v e r s i o n 1 - b l u e

back to Mirin-Selcea
The sandy haired girl in the messy bed stirred for the first time since she had drifted off to sleep. Her eyelashes fluttered, and then she woke. Her sleep-ridden face showed no signs of any sleeptime woes as she rubbed the evidence of the Sandman out of her sea-blue eyes. For a moment, she hesitated before leaving one of the most comfortable places on earth, and then she sadly swung her legs over the side to meet with the floor. After her blurry eyes adjusted to the strength of her glasses, she dragged the rest of her body from the bed and readied herself for the everboring chore known as “school”.
As she splashed her face, brushed her hair, and cleaned her teeth, her mind wandered over various things: the price of chocolate in the vending machines, her upcoming performance in her band, but most of all her recent encounter with a boy named Steve. However, these things were soon out of her head as she took up her bag, and hurried out of the house.
She had not walked far, when she spotted her friend on the curb. The two rushed to greet each other, hugged, and then continued on their way, chattering in the oblivious way as is common to females.
.............
Towheaded Cassia was not long on her journey home when a cold, wet ball of snow collided with her fair and freckled face. That same face tightened into creases it was never intended to have as her eyes worked to see beyond the numerous water droplets that covered her glasses.
Mattias Aidan was quick; he frequently competed in track meets, and obtained “A’s” in his physical education class, and as he could feel a particularly murderous stare on his back, he decided now was the time for action. He ducked behind a hedge, and braced himself for the return snowball that seemed to him to be inevitable. When no snow was forthcoming, the fox left his hole, and forest-green eyes darted to find his adversary. Find her they did, and no sooner had they registered her mischievous grin, than a small hand, overflowing with snow, forced the frozen rain into his face and down his jacket.
He spat out the cold whiteness, and did his best to remove what was still solid from his jacket. His ungloved hands then raised over his head, he addressed his assailant,
“All right! I surrender!”
Cassia’s contagious smile lit up her face, and her even more infectious laugh emerged soon after. The two resumed their walk, together this time.
“You fight dirty, Cassia.”
Mattias watched in amusement as she almost danced around him. She seemed to abound with energy and like a little child, she never stood still.
“No, not dirty. Dirty is hitting from behind.”
Her eyes bequeathed to him a childish twinkles as she dislodged a stray fleck of snow from her hair.
“I merely have cunning, and I must say quite a large amount of surprise on my side.”
“Well then, I will make a point of avoiding further skirmishes with you. I believe at last I have found a worthy opponent.”
He bowed with a flourish, and she returned the compliment with a deep mock-curtsey.
“So, how was school today?”
The silence after the previous joke had become uncomfortable for Cassia, and she felt it necessary to interrupt it. Unfortunately, she had nothing else to ask, so she merely employed the same much overused question that everyone else uses as a means to extinguish any unwanted quiet.
“Oh, well, it was all right I guess. I mean, It’s school, right?”
His response ended with a chuckle that was more for himself than anyone else.
“I know how that goes.”
“Let’s just say it was weird.”
He continued hesitantly.
“Oh?”
“Yeah, the whole day I felt like I was being watched and like I was all sleepy and spaced out and stuff.”
“Hmmm...”
It really was strange, but Cassia could have no meaningful response, as she truly could not comprehend it.
The sound of their feet crunching in the festively covered ground came to a halt as they approached Cassia’s driveway. She was about to keep going, but he stepped in front of her.
“Cassia, I....”
Mattias paused for a while. His face coloured, and his gaze drifted closer and closer towards the ground as if they were afraid to meet her inquisitive stare. Finally he stammered a seasonal greeting, and the two parted company.
For a moment, Cassia remained where he had left her, and her mind drifted over what he may have really meant. Finally shrugging it off as nothing, her nose gave way to the smells of Christmas baking and wrapping paper, and she ran in her usual off-balance gait up the driveway.
As Cassia entered her house she breathed in deeply and grinned. She grabbed a sugar cookie and a glass of soy milk, and then hurried up the stairs towards her bedroom. The room was small, but it was just how she liked it. Her things were cluttered everywhere, but she could still pinpoint the exact location of every belonging. After finishing her snack, the girl bent over her book until her mother called her for supper.
..............
The muscles in Cassia’s small body contracted, and eyes that were before screwed shut out of fear, now opened to survey her darkened bedroom. Nothing seemed out of place, however, Cassia still hesitated before sitting upright. Bringing up a hand to rub her eyes, her sleeptime memories of a strange pale figure with luminous white eyes returned to her. Shuddering, Cassia tried to calm herself, but the moonlike dream-woman would give her no rest. With a sigh, she escaped her coverings, and armed with a light switch, she made her way downstairs to soothe herself with a glass of soy milk.
The eyes of her dream seemed to be more than a passing occurrence, as they would not leave her thoughts. She felt her brow, but did not seem to be suffering from any malady; her hands were cold and clammy, but that could be attributed to her fear. There seemed to be nothing left to do but attempt sleep once more.
Cassia returned to the still warm bed, and closed her eyes. Unfortunately, she could not calm herself enough to bring about rejuvenating sleep, and spent the rest of the night tossing and turning in a cold feverish delirium plagued with strange people with pale skin, and glowing white eyes like the moon.
..............
The next day, Cassia’s friend Emily phoned her, and asked if she would like to go skating.
“I’m sorry Em, but I’m just too tired. I didn’t get any sleep last night, and I tried to rest this morning, but I just couldn’t. I keep having this weird dream thing...I don’t know. I don’t know what’s going on. I’m sorry Em, I really would like to.”
Haunted Cassia endured a week of life like this; she was not hungry, and could not sleep. To her relief, on the night of the seventh day, sleep finally came to her and she rested in peace for half the night. She could have enjoyed many more hours of rest before the eyes returned for a second time. This time, however, she did not wake, but remained entranced by them, and her dream-world went black.

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