Once Upon A Nightmare

- SEVEN -

- Bella -

Soft music played behind us. The violin complimented the winds, and the winds complimented the magical sounds of the percussion. The words of the song told our tale, the story of us. The story of our growth and love. It was everything.

I inhaled the beautiful sight. My friends and dad were all here. They dressed so elegantly in gowns and jackets. The room around them was another sight to behold. The light gold walls were decorated with white silk. Candles hung from the walls and ceiling in chandeliers. It was all so brightly lit.

This room filled my heart with so much warmth. You could practically smell the love and happiness in the air. You could even grab hold of it and place it in a jar. It was all so magical, all so real. Everything was so familiar to me but they were all so new at the same time. It felt like I had been here once but I couldn't recall.

Without a thought, I turned and latched onto the hand held out to me. Together, we bowed then came together. His strong arms encircled me and rested on my waist; one of my gloved hands rested in its spot with his and the other on his arm. Slowly we began to move as one. Step and turn, step and turn. That was how it went.

I peered up to his dreamy blue eyes. His thick locks were pushed back in a low ponytail wrapped in a matching blue ribbon. Adam. He looked too handsome to compare. The royal blue of his jacket complemented his eyes perfectly, making them stand out slightly. The smile on his lip echoed through his eyes. I couldn't feel anything but warmth. I rested my head on his warm chest, listening to the rhythmic sounds of his heart match with the magical music around us. His lips touched the crown of my head ever so softly.

"I love you, Belle," Adam whispered for our ears only.

"I love you, Adam." The words surprised me as they flowed from my lips. Something inside me fluttered as I spoke those words. My heart fluttered as I said them.

Somewhere along our happy trail of dancing, others began to join in. It was such a sight. Our happiness began to flow through the room, affecting others around us as we passed by them. Soon, the ballroom floor was filled with happy souls stepping and twirling, laughing as they went about. Adam and I stepped off to the side to observe.

He took hold of my hand and lead us somewhere more private. Opening the door to the balcony, together we stepped out and away from the gathering. He pressed his chest up against my back, letting me lean into him. His chest rumbled with laughter. Curious, I looked up to his eyes.

"You, my dear, are too precious." My face heated from his comment. "Do not look away, it was merely a fact. A fact that I hold dear to my heart. If it was not for you, we would never be here. You, my Belle, are my savior and for that, I hold you closest to my heart. You have earned it as I hope I have done so to you as well. I love you with my all, Belle."

I reached up and kissed him. "I love you as well, Adam." With that, I closed my eyes, soaking in his warmth.

* * *

"No, Adam."

I sat up in my bag. The room around me looked different, weird, foreign. All lights in the room were on and the other girls slowly woke up from their sleep. Some girls had tears streaming down their faces, others looked broken. All but one were awake. We gathered around her till she woke up. Cindy soon sat up in her bag and looked at us.

"I just had the weirdest dream and you aren't going to believe me."

We looked at her blankly. "You were all dressed up, happy and loved. It felt like a dream but it felt so real. You were happy and thought you had your little princess story but it was all taken away when you woke up."

Azel sniffled. "I was with Eugene... from school. We were on a boat and had this little lantern with this familiar star symbol I keep drawing and, and then..." Yasmine hugged her as she finished her sentence through a sob. "...and then my mom stabbed him."

All of us girls gathered around her, enveloping her in a hug. Poor girl, she didn't need that in her life. She didn't need to see that. A dream turned to a nightmare.

"Once upon a nightmare," Matoka said aloud.

Once upon a nightmare was right. But something told me this was no nightmare, that it was our reality in some other world. 

🔽🔼🔽

► What a dream! Aw, the poor girls. Poor Azel, what she had to go through. ◄

► Has any listened to KHS & Chase Holfelder's version of  "Beauty & the Beast"? Totally recommend if you like punk/punk-pop/grunge music. ◄