Ashling

Chapter 15

Here's the other art Zehra (LetsBreatheWords_) made. The last one featured Tyler and this one is Cassandra's version. Thanks babe, really this means a lot. Love you! x
- H <3

"I made a mistake.."

He was sitting on a bench in an empty ground. There was nothing there, no signs of life, just a plain ground with a single bench in the centre.

But he wasn't alone, Cassandra was sitting beside him.
"What's wrong?" She asked.

He took a deep breath and said, "I.. I mistreated someone.. I used someone.."

"Why..?"

Why? He thought. Why did he mistreat her? What was so wrong that he had to use her to forget what he was feeling? He looked at Cassandra and observed that she was still calmly looking at him. And that was when he lost it.

"You!" He screamed as he got up. "It's because of you that I used Romana! It's you and your presence that made me lose control!"

He was shaking. It was like a barrier had been broken and the words were just rushing out.

"You've been coming in my dreams, hell you're in my dream right now! You exist as a real person and just being with you makes me weak! Your presence makes me forget who I am and I say and do stuff that I would never even think of doing!"

She just sat there on the bench, looking intently at him, listening. She opened her mouth to speak but he interrupted her before she could voice her thoughts.

"You always try and overpower me.." He was angry and afraid. The fact that a girl had this authority over him frightened him.

She slowly got up and said, "I would never overpower you, Tyler. I couldn't even if I wanted to."
He started to say something but she signalled him to be quiet. She continued, "I am merely here to guide you. To help you. Tell me, have I ever forced you into doing anything that you didn't want to do?"

He thought of all the encounters he had with her; dream and reality. She saved him in the first two dreams. When he met her for real, he was the one who decided to follow her, she had no influence over that decision. In the third dream, he wanted to get to know her, not the other way around. Then when he met her at Madame Tussaud's, he was the one who wanted to spend time with her. In the fourth dream, she helped him save himself.

Every time, he was the one who made the decisions, she just happened to go along with them.

He looked back at her and swallowed. His lip quivered and he said, "I shouldn't have done this to Romana.."

"Using a woman just for pleasure purposes is disrespectful. Treating her harshly is wrong and inhuman."

He lowered his head, ashamed of his behaviour. "I won't ever do it again. I promise. I won't ever. Oh God.."

She smiled slightly and said, "That would be the best thing. Try and think clearly whenever you feel distressed. Just have to listen to your heart and trust your instincts."
She paused for a second, and then continued, "If you think I'm bad for you, I will never bother you again. I promise. I'll be here as long as you need me, as long as there's a need."

He absorbed every word of hers, replaying it in his mind. There was a reason all of this was happening. Maybe it was a sign, maybe he did need someone to guide him. Maybe he just needed someone to be there for him. He closed his eyes and silently wished, "I need you.. I need you Cassandra.."

And as if she could hear his thoughts, she pressed her palms to his cheeks and whispered, "I know.. That's why I'm here. I promise I will never overpower you. I'll just show you the path, the rest is up to you."

He opened his eyes and saw her standing inches away from him, her green eyes full of warmth and care. He gave the smallest of smiles and said, "Okay."

She blinked in response to let him know she understood, and said, "Wake up, Tyler. Wake up."