DYNASTY OF BLOOD

The secret

"Mummy, Mummy, Mummy, wake up. They are gone. I won the game. They didn't find me. You can wake up now." I screamed as I held on to my mum's white dress with blood all over the floor. She wasn't waking up. I heard the sound of the door. Someone's coming. I left mum and moved to where dad was. He was holding mum's hand and his body was a bit far from hers. It looked like he crawled to her, to hold her hand.

"Dad, can you wake up, please? Someone's coming. You said if I felt scared I should call you. You chase the monsters away." I cried harder because he wasn't answering. Dad never ignored me, but he is now.

"Dad." I finally see the stranger's boots as he opens the door. I shivered in fear, and then I heard his voice.

"Well, well, well, look what we have here." He enters fully, and I'm about to look up at him to see his face, but then I wake up panting, in my own sweat. "Bloody fucking dream."

I stood up and went to the kitchen to drink some water. I didn't want to wake my aunt up unnecessarily. My Aunt Kate was nice to me, the only family I had left, and that was why I couldn't tell her what has been bothering me. My big secret that I've kept. I'm able to see or more accurately dream the future. How messed up is that? A year after my parents' death I started having weird dreams. I was confused at first. I couldn't understand anything. But after the road incident which happened when I was 14 I finally understood.

I dreamt of a car on fire and the face of a dead man on shattered glass the night before. The next morning my school bus was running late. I opted for a ride, so I don't miss my test. When the car arrived it was the same one I saw in my dreams. I wanted to ignore my dream but I just couldn't. I apologised to him and cancelled. A few minutes later my bus arrived. On our way there was an accident. As our bus passed I looked out the window. I was staring at the exact scene in my dream. It was the driver, his body on the floor, his face on shattered glass. It was horrifying but that was when I knew that my dreams weren't ordinary. I didn't tell anyone because I knew they would look at me like I was insane. But my solace was that those dreams were not everyday.

But now there was a dream I had more frequently than normal. It's been repetitive. It felt like someone was calling out to me but I didn't know what to make of it. But almost every day for the last four months I dreamt of it. I decided to go back to bed.

I stood in the middle of darkness. The place was hazy. I felt cold. "Is anyone there?" The only reply I got was the echoes of my own voice. I started walking but it led nowhere. The darkness was consuming.

"Is anyone there?" I yelled again. This time a door suddenly appeared. It was a wooden door and there was a little light bulb at the top. The words Le Serpentine etched on the door. So I walked closer but it seemed I couldn't quite reach the door. It suddenly opened and when I looked it was also dark but I heard the sounds of music from it. Sounded like jazz. Then I heard a voice, a whisper. "We are waiting for you, Dreamer."

I woke up panting. I brought my hand to my face. I was sweating. The loose strands of my hair which didn't fit into my loose packed bun stuck to the sides of my face. And I must have screamed because my aunt rushed into my room with worry clearly written over her face.

"Hey sweetie, I heard you scream. Are you okay?" She sat down next to me on the bed, her eyes observing me from my head down.

"I'm fine Auntie, it was just a nightmare." I gave her a little smile just because I didn't want her to worry so much.

"Are you certain?" She asked while standing up to leave.

"Yes." She was already at the door, about to leave, when I decided to ask. I mean she might know.

"Have you heard of the word Le Serpentine?"

Her hands on the door paused. She turned her head to look at me. She walked back to my bed and held my hand.

"Where did you hear that word, sweetie?"

"Nowhere. It's just... just in the nightmare I just had." Opting for a half truth instead of lying to her face.

I put my head down so she doesn't look at my face and spot the lie. But instead her hands tightened around mine like she would pull it off.

"Oh my gosh, you have been dreaming haven't you? You have been seeing things, Isadora?"

"How did you know?" I asked, also surprised by her reaction.

"Oh my girl, I'm so sorry. I should have known." She was hugging me so tightly, and patting my back. She finally let me go. "Why didn't you tell me, Isa? How long have you been seeing things in your dreams?"

This was it. The cat was out of the bag. I contemplated lying for the sake of both our peace but this was like a shadow looming over me. And clearly my aunt knew something. If there was ever a chance to get an explanation to the horrors I've felt in my sleep, the fear which have turned me into such a lonely person. Since my parents died I haven't understood why I was the way I was. And looking at my aunt, the look on her face, I knew I couldn't hide this anymore. I have a chance to get answers so I take it.

"Since I was twelve." My voice came out low but I felt a weight lifted off my shoulders at my admittance.

"I was so negligent and careless. I should have known. If I did I would have found a way. Possibly helped. I don't know. Prepared you better."

"Prepared me— for what, Auntie?" I looked at her, anxious to know what exactly this was. "What should you have prepared me for?"

"Isadora, there is something you should know."

"What is it? What should I know?"

"You are a dreamer."