Dreamcatcher

04 - Dream

Iris did not know if she is currently in reality or if she is in her dream. All that she knows is she has to run away as far as she can from those devils and monsters. Tired of having her chastity demolished by them, she decided that she has to run away from this hell. She keeps on running not having any idea where her leg brought her to. Right then, the other's voice in her mind keeps echoing. Looking at the wide river emotionless, with darkness around her makes her slowly walk to it. Suddenly a small light came into her view, which makes her close her eyes a bit and then heard a kind voice.

"Please only have sweet dreams after this." Her tears fall out by themselves after that and found herself waking up from her sleep. Her eyes are then greeted with a hand that makes her flinch back.

"Sorry for waking you up. I just want to wipe out your tears" Iris touched her face and her face is indeed wet by her tears. She wiped by herself and brought her sight to the outside, ignoring Lucas who is still dazed after feeling like he accidentally woke her up from her sleep. He sighed after that before chuckling slowly. Well, I have to give her time to start trusting someone, right?

Not long after that, Leo who is driving in front said that they have arrived at their house. Then, the three of them get out of the car.

"Welcome, little girl. Make this home yours, okay?" Lucas says while looking at Iris who is expressionless. He looked at Leo and both of them shrugged before walking into the house. Lucas then gives a little tour to Iris before showing her room to her. Leo is already in the kitchen making something up for their dinner

"This is your room starting now. Mine is beside yours. Leo is downstairs" Iris looked around her current room. The room only has a simple touch with enough necessity to be called a bedroom. There is also a bathroom inside. Even though she said it is simple, this is much better and bigger than what she had when she is in that hell. She looked around again and her eyes stopped at a beautiful dreamcatcher hanged at the window. She pointed at it and looked at Lucas.

"What was that for?" Lucas's eyes followed the pointed place and smile when he saw the dreamcatcher.

"For you, to make you only have a good dream after this. Take all of your nightmares" He smiled but stopped after hearing you sneer at him. Did you seriously believe it? Then, Iris heard a laugh coming beside her.

"Your face shows it all, little girl. Well, if it is true or not, the dreamcatcher is beautiful. Looking at something beautiful will make you relaxed, just like how you make me feel right now. You make me feel relaxed." Iris stared at him for a few seconds before looking back at the dreamcatcher.

Someone calling her beautiful is not rare for Iris. She heard it every time she is in that hell. She felt disgusted when she heard it from them but she did not know why, she felt calm and love to hear it more coming from Lucas. But then, a voice came into her mind. Oh, do you start to forget all your misery now? Do you want to start to believe this guy now? Iris, don't be naïve. You don't know anything about him. He might be your next misery.

"Lucas, Iris. Come down." A voice which she thinks belonged to the other guy, Leo calling them from downstairs. Lucas then ushered her to come with him downstairs. When she arrived, she can see multiple dishes served on the table while Leo standing beside it.

"I don't know what you like, but I hope you can accept it. Don't worry, nothing weird in here" Iris looked at Leo who is currently raising his hand like a criminal raising his hand when the police told them. There is a tingling feeling in her heart which makes her unconsciously give a small smile. Both Lucas and Leo catch that moment but decided to keep it to themselves, did not want her to stop smiling.

"Now, let us eat this while it is still hot," Leo said and all of them sit at the nearest chair to them. Both gentlemen keep on looking at the girl who slowly reaching her hand to take the food which makes them smile. At least, she wants to eat something proper now, rather than when they are in the hospital, she does not want to touch any food so, they only have to rely on the IV to keep giving her the nutrients that she needed.

After making sure, she eats enough, Lucas started discussing something about Iris together with Leo and the person herself.

"Iris, do you have a dream?" Iris looked at him and suddenly remembered back to her childhood time when she saw an advertisement for a laptop and she was amazed by the things shown in it. She takes an interest in anything related to technology but she decided it is all useless after everything happened to her.

"It is useless"

"No, it is not. Now, I am asking again, do you have a dream or not?" Iris looked at the serious Lucas and Leo. She felt like she can go nowhere unless she answered them.

"Technology. Once, I dreamt to make something related to it" As soon as she said it, both Lucas and Leo smiled. Iris frowned seeing those expressions.

"Do you want to study it?" Leo asked her and looking at his probably sincere eyes makes her nod. Then, Leo asked if she wants to learn from him after explaining that he is the technical manager in 2L. Iris then looked at Lucas and he nodded. She hesitated to answer them. She knows that she must do something to receive that from them.

"What do you want from me if I accept that?"

"Little girl, we just want you to achieve your dream. You don't have to give back anything." She sneered at Lucas.

"Nothing? All in my life, there is nothing free. I have to give something in order to get something. Now, you tell me that you want to educate me while wanting nothing in return? Do you really want me to believe you?" Both Lucas and Leo nodded.

"Look, I know it is hard to believe us but please believe in us. If we want to do something harmful to you, we already did now. You are still young, and we as adults have the responsibility to help you" Leo said but Iris just gave them a smirk.

"Adults? Responsibility? The adults that you said have a responsibility to help me already showing me what is the definition of hell." They sighed and Iris looked somewhere else. She knows that these two adults in front of her are sincere but her heart and her mind can not take a step forward to fully trust them.

"You do not want to do anything with Reynolds anymore, right?" Iris's eyes changed abruptly upon hearing that name. She hates it to the core.

"Iris, do you want to be my sister? Truthfully, I see my late sister in you. I can't save her before but at least, I want to save you. I know I can't change your past, but I hope I can help your future." Leo looked at her with sad eyes.

Leo told a story where his little sister take her life when he is away. He did not know that she is suffering from depression and anxiety. All that he knows is she is happy and always smiling at him whenever she is with him. Iris while already knowing how to read people's eyes, knows that what he said is probably true except that Leo is a really good actor.

"Do you want to change it to Reid? Truthfully, I don't have anyone except this man in my life, so I will be glad if you want to come to my family. You can change your name too if you want." Iris silently looked at Leo. She can feel something from his gaze on her. Not a disgusting, lustful gaze, but the opposite of it. She thinks to herself if she can really accept this. Upon hearing her silence, both of them smiled.

"It's okay, you don't have to give your answer right now. You can think about it first carefully and give me your answer whenever you want, okay?" Leo ruffled her hair like a little kid before giving her a smile that almost makes her smile. Like mom's smile.

Then, they told her to go back to her room to rest and have a nice dream. For the first time in her life, she can sleep deeply without having any nightmares that always haunted her every night in her life.