When dreams become nightmares

Chapter five - The complications of gifts

We sat, silently, next to the fire. I couldn't take my eyes off Caden, who was simply staring into the fire. Dariella sat on the sofa next to him, a little too close. Her hair clinging to her face and arms. I knew my anger wasn't justified. He wasn't mine. But he made me feel like i'm his. His wet blonde hair, now laying flat over his eyes. The growing silence, began to get uncomfortable, when I noticed Caden was slightly swaying, where he sat. Dariella placed her hand on his shoulder. I tensed. "Your going to feel quite tired," she said, quietly, "thank you." She added. He glanced up at her. I sighed. He looked over to me and smiled. I could just tell he saw right through me, even when his eyes seemed foggy and drowsy. He stood up, with effort. I wanted to stop him, but he was already walking towards where I sat. He flopped down next to me on the sofa.

"Happy?" He asked. I hid a smile. I rested my head in his chest, hearing his heart beat, steady and strong. I used it as evidence to myself, he was ok, I could hear he was ok. He rested his arm around my waist. He felt warmer than the fire. I felt each of his muscles relax one by one, until his breath slowed and his hand lost his grip on my waist. I glanced up at his face, his eyes had fallen closed and his head lolled back onto the back of the sofa. I smiled, slipping out from under his arm, I headed to the kitchen. I approached the cupboard, pulling out two of the big winter blankets that lived there. I wondered back into the sitting room and passed on of the blankets to Dariella, who sat silently on the opposite sofa to Caden. I then lay the second on Caden's lap. I took a deep breath and placed myself next to Dariella.

"So are you going to tell me what the hell you did to Caden?" I plunged straight in, bluntly. She looked away, nervously. "It's either that or you tell me why you felt the need to jump in front of a speeding car?" I pushed. She gave me a look as though she was taken aback, before she sighed. I studied her face, she looked how I felt. I recognised the longing immediately. The need to be normal, to fit in, when it is clearly impossible. "Unless there the same thing." I depicted. She gave a larger sigh, finally giving in.

"I don't really know what it is. I just touch people who are sick and then their not." She whispered, quietly.

"Just like that, huh? So, why aren't you in a hospital or something, healing everyone?" I asked.

"I can only do it once every few days." She told me. She looked into me. "How did you know what I was going to do?" She questioned.

"I predict people's death, by feeling what they feel when they die. But I saw you, standing on the curb, I think it's something to do with him," I motioned to Caden, stilling sleeping peacefully, "but I didn't feel yours, or maybe because you didn't die. I don't really know either." She had a spark in her eye now, like she felt she had someone to relate to. I guess, I did now too. "Why would you want to kill yourself when you have something so special?" She dragged her eyes from mine. I could see her contemplating whether to tell me. "I told you everything." I added. She gave me an unimpressed look.

"Ok, I'm a twin and my brother, he doesn't have what I have, but I think when he's near me he has the opposite. A few days ago I saved someone after they were hit by a car. And then a day ago, He's not a bad person by the way he just drinks too much sometime. And, well, he called me to go collect him from a pub because he couldn't drive, and when I got there he was in a fight. I tried to break it up, but my brothers big. Then, the other guy suddenly screamed, like Caden did, and fell unconscious. When the ambulance came, they listed the exact injuries of the man I had saved from the crash, exactly, even the number of ribs that broke." She sighed, placing her head in her hands. "This sort of power shouldn't be around." She pointed to herself. "No one should have power over life and death." I thought about the story and then something gave me an idea.

"What if it's not your brother? What if to heal someone you have to sorta transfer the injuries to someone else?" I said. She looked at me.

"So it's all my fault then." She concluded. I remained silent. I couldn't say it wasn't, it kinda was. I wouldn't want anyone's empty reassurance so why should I give it to her?

"You just have to be careful, you don't have to die!" I told her. I could tell she didn't believe me. "Anyway, don't waste Caden's life! Cause he techniquely died for you." I reminded. She smiled.

"I still can't believe he did that." She whispered.

"I know he's such an idiot."

"It was nice tho, honourable, almost heroic."

"He just couldn't help himself, he had to be the brave, blonde prince, didn't he?" We laughed. It wasn't something you would usually laugh at, but due to the mixture of the fact that Caden did genuinely look like real life fairytale prince and that we were both insanely tired and stressed. It wasn't funny, but we still laughed. Surprisingly, she wasn't as awful as I had previously thought.

"So how long have you guys been... you know...?" Dariella asked. I stared for a second, the cogs slowly turning.

"Oh, no, we're not going out or anything." I told her.

"But he kissed you?" She questioned. Now I felt guilty. Her tone wasn't judgemental, but I still felt judged.

"He's never done that.. I mean, we only met.. it was a very stressful situation." I finally got out. She smiled.

"I see, it's complicated then." She confirmed.

"Yes, I suppose you could call it that." I said. It was complicated, but it was also very simple. We weren't together. We weren't dating. All we did was kiss, once, in a very unique situation. It didn't mean anything. I looked over to Caden sleeping peacefully on the sofa. His arms draped across the back, his chest rising and falling peacefully, his hair mattered and clinging to his face.

"If you ask me," Dariella started, "it was more than just a kiss." I looked over to her.

"To me maybe." I sighed, "I don't even know him, he doesn't know anything about me." I insisted.

"He knew when you needed him to sit next to you, when you needed reassuring." She countered. I sighed. This was a stupid conversation to have in this moment. He had nearly just died, I predict deaths, she heals people and her brothers either a evil villain or an idiot. I ran a hand through my hair.

"It doesn't matter anyway, when he wakes up he can do what he wants, I don't care." I lied. She smiled, knowingly.

"I guess he will."