Come Closer

6.

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In the dream I am standing in a puddle. I am normal; rosy cheeks, shiny black hair, and a full nights sleep under-eye. Yet my reflection in the puddle is a zombie. It is as if all this while I have been trying to achieve this very thing, to separate the good parts of me from the rotten.

   "Jules."

   I hear my name being called from far away, echoing as it grows louder. The voice is so familiar.

   "Jules."

   I continue to stare into the puddle and watch as it suddenly starts to ripple. The reflection of my rotten self soon blurs into an image of Iyana, my first love who passed away years ago. She looks as gorgeous as she did when she was alive. Her smile just as bright and those brown eyes beaming with joy to see me.

   "Iyana?" I call out, reaching toward the puddle.

   "Jules..." She reaches for me as well, but something ominous happens.

   Her hand starts to rot and crumble away. Skin turning pale and melting off to expose black rotting flesh and bones.

   "Iyana!" I call out as I watch the rot travel up her arm and torso.

   Her face then goes frail with sucken eyes as her lips melt and hair glides down from the scalp.

   "Iyana!" I scream her name as I reach down to touch the puddle only to realize that my hand, too, is nothing but rotten flesh and bone.

   "Jules!"

   I jump awake due to a sudden shake. I shove at the person hovering over me and swivel my head to see my environment has changed. I'm in a bed. A huge one. The sun, beaming through the thin curtains, shines rays into the room to tell me it's a new day.

I groan groggily as I rub the sleep from my eyes before turning to look up at Nicolette.

"Good afternoon." She beams. "I think you were having a nightmare so I woke you-"

"Where am I?" I ask hoarsely, my head suddenly pounding.

"My mansion." She smiles.

"Why?"

"Because I brought you here."

"Why?"

"Because you passed out," She says with a frown as she takes a seat on the bed. "You don't remember?"

"No." I reply.

I slowly sit up and glance around the room. I'm tucked underneath a thick comforter in a royal blue, velvet duvet. The bedroom is enormous; just tidy enough to show that she cares about the space and just messy enough to show that she is able to let her creativity roam free. A giant flat screen mounts the wall across from the bed, two nightstands on either side of me, and a big, free-standing mirror in the corner. Not a single dresser.

I suddenly recall her saying this was her mansion and I shake my head in confusion.

"Wait, did you say your mansion?" I ask with furrowed brows.

"Yep. Want a tour?" She smiles.

"Uh...no, I wanna' leave." I say as I push the covers toward her and step out of bed.

The hangover I didn't know I had immediately hits me when I stand up. I quickly sit back down.

"Why are you so stubborn?"