Reveries

She woke up, her heart raced and in her mind were all the confusing memories from her dream, which she only remembered for a few heartbeats. The clear images of sharp pain and deep fear already began to fade, his warm smile disappeared. Her gaze wandered to the clock next to her bed, which showed before midnight, her 20th birthday was only seconds away. She closed her eyes again and waited. Soon there would be the knock on her front door, which could be heard since twenty years, always at midnight.

When she was about to fall asleep again, she heard it and got up, didn't even bother to hurry, because she knew that nobody was waiting for her. Her thoughts still lingered on the dream as she opened the door carefully, recognizing the figure of a person. Instinctively she wanted to close it, but the person's foot slipped between it.

»My, my, dear Shiva. Be a good girl and don't close the door in front of a guest, will you?« Said a man's softly reproving voice.

»What?« She mumbled, shocked that he knew her name, although he was completely unknown to her. He leaned forward a little, his dark hair falling into his equally dark eyes, which stared at her like a starless night.

Shiva blinked confused, for the warm smile of the unknown man was like the one from her fading dream.

The stranger took her hand and lifted it to give her a kiss on the back of it. »My name is Nathaniel.«

»W-what do you want from me?«, asked Shiva with burning cheeks.

»We don't have much time. Come.«

»It's the middle of the night!«

Nathaniel pulled her behind him. »Just trust me.«

»But I don't know you!«

He sighed and picked her up with ease.

»W-what are you doing?« She asked and somehow his warm body pressed against hers seemed so familiar, as well as his resinous, dark fragrance. An image flashed through her mind, his face, too close to hers, warm lips on hers and... Frightened and confused she glanced up to him, but snapped back into reality and noticed the shadows on the walls that were following them. »W-what are they?«

His eyes darkened. »You might prefer not to know.«

The longer she stared at the black shadows, the more she was overcome by the terrible fear of her dream. All of this seemed to her as if she had already experienced it, as if the dream had not just been a dream. Nathaniel suddenly stopped.

»What? What is it?« She asked in panic as she watched the shadows approach behind them. But when she turned around, they were right in front of them, and a shiver went through her whole body.

»Damn it,« he whispered and took a few steps back.

She buried her face in the crook of his neck, unable to look at the shadows any longer. »I don't want to die,« she mumbled.

»You're not dying,« he said. »Not this time. Hold on tight.«

»W-w-what?« The next moment a strong wind enveloped her and a second later they were at a forest, but the shadows already appeared behind some trees.

»Fuck,« he said, started running again, but the shadows seemed to be approaching faster and faster. Shiva held her breath, and before Nathaniel could do anything, a lifeless hand had already reached for his ankles and made him stumble. Shiva fell onto the forest floor and watched with horror as the shadows climbed up on him.

»Shiva,« shouted Nathaniel. »Run!«

»I can't leave you behind,« she said, some shadows broke away from Nathaniel and floated towards her. »You want me, don't you?« She shouted, even if fear constricted her throat and tears blurred her vision. »Then leave him alone!«

»No,« he stammered, tried to get up and managed to pull some of them away from Shiva with his magical powers, but they began to screech and Shiva covered her ears.

In the middle of the shadows Nathaniel sank to his knees, blood dripped from his ears and his face was ghostly pale.

»N-Nathaniel,« Shiva stuttered, walked towards him, even if most of the shadows were there, even if they were already clinging to her again.

»Why are you doing this?«

»Just go!« He shouted.

»Why?« She asked again and he closed his eyes.

»Because I love you, Shiva. Your dreams weren't just dreams. They were your memories from the past. I met you for the first time 200 years ago, and although you did not have a long life, I loved you with all of my heart. Since then I've been trying to save you again and again. You're the only purpose in my life. My life is not important. Please just go,« he pleaded desperately, sounding like a little boy who was afraid of losing everything.

»Of course your life is important!« She yelled at him and came even closer. »I can't just let you die like that!«

»Please,« he whispered. »I don't want to wait another 20 years. Please, Shiva...«

»I don't want to live with the conscience that you had to die for it.« And as soon as she had uttered it there was the pain from her dream, deep and red glowing and the fear mixed with it when she fell to the ground. The shadows surrounded her like starving wolves.

»No!« Shouted Nathaniel and stumbled towards her. »Stop! Leave her alone!« He waved his arms around as if to scare them away, but he has lost his strength, there was nothing more he could do. He sobbed in despair, dropped to his knees next to her and hugged her body while the shadows sank their sharp teeth into her.

The shadows enveloped both of them now, but they didn't let go of Shiva. »Not again,« he mumbled, his face way too close to hers, warm lips on hers and she felt the deep despair in his kiss. »Don't leave me alone again, please...«

And suddenly everything was there again, all memories flowed through her like a tidal wave, her love for him burned even more than her pain and grief swallowed her, because again she would leave him alone.

»Nathaniel,« she sobbed. »E-Everything will be fine. Next time I'll remember you immediately. I promise.«

Nathaniel had to laugh a little through tears. »You say that every time, Shiva.«

»Really?« She asked, didn't feel anything anymore but the warmth of his hand on her cheek. »We'll... see each other again,« she whispered, looking at his tear-streaked face for the last time before she closed her eyes.

She woke up, her heart raced and in her mind were all the confusing memories from her dream, which she only remembered for a few heartbeats. The clear images of sharp pain and deep fear already began to fade, his warm smile disappeared. Her gaze wandered to the clock next to her bed, which showed before midnight, her 20th birthday was only seconds away. She closed her eyes again and waited. Soon there would be the knock on her front door, which could be heard since twenty years, always at midnight.