A CRAZY DREAM

CATALINA 

“Security!!! Security!!!” I screamed. He stood absolutely still, he had that look in his eyes, the kind you give someone who is being an idiot.

“They won't hear you. No one will hear you.”

He took a step. I edged back, my grip tightening on the capstone. “Look dude, I don't know who you the hell you are or what you want… how did you even get here?” I shook my head, that didn't matter. He was here already. I was sitting at the edge of a capstone. I can't be thinking about trivial things. I have to save my life first. 

“Ah…. I mean… okay, let's talk this through okay? Just let me get down first, okay? Please.”

He scoffed. “Why are you trying to save your life?” His hands whipped the air and snatched my throat. He squeezed, locking my voice out before I could even utter a word. I grabbed his hand, forcing my nails into his flesh and clawing desperately. He held a souless expression, his grip still so tight like I wasn't even trying. 

He took a long look at me and he shook his head. “You are a moron, Catalina.”

My eyes widened. ‘He… how the hell does you know my name?’ my thoughts broke when his hand pushed me closer to the edge. 

“Mhmm!!” I let out a muffled scream. He shook his head again.

“Its too late. You should have never made that wish.” He jerked me off the terrace capstone. I stretched my hand with so much force, just to grab him but I only scratched the air and started to fall. 

“Ah!!!!” I screamed. I freaked, my hands flaring hysterically in a desperate attempt to save my life but it wasn't working. I mean how could it work, I was falling. There was nothing to hold on to. I felt an intense fear creep up my spine when I realized that I was going to die. 

I shut my eyes. My breath seized and my heart stopped beating. I wasn't thinking of anything. I was just getting ready to die. 

“I got you!” Someone shouted. My eyes shot open immediately. I saw two arms wrap around my stomach, instantly stopping my fall. 

“Oh shit. Oh shit!” I kept yelling. 

“It's okay. It's okay. I got you. I got you, okay?” 

I looked down. “Shit!” I looked forward, immediately. I saw the willow tree in the center of the front yard where I was. That's when I realized, the both of us were still in the air. 

"If you've got me, who's got you?” 

He chuckled. He actually thought I was being funny. He squeezed me tighter and we started to rise up, moving towards the terrace. I watched with my throat empty of words as he flew about the terrace and then came down, slowly setting my feet on the ground. 

I was breathing, at least I think I was. My eyes fixed on the ground and somehow the ground seemed like it wasn't real. I felt his arms slip away, leaving me to stand on my two feet. I tried to take a step away from him but my knees wobbled, I missed every step and ended up crumbling to the ground. 

My mind fragmented. Absolutely nothing made sense. Did I just fall out of the terrace and get saved by a flying man? No, it can be. Oh my God, I'm dreaming. How much did I drink? 

“You shouldn't have done that. It really wasn't necessary.” I heard the flying man’s voice. It was a bit slow, calm, but serious. 

“What the fuck are you doing here?” The crazy guy replied with a question. His baritone voice was as cold and indifferent as his face.

 “She only made a wish. It's not that big of a deal.”

The crazy guy let out a sharp sigh, chuckling a little. He obviously thought the flying man was being ridiculous. 

“Were you always a joker or is it just that I never realized how dumb you are? Look at her. Do you not see the symbol on her forehead? People like her don't make wishes and it won't be a big deal.”

The whole time they were talking, I was busy trying to get myself together. I'd never been this shocked in my entire life. Their conversation just whisked past my ears like a breeze. The only words I caught were, “look at her.”

I turned my head and stared at the flying man with my face pale as a ghost. He wore an empathetic look on his face. I watched him sigh regretfully. 

“She can't have any memory of this. She is not ready.”

The crazy guy made a disgusted sound, turning around. “You are too soft.” He said it like it was some evil thing. “Put her to sleep then.”

I was still looking at the flying guy. He lowered his eyes to stare at me again. He took a step, I shrunk away. He went down on one knee, and he smiled so warmly. 

“I won't hurt you. You will sleep now and you will forget all of this but I promise, I will make things make sense when you wake up and we meet in a better situation.”

My lips parted and I tried to mouth, ‘Wait’ but he was faster than my own voice. He waved his hand in the air and the lights went off in my head. 

***********

5:AM TOMORROW 

“Uhhh,” I shot up from the bed, my hands flared in the air and my heart wrenching in pain. I was trying to breathe but my lungs was crumbling inside themselves. Every breath had me twisting my face as the painful ache on my side kept getting worse.

I was covered in cold sweat and my vision was blurry. ‘Calm down. Calm down,’ I went on to chant this mantra until my heart began to slow down. I rolled the sheets aside and dropped my legs on the floor, my hands pressed into the bedframe and my eyes fixed on my feet. 

‘What kind of dream was that? That was so scary and so real.’ I hugged myself, shuddering a little. The thought of falling off the terrace sent cold shivers creeping down my spine. 

I got out of bed, traipsing into the hallway. It's probably 5 AM by now, I guessed. I needed to clear my head. For some reason I didn't want to use the bathroom in my room so I decided to go all the way down the hallway to the bathroom that the guests were supposed to use. I've lived here, in this mansion, with my Aunt’s family - the El Segas - for over three years. I've never seen a guest come here during that time so the hallway bathroom was usually cleaned for my use. 

I walked past the guest bedroom, a light breeze blowing on my long pale-blonde hair that curtained over my eyes and hid my face. I must have looked like a ghost, aimlessly wandering an old haunted house.

There was a maid in front of the guest bathroom, wiping the windows intently. I paid no mind to her. My head was too messed up to worry about someone else. 

The sound of a door creaking, echoed through the quiet hallway. I froze. The sound was coming from behind me. I could have sworn I didn't see anyone here except for her, so who is opening a door? Chills crawled up my spine, I squeezed my fist, trying to calm down. I spun around and darted my eyes at the guest’s bedroom. 

There was someone standing there, in suede ausblud nightwear. His black hair was tousled roughly like someone who just woke up. A few strands of silver-colored ones singled themselves out like aliens on his head.

He had a cigarette between his rosy lips. He flicked a lighter then he looked at me.

My heart stopped, my eyes growing so wide they could pop. I stumbled back, my heart beating faster and faster by the second. My hands searched the corner frankly looking for any weapon. I touched the coat rack, my fingers curling around it.

‘It's him. He is in my house. The fucking freak who threw me off the terrace is in my house.’

I pulled the rack off the floor and charged towards him. I could only think of one thing - get rid of this nightmare. He watched me with his cold dead eyes. He was as still as a statue.

“Mam, oh my god, what are you doing?” The maid panicked and rushed me, grabbing my waist and pulling me back.

“Mam, please calm down.. You are going to hurt someone," she yelled. 

“Let me go. Let me go!" I yelled back.

“I can't,” she shouted. “You have to put down that rack first. You are scaring the Lord.”

“What the fuck are you talking about. He is a monster. He is a lunatic.” 

“Mam, please calm down. You are not thinking straight. This is the master of the mansion, Lord William El Sega, not a lunatic.” She pulled me harder, dragging my body back as much as she could. 

I felt an instant weight of tiredness fall on my shoulders. I lowered the rack and it fell from my hand. 

‘She is… is she kidding me? This… is William, my adopted cousin?’

A grim smile curled up his lips. He raised his hand and waved at me. “It's nice to meet you too," he said.