Forbidden Reckoning

CHAPTER 2

My head throbbed with the thought that my dreams might have caused my death. I couldn't comprehend that. For some reason I just couldn't except that my dreams wanted to kill me. They had always given me a sense of comfort, I never felt danger. Dread filled me as I thought of the possibility that I may have misjudged the dream's cruel intentions for comfort. Feeling dejected, I pulled myself off the cold, almost ice floor. My vision was a blur and my body shivered from the lack of clothes. As I brought myself to a standing position I did not aspect the assault of the chilling night air to cut through my skin mercilessly like a thousand shards of broken glass. My legs swayed and my knees buckled. My knees hit the floor and I thought I heard something crack. But with how delirious I was, I might have been imagining it. I forced myself up again. Even when I knew what was coming, I still couldn't prepare myself for cool breeze that brushed against my naked skin. My body trembled beyond my control as the night's air bathed my skin, caressing it, making a promise never to let go. A quick, hot shower might have helped in taking the cold away from my flesh but I was too tired, too heartbroken. I much preferred to wallow myself in self pity and watch as the moon laughed at my foolishness. I typically wasn't a night person, it scared me to bits. Darkness has always given me a bad vibe, I learnt a long time ago that I should always follow my instinct. So today instead of shunning myself from the moon, I bared my soul to her in hopes of receiving the comfort that I so terribly needed.

My stiff legs brought me to the closet. I watched as my hands reached forward and grabbed a towel, and moved along the length of my body to warm myself up. My mind was on total shut down, only a small part of my brain that was in control of my self preservation worked in overdrive. If it were up to me I would still be on the bathroom floor. Tonight was a lot to take in, I had narrowly escaped death and that bothered me. But what bothered me more was that it could be the works of my dreams. It took all of my energy to keep myself moving. Without adding a single layer of fabric onto myself, I climbed into bed. I lay on top of the covers, just staring at the ceiling. I don't know how but sometime during the night I ended up beneath the covers. The thick comforter gave some kind of insulation that was doing wonders for my body. My skin appreciated any little heat it could get. I no longer kept staring at the ceiling, now I was staring at the window as well. I even stole quick glances towards my bedroom door, hoping that he might use it today, however impossible I knew it to be. I let out another anguish filled sigh.

Christian didn't come to bed that night.

***

Usually it was the warm sunlight streaming through my windows that woke me up. Well that or Christian. But today it was neither, today it was darn loud bells.

'Arrrgh, why is that bell being chimed so early in the morning?' I mumbled into my pillow. 'Don't they know that the only times that bell is to be rung is when....'

Realisation hit me even before I could finish my thoughts. They're back, they are finally back.

I jumped out of bed forgetting my bruised knee from the night before. I winced from the pain as my feet touched the floor but it didn't dampen my spirits. I was so happy, I finally get to see my brother after such a long time. I ran to the shower, happy that I had no clothes on. Removing clothes would have been wasting time, all I needed now was speed. I turned on the hot shower and it was the best thing I had ever felt in my life. The hot water slid along my skin and elevated any remaining cold that was left on it. I grabbed the soap and leathered my hands. I had to make sure that I looked normal, presentable and not like I was nearly killed by my dream. I tried hard remembering if that was the first bell. Did I miss any of the bells being chimed in my sleep? After some hard thinking which made my head hurt, I came to the conclusion that I had woken up at the first bell. The bells are usually chimed signalling the retuning warrior. The first bell meant that the returning warriors were just at the brim of outermost part of the territory in heaven. While first chime meant that they had just entered our lands, the fifth chime meant that they were just beyond the castle. Since only the first bell had been chimed, it would still take the warriors some time to get back to the castle. That gave me enough time to pick a dress, do my hair and make up.