Star-Crossed Blades KFP

A Dreamed Nightmare

"Please put on your life jackets."

A lifeless voice echoed.

"Everything is under control. Just keep calm and breath. In and out. There you go."  A shadow comforts me.

"We've lost an engine."

I sighed in exasperation. 'Why can't we land already. I won't last this long in a storm'

I turn my head to observe grey foreboding clouds.

For a second I see a grey sky and suddenly lightning strikes the plane. My stomach dropped to my knees. Metal screeched and screamed into my ear. The glass burst into tiny blades and slapped my face with prickling needles.

Darkness grey rained with furious howling and a loud scream escaped into this madness.

'Breathe in and out," the shadow whispered to me.

My chest was pounding in pain with each breath. "I. Can't. I'll die- ack." I felt my body collapse into concrete.

"We need to sit her up."

Lungs filled with water and I gasped for remaining oxygen.

"Take her jacket and any clothing that might be restricting her breathing. Gets some pillows."

The ocean raged against me. But the waves lessened and slowed to a still. I floated upwards to see a new horizon. The light from the sun grew to a blinding sight.

I groaned as I let in the first rays of light. "Will someone turn off the lights," I growled in annoyance, while grabbing a pillow to hide myself.

"Oh. You're finally awake," a gentle voice said.  I stopped snuggling into the pillow barricade. Memories of the previous day rushed to the front. 

I sighed. "I'm either dead and this is hell. Or I'm alive. Living a coma dream." I mumbled underneath the covers.

"Also where is my shirt"

I realized feeling the rough fabric. It was a top of some kind. "Great. Just great"

"What was that?" the voice asked. I slid out of my safety net and took a good look at a green viper.

"Talking animals from my favorite animated show. Can't get any weirder"

The viper grew still as she observed my silence.

"Look. I don't know what happened. But I promise you," the viper pressed her tail to her heart. "We will help you anyway we can."

I eased myself to sit on the edge of the bamboo bed. Viper eyed my movement. But remained at her spot.

"No bite marks. I guess they might not be as bad as I thought they were."

"Thank you for the hospitality." I croaked out.

The viper handed me a glass of water. "Drink slowly. You were dehydrated when we found you."

I nodded in agreement as I sipped from the cup. "My name is viper by the way."

"Sapphire. And where am I exactly?" I asked as I finished gulping the last drops.

Viper slithered to my side and unpacked a small box filled with bandaids. "You're in the Barracks. Hold still. This will hurt only a bit." Her tail grasps a white cloth attached to my leg.

"Wha-AAgh. Mother of beans," I clenched the cup in my hands. She pulled a bloodied bandage off.

"There that was the simple part," she says with a smile. I opened my mouth to respond only to let out a curse in reaction to the stinging chemical that she quickly spread. My cup clattered to the floor to my sudden response. "And done." She finished bandaging my wounds.

"Thanks for the help. Viper," I said as I cradled my covers in comfort.

"You're welcome. But I didn't do all the work. Tigress was," she began.

"Oh that tiger. Yeah she helped by tossing me like a salad onto a cart. She was really helpful with that technique."

Viper frowned and took my empty cut. "She isn't always like this. Things have just been rough with her." The explanation only quailed a part of the outrage.

"So she had a bad day. But couldn't she have gently thrown me onto the cart."

Viper rustles some bandaids together into a box. "You need to rest for awhile. Your legs were surprisingly intact. But heavily bruised from a fall," she closes the lid. "If you do need to go to the bathroom use these crutches. The restroom area is in the outhouse next to the barracks."

"Viper, thank you for everything. But I have a few questions. Why aren't you afraid of me? Or at least weirded out by me?" I pointed to myself.

"If you were threatening we would have dealt with you. But you're not dangerous and secondly, you're similar to Monkey in appearance."

"So I'm weak and a hairless Monkey is what you're trying to say."

Viper grabs her kit and slithers out. "No comment." She tells me with a grin as she slides the thin doors closed.

I watched her leave. Until I noticed a mirror next to the bed. 

"How bad can it be?"

My hands reached down to angle the small mirror to my face.

I stare in absolute horror at the fact that my dark brown hair was cut short to my shoulders. It was bed-raggedly and showed signs that I haven't showered.

"They must have had a reason for cutting it."

I felt through my face to look at the punctured brown skin. "Woah, this dream really makes any wound heal much faster." My skin had a few old scars from a year ago. And would now have more added to the collection.

As I leaned over the mirror on the bed. I didn't hear anyone come in. Until I felt them near me.

"What are you doing", Tigress asked with a deadpan look. She carried a food tray in her paws.

I jumped and fell back onto the bed. The mirror collapsed onto the floor. "I . . .I." Fear apparent in my voice. She sighs and leans down to place the tray close to the bed. She then gave me a wide birth. "I hope you slept well," She begins. But monkey decided to barge in at that moment.

"Hey, Sapphire, that's your name right. Viper told me to bring you theses meds and she even gave up her cookie. Am I interrupting?" Monkey asks holding a small bottle and a bag of cookies with his tail.

"No. I was about to leave." Tigress said to Monkey. She turns to head out. But stops at the sliding doors. "Enjoy the food," she says to Sapphire.