Farewell To Dreams

It had been a long day.

Tired, I sat down to rest under a shady tree.

I closed my eyes and leaned my head back against the bark; it was a quiet day.

Soon enough, a familiar fragrance drifted in the air. I muttered a curse under my breath.

“Will my thoughts never be free of your profane influence, woman?” I sighed.

I opened my eyes.

A young woman stood there watching me. She was simply beautiful, her angelic face full of compassion, and her deep crystal eyes filled with kindness.

She wore long flowing white robes, her rich hair hung carelessly over her delicate shoulders.

The very picture of serenity.

I gave her a withering look, and stood up. I gathered up my things so I could be on my way.

“For the last time: leave me alone.” I growled.

She smiled at me; a patronizing smile, like the way a mother would smile to pacify an angry child.

“Why do you hate me?” she asked in her soothing sonorous voice.

“Don’t pretend; haven’t you done enough?”

Without looking at her, I set off down the road.

She followed.

There was a time when she was the only thing that kept me sane. I’d visit her often, and her small comfort was all I would crave. But that was a long time ago.

“Why are you still here?” I asked out loud.

“You should know…you created me, after all” she answered gaily.

I turned around to face her; she was picking flowers from the ground.

“You lied to me, you always lied to me!” I calmed myself down.
”But what else could you do? You’re nothing but lies given form.”

“Don’t blame me for your frailties.” she said sweetly, admiring the flowers.

I turned my back on her. “Why can’t you just leave me alone? All I want is a few moments of peace. Is that too much to ask?”

My face hardened.

“I’m better off without you. I won’t be sucked into your delusions anymore; you’ve already caused me enough pain.”

I closed my eyes.

“Heed me, you cruel heartless wraith; if you dare cross paths with me again…”

I couldn’t even finish the threat.

She looked at me with those deep crystal eyes.

“You're the one who keeps me alive; after all...despite all you've seen, all you've been through...I’m still here. Why?"

She smiled that patronizing smile again.

Her soft voice was as smooth as silk.

“You can't bear to let me go, can you? ....in all your loneliness, I’m all you have left.”

Those clear eyes searched my own.

“Then again, I could be wrong. In which case, shall we be taking my life today?”

I could’ve sworn there was a hint of mockery in her voice.

My face darkened dangerously.

“Tread carefully, Dreams. Don’t underestimate me; your treacherous half-sister Hope made the same mistake.”

She was completely unfazed.

“Drop the pretense.” She said.

She held out her hand.

"Don't abandon me now. You know you need me. Come, take my hand."

That damn patronizing tone again.

“I’m all you have left.”

I don’t know what happened to me. Maybe it was the way she looked at me, or maybe I was just so sick of it all.

Whatever the reason, something inside me just snapped.

I lunged at her and wrapped those heavy spiked chains around her delicate neck.

Snarling, I pulled as hard as I could.

I growled “I will not be manipulated, bitch!!”

My own hands bled as the flesh was shredded from them, the spikes biting deep, but I was oblivious to the pain as I pulled with all my might.

She gasped and clawed weakly at the chains.

“LEAVE ME THE **** ALONE!!!!” I thundered.

That was the last coherent thought I had before my rage engulfed me.

When I came to, she was slumped lifelessly, her neck nothing more than a mangled mess of flesh. The skin of my hands had been shredded beyond recognition. The chain dripped with our blood.

I recoiled in horror, and let go of the chains. I stumbled backwards and tripped over myself.

What had I done?

I just sat dumbly on the ground, for how long, I don’t remember.

The pain from my hands jarred me from my daze.

“I killed her?” I moaned weakly.

I stared at my bloody torn hands.

I braced myself and expected guilt and remorse to wash over me, overwhelm me.

To drown me.

But they never came.

Instead, all I felt was a strange light-headedness… as if some great burden had been lifted off my shoulders.

A smile came to my lips.

“I killed her.”

A chuckle found its way out of my throat.

“I killed her!” I grinned.

Suddenly, ferociously wild-eyed, I dashed over to her and grabbed her head roughly by her lustrous dark blood streaked hair.

I stared intensely into her lifeless eyes, those beautiful crystal eyes that I hated so much; I grinned savagely and I laughed.

...and laughed and laughed and laughed...