White Roses

Chapter Five: What the Hell are Dryads?

And to top off my week, I couldn’t sleep in on a Saturday morning. 

I rolled over in my bed, feeling safe and warm as I felt Drake curl up against my stomach. I stuffed my head under the pillow as the music from my headphones grew slightly louder.

She a-a-a-ate my heart. Eloy sang in my heart. Every little part.  

I could feel it. Everything from that night rolled over me like a ice cold wave. Adults like to tell kids and teenagers that bad memories heal over time, but to me, that’s just bull. Memories don’t fade; instead they become ugly jagged scars that can be forgotten for only a second before seeing them in a mirror. 

The first thing that always comes to my mind about that night is the rain. It was so warm and gentle against my skin even though the thunder and lightning danced in the sky so violently in the beginning of the night. Dirt, small stones, and small sticks dug into the ripped skin on my back as I stared up emptily at the sky. The pain felt hot on my stomach and face as I tried to move, but I couldn’t. 

And then the screaming came next. 

“My baby! My baby! Matty, oh Matty, where are you my sweet baby!” My mother’s panicked voice filled the forest and screamed even louder than the thunder. “MATTY! BABY!” 

“Mommy…” I tried to move, but the molten hot pain made me immobile. The crunching of leafs and sticks made my body tense as my eyes darted around me. And then I saw him. 

He towered over any human with ease, but he looked about as old as a tall thick tree with centuries’ worth of rings. His skin sagged and clung onto his bones as wild long white hair fell over his face. A brown hand pushed some of my hair out of my face after kneeling beside me. His long white hair tickled my face and I saw those inhuman eyes. 

“Little one, what do you want from this world?” 

His voice sounded like ocean waves and a soft summer breeze. I shuttered against his long claws. They burned my skin, but it wasn’t like the burning of ripped skin. More like a sunburn or a skin rash. 

I whimpered in reply. 

I wanted to live. I wanted to live. 

Live…Live…LIVE! 

“Matty, Matty, wake up!” 

My body jerked up and I saw Drake standing on my pillow with a small frown on his face and his eye brows furrowed. I pressed my hand to my forehead to find my bangs sticking to my face because of the sweat. 

“What’s up?” I asked, trying to control my breathing. I popped my back and neck before stretching out my arms. 

Drake arched an eye brow. “You were whimpering.” 

“I was? Sorry about that,” I said, “must’ve been a nightmare or something-”

“What were you dreaming about?” 

“Funny, I can’t remember,” I shrugged my shoulders as Drake narrowed his eyes at me. 

“Humans can lie,” he said, “but clearly you have not mastered lying, or at least not to me. Now what is wrong?” 

“For god’s sake nothing. Will you shut up now? Taylor’s asleep still.” I told him as I laid back down even though the idea of sleeping was far from my mind. 

“But-”

“O, how you have fallen beautiful moon!” 

God dammit, it was way too early for this crap.