Death Doesn't Let You Dream - I

"Lady Nesrine, wake up! It's morning already." I heard a gentle voice following the cannery's chirps.

"It's been a while since I heard a voice so soothing, must be a pretty dream," I thought and squished my eyes to sleep a little bit more.

The pillow wasn't hard, the blanket wasn't making me itch, and the cloth I was sleeping on wasn't pricking anymore.

"It must be a dream!" I snuggled myself into the blanket for a little, even dreams like this were a sight of the Blue Moon for me.

"Lady! Wake up! Lady!" The same voice came closer and I opened my eyes, the bright flash blinded me for a moment, then with a small peek, I saw a middle-aged woman standing in front of me.

She wore a maid's dress and had a face with little wrinkles. There was a faint smile on her face, and her brown eyes looked at me.

But who is she? And where am I? 

I looked around, and I wasn't in the basement! I wasn't in the narrow space between cardboard boxes nibbled by rats, no garbage, no spider webs, and no moist smelly floor.

There was big parchment on the wall that said...

[ Praises to the Goddess ]

[ 18th Ugil 1479 ] 

[ 6th Lunar day ]

It was some sort of calendar.

For some reason, there is a bed under me, a normal wooden bed with a mattress and bed sheet. I was in the room, a neat and clean room, there was a wardrobe and a mirror close to it.

There was a small candlestick close to the bed, and the room seemed like a normal room for any young girl.

Is this a dream?

"Lady Nasrine, are you ok? Are you surprised just by looking at your room? I cleaned it up while you were sleeping, I thought you had gotten tired of cleaning it up by yourself until now…" the woman chuckled and handed me a water bowl and another maid came in holding a mirror.

"Who are you?" I looked at the woman and she seemed taken aback.

"What are you saying, lady? I know I don't usually clean your room but isn't acting like this a bit rude?" She had a forced smile like my aunt had when anybody asked about me and she said I am fine…

I got out of bed and went close to the other maid.

I looked in the mirror and saw a young girl. She had emerald green eyes with bags under them and silver hair, but they were dry and short. They were cut unevenly, she had chubby cheeks…

"wait…is this me?" my heart started racing, I looked around and realized this isn't a dream, I am not in the basement, I am not around the people I know, I am not even the person I know!

My breath felt uneasy and my heart didn't calm down, I dropped to the floor and looked at my fingers, pale skin, and chubby body.

It was different from a skinny body…

"What's going on? Where am I? And who am I?"

I turned to the maid and she looked at me with widened eyes.

"What happened, lady? Are you sick? Please pull yourself together, today is a big day for you! Duke is ready to see you off. Please get ready!" The maid gave me her hand and I collected myself.

I looked down and the maids started dressing me up.

While they were at it, I tried to figure out what happened, but nothing came to mind.

As far as I can remember, I am Ari Hanao.

I lived with my aunt and uncle, and last night I was-

A sudden pain in my head struck, 

I…can't…remember anything…

I tried so hard but I couldn't remember anything.

In a few minutes, they dressed me up.

I was trying to recollect everything before I woke up in this body, but I couldn't remember what happened to me.

Nor could I get anything about this heart.

They dressed me in a white dress and escorted me out of the room and after walking a few minutes I ended up inside a great hall gilded by silver and gold.

The furniture looked like a fairy tale and under a starry chandelier a family of three stood there.

There was a middle-aged man dressed in a blue fur coat and with a little white hair in his hair and beard, he had a golden cane with a tiger head handle.

A middle-aged woman with blond hair, dressed in a beautiful green dress, had a fan of peacock feathers in her hand which she covered her face while looking at me.

Besides her, there was a young blond girl, who had her arms crossed, she was beautiful like a model I had seen in magazines I found in trash cans. 

Suddenly the girl stood up and walked towards me, I stared at her in awe as her pretty face closed up to me…

*slap!!* 

She slapped me out of nowhere, 

How much time does it take you to get ready, you ugly pig!" she yelled at me.

"Leila!" the older woman treated her, may she help me… 

"help-" I tried to utter,

"Leila, can you not ruin her face, there's plenty of area on her to hit, just not mess her face. Maids have done a good job just to make her worthy of seeing, now you will ruin it." The woman patted the shoulder of her daughter with a gentle smile and didn't even look at me.

I froze up on the spot thinking about what happened and suddenly, I remembered my aunt, needless to say, was just like her.

I bit my lips looking down and trying not to shiver and cry.

What's happening who are they? What did I do? I can't-

*Kill*

A voice echoed in my head, I forgot about my pain and for a second I lost my senses too.

"Enough both of you! How dare you hurt my daughter!" The man spoke and walked to me...