Destruction

14. Recurring Dreams

Athena

The dream started like all the rest of them did, with smoke pouring down, covering me until I felt like I would choke. But then the scene would clear, and everything would be so perfectly clear that it was almost as if the smoke had never been there in the first place.

"Higher. Higher." The little girl on the swing set demanded, as her raven black curls swung round her face while squeals of delight escaped her mouth. "Come on Andrew, higher!"

The teenage boy that stood pushing the swing didn't appear to be having as much fun as the girl, with sweat slowly dripping from his brow, he look thoroughly exhausted. "Don't you think you've had enough now Annie?" The boy inquired as he slowed down the swing. "You don't want to make yourself sick, now do you?"

Annie stuck out her bottom lip in a pout as she turned around to stare daggers at Andrew, who looked pained to see such an annoyed expression on her face. "How about I go get you an ice-cream and you stay on the swing till I get back?"

The smile that broke out on the little girls face was contagious as Andrew slowly returned it and then  leaned down to kiss her on her forehead before leaving to get her an ice-cream.

Annie continued to sit smiling happily on the swing, rocking herself back and forth, humming along to the rhythm she'd created. Until the swing wobbled slightly as a man sat down on the swing next to her facing in the opposite direction.

He too started to rock back and forth in time with Annie's movements so that he could smile lovingly at her. He was dressed strangely for a man sitting in a park, in a three piece black suite with his dark hair pushed back messily. It was almost as if he was fading into the night that was closing in quickly, it masked his features completely.

"What's your name sweetheart?" The voice was patronising, full of arrogance and self assurance. Annie started to fiddle with the hem of her dress, an action that signified her nervousness, as she turned her head longingly in the direction that her brother had go in to get her ice-cream.

"You do know it's rude to ignore someone?" He demand, his voice as sharp as glass as he began to speaking maliciously.

"Mummy told me I should never talk to strangers." Annie mumbled while still looking of in the direction her brother took.

The mans cold hand settled over her hands which were still fiddling with her dress, causing her to look up straight into his ghastly red eyes.

"But I'm not a stranger sweetheart." He attempted to reassure her. "I'm a friend of you fathers." His smile was immaculate, standing out in the darkness of the night like diamonds.

Annie was scared, she didn't know what to do, she wanted her brother, she wanted to go home, she wanted to get away.

So she pulled both her hands out from underneath his and pushed back slightly on the swing creating her rocking motion once again.

Swinging her legs to make her go higher, all the time she could feel his gaze locked on to her face waiting for her answer.

"Athena." She turned her head slightly as she answered. "Athena Dylan." With that she jumped of the swing using the momentum to push herself forward and run off in the direction her brother went, tears streaming down her face as adrenaline pumped through her small body.

She was scared.

Waking up was like having cold water thrown all over me, my hair was slick against my head, my clothes clung to my body, and my head  throbbed from the intensity of the dream.