Chapter 8
764 Words
Nobody noticed the dark circles beneath her eyes.
Nobody noticed the way her hands trembled.
Nobody noticed anything at all.
The world continued as though nothing had happened.
The older slaves dressed.
The younger slaves yawned.
The overseers shouted.
Another day had begun.
Just another day.
Elara hated them for it.
Not because they had done anything wrong.
But because they could still function.
Still breathe.
Still move.
While she felt as though something inside her had shattered.
The morning passed in a blur.
She scrubbed floors.
Carried water.
Cleaned dishes.
Performed every task she was given.
Yet she remembered none of it.
Her body moved.
Her mind remained elsewhere.
Several times she caught herself staring into nothing.
Several times overseers shouted at her to pay attention.
She obeyed.
What else could she do?
By midday, exhaustion weighed heavily on her shoulders.
She had never realized how much she depended on sleep.
Or perhaps she had never realized how much she depended on the dreams.
The thought made her jaw tighten.
No.
She wasn't going to think about him.
Not anymore.
She was done believing in silver eyes.
Done believing in promises.
Done believing in impossible things.
Dreams were dreams.
Nothing more.
The man wasn't real.
He never had been.
By the time night arrived, Elara could barely keep her eyes open.
After the evening meal, the slaves were escorted back to their quarters.
One by one, candles were extinguished.
Darkness filled the room.
Around her, slaves settled into their beds.
Soon soft snores echoed through the chamber.
Elara stared at the ceiling.
Her heart pounded.
She wasn't afraid of nightmares.
She was afraid of seeing him.
Afraid of hearing those promises again.
Afraid of believing them.
Eventually exhaustion won.
Her eyes closed.
And darkness swallowed her whole.
---
She stood in a field of silver flowers.
Moonlight covered the land like a blanket.
The sky above glittered with unfamiliar stars.
A warm breeze brushed against her skin.
For a moment, she simply stared.
Five years.
Five years and the dream had never changed.
Not truly.
The same field.
The same moon.
The same stars.
The same man.
He stood several paces away.
Waiting.
As though he had known she would come.
Silver eyes found hers immediately.
Relief flashed across his face.
Then confusion.
His brow furrowed.
Something was different.
Elara saw it instantly.
For the first time in five years...
He looked worried.
"Elara."
The sound of her name almost broke her.
Almost.
Instead, anger surged through her.
Hot.
Sharp.
Painful.
She laughed.
The sound was bitter.
Nothing like the laughter he was used to hearing from her.
The man froze.
"What happened?"
Elara's chest tightened.
The concern in his voice only made everything worse.
"You don't get to ask that."
Silence.
The breeze died.
Even the flowers seemed to stop moving.
The silver-eyed man's expression darkened.
"What happened?"
This time his voice was quieter.
More dangerous.
Elara felt tears burn her eyes.
"No."
She stepped back.
For the first time in five years.
She stepped away from him.
The movement shocked them both.
His face went still.
"Elara."
"Don't."
The word came out harsher than she intended.
Pain flashed across his features.
Real pain.
Yet Elara found she didn't care.
Not anymore.
"You promised."
The man's eyes widened.
"You promised nobody would hurt me."
Silence.
A terrible silence.
The kind that came before storms.
"You promised you would find me."
Her voice cracked.
Tears finally spilled down her cheeks.
"You promised."
The silver-eyed man stared at her.
Something dangerous moved behind those beautiful eyes.
Something ancient.
Something terrifying.
"What happened?"
The question was no longer gentle.
No longer soft.
The flowers around them began to tremble.
The wind returned.
Stronger this time.
The moonlit field suddenly felt colder.
Elara shook her head.
"No."
She couldn't do this.
Couldn't tell him.
Couldn't pretend anymore.
"You aren't real."
The words struck him like a weapon.
For the first time since she met him, the silver-eyed man looked completely stunned.
Elara stepped back again.
Then another step.
And another.
"I don't want to dream about you anymore."
The confession shattered something between them.
The silence that followed felt endless.
Then she woke.
Gasping.
The dream vanished.
The field vanished.
The silver-eyed man vanished.
Elara sat upright in bed.
Her heart raced.
Around her, the slave quarters remained silent.
Everyone was asleep.
Yet for some reason...
She could not stop thinking about the expression on his face when she left.
As though she had hurt him.
And somehow that bothered her more than it should have.
- Writer
