The Poor Sparrow

The Lovestruck Raven

What had just happened? I touched my lips, where Hannah had kissed them. Had that actually happened? Was this all just a weird dream? Had I just hallucinated the whole kiss? What did she mean by "testing a theory"? Hannah was gone by the time I could even process the whole ordeal; Or ask any questions about it. I ran out of the maids quarters to try and find Hannah, but no matter where I looked she wasn't there. Leo! I had completely forgotten Leo would give Hannah her first assignment to do. Probably clean up his room so mom and dad don't find his weed stash. I dashed into Leo's room, and found exactly what I had been looking for.
     "Hannah! It's you! Oh, thank the heavens I thought you had vanished!" I grabbed her wrist and pulled slightly, waiting for her to move with me, but she wouldn't budge.
"Hannah, come on." I said pulling harder this time.
     "I won't move with someone I don't love." Hannah said.
"What?" I replied, I wish I hadn't spoken to whatever the hell this thing was. Because as it turned, I realized it had no eyes, and it was just- dripping blood. Oh, god, the blood.
     "I don't love you, and I never will. You're just my little experiment." The thing said. Gripping my chin, not with tenderness and care that Hannah had held me with, but with overpowering strength. Hatred, wrath, and spite had gripped my face. The thing creeped closer until...
   I woke up. 
     I was hyperventilating, trying to keep myself quiet. I had awoken in my own bed, presumably carried there by Hannah. Despite my best efforts, Hannah seemed to have heard me as she ran inside to my room. She knelt down on the floor next to the bed grabbing my hands.
     "Sarah, it's ok, it's ok. I'm here, you're safe. Look at me Sarah, you're safe!" Hannah reassured, I started crying out of panic and gripped onto Hannah, falling to the floor in the process.
     "I had this nightmare that...that..." I stuttered between sobs, Hannah shushed me.
     "Just calm down Sarah. I need you to calm down so we can talk okay? Just breathe." Hannah said, with the love of a mother, caring for her scared child. My breathing straightened out, and I stopped crying, stopped panicking. It took a few minutes but I'd done it.
     "Now, what did you want to tell me about?" Hannah asked.
     "Nothing, I'm fine now." I replied. I looked at Hannah's hair, it was how I had cut it.
     "I spoke to your parents today, nice folks!" Hannah said, seemingly out of no where. Fear. Utter horror gripped me like a claw, wrapping itself around me like a coat, squeezing my throat like a snake killing a mouse. I hated every second of it. I grabbed Hannah, mind racing with one thought;
"What did you say to them?" I asked, desperation creeping into my voice. If they found out I just plucked her off the street because she looked cute, they'd kill me!
"Oh, well, not much of anything. I told them about how you had passed out after giving me my haircut and nothing else. I don't think they wanted to associate with me." Hannah said. "Oh! That reminds me! they also made me bring up your gifts! They're all in that corner over there. Now, I'll leave you be." Hannah said, starting to walk out of the room.
"Wait!" I called out. Hannah turned around and looked at me.
"What do you need dear?" She asked.
I didn't need anything...why did I want her to stay with me? We sat in silence for a moment.
"Never mind, I have forgotten." I said. I hadn't. I wanted her to stay. Why couldn't I just come out and say that?! Why, why, why?!?
Hannah smiled, and left. Mentioning that she'll just be down the hall if I needed anything. I laid back down on my bed and threw my hands over my face, and groaned loudly. Why had I just started feeling this way? What even is this feeling?! I never felt it towards anyone else before...so...what could it be? Why did I always become so flustered around Hannah? What was so special about her? My heart felt heavy and I felt exhausted. I could barely keep my eyes open as they sealed themselves shut.
Where was I? It appeared I was still in my house but I couldn't figure out where. After looking around for a bit I figured out I was in the maids quarters. Yet, something was...off. I couldn't place it but something just didn't feel right.
"Hello dear." I heard a voice call from the doorway. It was Hannah's.
"Hannah?" I looked over to the doorway, and she was standing there. Once she saw I had noticed her she walked over to me. She pulled me close to her, like she was going to hug me. Or protecting me, from something.
"Hannah! You know how I feel about hugs!" I yelled. I squirmed around to get out of her grasp. Hannah gripped my chin again, and pulled my head up to look her in the eyes. A feeling of calmness washed over me as I looked at her. I stopped struggling. Despite this calm feeling my heart was about to beat out of my chest. Or at least it felt that way.
"It seems my theory was correct. You love me, don't you?" Hannah said.
"Is that what this feeling is? Love?" I replied, watching Hannah. All of my fears melting away.
Hannah nodded, and whispered into my ear, "I would know, I feel it too." As Hannah went to kiss me; I woke up. It was just another dream, but, I knew that what 'Dream Hannah' said was true. I did love real Hannah. I didn't know how she felt about me, but, it was doubtful she felt the same.
I rolled onto my side and picked up my phone. It was one a.m. I groaned, knowing I wouldn't fall asleep again. So I got up and knocked on Hannah's door. She answered swiftly, as if she hadn't been sleeping either.
"Sarah! Hello, what do you need of me?" Hannah said, she seemed eager for practically anything.
"Um...can I sleep with you tonight? I've been having nightmares and I wanna have someone there for me when I wake up from them." I said, it was only partly a lie. I had been having nightmares. Hannah places the back of her palm on my cheek. She'd done this many times before, when I freaked out about it, but I hadn't noticed my face get warm when I awoke. She seemed to study my face for a second, before she agreed to let me sleep in her room.
     "You should sleep in my bed madam. It's far better than the floor, I can tell you that for sure!" Hannah said, she laughed like she had made a joke.
     "If I sleep on your bed...you have to sleep up there with me. That's an order and, since you're my maid, you obey any orders I give you." I replied, my voice more commanding than I wanted it. Hannah's face appeared a soft pink, as a look of surprise came over her. As if she expected me to make her sleep on the floor.
     "As you wish." Hannah said, she smiled with this serene face, like everything was completely fine. Like she wasn't just picked off of the streets mere hours ago.
     Hannah quickly settled into bed, lying her back to my face. It appeared as though she'd fallen asleep already. We laid next to each other for a while. A few hours perhaps. I couldn't sleep, I just wanted to see her face.
     Without thinking, I got up and walked around to the other side of the bed where Hannah was facing, and crept in. Our faces merely inches apart. I studied her face for a while. I hadn't noticed before, but she looked scared, she was twitching like a dog when it naps. Was she running from something in her dreams? Once more, my body moved on its own, and moved closer to her, I grabbed her gently and pulled her close. Making sure not to wake her, since I hadn't known if she was a light sleeper or not. Holding her reminded me of when I was a child, when I would grip onto my teddy bear when I had a nightmare.
     I had left a small gap between us, not pulling her into a full embrace. Hannah closed that gap. She pulled me in, I was her teddy bear now. And it was my duty to protect her from nightmares. We held each other, until I drifted off once more, but I could've sworn I heard Hannah mumble this in her sleep.

"I love you too."