DIMENSIONS

0:03

I woke up with a major headache and silently cursed the great beyond for making such pain possible. I rolled on my side and nearly fell out of bed seeing the time 1:15... I slept through the entire morning? I quickly run over to the window pulling back the blinds yep, that's daylight alright.

The events of last night suddenly came flooding back. Everything Caspian said rushing back to my head like a dam that just crashed down. It was impossible... it must've been a dream, there's no possible way that someone could know that much about me.

I looked around my room and didn't see the jewelry box, panicking I sat up on my bed trying to see where it could've... I paused. Why didn't I remember falling asleep in my bed? The last memory I had before I fell asleep was being on the floor. Unless Caspian put you there I thought, but there was no way.  Then I saw the locket, the pendant hanging from my dresser. The gem in the center that had been red my entire life, was now a brilliant white. I practically jumped out of bed pulling it off my dresser as I stared at it incredulously. I blinked rapidly before closing my eyes and reopening them, nope, still white. I ran my fingers over the stone that now seemed to be filled with electricity. It was like as soon as I touched it my fingers tingled with sparks of unknown... something.

I shook it off, there had to be some sort of explanation for that. Jewelery doesn't just magically change colors right? There was an explanation I'm sure of it. I hooked the necklace around my neck and realized that my grandmother must've been worried sick. I opened the door to my room, practically flying down the stairs. "Grams?" I called looking around the open space of the living room.  I saw her head pop out from behind the wall leading into the kitchen, a soft smile on her face.

"I thought I heard you wake up." She says, She couldn't mask the frown that came to her face as she noticed the bags under my eyes. No doubt they were probably red and puffy too. Is that what I looked like last night? I wondered before I snapped out of my thoughts "How are you holding up?"

"Oh I'm okay" I told her with a small smile, by far the biggest lie I've ever told. I was nothing close to okay, hell I wasn't anything more than alive. Yesterday, everything felt like a dream. My father wasn't really in that casket. And all of these people that surrounded me, the ones with a black cloud of despair seeming to hang over them, they weren't real.

I mean sure, months ago he lost the ability to be at the stove Saturday mornings, making pancakes like always. But at least even when he was in the hospital, he was there, he air still filled his lungs, life still thrived within him. This morning I woke up in a room that still didn't feel like my own, the comfort in knowing after a long week I could talk to him, confide in him, was gone. My hand subconsciously went to my locket, a habit I'd developed ages ago.

"You still wear that old thing?" My grandmother asked, her eyes falling to the locket. I clutched it in my fist trying to figure out how I could possibly explain why it wasn't red anymore. The odd thing is, she didn't seem to notice.

"Grandma...what color is my locket?" I asked looking down upon it causing her to look at me incredulously.

"It's red... sweetheart are you feeling okay?" she asked looking me up and down with a worried expression.  I lightly glanced down at the locket again, seeing the same brilliant white.

"Oh no yea, I'm fine, rough night that's all." I said, rubbing my eyes. If only she knew... I thought, I couldn't even begin to think about how I'd possibly explain what had happened last night to her.

"Well here, let's make you some breakfast and we'll see about everything else alright?" she asked and I nodded following her back into the kitchen, silently hoping some food will help clear my thoughts.

---

I sat at the counter, my heart was still empty but at least my stomach was full. I watched as Grams cleared the plates, insistent that I didn't assist her.  "How about a party?" she asks and I was glad that in that moment, she couldn't see the horrified look on my face.

"A party?" I asked, trying not to seem too shocked.

"Well your birthday is coming up, and you are turning sixteen my dear." She tells me, in all honesty I completely forgot my birthday was less than a month away. I'd spent so much time in the hospital with my dad I had forgotten all about it.

"I don't know..." I said with a small shrug, I knew she was just trying to help. I was grateful for her efforts no doubt, but I just wasn't sure if I was ready for any type of celebration.

"How about you think about it okay?" She asks turning towards me, and I nodded. She tapped her hand on her chin before grabbing my hands "Maybe tomorrow we can head down to the mall, perhaps go look for dresses oh- and stop at that store you like... what is it? Feeling 22 or something like that." She said, causing me to laugh lightly.

"Well with a bargain like that how could I possibly say no." I said, a semi- authentic smile playing at my lips. She smiled happily clasping her hands together.

"It'll be wonderful I promise." She says and I so desperately hoped she was right.

_______
Author's Note

Short chapter but guess who's going to make a little appearance in the next one ;)

200 READS!! AYEEE, can we get to 50 votes? -Meag