To Dream Of You

He paused mid-step, the toe of his boot still raised in the air. It had been a glimpse, a mere trick of the light he was sure, but he couldn't resist stopping to look. And there she was. It had been no trick of the light.

Ruby red hair glowed in the dimming sunlight as if it had been set aflame, and framed a thin, angular face. Her chin and nose were pointed, and the smattering of freckles across her cheekbones stood out against her pale skin. It was a face he knew well. A face he had memorized since it had appeared after the seventh night in a row since he'd come of age, and every night since, in his dreams.

Only...there was something...something not quite right about her face in that moment.

With his hand half raised in greeting, smile now wavering on his face, he realized what was wrong. She wasn't smiling back at him like she always would in his dreams. Her lips were slightly agape, and a little too pale, not the usual vibrant peach he was used to seeing. And her eyes, her beautiful, jade green eyes weren't warm or inviting. They were wide in unmistakable terror.

The confusion was sharp and abrupt, and it brought him to a complete standstill. The two of them stared at one another like dazed, mindless deers caught in a car's oncoming headlights. Several beats passed between them where time seemed to slow and the people in the square blurred into the background. He watched her wrap her jacket tighter around her torso before she scurried off into the crowd.

"Wait!" He called, stumbling forward a few steps. It took him a few tries to find his footing, but once he did, he hurriedly raced after her.

It was unbelievably hard to track her among the throngs of people, but with each glimpse of brilliant red he drew closer and closer. As he shoved through a young couple, not bothering to answer their enraged cries with an apology, he watched her disappear into the trees of the nearby forest.

Jogging to catch up, he tried calling for her again.

"Claire!"

His voice echoed throughout the trees, and he was surprised to receive a quick answer.

"Stay away from me!" Claire's voice was not the sweet, bell-like tone he remembered. It was strained and wavered with fear.

He slowly came to a stop. Was she afraid of him? His brows knit together in further confusion. It had never occurred to him that the dreams could be one sided. That it was only himself that experienced all the wonderful times they'd spent together in sleep. Perhaps he should leave…

Grimacing, he turned to head back the way he had come, only now realizing that he could not hear the buzz of the square or even see it for that matter. He glanced around at the trees surrounding him. Had he really gone so far into the forest? He spun in a slow circle, trying to figure out which way to go when a twig snapped directly behind him.

Just as he turned to face the sound, a sudden searing pain burst inside his chest and he grunted. His beauty stood before him, red hair frizzy and standing on end as if she'd been struck by lightning. Her eyes were hard and her lips were set in a hard line. His heart gave a slow, dull thump as he reached a shaky hand towards her face. She smacked his hand away with a snarl, and the surprising amount of force behind the hit caused him to stumble back a step. Pain bloomed once more in his chest, and he glanced down just in time to see a bloodied blade pull free of his ribcage. Even more confused and now equally horrified, he looked to Claire as he dropped to his knees.

She held the knife out in front of her with a white knuckled grip. "I-" she paused to clear her throat. "I thought you weren't real. That they were all just-just nightmares!" Her words seemed muffled and far away as he fell over onto his side. "That I was safe while I was awake. Safe from you," she growled, waving her knife at him. "Safe from that sick, awful hunger and rage I was subjected to while I slept." Claire took a shaky breath. "I barely sleep. I barely eat. I can barely function like a normal human being because of these nightmares!" She gave a hiccuping sob and wiped the sleeve of her jacket under her nose. "And then there you were!" She looked at him then, directly into his eyes and all the warmth subsequently fled his body. "Just casually walking down the street in broad daylight. Not a fucking care in the world! As if you weren't some nightmarish creature that tormented me each night." Her lips curled in disgust as she stalked over to him, and crouched down so that their faces were almost level. "I thought maybe if I ran you'd disappear like you always do when I wake up. But no, you followed me. You chased me. So I decided enough was enough. You might be able to plaque my dreams, but I won't let you steal my daylight, John."

John felt the slick, cool metal of the blade against his throat. With dawning horror, he realized that while he'd dreamt of love, she'd dreamt of torture. Living each night in agony. John closed his eyes as he felt the blade pierce and tear through his skin. He couldn't bear to look at her any longer.

As the moon rose high into the sky, stamping out the last rays of golden sunlight, the sound of soft, gurgling breaths were silenced by the dirt and decay of the forest floor.

"Sweet dreams, John."