The Project

Fire or Wind

-Arista's POV-

"Grab my hand!" I scream, clutching at a rough surface beneath my fingertips as it slowly slides out from beneath me. Looking up I look into the darkest eyes I have yet to behold, so dark it looks as though they are all pupil and no iris. The eyes of a demon. The creature looks at me then smashes its glowing foot into my hand, causing me to let go and fall to oblivion, to whatever lies below.

"No!" I sit upright, my surroundings changing till I realize I am in my room.

It was just a dream...But God it felt so real.

I'm drenched in clammy perspiration and shaking violently. I look at the clock beside my bed which tells me it is 5:45 a.m. and remembering last night I know Cade will be here in an hour to pick me up. Going to the bathroom I take a fifteen minute shower then step into the tube to select my outfit for training. I select a black pair of spandex pants with a grey waistband that go all the way to my ankles and a loose black tank top. After selecting a pair of non-descript black sneakers I recall that there are hair and makeup options and snicker a bit at Cades little experiment with them. I simply state "Hair and Makeup" and suddenly I'm in a different world, of bronzer and shadow and lipstick oh my... anyways my hairstyle is a high up pontail that has braids scattered through it, and my makeup is pale foundation with a thin line of eyeliner and a peachy lipstick. The tube whirs and the bewildering feeling of letting a machine clothe you is complete. Stepping out I look in the mirror, content with my appearence.

Going back into my bedroom I glance at the clock and see it's only six, so I make my bed and sit down on it to think about my dream. It really shook me up and typically my dreams don't do that. It was almost as though I could feel the heat of that..thing.. in front of me. Thinking back to it I'm not even sure how to describe it. It was tall and lean and looked like living fire, yet it had a human-ness about it that made my flesh crawl. Its eyes were spiraling black orbs that seemed to consume and reject me right before it forced me off whatever precipice I was on. And the fall...right before I woke up it felt as though my body was splitting in half as it fell.

A loud knock resounds through my room and I jolt upright, looking at the time to see it's six thirty, so Cade shouldn't be here yet.

So who is it out there then?

I look around for a weapon and see nothing...but there's the chair next to my table. Grabbing the metal rungs of it I slowly make my way to the door and push the button that lets me open it from the inside, holding my chair the entire time. As it quickly opens I grip the chair tighter as the person is revealed.

What the hell?

"Cade?" I say, incredulous.

"Well don't sound so thrilled to see me my dea....Why are you holding a chair?"

"I....um...well.. I thought you were Leona or something!"

He bursts out laughing while I feel a blush burning my cheeks, and when I sheepishly set the chair down he laughs even harder. Before I know it he's slumped against the wall with tears running down his face as he wheezes out "you....thought....you could take out Leona.....with a chair?....Oh my god I can't breathe......"