Reality is in a Dream

One

It was a cool morning in September. The birds were excitedly chatting to each other over a slimy breakfast and millions of people were shielding their eyes from the glorious sunshine streaming in through their curtains.

Liliana Mallory was one of those people. Clumsily rolling over across her bed, she slammed her hand down on the alarm clock that screeched at her side. 7.00 a.m. on a Monday. But not just any Monday. Liliana's 16th birthday.

She should have been excited, it was a big day after all. However, her alarm had interrupted a haunting dream. One that she couldn't quite grasp details of the longer she tried to remember it. All she knew was that it had been very important at the time.

She warily looked around her room, half expecting something to be lurking in the shadows. All she saw was pale pink walls, a towering pine wardrobe and a desk covered in dust. Perched on top of the desk was a wooden framed mirror. In the room, this was the only thing that was cleaned regularly; not a speck of dust lay on the mirror's surface.

There was nothing spectacular in the room as she looked, but what had she been expecting? A four poster bed and oak furniture?

She flopped out of bed, her feet landing softly on the fluffy white carpet, and made her way towards the bathroom along the hall.

A quick shower later and she bounded down the stairs for some breakfast. Her shoulder brushed the family pictures lining the hallway wall, but she didn't pay much attention to them. The golden painted wooden frames had been there for so long that they just merged in with the wall.

The kitchen door was ajar when she approached. It was a shock to see a balding man. His red hair was thinning in a circle on the back of his head, which was half buried in the fridge. He turned his plump frame towards the island in the centre of the room, something large and shiny catching Liliana's eye as he did. A bread knife.

A jolt of fear ran through her body like electricity. Her legs had turned to concrete but she managed to make no noise as she slowly backed away from the kitchen and down the hallway to get away from the strange man. The front door was only a few feet behind her, she could escape that way and get help.

A scuffling noise behind her made her squeal and jump around. Her way out was blocked by a stick-thin red headed woman wearing black lycra shorts and a skin tight white top. She felt sick. How had these people entered her house and what had they done with her parents?

"Happy Birthday, darling!" said the woman excitedly, a look of pure excitement on her face. "How does it feel to be sixteen?"

Confused, Liliana tried to form a sentence but was stopped short when a large arm wrapped itself around her shoulders, the podgy hand attached to it still grasping the bread knife. She could feel his hot breath violating her neck as he said, "I didn't hear you come down, Lily."

At the sound of her name she screamed, her throat burning from the effort and fell backwards into the kitchen.

+

Her eyelids felt heavy as she tried to open them. Almost as if they had been weighted down. She knew that she was lying on the soft living room sofa, but she had no idea how she had got there.

"She's waking up Tashie," she heard her dad say. "There's no need to call an ambulance." She managed to open her eyes and found herself staring up into the familiar faces of her red headed parents, both of whom were wearing looks of extreme worry.

"What happened?" asked Liliana thickly. "How did I get in here? I was out in the hall."

"You fainted." Her mum sounded tearful. "You screamed when you saw us. It was like you didn't know who we were. Your dad managed to catch you just before you hit the floor. Don't you remember?"

No. Liliana didn't remember. She knew that she had been petrified at the sight of her dad in the kitchen, but she couldn't fathom why. He was her dad. Not the stranger she believed he had been.

She moved to sit up, swinging her legs off the sofa, her feet hitting the light wood laminate floor. Her parents flinched as if to catch her, she motioned them away with her hand. She may have just had a strange episode, but she wasn't going to fall to pieces.

"I'm going to get you something to eat," her dad said. As he stood up Liliana noticed him flinch and hold his lower back.

"Dad, are you ok?"

"It's been a long time since I carried you anywhere. You're a bit heavier than I last remember."

"Oh..." Liliana watched as he walked towards the kitchen to get her some breakfast, one hand still massaging the sore spot on his back. She felt bad, but she hadn't asked him to carry her into the lounge.

Her mum sat down next to her on the sofa and pulled her into a hug. Liliana could feel her shaking as she stroked her hair, so she squeezed her tighter to reassure her that she really was feeling OK. It was only then that she realised someone was missing.

"Is Samson up yet?" she asked, glancing at her watch. It was already 7.55. He was always up before her.

"Who's Samson, Lily?" Her mum's voice was shaky as she answered.

"Errr... My brother," she said sarcastically. "You know... your son."

"You're an only child, Lily. I don't know anyone called Samson." She pulled away from their hug and placed the back of her hand on Liliana's forehead. "Maybe you should have the day off, you still seem a bit confused."

"It was a joke, mum" she backtracked. "Believe me, I'm fine."

Of course she didn't have a brother! What on earth had made her say that?