His Evil Cinderella (On Hiatus)

Dreaming Awake

  A/N: NEWLY EDITED. Sorry about the slight delay, guys! :/ I got busy with college prep. Thank you, arigato, gracia, merci, danke, tak! to all of you who voted, commented or read my story. It means a lot to me! <3 Mountains of sweet sunshine and jellybean cookies for y'all!

 Happy reading!

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 CHAPTER FOUR

~~How many dreams will end

How long can I pretend

How many times will love pass me by

Till I find you again?~

(Until I Find You Again, Richard Marx <3)~

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 The first rays of the sun illuminated the inky night sky into a pale blue dawn. Slowly, it washed over the sleeping earth, making everything in its meandering path glow softly in pastel colors. It was like an enchantment; with the light came the first stirring signs of life. A soft breeze flowed between the branches, making the trees shiver in the arctic chill. One gold leaf fell from a tree, skittering and dancing in the toying wind as if it had life of its own and then finally slipping inside an open window. It laid to rest at the foot of shuddering white curtains.

 A sigh, light as butterfly’s wings, filled the crisp autumn air as Rae came to stand at the window, bending to pick up the golden treasure of the season. He turned the leaf over and over in his fingers as his gaze washed over the view outside.

 It all seemed so serene.

 If he’d look out and try to listen, he’d hear the wind singing as it wove its own path, undeterred. He’d hear the birds chirping. He’d hear the laughter of people. Every normal sound.

 But when he’d close his eyes, he’d see her face. See a woman whose hatred for him rolled off her skin in thick, oily fumes. She was always there at the back of his mind. Always there, watching him, taunting him, baiting him, making him question his sanity. He wished she’d just disappear, whoever she was. She haunted him like a memory that refused to be forgotten.

 Wind slipped past the curtains again, making them ripple as if they were made by thousands of fluttering hummingbird wings. It caressed his face softly as it went. Rae froze, his emerald eyes widening.

 Hands.

 He’d felt cold hands on his face. Cold, freezing, dead hands.

 A shudder went through him. Dropping the gold leaf he’d been absently twirling between his fingers, he slid shut the window with a clunky THWACK. Idiot. It was only his imagination.

It was. It had to be.

The nightmare had been carved inside his mind like an epitaph on stone. It was impossible to wipe it away.

He didn't know whether he was awake or dreaming. Or maybe both. He closed his eyes. Lila’s luscious voice, her glowing, arcane eyes and her ambiguous touch…

 BANG!

 Rae flinched, clearly startled. He whipped around to see a very rumpled and a very wasted Luther sway in the doorway with glazed eyes. He didn’t seem to notice Rae as he staggered in, tripping over his feet and landing face-first into a pile of his own dirty laundry.

‘Damnem tottering poofles!’ Luther slurred into his clothes and burped loudly.

 ‘Wakey wakey!’ Feli burst inside the bedroom, unceremoniously, as always. She looked annoyingly cheerful. ‘The new day has---oh, you’re awake. I knew you would be. You never sleep!’