Dreams of A Stressed Out Caffeine Addict

Spells of Protection

It'sraining. And the dead woman won't stop playing. Dancing around in thepuddles at the edges of a pavilion, she swings inside by its whiterails and calls for an audience in a voice like sleet.

Thepeople see her mangled scalp and crispy skin; those red pupilsbulging from black pits; rot clinging to her teeth. She's reciting anold play, acting as all characters, and doesn't bat an eye whenstrips of flesh fall from her burnt body. The people murmur inentertained disgust, wondering if they should be tipping this strangelady.

I'vebeen chasing her, trying to do something, but she's eluded me thisfar. Not that I've been trying that hard before the rain started –it was a game then, running alongside her through the streets.Disguised by her protective love so even the rats that ran like waterin the sewers treated me as a young mortal that knew no better. Butnow, I think it's finally going to be over, my small bare feetslapping against the flooded stone of the street. I'll catch herhere, and we'll stop playing to goinside. No one should play in the rain – they'll get sick.

Standingat the foot of the pavilion, I stare up at her in amazement. Hangingoff a railing to beam a half-smile at me, sores ripple across hercharred skin like magma, slow and haunting. Ice blazes in the red ofher eyes, expression emerging for the first time in so long. I smileat her with my full pink lips, dimples sprouting in either cheek.She's happy. So beautiful and happy. I can't tell her to stop.

Butfirst... "Fix me already, you sly cretin. Make me pretty like youagain."

Hermouth opens in a broken laugh that sprays blood. Standing upright onthe top of the few steps, she claps once, and freezes. Hands grab mefrom behind, an intense pain ripping through the center of my soul. Ascream like that of a landslide hollers from above, the beautifulcreature now drenched in rage as fire explodes from her back. Flyingon the wings of heat, she descends –

Brightlights shine everywhere. Odd beeps echo in the whiteness. Papercrinkles as I move, my gown made of the luxurious product. The beepsincrease as fear grips me, ripping wires not made of metal from myflesh...

Stilla delicate pink, though paler than I recall. Carefully trimmedfingernails. Locks of blonde hair falling into my eyes.

Aman enters hurriedly, but his eyes shine with delight when he spotsme. "...check your vitals," is all I hear from the haze of wordshe rambles in that instant, engulfing me in confusion. He goes totouch me, and I spring away, knocking around strange objects thatroll on metal wheels. "Where am I?" My voice is thin and high,nails digging into my delicate ears.

"You'reat the hospital." He crouches so we're eye to eye. "You showed upwith some nasty stab wounds and you've been sleeping ever since. Canyou tell me how you got them?"

Morepanic, searching without seeing. Until I spot the most awful sightstaring at me – a little girl, blue eyes filling with tears... Shemoves as I move and the man in white laughs. "It's a mirror.Haven't you ever seen yourself before?"

Tearing,ripping, bleeding; I yank at the horrid gold atop my head and scream.It's not the sound of a natural disaster anymore – just a childthrowing a tantrum. The man grabs my arms and restrains me with toomuch ease. The shift in the core of my soul isn't moving; my selfisn't acting as it should!

"Sister!"I holler, screeching in the most human-like voice I've ever heard."What has happened, Sister?! Where have you sent me?! Why?! Whereare you?! Sister!" I bang on the man's head with my small hands,crying in anger from these horrible hormones racing through me. "Tellme, perverse mortal tormentor! Location, date, and why?!"

Icease struggling to hear his reply. "Kent General Hospital. Dover,Delaware. November, 2014."

"Delaware..."I whisper. "You mean those traitorous colonies?"

(Myunderstanding of this dream is that the little girl was just like hersister, some kind of magical creature or demon or something, and shewas turned into a human little girl to protect them from prying eyes.Same reason they cast the spell to send her forward in time. Likeevery other dream in this anthology, however, it is open tointerpretation.)