Daytime dreaming

A distant voice jerked Vanessa from her thoughts when she found herself in an unfamiliar place. It was dark here, the only light the moonlight spilling from behind her. 

Her muscles tensed with her head snapping to the end of the hall. The sound had come from around the corner, and it came again. A voice, she realized after a moment to be of a woman. Perhaps a cry from pain?

Her heart skipped a beat.

Despite the blaring alarm in her head warning her to run away, Vanessa drew closer creeping down the hall and around the corner where cool lantern light spilled from an open door at the end of the corridor.

The sounds grew louder, closer. 

A few steps away from the door, she realized that what she was hearing were not cries of pain. Very much the opposite actually.

The door was wide open. Who could blame her for looking?

Vanessa peered around the frame. It was someone's bedchamber, a grand room covered in silks and arts. On the center of it was a large bed covered in fine silk bedsheets. Two figures, entwined with each other tangled over it.

 A girl was beneath him, an expanse of golden skin gleaming beneath her messy black hair that sprawled all over the place. He leaned over her, clutching her hips from behind.

Vanessa only saw his back and her tangles of hair, her arms splayed and gripping the bedsheets to brace herself as he drove inside her viciously. With every thrust, his muscles flexed beneath his skin.

The man looked majestically beautiful. His movements growing faster, harder, flesh slapping against flesh, leaning against her and falling over her back.

Clutching her fingers around the doorframe, Vanessa watched shamelessly. A flush rose to her cheek. He made a sound, a rough exhale that made the hair rise on her arms. She could feel the heat spreading from her cheeks to the tips of her ears.

With this, the two figures collapsed together and with their ragged breath, Vanessa actually choked to her breath when she saw the woman's face which was very similar to hers- actually she was in the frame with that man.  

Before she could react anything, she was dragged down from her slumber. 

Panting heavily, her eyes flew open. She was somewhere relieved seeing the familiar ceiling, but the dream was still fresh in her mind. 

Gasping for breath, she slowly sat up, the soft cushion of the wooden chair beneath her offering a welcome relief from the tangled chaos of her dream. She found herself bathed in the warm glow of sunlight filtering through the small window of her father's pharmacy.

Vanessa couldn't believe she was having such erotic dream in the middle of the day. Who was that man? Whoever he was he seemed to have a strong gene. Her cheeks burned as she recalled his rough exhale.

She had only turned nineteen, few months ago and here she was having such steamy dreams.

Her ma says one's dream represents one's subconscious thoughts and feelings. So, does that mean this is her subconscious feeling? To want a taste of it?

Vanessa shook her head not wanting to dwell much in this thought and possible reasons behind her dream. She glanced around the room, grateful that her father had not caught her in the midst of her unintended nap. The pharmacy was quiet, save for the soft ticking of the grandfather clock in the corner and the occasional creak of floorboards beneath her feet.

She rose from her seat and stretched her limbs, taking a yawn. Her eyes swept over the familiar surroundings of the pharmacy.

From a very young age, Vanessa had spent countless hours at her father's side, learning the art of healing that had been passed down through their family for generations.

 Meanwhile, the familiar creak of the pharmacy door drew her attention. Vanessa turned to see her father; his arms laden with bundles of fresh herbs gathered from the forest. His face was weathered and lined with the passage of time, but his eyes sparkled with warmth and kindness as he greeted her with a smile.

"Good afternoon, my vinnie," Theodore said, his voice as comforting as the gentle murmur of a brook. "I hope I didn't startle you."

Vanessa returned his smile, her heart swelling with affection at the sight of her father. "Not at all, Papa. I was just tidying up a bit."

Her father chuckled softly as he set the bundles of herbs on the counter, the fresh scent of thyme and sage filling the air. "Well, it looks like you've done a fine job of it. I must say, the pharmacy is in good hands with you around."

Vanessa felt a flush of pride at her father's words, her cheeks tinged with warmth. Together, they unpacked the bundles of herbs. Her nimble fingers deftly sorting through the fragrant leaves and blossoms.

With each passing moment, a heavy silence hung between them like a shroud. Despite the warmth of the pharmacy and the fragrant aroma of the herbs, an invisible weight pressed down upon them. Theodore carefully sorted through the herbs, his movements slow and deliberate, and Vanessa could sense the turmoil brewing within him.

She knew without a doubt what was weighing so heavily on his mind—the looming fear of the Blood Moon tournament, and the cruel fate that awaited his beloved daughter.

Suddenly, his movements stilled, his gaze fixed on the jar in his hands as though seeing it for the first time. A tear slipped down his weathered cheek, tracing a path through the dust and grime that coated his skin.

Vanessa's heart clenched with pain at the sight, her own eyes welling with unshed tears. "Papa," she whispered, her voice barely above a whisper. "What's wrong?"

Theodore's shoulders slumped, his breath hitching in his chest as he struggled to find the words to express the torment that gnawed at his soul. "Vinnie, my dear," he began, his voice thick with emotion. "I can't bear the thought of you...of you having to...participate in that dreadful tournament."

Her heart ached at the pain in her father's voice, knowing that his fear for her safety was consuming him from within. She reached out and gently placed a hand on his trembling shoulder, offering what little comfort she could in the face of such overwhelming despair.

"Papa, listen to me," Vanessa said, her voice firm and steady despite the tremor in her own heart. "I know what lies ahead is terrifying, but I refuse to let the fate dictate my life. I will face whatever trials come my way with courage and resilience, and I will survive through it all. You have raised me to be strong, Papa. I will not let you down." Her smile reached her eyes.

Theodore looked up at his daughter, his eyes couldn't believe this girl before him. "You are the bravest soul, Vinnie." he said, his voice choked with emotion. "And though it pains me to see you participate, I know that you will face whatever challenges lie ahead with the same strength and grace that you have always shown." In his heart, he knows that Vanessa won't be with him forever, in their life, helping him with his work on this pharmacy. 

The day she was born, he was the happiest father yet there was this sadness of having to lose her as soon as she will turn nineteen and participate in the tournament.

Not every girl who has participated in the tournament survived and the one who survives will ascend for the next trial. But, even emerging as winner, they have never returned to their families and dear homes. Simply, it was their fate. Either they will die eventually or survive.

Vanessa smiled through her tears, her heart lighter knowing that she has her father's love and support.

Taking birth as a daughter in this village was a curse for both the family and to the girl herself. Vanessa knew it better than anyone else when she saw her dear friend fall prey in the hands of the beasts while surviving through the trials.