken to. She recognized him instantly.
.. Jorge. Her mother turned and glanced up, a smile fixed on her lips and Andrea felt her heart soar. It had been ages, since she had seen the woman truly smile.
...Darling, won't you come down? Everyone in the garden turned and looked up to her. She smiled back, barely noticing that some faces were blurry or not quite right. She nodded, lifting herself up onto window ledge and took a step out into the open air. The wood beneath her feet shifted, folding open to form a step as she put her foot down. Each step brought another stair, until she felt the grass under her feet and felt the embrace of her mothers arms around her.
Darling, you have many visitors... Her mother tucked her dark hair behind her ears, and kissed her lightly on the forehead. She didn't even feel it.
She nodded, as her father stepped forward to enveloped her in a hug. Yes, she did have many visitors, but they could wait for a moment... Her father pulled back, holding her at an arms length and she saw pride in his smile, and happiness in the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes. He no longer looked tormented... or angry.
My little girl. I am so very proud of the woman you have become.I love you, father... He released her, before she could hear his reply. She only saw his lips moving, and told herself that it was enough. She came upon her very best friend next, and gently touched the girls shoulder to gain her attention. The woman stood with a startled smile and hugged her fiercely. She hugged her friend back, before pulling away so she could look into her friends eyes for the first time without anything in between. The color was... there, but not there. She felt as though she could see it, she knew it was there- but her eyes could pick out no definite color. Dark brows creased in confusion she watched as Verdy stepped back and resumed nursing her tea cup. She glanced across at Mat- who smiled and nodded in her direction, lifting the little flower in his hand- and noticed that he was the same thing. She could pick out traits and familiar things about him easily, but there was no color. No life... Her eyes turned back to her parents, to find them gone. Her home looked empty.
Someone cleared his throat, catching her attention.
Saphirus... She forgot about all of her trivial concerns, about the lack of color, and turned to find the man watching her. He had on the same frustrating smile that he had worn the day she had met him. She matched it with her own, and glided over to meet him. The world became less defined when she was near him. Nothing else mattered. They smiled at each other and she let him scoop her up into a hug. She knew he was there, but there was nothing under her fingertips. She could smell him... but it was empty. When she opened her eyes and looked into his own, there was nothing there... but she didn't care. She had him back, and she wasn't going to ever leave him again... The sky darkened over hear, stars twinkling into existence, and the booming of fireworks in the distance rocked the ground under her feet. Fiery red, green, and yellow flowers bloomed in the sky over head and she let her eyes slip shut as he leaned down to kiss her...
....When they opened again the world was quiet. Shadows danced above her on the ceiling. The brilliant fire flowers were gone. Her room was cold and she was sweating. Her bangs were plastered to her forehead, her skin was sticky, and her blankets were bunched up around her sternum.
She was alone.
Her brow furrowed momentarily, before a broken, muffled whine left her lips. They trembled, and tears broke through her lashes as she turned over and buried her face in her patchwork pillow.
...some nights she wished that she would sleep forever, and never wake up.
