The Sister, The Daughter and The Servant

Chapter Twenty-Four

Once again I'm stuck in a dream world made up of nothing but white for as far as the eye can see. I can hear the faint sound of crying but it sounds sort of echoey like we're in a cave. Someone walks past me in a hurry, he's not running but he's definitely walking with a purpose. Who is that? I follow them as I try to see their face but it's too distorted. Without warning, they drop to the floor. I rush to their side. It's a boy. Why can I never see their face? I don't even recognise their outfit. There's blood pouring out everywhere but I can't tell where the wound is. I think he's trying to say something but I can't understand it. He lifts his hand up and I go to take it when I shoot an awake. I wake up screaming and crying. I can't breathe. I clutch my chest as my whole body starts to shake. I'm having an anxiety attack. I fiddle with my necklace to try to calm down. I just want the nightmares to stop. I'm so fed up with them. I don't even know why I get them. If I'm supposed to use them to help people then they could at least show me their faces. I want them to stop but I don't know how to make them stop.

Unanticipatedly, Peter burst into my room waving around a knife and wearing nothing but his boxers. He notices me struggling to breathe and races to my bed. He sits next to me and waits for my permission before he touches me, I nod and he puts one hand on my knee and the other hand rubs my back. He's always done this as he knows I've not been comfortable with people touching me since things went to hell. "What happened? Bad dream?" Peter asks and I nod. "It's okay just keep reminding yourself that they're not real and they can't hurt you."

"But they are real." I state.

"What do you mean? Dreams aren't real."

"They aren't exactly dreams." Peter stares at me waiting for an explanation. "They're visions. I get visions of when someone is going to die but am never able to see who it is."

"Who was it this time and since when do you get visions? That's not your power."

"It started a bit after that thing happened. It was a boy but I don't know who they are. I don't know how they started or how to get them to stop." I replied. Peter remained silent; I don't think he knows how to respond. "Peter why did you come?"

"I want to help. Plus, I missed you and wanted to find out what really happened when we were told you disappeared."

"Things got worse at the castle so I ran away at the first opportunity I got which was a lot harder than you think. I've been living on the streets since and started a whole new identity. I had some help from a friend. I don't know why Satella told some people I disappeared rather than saying I'm dead."

"Why don't you tell the others who you really are? You can trust them."

"There was other people I thought I could trust and you know how that turned out. Plus, I'm not that person anymore and you should know I was never really her to begin with."

Peter is about to say something when Ava and Layla run in. My breathing has calmed down a lot and my attack has stopped; they never usually go this quick. "What happened?" Layla asks.

"She had a nightmare but she's okay now." Peter replies for me. Ava goes quiet and looks away.

"Ava? What's wrong?" I ask.

"Nothing, I just feel uncomfortable around the subject of nightmares."

"Why?"

"I used to suffer from them really badly." Ava says sounding like she's on the verge of tears.

"How come?" Peter asks.

"You don't have to tell us if you don't want to." I reassure.

"It's okay. Umm. I used to have a boyfriend who was a complete and utter douche. He was very controlling and possessive. I tried breaking up with him and he did not like that. One night he turned up at my house and came for me. I said no and he got more and more aggressive. My dad heard all the commotion and came to stop him. He tried talking to him calmly but my ex had a knife that we didn't know about and my dad got badly injured. My ex ran away as my dad led in my arms dying. There was nothing I could do to save him. My dad had been telling me for years to break up with him but I never saw the bad side to him, I ignored it all. It's my fault he's dead." Ava starts crying and me and Layla quickly hug her.

"It's not your fault," I say.

"There's nothing you could've done." Layla adds.

"Tell that to my brothers. They blame me. It's why they hate me."

"It's not your fault. I promise." I reassure. That must've been really hard for Ava to say. I never realised how much Ava has been through, I knew her parents were gone but never realised her dad was murdered and that she blames herself. It's not her fault at all though.

"After that I vowed to never date another boy and only stick to dating girls."  I never realised Ava's bisexual but I'm glad she doesn't feel the need to hide it.

"That's okay, boys are douches." I joke.

"Hey I'm right here." Peter said pretending to be offended.

We all laugh and clearly too loud as Tom shouts, "go to sleep or I'll beat you all up."

"I'd like to see you try." I shout back making us all laugh again.

"We better get back to bed, you going to be okay?" Layla says.

"Yeah I'll be okay." Ava and Layla leave.

"I'll stay here until you fall asleep." Peter says.

"It's okay I'll be okay."

"I know but just to be on the safe side."

"Okay then." I get back under my covers and slowly drift back to sleep praying I don't have another bad dream.