“When everything’s made to be broken, I just want you to know who I am” I hear the faint whisper echoing through the halls of the dark castle. My breaths quicken as my hands begin to shake. I’m stumbling through the halls in my nightgown and tears stream down my face silently. My heart beat quickens and my knees buckle.

My whole body collapses as I see blood on my white nightgown. My own. My breathing begins to slow and grow more and more painful with each intake of air. A shadow walks up and before I could see who it was things went dark.

*~~~*~~~*~~~*

I woke up panting. My chest heaving up and down. I frantically folded down my sheets to check for blood soaked into my nightgown. I was relieved when it was clean and flopped back onto my pillows. My breaths slowly returned to normal and my shaking had gone.

I got out of bed and decided to walk around my room for a minute gazing at all the details that were exactly correct in my dream. Usually, when I have dreams like this, something’s odd. Like it could be a mash between where I live and where my best friend lives in the village. Or it’s smaller, or it’s messy or damaged or something’s off. But everything was identical.

As I was digging through my jewlery box I noticed an interesting trinket. I’d never seen it before, at least I don’t think, but it seemed familiar. I rubbed the smooth part of the raven claw and set it back in the elegant box.

I stepped out into the hall and walked the same path I usually would. Which is the same place I died in my dream last night. Chills ran up my spine as the images of the the thick, red blood pooling around me creep back into my mind.

“Stop,” I think alloud, “it was just a dream, it wasn’t even real.” I take a deep breath in and continue down the corridor to the breakfast room.

“Morning sleepy head.” I look over to see my older brother Zach leaning onto the counter with a small muffin in hand.

“Morning,” I smile softly as I walk to the pantry reaching for my cereal.

“You still eat that junk?” He says. He’s always been good at criticizing what I choose to do.

“It’s not junk, but yes. Yes I do,” I tilt my chin up proudly and walk to the table with a bowl. His eyes roll and he continues picking at his sad, little muffin. “Is everything ok?” My eyes shift up to his and they move to other objects around the room.

“Um, yeah. Yeah don’t worry about it,” he tries his best to fake a smile but I can see right through it. I raise my brow. “Iris. I’m serious! Drop it!” He drops the muffin into the trash and walks out of the room.

I shake my head and continue through my breakfast. Once I’ve finished eating, I go back to my room to get ready for the day. My eyes feel heavy with sleep. Which is quite unusual seeing that I slept well last night, even despite my nightmare.

The next thing I know I’m passed out on my floor, back in the same dark hall as last night. I’m back to the falling and shaking and bleeding. My eyes dart up toward the doorway in which the man was standing the night before. He came more into focus this time but I still couldn’t tell who it was. This time though, it didn’t end there.

As the room slowly grew darker my body fell straight through the floor and I landed in the middle of a dark, foggy forest. My clothes had completely changed. I was dressed for a ball, my waist length hair had been curled into elegant ringlets and my neck was adorned with jewels.

The most curious piece of jewlery was that of the raven claw. The same claw that I discovered in my jewlery box this morning.

The world around me begins molding and shaping itself. The once dense forest twisting up towards the sky, changing shapes. Trees disappearing like dust until suddenly all that stands in front of me is the entrance to my family’s castle.

I stand there in the cold , shivering in my ballgown as everything around me turns to ice. The frost creeping up the sides of the elegant walls, crawling through the grass, reaching my feet. When I try to move I find that I can’t. My breaths begin to sting in the cold and my heart pounds out of my chest.

I hear the howl of a wolf off in the distance followed by dozens more. Suddenly I see a pack of wolves running towards me and I fight the frost holding my feet to the ground. But with each try the ice grows colder and it’s hold gets tighter. As I try to scream my lungs sting and a slight croak chokes it’s way out of my throat but no other sound can be made.

Just as the wolves begin to leap at me, I suddenly wake up to Zach violently shaking me. “What, what happened?” I ask meekly, still shaking.

“I think it’s time we talk.” His face molds into something that seems like fear, or perhaps anger, maybe both?

TO BE CONTINUED….. 🤭🤭