All Our Lives ✔

13|

The dreadful school uniforms hung from our fifteen, maybe sixteen-year-old bodies. We exchanged mischievous looks across a long dinner table. Let our fingertips occasionally touch as we walked down the dark hallways together. Snuck into each other's beds on nights when thunderstorms wouldn't scare the other girls awake.

We were punished for our many offenses often, but still ruled the old boarding school. Until a rival shoved me out of a window, breaking my neck and killing me.

During dinner one night, Sebri watched with cold, empty eyes as a classmate fell face-first into her soup. Watched as, one by one, bodies fell. Then she calmly left the table, the school, and disappeared into the trees beyond. 

The students, the teachers...those who had failed to stop my death and those who had reveled in it...none survived. 

The murderous rival was left tied up in a closet to endure a much slower poison, screaming until her voice was gone, and then the beat of her heart.

Long before any of them would be found.

∞

Hey. What's the plan? Should I bring homework when I come over or get it done first?

I winced at my phone and ran a hand through my hair. Being around Sebri was not an option right now.

Got a lot to catch up on. See you later!

"Kera...are you okay?"

"Just been having weird dreams and stuff, Mom." 

Moments that could not be totally attributed to dreams anymore, because I was having them with my eyes wide open. You only got that vividness from real life.  

However, I couldn't bring myself to tell her. 

I tore into my bagel, clutching my owl necklace with my free hand. 

"No cream cheese? Nothing?" Mom said, eyebrows raised.

"Oh, right." I hadn't actually tasted what I was eating.

"Are you feeling a little lighter?"

I nodded. We'd talked and talked about Sean, because Mom sensed me trying to avoid it. There was counseling at school. It was going...slowly.

"You'll tell me if you aren't?"

I nodded.

"Well, are you dreaming about any tattooed, raven-haired beauties in particular?" Mom asked casually.

So casually I must have misheard her. "What'd you say?" I gasped, jerking up in my seat.

"I said when you share the details about your dreams of a girl I consider to be another daughter, please keep it PG."

The bagel flew. She caught it. 

"You know?" I said, outraged.

"You don't?" She sighed. "I raised a thick egg. Not sure if I should be proud or ashamed."

And we dared to act like normal people when we were in public?

"Come on, let's go to the living room," she said, leading me out of the kitchen.

As I sat down, Mom poured me a little bit of wine, which I had no taste for but still sipped in annoyance.

"It doesn't make sense," I told her. "Some weird dreams and—"

"Your brain is trying to tell you something, so listen up."

"No!"

"Honey, you can blame dreams all you want, but all they really are is your feelings finally bubbling to the surface."