Worth Is Measured In Love

Chapter 18

She was a beauty. Long hair as black as night, skin as fair and flawless as moonlight, and eyes that could be serious yet tender. She laughed and sang and danced, love and warmth radiating off of her with each movement she made. She then stopped her dance and turned to hold her arms out to someone. A boy, no more than eight, with eyes exactly like the woman's, ran to her with wildflowers in his hand. He gave her the flowers, she smiled and put them in her hair. Then she took the boy into her arms, embracing him and kissing his head.

Soon they were joined by a man as strong, powerful, and dangerous as ice. He could strike fear or intimidation in any stranger he encountered. But the woman and child did not fear him, for when he saw them, his cold face turned warm and he became as soft as a snowfall. He kissed the woman and she handed the boy to him, so he could hug him too. Soon the three of them locked hands and were spinning around in a playful dance of ring-around the rosy, laughing and smiling. The boy was so happy. He felt as if he didn't have a care.

Suddenly the atmosphere began to change. The clear blue sky turned to darkest night, the bright sun turned into a crescent moon, and a cold wind picked up, carrying slivers of ice.

The boy felt his father's warm hand turn cold, thin, and bony. He looked up and discovered the man hanging from a rope. The screamed and fled into the woman's arms. But then the crescent moon started to lower itself toward them, transforming into a sharp blade. A scythe. A scythe held by a terrible, cruel, demonic man in black. He raised the scythe high above the woman and brought it down upon her and the boy.

That's when Gray's eyes flashed open, waking from his nightmare drenched in sweat with his heart racing and his breath turning rapid.

"Gray? Is that you? Are you awake?" He heard a voice ask softly.

Next he heard something that sounded like a cloth being soaked a water and he felt the wet material being carefully pressed it to his forehead, a hand taking care to feel for the right spot to place the compress.

"It's alright Gray." The voice spoke again. "You're safe now. It was only a bad dream."

He turned to his side and that's when he beheld her. His eyes sparkled at the sight of the beautiful, pure, and charming girl who's blind eyes were filled with nothing but tenderness for him. His wretched disfigurement was completely unnoticed by her. She could see absolutely nothing wrong with him and confirmed it further by smiling at him, gently brushing his hair, and caressing his cheek. Touching his hideous face without the slightest trace of fright. For a split second, he thought that he was looking at an angel.

"Do you feel any better Gray?"

Once she said his name again, he recognized who she really was.

"Yeah, I'm fine Juvia."

"Oh good." She embraced him. "I was so worried."

"Where am I?" He asked her.

"Don't worry, you're home. You're not back in the blizzard."

"How did you know I was dreaming about that?"

"Because I heard you calling out for your mother. You always call out for her when you have that nightmare."

"Oh..." For a moment, Gray felt a little embarrassed. "Today was pretty much a living nightmare, huh?"

"It was. I thought I was going to die when I heard you scream as they beat you."

"Yeah well I thought I would die when I saw you throw yourself on to me like that. What were you thinking? That man could have killed you."

"I was thinking that I had to protect you no matter what. You risked your life to save mine a long time ago, why should've I do the same?"