Dimensions

Aylward

The pressurized water pours down Her facial features. Down her button nose, down her high cheek bones, and down her open lips. Cassandra's breathing seeming to be thin this time. Her muscles flinching under her warped mind. Images spiraling past her consciousness.

A man's sculpted back to her. She watches a tattoo on his shoulder blades morph. The color of white wings slowly, gradually, turning charcoal black.

"This is what you did to me..." the deep, soft voice echoes.

"Then this is what you did to me," She answers aloud.

She feels a burning sensation on her shoulder blades. Something's wrong, this isn't right, this isn't reality, but it feels like it. It always did.

Cassandra lets out a scream as the pain of an etching knife pierces her shoulders.

"Stop...stop...STOP!" The soft voice yells at her.

"I can't," She whispers back aloud.

The steam of the shower hitting her skin hard and feeling like a thousand punches. Sliding down the tiled wall, she can't help the helpless feeling in her gut.

Another ear shattering scream escapes her and then the pain goes away.
Her breaths sporadically come to her and she gasps for oxygen. Cassandra's skin burning in pain from whatever just happened.

Her hands feel the newly raised skin on her shoulder and notice Black ink.

"It's a dream...Its a dream...WAKE UP!" She pounds her fists into the floor and then closes her eyes.

"Wake up, wake up...Come on!"

Her eyes flash rebelliously at the new tattoo and read the words to herself for confirmation.

"Unum cum Deo, et non erit vobis."
It's Latin...

Some how she understood what it meant and that rose curiosity.

When did I learn Latin? Did I? She questions herself over and over and over again until it doesn't make any sense at all.

Cassandra glanced back at the words spread across her shoulders and translates them perfectly.

"Be one with God, and He'll be one with You."

The bathroom door is broken down immediately and a squeal escapes her lips.

What the hell is going on?!

A man with raven black hair and piercing green eyes walks calmly in on her showering.

"WHAT THE HELL?!" She yells at him.

"Cassandra? Cassandra Tolent?" His voice was so familiar, like a distant dream.

"Y-Yes, What are you doing in here?" Her anger easily shown.

He doesn't answer instead he grabs a towel off the rack and enters the shower. First cutting off the water and then head first.

Quickly Cassandra covered herself and was prepared to do anything to get away...alive.

"GET OUT!" She yells at him.

A side of his lips quirk and a surprising flutter starts in her stomach.

He was attractive she had to give him that, but what the hell is he doing?!

"It's okay Ms. Tolent, I'm not here to hurt you, but we do need to hurry!" He hissed at her with a deep frustration.

"How do- Have we met?"

"COME ON, THERES NO TIME TO EXPLAIN! Incubuses will be here any second!"

She grabs the towel quickly and steps out of the shower covered by the soft cotton.

"WHAT IS GOING ON?!" Her voice demanding a response.

"GET DRESSED, If you are in any favor of keeping your life you'll do what I say," He gritted his teeth and snarled at her.

Cassandra ran into her bedroom and through on a black tank top with matching leggings. The old worn out brown leather jacket quaintly sat on her sore shoulders.

"This is a dream...It has to be..." Her mind tries to reason with her vision.

"Come on Cassandra! We have to leave, NOW!"

She tied her boots and ran, ran for her life. Passing by the strange man and by people on the sidewalks. A firm grip on her elbow causes her to spin to the person.

"Follow me."

His voice almost as convincing as his eyes. She rips her arm away from him and causes a scene to occur.

"GET THE HELL AWAY FROM ME and STAY AWAY!" Cassandra yells full force with much hatred towards him.

"If you don't stick with me, that's where you'll end up," He sternly growls lowly at her and forces her with his strength to follow him.

"Let go!"

"You don't have a choice, not anymore."

He would throw her over his shoulder if he had to. However, that was at the very least he'd do if he had to.

"Where are you taking me?"

"Shh," He hushes.

A thin pair of gates open and they're admitted down a alley way with dark light and graffiti everywhere.

He pulls her in front of him and shoves her against the brick wall.

His eyes startling her as he intensely looked into her.

"Why are you here?" She whispers, too afraid a yell would ruin this.

His eyes never move, and his hands barricade her. She could see the strength in him, she could see it in his features. The shoulders, the biceps, triceps, his chest, chiseled jaw, Arched black eyebrows, and structured nose. The only thing that didn't seem so strong was his lips. The pink tint in his bottom and top lip seemed soft, gentle even.

Her heart felt like a shot of adrenaline had been injected into her.

"Cassandra..." His voice soft,"Move."

She squeezes past him and under his arms. A red brick suddenly emerges from the wall and then a retinal scanner flows across his eyes. The brick had been in the place of my head.

"GOD IM SO STUPID!" she thought to herself.

Trying to hide her frustration with anger. He places it back and a robotic voice echoes to him.

"Aylward, proceed."

"I have the lost and found, but I need the finder to find it," He answers back.

This was a joke...One big joke someone was playing on her. Or perhaps an illusion, a dream, a terrible, terrible, nightmare.

Suddenly a door opens beside him and a white light pours through.
His hand back on her, but she was already curious enough to follow him in.

This is a dream...

This is a dream...

This is reality...

Reality.