Hourglass

2

        Her feet made a light sound as she made her way to the kitchen. She'd woken up alone. It made her want to fall back into the dream world once again. She'd gone back the moment she'd closed her eyes the night before.

"Hey." His voice brought her mind away from the place she'd been in her sleep. She smiled and slid onto the stool at the counter top. "Are you feeling alright?" Her boyfriend of two years asked.
"Yeah, I feel fine. Why?" She was noticeably confused. 

He chuckled, "It's one in the afternoon." She whipped her head around to check the clock over the entry. The clock confirmed his statement. It was one thirty. "Are you sure you're okay? After you woke up in the middle of the night, you passed out. You barely moved in your sleep." 

She shrugged, "I feel fine." He pressed his hand to her forehead, as though he was checking for a fever. "Michael, I'm fine." She giggled softly. "I think maybe stress and being busy all week caught up with me." She didn't want to confess that her dreams were more of the same. She didn't want to tell him what happened when she went back. She knew it was only a dream but she also didn't want his feelings to be hurt. 

"Maybe waking up in the night was a part of it too." He suggested. She just nodded and tried to focus on anything but the dreams. "Lae, what did you dream about?"

"I'm not sure anymore. I think I lost it when I went back to sleep." She lied with a yawn. He nodded, not completely convinced.

"Since you slept the day away, I changed all the plans we had today." He stated with a sigh. "We're going out for dinner and drinks with Gracie and Liam."

"That sounds good." She decided to be compliant with all requests others had for her because she woke so late. "What time are we doing that?"

"Six." He replied, a smile gracing his lips once more.

"Well, I think I'm going to shower and take my Saturday afternoon walk." She slid off the stool with ease. She kissed his cheek lightly before heading off to the bathroom.

         She roamed aimlessly around town. Her mind kept drifting to the dreams she had. She couldn't believe how late she'd slept. It was an odd day to say the least and it wasn't even close to finished yet. 

          She sighed thinking of how Michael kept pushing for details of her dreams. They were starting to fade, but the little bits that she remembered, she wasn't keen on sharing with him. She didn't know how to tell the man she'd been sharing a home with for a year that she'd dreamt of kissing another man, of being in another man's arms. Usually when she would dream, even if the looks were slightly different, the men were Michael. This time it was not the case. Everything about the man in her dreams felt different. It would hurt Michael to know it. 

     Looking down at her watch, she decided it would be a good time for a coffee break. If she was expected to be pleasant and stay up past midnight, she needed the caffeine. She turned the corner, going to her favorite coffee shop. She was friends with most of the employees and they had the best coffee. 

          The short walk to the coffee shop had suddenly been made longer. At least that's how it felt. Laelia had a chill run up her spine. She checked her surroundings carefully, looking for someone or something that could alert her senses. She was looking for someone or something that would cause her harm. She saw nothing. The only thing around was the large, warehouse-like building off to her right. 

          The building took up a whole block all on its own. It appeared more menacing than usual. She'd never liked the building. She thought it an eyesore in an otherwise quaint neighborhood. Though her body was filled with discomfort at the sight of the building, she also found herself intrigued by it. It was only a few steps more to get to the coffee shop, even less to get to the entrance of the warehouse. She shook the thought away quickly. What business did she have going into the warehouse that scared her more than anything?