Contradicting Worlds 6 I've Started A Conversation With A Stranger

I AM INSIDE MY DREAM. Someone or some 2 is dragging me by my shoulder. I can feel the floor under me. My head feels dizzy and it's like it's being cracked open. I tried to open my eyes only to see everything white. I heard a soft click. Then I was being hurled inside a room. I was being lifted. I felt a soft thing under me, I must've been on a bed. I glance around, keeping my eyes half-open. I am breathing heavily. I grunted as I struggle to sit up. But my body felt numb.

"She's already awake," I heard someone say. From my peripheral I could see that she's wearing a lab gown, her face masked, and she wears gloves. She's holding a syringe while walking to me.

"We need to make it fast," the other one on my right said. "Remember, she's vulnerable. If something goes wrong--"

"Relax Mico," she said. "I've got this under control." I heard Mico curse under his breath. I felt the syringe went inside my veins. My body felt like I'm burning. My body tense. Before I could even process what was happening my heart seemed to slow its beating.

I snapped awake. I sit up straight. I'm breathing like I've been running for a while. The dream felt so real, I could still feel the burning sensation inside me. I touched my wrist consciously where the girl injects the injection.

Darkness engulfs my room. I feel around, making my way to the door. I open it. I walk towards my living room (the very first room). When I step inside, I saw someone was sitting on the couch. The light is setting a shadow on his face. He's immensely drawn into what he's doing. He has a paper on his knees, a set of colour pencils beside him, and his hand is moving in graceful way. As though he had noticed my presence he looked up.

He looks just like he always look. Beautiful as always. There is a smear of charcoal across his cheek. I fight the urge to laugh. "When did you come in?" He asked me.

"Just now," I said. I sit opposite him. "What are you drawing?"

He shrugged. "A map." I look at him, expectantly. He sighs, "It is not yet done--" I s.n.a.t.c.h the paper. I was mesmerised by what I saw. The map is very detailed. The road, the mountains, it was somewhat familiar.

"Where is this?"

"Have I ever told you where I live?" I shake my head though I already know that he is from north. "I live in the north. It is somehow similar to this but there, the trees are..." he hesitated. "More..you know? dead?" I stare at his grim expression.

I notice that there is more paper beside him. "Are those maps too?"

He looks at it. He stared, wide-eyed. "Th-these are nothing." He shoves it away.

"Can I see it?"

"N-no," he wrinkles his nose. "at l-least, not at the moment." I shrugged. "Why are you up anyway?"

"Nightmares," I said, my expression unreadable.

"What kind of nightmares?" I s.h.i.+ver when he asked me.

"Just, "I close my eyes for a moment. When I open them I found him staring at me. His eyes are the colours of the ocean. The intensity of his gaze cuts through me.

"You don't need to tell me if you don't want to," he said in a gentle voice.

"No," I said quietly. "I actually want to," I averted my eyes. I told him about my dream. I really don't know why I'm telling him this maybe because it feels good to have someone to talk to. I found his eyes again, and this time they stare in confusion."What?"

"It's just that," he started. He touches the crease between his eyebrows. "I think we have had the same nightmare." He looks at me again. Then his expression s.h.i.+fted. From confusion to realization. "Come to think of it," a smile is playing across his lips. "You haven't told me your name."

I give him a nonchalant shrug. "You don't ask."

He opens his mouth then close it, and he laughs. He covers his mouth with his fist, his smile lit up his whole face. He's like a boy who has been given a toy. "What's your name then?"

"Ellie," I said calmly. I usually would've said black hunter since I just met him but something inside me said that I can trust him. That he wouldn't hurt me. His laugh slowly die. "Can you tell me a story?"

He tilts his head and nodded. I listen for a little while. I catch some of the words: prince, lady, something about being a concubine. I feel my head become heavy and my eyes starting to close. I try to fight it, eager to finish the story even though I can feel sleep taking over me. At last, I let myself be drifted away and I fell into slumber.

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I can feel someone is carrying me. My head leaned against his chest. My arms were hooked on his neck. His one hand is on my waist while the other is gripping me on my shoulder. I can feel his body heat transfer to me. I feel my cheeks burn. I urge myself to sleep again and to remember how perfect this moment is.

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*MICHA'S POV*

I LAY AWAKE FOR WHAT SEEMS LIKE A BILLION YEARS ON MY BED. Why hadn't Ellie come back? Where is she? Is she even alive? I push that thought away. Of course she' alive you idiot. I punch my head not quite soft. I stare at the ceiling for another while before scrambling up of the bed. I open the door in my room and made my way to my kitchen. I didn't bother turning on the lights. I open my fridge and get a bottle of water then drink it, finis.h.i.+ng half of it.

Then the room was flooding with light. I smile as I push the door close. I turn around to see Viola sitting on my sofa, one leg cross over the other. She wears everything black as in all black. "What are you doing here?"

"You don't want to see me?" she raise an eyebrow.

I cross the room, sit beside her and kiss her gently on the lips. Her hand found my waist, pulling me onto her lap. My legs rested on her side, my hands were around her neck as she kisses me fiercely. I tug on her lower lip and she groans. She pulls away and stares at me with care. "I have news for you," she said.

"What is it?" Normally it would be very bad news.

"Ellie's alright," my eyes sparkles. "But she has brought someone. A human from the north." The light immediately dies in my eyes. I slowly pull away from her. Everyone in the defiance knows what is in the north. I mean what kind of human, you know? Boys? Men? We don't know yet what they're capable of but we have to be very careful.

"Tell me," I said. So she tell me the whole story from the moment Ellie run away. I told Viola to follow her because I am worried that she might get in danger and I am not wrong. I know Ellie is like us, strange and peculiar and different in some ways. I can feel the strong pull within her. That told me something is sleeping inside her that's needed to be awake. So we intended to protect her until all in the defiance agree to recruit her.

"You talk to her? So does she--does she--"

"Yes, I talk to her but no, she doesn't know," she said slowly. "Come here," her arms went around me. Her hand playing my hair. I leaned into the touch, soft and gentle. "Now, sleep. Don't think too much. Everything's going to be fine," she said in a soothing voice.

I really wish I can believe what she's saying. Slowly, I feel my own energy slips off my fingers and I let my eyes close and dream.