The Guardian

Maya's POV (Inside her dream) *viewer discretion is advised* I looked up at the shackles around my wrists and then looked across the room to a figure standing up on a wooden chair barely keeping their balance on the flimsy chair. I looked to the side and found two girls huddled in a corner with a bigger boy covering them. I could hear the faint sounds of screaming on the other side of the room. My heart was beating loudly in my chest and I took a deep breath in to keep myself calm but failed to keep the raising panic at bay. The clacking of metal against metal, the blood curdling screams on the other side of the door. I wanted to cry but I knew I couldn't. The sound came closer and closer. I knew the real nightmare was about to begin. Why was I the only to be punished? But at the same time, I wouldn't wish it upon those in the room with me. I swallowed as the wooden door slammed open. The man stopped by the figure connected to my shackles by the neck and scoffed. He swung the sword in his hand with one fluid movement and something sprayed in my face. I could feel a scream rising from the back of my throat but I knew, I couldn't let it out. My eyes widened when I felt a touch on my swollen knees from kneeling on the ground for days. I looked down and there it was. The woman's head. Her eyes staring directly at me. I let out a shuddering breath and forced myself to have a neutral face before looking back at the monster in front of me. He had a grin on his face as he slashed the air with his sword, letting the blood that had settled on it fly. He swung the sword in my direction and I was anticipating the quick ending. But there was no pain just the numbness of my arms dropping to the ground, my body following. I landed on top of the head and I scrambled as best as I could but it was impossible with the numbness in my body. A sob wracked my body as a sole tear dropped from my left eye. The man angered by my show of weakness kicked me over and began kicking me over and over. "My lord. What do we do with the children outside?" The man's right hand man asked. Children? What children? Curiosity got to me and I opened one eye and peaked through the open door but the sight was gory. There was blood everywhere and in the middle of the gore was three children, all older than me by 2 or 3 years. And that was young because I was only 5 years old when this happened. But there is a scent amongst the gore that I will never forget. Amongst the blood and gore, a soft scent of pine and spices hit my nose and it lit up the light within myself that was slowly dying. But the man's next comment doused the happy feeling I got from this odd scent. "Kill them, they are of no use for me anymore." ... I burst awake from my bed as the man's foot connected with my head. I rubbed a hand down my face and looked around. I was in my room drenched in cold sweat and chuckling like a maniac to myself. What on earth was that dream and why was it repeating itself over and over? Was it a memory? Or was it a premonition that something bad was going to happen? "Rose, you ok?" My friend ran into the room with a worried face. I gave her an ok sign with my hand and slowly moved the remaining quilt off me. I sighed and looked at the time. 4:35 am. And then I looked up at my friend, then back down at the time, and back at my friend and raised an eyebrow. She scratched her head and gave me a sheepish grin. I guess she had a fun night. "What are you doing in my house, in my room?" I asked as I stood up from the bed slowly. "I climbed through the window?" "I live in the penthouse suite on top of a building." I raised my eyebrow at her. She shrugged and cleared her head before turning around. I looked down and saw that I was still decently covered, I was still wearing my underwear and a tank top. What was she getting shy for? She's seen more skin on my body than even my mom. I raised an eyebrow at her before entering the bathroom and taking a cold shower. I stayed under the water but as always the dream had disappeared from the deepest corners of my mind and I couldn't remember what it was about. She was setting the table when I left the room. I padded over to the table and sat down. She passed me a cup of water and got a cup of coffee for herself. We began eating slowy but I stopped eating without finishing all my food. She took my plate away and wrapped it before leaving it on the counter, knowing that I would eat when I felt hungry later on. I wasn't really a breakfast person but only ate because she didn't like eating by herself. "Olivia, what really brings you here?" I asked, sipping on my water like I was sipping on coffee. "You don't have any work so I was thinking we could go on a vacation for a couple months, Somewhere quiet." She looked at me sheepishly. "The truth, Olivia." I deapanned. Vacation my ass. "Honestly, you've been working non-stop as if something is troubling. perhaps its time you let loose and went somewhere?" She raised an eyebrow and as she stared at the large dark circles under my eyes. I let out a sigh rubbed the sleep from my eyes. This was true but going on vacation was not going to fix it. So all I could do was go to the place where it all started. That old cabin of my childhood where all the blood and gore was. My memories were locked away and for a good reason, perhaps I had to visit my land, specifically a person, to strengthen the wards on my memories. Or unlock my memories altogether.