The Magic Behind Her Eyes

Chapter 9: Box of Cat-Cats

There was darkness again. A blurry type of darkness, with blues and greys, not blinding but darkness regardless. All contained within four walls, its shape almost non-existent. Trapped inside with no escape. But one thing about darkness, is that it enjoys misery. It enjoys being trapped, dancing within the shadows as it relishes the nothingness of it all. And among that darkness a girl sat in the corner facing away. It was quiet. The same familiar type of quiet.

"Ana?"

There was no reply. No movement.

"Ana, is that you?"

The figure barely turned around. The shape of her face seemed different from usual.

"What are you doing here? Are you okay?"

"Does it look like I'm okay?"

The real world doesn't look like this. Not usually anyway. Searching deep into the memories held inside, there something out of place here that didn't seem right. The walls? The emptiness? That's right. The world usually has...More life.

Counting fingers. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 6?

And just like that Reina found herself in a dream. She walked towards Ana to comfort her. It would be gone once they were awake, that was the blessing behind all dreams.

"It's only a dream for you," Ana replied, "I live here."

Reina stared at her quietly.

"Do you really think this is a good idea?" Ana continued, facing away.

"What is?"

"Why don't you just think for once. Being here. Where you are right now."

Her voice just below a whisper. Every time she spoke, the darkness screamed at the life she would radiate into it. And yet it was still quiet. There was a strange type of comfort within these walls but there was also emptiness. There was something missing which they filter out. Something that she could only find if she manages to break it. The bare thought of such a thing would send shivers through her skin. The walls keep her safe. The darkness gives her warmth. It was beautiful in its own way but she couldn't have both. She knew that the bare sound of a crack in it would suffocate her soul and she couldn't even name what she was looking for. The-thing-with-no-name.

But if only it existed within.

"And what if you're looking for something that doesn't exist?"

"What?"

Ana was gone.

Awake and alive, Reina got out of bed and put on her shoes. It took her a few seconds to remember all the events that had taken place before. Gloria, the centaur, the lake, the fairy (or that's what she thought it was). Or the worst of all, the cat who wasn't a cat. Reina shook her head at the thought. She couldn't believe she felt some type of connection with him when she first saved him from the lake. It somehow felt like a betrayal she couldn't explain. The thought of enjoying another human being's presence made her antisocial organs recoil with horror. However, he wasn't a human being either which seemed to make it a little bit more acceptable.

Reina had no idea what time it was. If time existed in this world, even. She wasn't sure if she was meant to wake up. But she must have been sleeping for a long time considering the slight migraine growing in her head. Or it could have easily been because of the dream. Although it didn't mean anything. She spent a few seconds convincing herself that it was all nonsense and to prove her brain she was right, she blinked a few times and thought of Ana, imagining her in the air.