Premonition (Chapter 14)

When I woke up, sunlight was streaming through the window and I was cocooned in blankets. I was wrapped up so tightly that, all I could do was writhe around. Flourite's chair was empty and that person from my dreams was nowhere to be found. I surrendered face down into my pillow. Was I weak to the point of hallucinations? Or was it all another dream?...Both frustrated and confused, I forced myself to sit up. While doing so, the blankets tightened around my arms, almost crushing them. An old memory made its appearance just as I was beginning to unravel myself, or attempting to anyway. My restricted movements reminded me of when my father had taken me to an asylum after threating that if I didn't behave, that was where I would end up. The patients I saw didn't even try to move. Their eyes were empty. Their freedom gone, taken long ago. Just the very thought of such thing made my stomach lurch and my heart hurt like crazy. Without much thought, I rolled myself out of bed. The layers of cotton broke my fall as the edge had caught a nail jutting out from the wood, and rolled me out of my wrapper. This particular morning, I seemed clumsier than usual because I had just rolled myself right into a wall. Fortunately, I wasn't knocked out...again. So much had happened this past week that I don't think I'd be able to keep up if this continued. I was so used to restless nights and quiet solitary days. As I dragged myself out of my cocoon and onto my feet, my stomach reminded me how empty it was. I swear, I felt as if I could just die on the spot. Exiting the infirmary, I was completely bathed in sunlight, streaming through the glass walls and bouncing off the white tiles.I hated it. Miraculously, I managed to make it to the cafeteria, alive. To top it all off, I was the only one there. At that moment, I was so grateful that i was more than ready to join the nunnery, until i remembered how shitty my soul would be for the job...

A bowl of hot porridge later, both peace and serenity seemed to have violently left me as the bell sounded and in poured the students with both stomachs and minds, empty. I made my way out before the door got jammed. After lunch, we would have had math and physics. Screw that. I just spent close to 3 days unconscious, I was nowhere near ready to even think about numbers. Since everyone would be in class, I had the baths all to myself. At this point, I didn't care for fragrance nor pretty things that hung on vines. There was a spring located near the oasis. However, nobody went there for not only was it connected to the abandoned well near the caves but all that grew around that area was oak, mistletoe and nightshade. Plus the fact that the girls from the academy couldn't tell a daisy from a chrysanthemum so they all thought the ivy that draped over the doorway was poisonous. After stopping by the dorms for a fresh set of clothes and a few towels, (which may I add, was like playing a fucking hard hidden object game) , I headed for the grounds. The pathway to the springs were never used so eventually the stones were covered by long grass and were almost unnoticeable. This place was used before they started turning the buildings into bloody skyscrapers. Quite a few things were forgotten and dressed in ridiculous rumors. They say a girl had drowned herself in the well after a bad grade but it had actually dried up centuries ago. It was previously used to water the academy's vegetable gardens not far from the springs but around 30 years ago, they had build the dorms over that area, demolishing all the greenery around it. Yet, nobody else will ever know for all the creatures that currently resided in the academy were interested in were using their faces as coloring books. You'd think that an all-girls-school would have SOME kind of diversity...

Sighing to myself, I let the ivy leaves brush against my tensed up face. Wrapped in nothing but a towel, I lowered myself into the water. it felt good, the water bubbling against my skin, scorching and massaging me at the same time. If i were to die here...I wonder if my body was going to be found before the heat melted the flesh away from bone. Nobody would care anyway, my family had left me, what say my dreams...While inhaling the steam, I turned my back on the vast space of hot water behind me. This could easily fit my entire class, but be it the right size or not, I am definitely NOT going to start making invitation cards. The rocks that lined the spring felt cool to the touch. I pressed my cheek against it, one arm clinging, the other holding up my now heavy towel. All the thoughts that had pestered me over the week simply evaporated when I closed my eyes. For the first time in months, I felt myself smile...I didn't like it...It made my cheeks hurt. When I was about to submerge my wind blown frozen fingers back into the water, I heard a splash of some sort behind me.

As I turned around to see what it was, instead of a fallen branch, I see a muscular back emerge from the water. Water that trailed down wet hair and onto deep scars scored into what once was wounded flesh. A well toned arm rose to wipe away water that got into emerald eyes. Eyes that i remember. With a tone of disbelief, I whispered his name. Almost instantly, his head turned to look over his shoulder. That was the widest I've ever seen his eyes. He was so in shock, or that's what i thought he was in, that his hand didn't even get the chance to leave the side of his face. Stick, just like a tongue on a frozen lamppost. Same went for our stares. He stared into my eyes, and I into his.

His body slowly started to turn towards me, all the while his gaze didn't waver. I suddenly felt this strange feeling in my heart. Its nothing mushy but its like wanting to say something that you've frustratingly forgot, yet it was on the tip of your tongue. I moved towards him a little but my mind went blank. I HAD something to say to him but along with all my problems a few minutes ago, they evaporated into thin air. When I was about 3 feet in front of him, he suddenly turned his attention to the oak tree on his right. It was so sudden that it still left me dazed. At first I didn't get it, but it was only after he attempted to clear his throat and proceeded to look anywhere but at me, that I remembered that I was dripping wet and in a towel. When he started backing away and reaching out for the rocks that borderlined water and gravel, I called for him to stop. I still wanted to talk to him and as long as we're not facing each other, I suppose it was fine.

There we were, half naked in a place where nobody knew about, both of us surrounded by clouds of steam. It couldn't sound innocent no matter how it was resaid...Despite that, I apologized for my...strange...behavior last night, while we stood back to back. It was surprisingly easy to talk to him and pretty soon I found myself telling him everything. Maybe it was the fact that even up till now, he's never said anything, but even so, something about him just makes me want to trust him. In my head, I relistened to that statement and breathed through my mouth. It was insane! I've known him for what, 5 days? My speech slowed as I finally told him about the person in my drams. I told him everything...I was on the verge of tears by the time I had said what I wanted to say, and it showed in my voice.

"I was shunned, hated, unwanted for so long and then there came this person who actually cared...cared for someone like me. I'm sorry...I know all this sounds stupid...b-"

"No...no, its not."

I swear, even my tears froze in midair at that moment. He had his arms tightly wound around me, those four words, whispered into my neck with such intensity that I...almost believed him.