The Flames of Dreams

SELENE slowly dragged her feet towards the black sedan car waiting at the Empire Hotel entrance while several men in a black suits walked behind her. She heaves a huge sigh, completely drained out. The cold weather makes her feel even worse. A forced cough from her side made Selene straighten her back. It was a subtle reminder from Patrick to watch how she acted in public. It's not like she's a celebrity or something. Likewise, the hordes of bodyguards watching her every move doesn't make her feel secure. On the contrary, it feels suffocating.

However, Patrick doesn't share the same sentiment regardless of what she says. Selene smiles faintly and rubs her arms to fight the growing cold seeping into her skin. When a sudden gust of cold wind blows in her direction, she tightly wraps her arms around her body to stop herself from shivering. Suddenly, a dark heavy fur coat is gently wrapped around her body that instantly warms her up inside.

"I told you to dress warmly. How many times do I have to tell you that?! You know that you get sick easily," Patrick fumes while impeccably securing the coat on her frame.

"Stop nagging," Selene replied tiredly. She watches as his eyebrows furrow so that it almost knits together, and a protruding vein in his temple twitch harshly. 

"That's because you always give me a reason to do so!" 

Selene shrugs and continues the tiring trek towards her car. She didn't wait for him to open the vehicle for her. Selene swiftly grabbed the handle, opened the door, and slammed it shut once seated inside the backseat. She stares off the space outside to distract herself, but a sickly sweet smile and shameless eyes of a young man checking her out from head to toe while lingering too long to her chest reappear vividly in her mind. She bangs her forehead on the tainted window and tries to stomp down her irritation.

"Stop doing that. You'll hurt yourself," Patrick chided. He starts the car engine and slowly drives outside the curse perimeter of the hotel.

"Don't—! Don't talk to me." Selene almost yelled at him but stopped herself at the last minute. She glares at him through the front view mirror.

Patrick chuckles in response, "Are you still angry about the dinner? You keep refusing, so I had no choice but to set it up without your knowledge. Anyway, you managed to survive. I just didn't realize you'd show up in a pair of black sweaters and jeans. Thankfully, you had the common sense to wear decent sneakers."

"Shut up! You told me that we're just going to eat together. Why do I have to dress up for you?"

Patrick roars out a hearty laugh, and her ears almost fall off because of the vibration. "Awww, you're hurting my feelings, but you sure do attract different people. This time, you got entangled with someone weird." 

Selene kicked Patrick's seat as hard as she could, but it didn't bother him. He remains rigid and immovable as a mountain. He didn't have to hire bodyguards for her if he was already acting like one. It annoys her even more.  "You mean he's a pervert," Selene stated coldly.

Patrick playfully glances at her. His dark eyes twinkle with amusement while his trademark smirk is perfectly etched on his lips. "You don't like perverts? I thought you had a thing for that."

Selene rolls her eyes in exasperation. Patrick enjoys teasing her to the point that she tends to slew a string of curses in his way wildly. However, she will not give in to his enjoyment. This masochist needs to learn a lesson. 

  "Shut up, or you will find yourself dumped in nowhere. Don't ever think about doing it again, or I'm going to end you," Selena said with a threatening voice while giving him the best glare she could. 

"Why do you always have to make my work difficult? Luca is our new brand model. Do you know how difficult it is to convince him? It's only natural that you meet him over dinner."

"He already signed the contract. If he requests another meeting just like today, send Anastasia. She's a lot better at handling that kind of person than I do."

"What are you saying? He likes you more than Anastasia."

"Patrick, do you still want to be my secretary? If you're getting tired of it, I will be more than willing to accept your resignation. I will be worried if you're always having a hard time. After all, you're still my best friend."

He shook his head while his shoulders trembled faintly. Judging by his action, he can barely contain his laughter. "That will not happen. I'm here to keep an eye on you," Patrick added flippantly. Though his statement may come off as a joke, it bears heavily in Selene's mind. How many years has he put up with her? If only he could get rid of that insane sense of responsibility, things would be simple for him. He should just let go of her and not be guilty about it.

Selene stares outside the car window, trying to distract herself by focusing on the strangely bright night sky. The night sky is dotted with thousands of tiny little stars, while the moon remains hidden behind the dark clouds. The view from the balcony must be stunning right now. She shouldn't have gone out. Selene is itching to go home at that instant. However, Patrick had to open his mouth and further ruin the mood. 

"It's rather lonely to be spending the rest of the night alone. Do you want me to drop you off in your sister's home instead?"

"Stop worrying about me. I will not die of loneliness. Besides, we have a trip next week. We will spend some quality time by then just like you wanted"

"Is that so? Then, how about I sta—" 

"Stop worrying about me," Selene repeated, immediately cutting him off. "I know what you're concerned about, but I'm not going to break just like before. Isn't that why I've been attending that stupid therapy session with Dr. Martin?"

"Now, I'm worried. You just called the therapy session as stupid."

Selene doesn't have the energy left to argue. After all, Patrick will never stop nagging at her. She just doesn't have the heart to shut him off completely. He must have noticed the silence and instead took that cue to change the subject.

"I've already arranged your schedule for the next three months. I sent it to your email. Things will get busy, so I suggest you take care of your body."

Selene pulled out her iPad from her bag and scanned through her email. She opened the one sent by Patrick, and her eyes almost bulged out from its socket. He wasn't joking when he said things would get busy. Though Selene thinks a busy schedule has its merit, it will stop her from thinking about other things. She nervously clears her throat and looks at Patrick through the front view mirror. "Did—did you keep my schedule free tomorrow until Saturday?"

Patrick chuckles, "I did. Where are you going anyway? Your trip won't be until Wednesday."

Selene breathed a sigh of relief. "I'm not going anywhere. I'm just going to rest. As you said, I will take care of my body." she replies, trying to keep a poker face. She has to be careful. Patrick has a knack for catching bald face liars just like her.

Patrick glances at her suspiciously. She smiles in return.  "Tell the bodyguards to go home for tonight and not bother coming back until after next week," Selene added. "It's uncomfortable if they're going to be on a constant watch. I won't be able to relax." 

The whole bodyguard incident started when some strange paparazzi obsessively trails her almost every day up to her house to get his golden scoop. She didn't understand why he had to go to all that trouble; she's not even a celebrity. She had appeared in events, but that's because of its promotion and charity works sponsored by their business partners. Although, Selene had to admit that she is somewhat partially at fault for why she caught the media's attention. It's all because she had dinner with an A-list celebrity who is a womanizer. Though they talk about nothing but work, the media likes to spin stories to make them more romantic than it looks. Her face became the front cover of news tabloids. She even wanted to cover her whole face when going out.  Although she doesn't want to repeat that, it is still frustrating to be continuously watched.

Patrick must have caught the look in her eyes. It was his turn to sigh. "Just call me if anything happens," he stated sternly. 

"I will. Don't worry," Selene is glad that Patrick has some sense of not asking further. That is also one of the reasons why she likes working with him. Though he can become overprotective, he still gives her privacy when Selene needs it the most. As if she could always tell him everything, particularly with what's bothering her these past few months.  It's embarrassing to say it to Patrick.  Selene's aware that he always sees her as a fragile glass that gets easily broken even with a small amount of pressure. She just wants to handle it this time without his help. Luckily, Dorothy knows someone who can help, and they agreed to meet tomorrow.

When the car finally pulls up in front of the house, Selene clumsily arranges her things and straightaway opens the door.  However, Patrick abruptly stops her in her tracks. 

"Don't get into trouble. See you soon."

Selene smiles widely. "I will be gone for a while, so take care of my work. Though, I permit you to slack off sometimes. See you soon." 

Patrick grins from ear to ear. "Is that my boss or my best friend talking?"

"Both," Selene waves goodbye and signals him to go home.  She waited as the car pulled out of the driveway before going inside. Selene can finally be alone and feel at ease. She just hopes that she will have a peaceful and dreamless sleep.

SHE IS RUNNING IN THE DARK.  Her breath gasps out in a painful rhythm. However, she couldn't stop. Even though strained from excessive running, the muscles in her legs still urge her to run. It's as if someone is chasing after her, and she's running for her life. 

"I can't stop, or I'll be caught. I don't want to be caught." Selene repeatedly chanted in her head.

The thought of getting caught sent all the hair on her body stands on end. It chills her body and squeezes her heart tight. It became even more difficult for her to breathe. Dark spots slowly dance in her vision. Selene's body is getting sluggish, and it feels like her legs are turning into lead. She can't run any longer, and she is almost reaching her limit. Her whole body is already screaming for her to stop.  Selene frantically searches for a way out, but she can't see anything but darkness. As if realizing that she's getting slower, the footsteps following her become louder and harsher. As if it's getting desperate to reach her. Selene looks at her back instantly, trying to make out the following figure, but she still can't see anything. Before her body can even complain, she starts running again.

"Run! Run! Run Selene!  You can do it!"  Selene uttered endlessly.  When Selene thought there would be no end to it, a bright white light flashed before her, and the scenery changed. 

Selene is standing in a wide field. She looked up at the sky, and she was greeted by the enormous blood-red moon hanging in the air with the horizon dyed in the color of blood. Her gaze bounced back to her surroundings, and she froze in her spot; her mouth opened in a silent scream. Selene's stomach churns at the sight. A thousand lifeless bodies litter the cold hard ground, their bodies swimming in their blood. When a sudden gust of wind blows in her direction, it carries a metallic odor and a smell of rotten flesh that it feels like she tasted at the tip of her tongue. Selene's entire body is consumed by cold dread. She hugs herself to stop trembling when she feels a heavy object in her hand. Selene's eyes bulge in shock when she holds an ancient-looking sword cake with dried blood. It was her first time having a sword, yet it perfectly fits in the palm of her hand. 

"I'm the only one left. Kill me, and fulfill your duty," a dark-haired young man bathed in blood and barely standing pleads in front of her. His shining-silver eyes were slowly losing his life. Suddenly, it's as if her body is moving on its own she swings the sword in a graceful arc, aiming straight for the stranger's neck. Selene's cold, rigid expression reflecting through his eyes smacks her awake from a trance. Horrified, Selene screams at the top of her lungs and finds herself waking up from a dream.

Selene clutches her drench shirt and pounds her chest to ease the sudden onslaught of pain. She was sweating profusely, and she couldn't control her rapid breathing. The air conditioner doesn't do much help to calm her nerves. She looks at the LED clock on her bedside table and groans aloud.  It's only three in the morning, and it will be difficult for her to go back to sleep. Selene threw off her blanket and went to the bathroom to wash her face. Selene opens the faucet. The steady sound of water becomes almost too hypnotic as it flows down, somehow calming her. 

"The dream, it's different this time," Selene murmurs absent-mindedly. She saw her face reflected in his eyes. When Selene dreams, it always feels like she's being tortured and killed on purpose. However, this time around, she became the murderer. 

Selene clenches her teeth and tightly clutches the edges of the sink. She squeezes her eyes shut, but the shining-silver eyes of the young man vividly resurface in her mind. Selene shakes her head and slaps her cheeks. She starts washing her face and rubs her eyes with cold water, again and again, until it stings. Then, Selene grabbed the towel from the rack and wiped off her face dry. Upon closer inspection in the mirror, her face is ghastly pale, and her dark eyes are bloodshot. There are also dark circles underneath her eyes, tangible proof that she has difficulty falling asleep. Her shoulder-length hair also looks lifeless, just like her. How she wishes this would end. 

The lights went out in the bathroom without warning, and everything was dark. Selene freezes in place, and a silent scream erupts from her mouth when she sees a glowing pair of eyes staring right at her through the glass mirror.

"Save me! I don't want to die. Remember our promise." a trembling child-like voice calls out from the glass. Selene opened her mouth and tried to speak, but her voice wouldn't come out. She instinctively clutches her neck and lightly squeezes it while trying to talk again, but Selene still can't hear her voice.  Her heart pounds wildly, and her whole body is encased with dread that trying to run away becomes almost a futile effort. However, Selene tries to gather the remaining courage that she has. She clenches her hand into a tight fist and slowly inches away from the glass mirror despite her shaky knees. She needs to get out of the bathroom as soon as possible. 

When Selene thought she successfully got away even just a few meters, things had taken a turn for the worse when a pair of pale, bloodied hands reached out from the mirror. Her knees finally break down, and she finds herself frantically searching for the exit on all fours. When Selene reaches the doorknob, she gathers all her remaining strength to stand up but inadvertently bumps her head on something hard. The next thing she knew, she fell flat on her back. She can feel a warm sticky liquid dripping down her face. The pain radiates from her head to her back, rendering her temporarily immobile. Dark spots start clouding her vision, and she can feel her consciousness slowly fading away. Then, everything went black.