AWAKENING

My eyes flew open.

My heart pounded violently against my chest. I was soaked in my own sweat as my body shivered nonstop. My nightdress clinked to my wet body. I felt strangely scared for some reason I couldn't comprehend.

Was it the dream I just had?

It had to be the dream.

Wait, what dream was it again?

I closed my eyes and tried to think.

Tried to remember but it was all blank.

I tried again, squeezing my eyes shut even harder.

I used my left hand to massage my forehead in the process yet nothing came back. It was all blank.

Except.

I knew it was a scary dream. But for some unexplainable reason, I could not bring myself to remember the dream which got me so shaken up.

Inhale and exhale Xena. . .

I wasn't going to let my scary unknown dream ruin my day. Since I couldn't remember it, I could as well forget it. It was already morning and I had to get ready for the day. After all, I had errands to run for myself as well as my mum.

I sat up on my bed and stretched noisily while inhaling the salty sea air. I got up and glanced at my blurry reflection in the mirror which sat on the purple wall of my room. My room was a typical example of a young lady's room with everything arranged in order. Unlike other girls my age.

Suddenly, I saw something on my face. I froze.

I rushed to the dressing table which was connected to the mirror and wasted no time in retrieving my glasses. It was still where I had kept it last night. I put it on and quickly checked my reflection again. There was something red on my nose. This brought an unsettling feeling to the bottom of my stomach.

What was this? Could it be. . . blood?

What could blood be doing on my face? Did I hurt myself last night?

I slowly brought my already trembling fingers to feel around my nose. I didn't feel any pain there or cut on the nose, which kind of felt strange.

Why was there no pain? Maybe it was not my blood?

It would make more sense if the blood wasn't mine. After all, I could not seem to recollect any injury or pain in my nose.

If it wasn't t mine, then. . .whose was it?

A flicker of fear crept to the pit of my belly, making my heart race.

How did someone else's blood get on my nose?

I brought down the fingers I had put on my nose to inspect the stain on them. That was when I realized that it wasn't blood. I breathed a sigh of relief at that revelation.

It was just paint. There was only one person who could play such a dirty trick on me like this.

Kelvin!

I should have guessed it immediately after seeing the stain. Kelvin, my really annoying brother, could be playful sometimes. He also found fun in pranking me in different ways. I should have been used to it by now.

I had to get back at him. . .

First, I had to freshen up. My curly dark hair was a mess and I had to get all the sweat off my pretty caramel skin before planning revenge on that rebel I got as a brother.

So forgetting all about my unremembered scary dream, I proceeded to the bathroom and took my time scrubbing my body; as well as the red paint which Kelvin had put on my face.

Getting out of the shower, I decided to wear blue denim jeans and a pink sweater. I also put my hair up in a loose bun and decided to check my reflection again after putting my glasses back on.

My eyes were a lighter shade of brown, compared to my skin and I felt the outfit looked great on me. It revealed my slender shape and the mild curves I had.

Rema won't be able to stop staring when he sees me in this.

The thought of Rema brought a stupid blush to my face. I always blushed like an idiot whenever I was with him.

Enough thoughts about Rema. It was time to attack Kelvin!

I opened the door to my room expecting to be hit by the welcoming smell of breakfast my mom made every morning, but there was nothing.

Strange, hasn't Mom made breakfast yet?

She probably woke up late today.

I proceeded to Kelvin's room. It was opposite mine. I barged in without even knocking. He always hated it when I did that and I wanted to irritate him.

"Kelvin! You better watch your back because I will be coming for y—" I stopped my threat midway.

Something wasn't right.

For some reason, Kelvin's room was tidy and his bed was neatly made. Kelvin never tidied his room.

The arrangement of his room was another universe compared to mine. Starting from the theme colors to what was contained in them. His room was literally outer space theme and it had never once been tidy since I'd known him –and I have literally known him all his life.

"Kelvin are you okay?" I asked expecting him to reply, but there was no answer.

Maybe he's sick? Sick people behave strangely.

"Kelvin?" I called. Again, there was no answer.

Was he hiding from me?

I checked under his bed, his wardrobe and even his bathroom but I couldn't find him.

Where was he?

"Kelvin?" I tried calling one more time, my hands getting sweaty from nervousness.

"Okay, this is so much strangeness for one morning. MOM? DAD? I think Kelvin has eloped with a girl!" I accused him, hoping to make him step out from wherever he was hiding.

The thought of Kelvin actually eloping with a girl made me laugh. Maybe I should have said Kelvin eloped with a female android. That sounded more like Kelvin.

Mom and Dad should have answered by now.

There was no response from any of them.

What was going on today?

Leaving Kelvin's room, I marched to their room which was down the corridor, right before the stairs that led downstairs. I let myself in and like Kelvin's room; it was also empty.

Empty.

"Mom? Dad?" I called, my voice grew weak from the frustration of not getting a reply. This was beginning to annoy me.

Maybe they're downstairs.

I ran downstairs, taking the wooden stairs two at a time. In another account, I could claim that I flew down the stairs.

"Mom! Dad! Kelvin!" I called again with a firm voice as I descended the stairs. Yet the only response I got was from my heart which was beginning to feel restricted in its cage. Fear was slowly creeping into my bones, but I refused to let it consume me.

This was only a stupid prank!

The stairs led into the sitting room. Our sitting room was decorated in a brown and white color theme. Every room in the house was, except for mine and Kelvin's room.

In the sitting room, three armchairs were arranged around a large transparent table made of glass. The table was my Mom's favorite furniture in the entire house. If anything were to happen to it, then the entire house would be screwed.

The cozy fireplace was before the armchairs as well as the table. The kitchen was to the right of the stairs. The door leading to the outside world was between the sitting room and the kitchen.

Moving around, careful not to scratch mum's table, my heart squeezed. They weren't in the sitting room either.

This was a prank. Be strong Xena.

I moved to the kitchen and like the rest of the house, it was empty. There wasn't even breakfast. I stood in the empty kitchen for a while, staring at nothing in particular.

Where are they? Daddy doesn't do pranks.

My heart stopped. I was panicking.

Calm down Xena. . .they're probably somewhere in the house. Maybe it's a game. A different sort of prank. A good prank. . .that dad approves?

Yes! It has to be a game. They want me to find them!

So I ran back upstairs and searched the room to room. Starting from my own room, Kelvin's room, Mom and Dad's room, the guest room, down to the attic but they weren't there.

I went back downstairs and checked the storeroom, every corner of the kitchen, the sitting room, and down to the restrooms. I even checked the empty space under the stairs but there was still no sign of them and I was starting to lose my perfect mental state.

They want you to break!