(Sakura wakes up in her own bed; assuming that it was all just a weird & crazy dream. That is until she gets up & goes to her bathroom to freshen up for the morning & discovers wrappings on the side of her neck... then the same man from her dreams was sitting in her kitchen.)
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.
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Darkness...
... expansive, dingy tunnels...
... and large, imposing shadows surrounded her on all sides and in every direction.
Her breath quickened significantly...
... her poor heart clinched behind her rib cage...
... and her pulse raced in an erratic rhythm.
A handsome, godlike stranger...
... with sharp, pointy white canines...
... and blood red eyes mixed with swirling black that held her own gaze hostage...
... appeared in front of her before total darkness consumed her.
Sakura was being carried; though she couldn't decipher where he was taking her in her semi-conscious state.
He laid her down on soft, silky bedding...
... moving to hover above her; caressing her skin almost soothingly with his calloused fingertips...
... before he leaned down; eyelids drooping and lips parting...
... and then—
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.
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Sweat pooled at the young woman's temples...
... her pink brows furrowed and feminine features twisted as she tossed and then turned...
... over and over again...
... as she became more and more restless in her slowly depleting drowsiness.
.
.
Red & black eyes watched her from afar in the shadows; waiting for her to gain consciousness before completely slipping from sight and leaving nothing of the man's presence behind.
For the time being that is...
.
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All to soon though, it was over, and the pinkette gasped sharply before bolting upright as the last few seconds of sleep began to leave her system entirely.
Her viridescent irises took several, long minutes to adjust to the harsh light from the midday sun that was streaming in through the large picture window to her left; and she had to blink several times before rubbing her orbs with her palms in order to clear the gunk from her tired eyes.
She focused her gaze around the room that, at first glance, had seemed so unfamiliar to her blurry vision.
Now however, she could see that it was indeed her own room, in which she found herself, and sighed with relief as she tossed her crumpled up sheets to the side before rising from her mattress and making her way to the attached bathroom; one hand running through her tangled locks while the other adjusted her bed-shirt.
'It was all just a dream. Just a messed up and crazy dream that's all...'
After using the bathroom and moving to the sink to wash her hands she felt a sharp, stinking pain that shot down the length of her spine from her neck...
... and when she lifted her green orbs to gaze at her reflection...
... that's when she noticed it; her eyes widened in shock as her mouth hung open, in a silent cry of surprise.
There was a large, white and squared bandage that was secured to the side of her throat where the pain had originated from.
Her bony fingers lifted slowly; brushing against the rough gauze lightly...
... as her brows furrowed in confusion.
'What in the hell is this; and where did it come from?'
She was about to remove the bandages until—
Suddenly, Sakura heard shuffling noises coming from down the hall; towards her kitchen. With her poor heart beating a hundred miles a minute, the young woman exited her bathroom and reached for the wooden baseball bat that sat beside her bed (for protection) before exiting her room.
Slowly, Sakura made her way down the narrow walkway...
... missing all of the squeaky floorboards that she had grown accustomed to—
When the pink-haired woman reached the corner, she paused... taking a deep breath as she raised the bat... before moving into the doorway; ready to land a killer blow on her intruder if necessary.
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The male could hear his female from the very moment she took her first tentative steps... into the unknown.
Her heartbeat and pulse were both frantic...
... her soft, delicate footsteps moving as if she was attempting to hide her presence from him as she made her way slowly down the darkly-lit and windowless hallway.
He took a deep, noiseless breath in; his nostrils flaring slightly as her sweet, intoxicating scent surrounded him.
He was completely calm as his sharpened gaze made its way lazily to the doorway.
He was waiting, patiently for her to join him.
They needed to talk—
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Both of Sakura's arms slowly lower and her jaw went utterly slack as she gazed into the ghastly (blood red and black) eyes of the man whom she had thought was only a mere fantasy...
... a figment of her own making; her imagination.
'Just a dream... it was just a... dream... right?'
He seemed to be giving her time to take him in...
... and his inky gaze was sharp but his expression was depleted of all emotion; sending cold shivers up and down her spine.
Her throat bobbed slowly as she swallowed and her plump lips opened and shut like a fish out of water as she tried to formulate some type of response to this shocking situation.
Seconds turned to minutes; before—
The loud clattering of wood against wood when she dropped the bat finally seemed to break her from her shock and she shook her head to clear it as her gaze shifted from him and onto a plate of what appeared to be untouched food that was placed on the table directly across from him; hot puffs of steam still coming off the freshly cooked food.
'Did he... cook for me?'
Her pink brows knitted together while the dark-haired male continued to remain silent; sitting at her kitchen table with a coffee mug between his large hands as he gazed at her over the top of it.
She cleared her throat and licked her lips as her eyes narrowed dangerously at the stranger. "W-who are you and why are you in my house? How did you even get in here in the first place and what in the hell is going on?"
For the first time ever, she heard the gruff and rich tone of his voice, (feeling a strange sense of calm take over her entire demeanor at the deep, smooth baritone) and even though it was just five simple words in which he spoke...
... they had so much meaning—
"Sit. We need to talk."