The Lucid Effect

Chapter One

        

Entry #2923

I saw "Red Eyes" again last night.

At first, the dream was how it always is. When I came to, I was in the market square, breathing in the dust and squinting my eyes against the sun. As always, I walked over to the nearest stall and a kind, elderly merchant offered me a scarf, for my "fragile, fair complexion." And, as always (again) the thief appeared and snatched a pendant off of the table. I remember thinking that I didn't want to go after the thief, that it was pointless, but my feet did what they wanted to and I sprinted after him—how I knew it was a "him" I have no idea, but since I know what happens next, it makes sense.

As we ran through the ancient city, down the alleys and vaulting over walls, I had a feeling that something was going to change this time—and I was right. He turned a sharp corner, and this time instead of completely disappearing on me, he waited for me in the empty square (I still don't know what is behind all of those doors that surround it—but that's not important right now.)

I finally got a good look at him. His tunic was unremarkable, tattered, and was probably white beneath the dirt caked into the fibers. At first, he had his hood on, hiding his face, but when he took it off...

I know that face anywhere. I know every single one of his scars, all of the pink waves that roll and mar his olive skin. That dark, deep blue eye that makes me feel like I'll drown if I look into it too long and his stupid (but I'll admit necessary,) eye patch. His messy hair, his sad smile. (I miss him so much and I wish I knew why he hasn't met me in so long, why he never turned around before or let my catch him when I chased after him, but I'm so happy I saw him, even though what happened next was awful.)

Felix didn't say a word, but just held out the pendant he had stolen to me. I asked him why, but he just shook his head and insisted that it belonged to me and I needed to take it. When I refused, he said "please," and took my hand. He placed it in my palm, and I remember it felt surprisingly cold. When I looked at it closely (for as many times as I've chased him for it, I've never actually seen the pendant,) I saw that it was oval in shape and was a rare stone that shifted colors and refracted sunlight into rainbows. It was the most beautiful thing I have seen (in a long time, anyway.)

When I looked up to thank him, he was gone. I walked around the empty square, and even tried all of the eerie doors (they don't open.) I eventually gave up and sat on the bench in the dead center. That's when I felt the pendant in my hand moving.

When I looked down though, there wasn't a pendant, but a scorpion with glowing red eyes.

I haven't seen Red Eyes in such a long time, and OF COURSE it has to be on arguably the most important day of my life. Typical.

Alice closed her dream journal, heaving out a sigh while she rubbed her tired eyes. Glancing over at the clock, she groaned, having dreaded this day for months, then days... and now the moment was down to hours.

Time flies when you don't want to do something, she thought tiredly.

Swinging her legs out of bed and placing them on the cold cement floor, Alice went through the motions of getting ready for school. Dark hair brushed and left uninspiringly limp over her shoulders, teeth brushed, face washed, she walked over to her closet to put on the same grey dress, black trousers, and grey socks she always wore.

Her eyes flickered to the only thing in her closet that wasn't a neutral— a yellow headband— which was sitting on its shelf in the closet like a beacon in the twilight. For a moment, she thought it would be nice to have a pop of color in her outfit.