Dreams

It was very cold. I couldn't even feel my toes. The moon was shining very brightly but that didn't stop darkness from closing in.

I suddenly felt the dirt under my feet slowly eating and digging through my toes even though I wasn't moving. The eerie look of the dead trees on every side and beyond made the setting more terrifying.

With my blurry eyes, I was able to discern a distorted and amorphous figure not so far away. I took a step forward toward the dark shadow. I wanted to end this once and for all. I needed to see who was following me.

"Zhan, wake up! followed by thuds on the door.

My eyelids fluttered open as my body automatically sat up on the bed. I was sweating profusely, as usual.

"Wake up or I'm going to have to fight with your door and God knows I will break it down." My guardian, Jane, was yelling at me with her unusual sense of humor.

"Mom, you don't have to threaten him. And don't brag about your pampered body, the door's made of sturdy oak." I could also hear her daughter, Rose, from the other side of the door and I could only imagine Jane raising her hand to slap her with a boast.

I circled the room with my eyes. Fortunately, nothing was out of the ordinary. Since I started dreaming about Aunt Selene repeatedly, I began to be cautious about myself.

I wiped my clammy face with my old towel. It was almost December, and the cold weather was swiftly approaching yet I would sweat every time I dreamt about that cold and dark place.

So weird...

It was no different from what I had dreamt of in the past week.

The same setting…

The same feeling...

Only every time I dreamed about it; it kept getting more detailed.

Another bang came to the door which brought me back to my senses.

"All right, Rose," I replied as soon as I opened the door and looked into her large blue eyes. "That's too much."

"It's called love, bro," she replied as she took a bite out of the wheat bread with sticky and gooey stuff inside it. "Do you want to make extra cash after whatever mom wants us to do for her?"

"I don't think it's called love. I think it's called puberty. Will you snap out of the immature antics? Because if you've got body problems or something, you got to talk to mom. Don't pour it all up on my freaking door," I retorted. "And yes, I would like to make extra cash."

After taking the last bite of her wheat, she wiped her hands on her clothes and pulled me back into my room.

You had the same dream again? A concerned tone creeps into her voice.

It's kind of weird. I started but was interrupted by Jane yelling at us to get out and deliver milk.

Get dressed, we will talk on our way out. She gave me a smile that didn't reach her eyes before she stormed out of my room. I grabbed a change of clothes to take a quick shower; I felt sticky after all that sweat.

I liked the pleasant things about Rose. She's 19, blonde with blue eyes. She wasn't boring although sometimes she would not make sense at all and other times, she talked like she had given birth to her mom. She wasn't hot-tempered or strict, she didn't get mad easily, and despite being 19, she still had plenty of fun and often acted childish and girlish.

And that's why I teased her that she was still undergoing puberty. However, because of her wit, she would turn the whole thing around and state that I looked old because she acted young.

Sadly, she was too young for her built...

Good morning, Jane, good morning James. I greeted them and picked an apple from the tray on the table.

I told you to call me mom. Jane yelled at me.

The last time I called you mom, you threw a knife at me." I retorted before running out of the kitchen.

I don't care what Jane throws at me. She throws things at Rose and also at her husband, James. The woman has a temper that cannot be controlled.

Three years ago, Jane and James picked me up when I escaped Aunt Selene's lab as one of her rats. I had no idea where I was or how far we had come. 3 days later, I woke up in their house to Rose's blue eyes staring at me. I was found on the street beside two dead bodies and they discovered I was still breathing faintly, so they helped me.

They are farmers and live in a village not far from the city. We deliver milk to the villagers once or twice a week.

I took a quick shower and wore a shirt, tucked it into my pants, and used a belt. I then wore my boots.

We loaded gallons of milk into the truck and headed out. Rose drives us everywhere. I was always afraid of leaving the village because I did not know who was who, until Rose informed me we were in Argentina.

Spill, she said and turned to look at me as she drove out of the compound.

Yes, it was the same dream, but some other things added up. They were still vivid in my memories. This is not like the usual dreams where I am in chains and being injected with things.

It was the night we escaped from that godforsaken place. Do you remember how I told you that I started hearing footsteps? Well, the most recent detail that had been added was the mysterious dark figure. I didn't know what that meant or who it was. This was certainly a cryptic dream of labyrinth meanings. I sighed.

But no one pursued you the night you escaped, right? The sound was barely audible, but my hearing is excellent.

NO ONE, I mumbled.

Great. You are safe then. A genuine smile appears on her face this time.

You mentioned extra cash earlier. I asked Rose as we delivered the last gallon of milk.

Yes, we are heading to Wang's Manor. The young masters are coming in for a few weeks. You remember Celine my friend? She called to tell me about it. She and her mom were supposed to clean manor but they went to town. She smiled happily.

The Wang's were super rich. They were known for their wealth and collections of luxury cars and private jets. I have heard the villagers talk about their wealth, but on the underground dungeon everyone is aware they are vampires, old and powerful. I am sure Rose does not know or she would start obsessing over them like she did with me. When she found out I could do a lot of things that weren't natural.