The Curse

Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Audrina's POV

A loud disturbing noise woke me up. It's screeching noise echoed in my ears as I shot out of the makeshift bed, thinking that another nightmare was going to somehow find its way back to me again.

The noise struck again and my hands flew up to cover my ears and I squeezed my eyes shut, knowing that either way, there was no escaping it. It would just find me again like it had done for the past few months. Or even years, since Ember and I both had no idea what year it was now, or what day it even was.

"Go away!" I screamed, clutching at my sides now, still forcing my eyelids to stay shut, because maybe if I held it out long enough, it would leave me alone. But when the noise continued, tears streamed down my face and I wondered how much longer I would last. "Please," I gasped for air, "stop."

"Sorry..." a heavily accented voice woke me up from my nightmare, and he continued on, "I knew I was bad, but I didn't know that I was that bad..."

I popped open an eye. If it wasn't the curse, then...

A blonde boy sat on the hay-strewn floor between Ember’s makeshift bed and me with a lute. He had a strange, embarrassed look on his face, no doubt from all my fussing, and I suddenly blushed, the heat rising to both my nose and my cheeks to turn them red.

"I am so, so, so sorry!" My face felt like it was on fire, the red fiery flames were slowly engulfing my face and there was no water around to put it out and save me.

He stared at me for a second and I tried hard not to look away from his blue eyes, because that would only show him weakness. It was only a second after we kept our eye contact that he burst into laughter and Ember's voice was heard from the other side of the room.

"What was that terrible noise? I dreamed--" I coughed to stop her and he smirked with the lute still in his hands.

"What? You mean this old thing?" He lifted the lute up and Ember's eyes widened in realization that she had just insulted his lute playing skills.

"That was you?" I waited for her apology for her bluntness but none came, and instead I watched as her facial expression changed and she snickered. "I'm sorry but that was terrible." Then she fell back down onto her bed.

I stared at her in shock and glanced out of the corner of my eye at the lute playing blondie to see if he was offended, but he wore an amused smile. I scoffed, was I the only normal one here with feelings?

"I agree," he said, "not one of my best instruments to play for entertainment right now." He grinned devilishly.

I rolled my eyes at him and leaned down onto my bed as well, mumbling, "It wasn't that bad..."

His laugh filled the air again and he said, "Yes, yes it was. I recall you were screaming and crying at me to shut up." I sat back up again.

"It—I—“ I laid back down again. I wasn't going to argue with him.

I closed my eyes again before something cold and glassy feeling touched my arm.

"Stop hitting me with your lute," I mumbled with my eyes still closed.

"It's water idiot." The same feeling touched me again and I pushed it away before cold liquid spilled all over me making me jump up from the coldness and the fact that it was all over me.

I brushed the water off of my dusty dress before glaring at the smirking boy sitting across me holding onto a glass cup of water. Half filled now.

"You," I shook my head at him.