Reality is in a Dream

Three

The large white manor house loomed out of the horizon. Its many windows reflecting the outside scenery whilst it kept its own secrets securely hidden within. It was surrounded by vast and luscious green lawns that went on for miles behind the house.

Liliana was floating. Her body was lost in the surrounding space, like a fresh water droplet lost in the vast ocean. She wore a floaty white dress that came down to her ankles, tickling her bare toes.

She was hiding. Her breath came out in short bursts as she tried and failed to suppress her childish giggles.

A nine year old boy wearing brown trousers, a white shirt and braces walked around the corner of the manor house and pointedly stared at Liliana's hiding place. He wasn't fooled by his little sister.

"Lily! We said no powers," complained the boy. He stamped his foot as he spoke; he hated it when Liliana broke the rules.

Liliana's high pitched giggles sounded around the garden, causing the boy to scowl in annoyance.

"It's not fair!" he whined. "Father, Lily's using her powers. See?" He pointed towards Liliana as a tall man strode around the corner.

He was wearing much the same outfit as his son apart from his cream waistcoat. It was neatly tailored to his lean and muscular figure. The expensive material was marbled with elegant white patterns. His dark hair heavily contrasted with his pale skin and his neatly trimmed beard framed full pink lips that turned into a warming smile as he looked down upon his son.

"Samson." His voice was deep and melodious; it was a great comfort to Liliana.

She stepped forward from her place by the window, her body slowly becoming recognisable to her as if she had been numb for a very long time.

"Your sister is only five. She cannot control her powers as well as you and I can and I don't think she always understands the games that you play." He placed a loving hand on his son's shoulder and turned towards Liliana.

She spritely hopped from the window ledge and skipped over to her father and older brother and jumped into her father's arms. He caught her confidently and placed an arm around her protectively, his other hand idly playing with her brown curls.

"But we've played hide and seek loads of times!" whined Samson as he slapped his sister on the foot. The loud crack that followed was almost completely drowned out by Liliana's scream of pain.

She sat bolt upright in bed, the scream on her lips fading to a whisper when she heard her mother's footsteps in the hallway.

An aching throb spread from her foot all the way up to her knee like an angry pulse, threatening to burst through her veins. As she pulled the covers back to see her foot, her mother burst through the door like a hurricane, turning the light on in the process. Both of them were temporarily blinded.

"Are you ok Lily? Have you had a bad dream?" Her mother's frantic worrying irritated her.

"I'm fine. I think I hit my foot somehow. Go back to bed." Liliana realised how blunt she sounded so she gave her mum a sympathetic smile. "Honestly mum, I'm alright."

Tashie reluctantly backed out of the room. Liliana could see the worry etched on her mother's face and wondered if, after yesterday's events, she'd ever be left alone to do anything without her mother breathing down her neck.

Her foot still throbbed painfully, but it was easing slightly. In the bright light she examined her foot closely. A faint white mark seemed to appear beneath her fingers as if by magic. The closer she looked the more visible it became to her.

A handprint. White and faded into her skin like an old scar. She stared at it, confused. How could this have appeared after a dream? That was impossible.

But Liliana knew the answer. It hadn't been a dream. It was a memory.