The Fated One

There was a chill in the air. The kind of chill that wakes you from your sleep. The chill did exactly that. Caraxyes shivered in her single bed, grabbing onto her own shoulders in a poor attempt to hug herself warm. She started to awaken. As her eyes opened, she could see her own breath. Within this came a feeling of disappointment. Mum hasn’t paid the heating bill again. Despite being witches and even some members of the family having the ability to create fire from their fingertips. Bills still had to be paid, and use of magic for the extent to avoid bills was forbidden. Even though magic was allowed, it was still a capitalist world meaning that the humans who ran it had strict rules on when magic was and wasn’t appropriate. It was the conditions of the co-existing treaty that was made years before Caraxyes was born, even her grandparents were only children when it was made. It almost seemed unfair to have a treaty follow through generations despite technological advancements soaring throughout the world. It just didn’t quite make sense. But then again not much did to Caraxyes. Being 18 and the pressures of the world that come with it both Magic and non-magic, meant that it all felt a bit wrong, and she most certainly felt very out of place. Caraxyes was a dream witch. It was evident to her mum that this was her path from a very young age, always lost in another world. Witches’ powers are extraordinary amplifications on normal human emotions. Where a normal human may be labelled a day dreamer, always lost in the beautiful world of imagination, a witch would truly be in that world of imagination, able to astral project themselves into the environment, create worlds, create almost anything if the witch was powerful enough. The dream realm was an already created world in which a dream Witch could access with ease. For humans and other witches, the dream realm is one they can only access if they are invited once asleep. Some humans are even able to interact, but these humans are often found to have Witch blood from generations back yet have been watered down into the human society rather than their witch origin. Caraxyes spent her childhood lost in the worlds of others, often forgetting which one she truly belonged in. That’s the burden of a dream witch, being able to access so many different realities and able to do almost anything given the power and intent can make reality feel a little dull. There had been stories of dream witches meeting others like them and choosing to leave the world behind and live in the different realms on offer, this had been forbidden for years, but there were murmurs that it was still happening. Despite only being murmurs and rumours, the prospect excited Caraxyes, The chill remained in the air as she managed to pull herself from her bed. Looking over at her sisters already made bed she knew that she may have over-slept. Scrambling towards the mirror upon the realisation that she was then late for the morning meeting with her family she gazed upon her morning face with contempt. She analysed the work that would need to be put in to making herself look almost decent for the meeting that she faced. That important, do not miss or be late for meeting that’s been drilled into her for 6 months. The meeting where she would be told about him. Her fated one. The thought made her shiver, but she refocused on her face. She was already late, so it seemed fruitless to rush. As she combed through her long black hair which frizzed in all directions refusing to be tamed, she opted for the messy bun, the only look her hair would allow her to do whilst looking as if it was on purpose. She plucked at her thick black brows and applied mascara to her bold brown eyes. Caraxyes had always liked her eyes, there wasn’t much she liked about herself but at least she enjoyed the way her eyes sat on her heart-shaped face. Her mother had always told her that she was a beautiful child, and then a beautiful girl but in herself she didn’t feel it, not compared to her sister or the models she had seen in the magazines. Regardless, Caraxyes settled herself with the idea of her mundane face with the prospect that there was at least one person who was fated to her who would hopefully enjoy her features even if she felt they were unimpressive and boring. Hair up, face presentable, hoodie and leggings chucked on, Caraxyes ran out her room and down the curved stairs. The heat from the fireplace in the kitchen adjacent to the stairs was starting to rise hitting her as if she had stepped out of an aeroplane from a hot country. She came through the door and grinned at her family all waiting up the farmhouse table in their kitchen. “Your late” Her mother said, stoic in expression. “I know, I overslept I’m sorry” “You? Oversleep? Honestly where were you” Caraxyes knew what her mother meant. She knew that she wasn’t really supposed to be going galivanting into the dream realm especially on nights where she had college the next day. Even though this gift was marvellous and one that Caraxyes often enjoyed. It did come with its issues. One being that the next day a brain fatigue will set in, whilst your body has rested the mind has been in other worlds, creating an overstimulated brain but a rested body. This internal conflict is something a dream Witch had to master but very often didn’t. “I wasn’t anywhere, I just slept” She lied. “Sure, anyway come get breakfast, it’s an exciting day” Her mother chipped like an excited bird, clapping her hands together and even a slight dance in her shoulders.