Betwixt and Between

Chapter 1~ Stranger~

     He circled me, walking so slow I kept turning to keep my eyes on him. He cocked his head to the side, making me want to know what he was thinking. His pace was steady, and he showed no desire to stop or come within the six-or-so feet away that he was from me.

     "Tell me what you want," I snapped at him, getting tired of this foolish game.

     "Ah, my dear, dear Raina," he said in his bitter-sweet voice, "you were always the naive one, weren't you?"

     I gritted my teeth trying not to scream at him, and stopped turning myself to watch him. If he wanted to play a game, let him play, I wasn't about to get involved. I decided to be done with him when I pushed him out of my life; I wasn't about to deal with him again.

     "Fine, do what you want, but I'm leaving," I said, cursing myself for not being more rude, I did have an image to keep up with. As soon as the words left my mouth though, a hand grabbed my arm and another slipped around my waist from behind.

     "Oh, but Raina, aren't you going to apologize to little old me?"

     "No Zav, I'm not. Why the heck would I owe you, of all people, an apology?" I don't swear, at least I try not to, otherwise, in this situation I totally would've.

     "Zav? Who are you calling Zav?" I spun around to see a random guy staring down at me. Maybe not so random considering he looked so familiar, but still. I could've sworn that when he was circling me it was Zavier, and there was no way I could ever mix his face with someone elses. Never. While I was trying to decipher this face to figure out how I knew him it switched back to Zavier's. Again and again the faces switched, back and forth, back and forth...

     I woke up in bed screaming. The second I realized it was just a dream I sat up telling myself over and over that it truly was just a dream. I heard a click as the door opened and yelled, "Mason get out!" I threw a pillow from behind me at his face, only to realize once it was in the air that it had a plain blue pillowcase, but all of mine at home are pink. The pillow was then snatched out of the air, and the guy behind it was not my annoying brother Mason. I pulled the covers up above my head to hide the fact that I was only wearing a tank-top and shorts.

     "My love, you are finally awake," he said, and after a few seconds I recognized the voice it had come from. No, no, no, not again. I knew my dreams usually had a meaning, but seriously? I was getting tired of all this.

     I ripped the blanket off my head and glared at him. "Zavier, let me tell you two things. One, I am not your love. Not anymore. Two, where the heck am I?"

     "Raina, the second was a question, but my name is not Zavier."

     I sarcastically laughed and kept going, "I don't really care what you say, but tell me where I am!"

     He sighed and muttered, "Stubborn girl." I shrugged as if to say I get that all the time but he raised an eyebrow at me in doubt. Finally, after our little stare down was over, he walked closer and said, "My dear, you are in my house. I found you in a field in the middle of nowhere, but now you must answer me. Why are you here?"

     I scoffed, "Why am I here? How am I supposed to know? Last thing I remember was waking up in that field and you knocking me out again!"

     He looked offened at my outburst but quickly regained his composure. "Raina, I did not knock you out. By the looks of it, you have been slipping in and out of consciousness for a while now."

     I got up and walked towards the door, slipping out just in time to barely hear, "Do you always walk around dressed like that in stranger's homes?"

     I laughed, for real this time, and said loud enough for him to hear, "Since when are you a stranger? Just because you say you aren't Zav and talk funny doesn't mean you are." I heard him sigh again and then footsteps followed me.

     I stopped at the end of the hall, suddenly realizing this actually wasn't his house. I knew my way around so well I hadn't noticed the hall was longer and had less doors. He seemed to sense my hesitation and asked, "Where do you want to go?"

     My stomach growled and he grabbed my hand, leading me through hallways and more hallways before reaching the kitchen. I instantly pulled my hand from his, slightly embarrased that I had let him do that. Looking around the kitchen, I noticed there wasn't much food, well almost none to be exact.

     I spun on my heel and said in my most annoyed voice, "Where is your food?"

     "I don't eat much, and I don't usually have visitors," he replied, smiling at me.

     I glared at him again and went through all the cupboards before giving up. "You don't eat much? More like nothing. How do you live?"

     "Well I don't really need to eat," seeing my confused expression he added, "I'll explain later."

     Not satisfied, but not caring that much about him lying, I figured I'd go buy something. "Hey, Mr. Not Zavier? Can you tell me where the dress I was wearing went?" His sister must've changed me, so I wasn't too concerned.

     "I put it in the closet of the room you were sleeping in," he replied, not even flinching at what I called him. Yet he said he put it there. Did he... No, he wouldn't have. But just to be sure...

     "Where's Sera?" I said, wanting to be sure she was here.

     "Sera? Who's that?"

     "This is so not funny!" I screamed than ran back down the hall, trying to find the room I woke up in. After a few minutes of walking up and down halls and taking a few U-turns, I made my way back. The dress was in the closet, as he said it would be, and by now I was really embarrased. He sounded so serious when he asked who Sera was. How could he not know? She was his sister! Deciding not to think about it I switched into the dress and went back to the kitchen.

     "Come on, we're going out," I snapped, pulling Zav out of his seat.

     "Out? Why?"

     "Because, unlike some people, I need food."

     He grabbed my hand and led me to the front door, holding on tight the whole way. He should know by now that we're just friends, maybe not even that. I didn't understand why he was calling me Love and Dear. Sometimes I really wanted to smack him.

     All of a sudden we stopped. We were standing in front of a giant door, and this house was obviously giant too. I looked over at Zav, who was waiting for me to open the door.

     "Don't you want to see your new world on your own?" New world? What the heck was he talking about?

     "Oh yeah, sure, because town is such a new world."

      He sighed again and pushed me towards the door. Reluctantly I opened it, very slowly, just for dramatic effect. Instantly I regretted all the teasing and sarasm.

     In front of me was another field. This one had a path through it, leading to a large city off in the distance. I turned and gaped at him, "Wha-what it this? Where am I?"

     "Finally she believes me," he said, looking at the ceiling, he then walked past me out into the open field of tall grass.

     "Raina, welcome to Betwixt."

*****************************************************************************************************

Hiya! How do you like it so far? I got this idea and just had to go with it. Thanks to xDaizee for the amazing cover!!!! What do you think of Zavier? What do you think of Betiwxt??? Thanks for reading! Please Comment and Vote!!!!!                  

                          ~Cass