The Sweet Nothings || ✓

'TELL ME TO STOP. TELL ME.'

"Maia". The girl said.

"Hold on. I am coming for you." She said.

"But remember you are kind. You are brave. You are beautiful. Inside out." She said.

"Trust me Mai. You are stronger than you think." She said.

"And whatever happens, I love you. Always have. Always will." She said.

Maia moved forward to touch her, but her hands moved through the girl's body. The girl laughed.

"It's okay Mai." She said.

"What's your name?" Maia asked. The girl smiled softly at her.

"You don't remember." She stated. Maia shook her head, eager to know the answer to her question.

Instead the girl turns and starts walking away.

Maia tries to hold her but just then the girl starts burning brightly. Just like the Sun, the light nearly blinding Maia. But her shoulders shook, as if she was crying. The girl turns around, and even through the light, Maia sees the tears streaming down her face. And the girl repeats.

"You don't remember me."

Maia tries to reach out but her outstretched hand starts to burn.

"Don't try to touch me. I'll burn you Mai." Maia tries again. But the girl moves back. "Guess it's better this way. You shouldn't remember me." She says.

But Maia only comes closer, feeling the heat burning her.

"Your name. Please." Maia begs, trying to not let the pain get to her.

The girl turns around and whispers a word ever so slightly. And then the light from her, expands and Maia feels herself burning. More and more.

But the name goes on in her head like a chant.

'Andrea.'

The fire consumes her.

'Andrea.'

Maia feels the pain.

'Andrea.'

She tries to reach out.

'Andr-'

Maia gets up to a very lightened up room, the sunlight was streaming in from the open window. She finds herself sweating buckets and puts her hand on her forehead to realise that she had fever. She thinks about calling out for Xavier but realises that he was out for a meeting.

So she gets up and moves towards the bathroom. Xavier had put her to sleep at around 12 noon because Maia hadn't been feeling well and then he had gone out for a very urgent meeting. She remembers the way Xavier had insisted to bunk the meeting to take care of her. And how she had had to literally throw him out of the room for him to attend the meeting.

She smiles to herself.

When she reaches the bathroom, she looks at herself in the mirror.

The marks had nearly healed now but Maia still didn't know how she had got them, and she hadn't had the courage to ask Xavier about it yet.

And that takes her back to her dream.

"Andrea." She says to herself and for some reason the name seemed to calm her. She felt stronger, like it was giving her strength.