Cloak

Chapter 1: A Dream

I'm lying on a cold stone floor. The room is dark only lit by the dim light of several candles that cast over the tall walls around the room. The room is large from what I can see which isn't much. 

Looking around the room I can see an altar. It is the same cold grey color that matches the cobblestone floor and on it appears to be a leather bound book with cracked edges and yellowing pages.

I feel the cold seeping into my skin and notice I am lying completely naked on the floor with not even a blanket covering my body. I feel fear suddenly overwhelm me. I have no idea where I am or how I got here.

Looking around the room to gain more of an idea as to where I am I see silent figures standing around me wearing long red cloaks that reach the floor. The hoods of the cloaks cover their faces making shadows cover any hope of identifying them. The cloaks make it impossible to tell if the figures are male or female as they are bulky.

How did I not immediately notice these figures before?

"Welcome," they all whisper.

...

I suddenly sit up in my bed surrounded by familiar sights in the comfort of my own room. I am sweating and my heart is racing almost pounding out of my chest. I calm myself by taking a few deep breaths.

"It was just a dream," I say to myself reassuringly.

I look over at the clock on my bedside table. It reads 5:06am. I groan internally. There's no way I'll be able to get back to sleep after that dream.

I throw the duvet off of my legs, and turn my legs out of bed. My feet touch the cold wooden floor and I am more awake than I was before. It's winter and I like to have my window open all year round. My mother used to tell me I would catch a cold but I feel after years of the same habits my body has become accustomed to the cold.

I stand and walk across the room to the open window. I pull back the curtains and close the window. Outside snow is slowly falling onto the streets of my neighborhood blanketing the landscape below ij a crisp white layer.

I sigh, I'm sick of the snow I wish I lived in a climate where it rained more than snowed. 

I turn towards my bedroom. I glance around the comforts of the room. The walls are painted a light grey, the dark hardwood floors contrast nicely against the walls. The room is simply furnished with my bed, pushed into the corner and my nightstand against it. My desk sits next to the window where the night before I had been working on finishing up my assignment for class. There is a tall dresser on the other side of the window next to my closet. 

I walk towards the door to my room and open it. I feel weird sleeping with my door open. I have a lock on my door and I usually lock it before I go to bed at night but I must have been exhausted last night as the lock was not turned. Strange.

I walk across the hall to the bathroom and turn the light on. It is bright and it takes a moment for my eyes to adjust. I turn to look into the mirror glancing at myself. I have dark circles under my eyes from a lack of sleep. They stand out starkly against my light complexion. Dark brown-black hair frames my face and falls down to my face. My hair is a mess from sleeping on it. My hazel eyes look back at me appearing a more green color today. 

I sigh, and say to myself "yet another sleepless night".

I turn on the shower and undress out of my pajamas they're just a grey tank top and pink pants with cats almost drawn all over them. I toss my clothes onto the floor and step into the shower. I wash away all the thoughts of my dream.

...

I step back into my bedroom wrapped up with a large towel around my body and another wrapped around my hair. I glance over to my bed and notice my cat Luna sleeping peacefully on my spot. She is four and her black coat is already starting to show grey hairs. She's so cute when she's not being a menace.

I dry my hair with the towel and begin combing out all the knots. After this process is completed I go over to my closet to decide what to wear out today. I decide on black leggings and a forest green pull over sweater.

After getting dressed I put my textbooks and my laptop into my bag and head downstairs to the kitchen to eat something before leaving for the day. As I walk into the kitchen I notice my roommate Lisa sitting at the kitchen island eating toast.

"Good morning," I say.

"You're up early," she replies with her eyebrow raised.

Lisa is a stunning blonde. She is tall, with bright blue eyes and curves that anyone would drool over but surprisingly she doesn't have a boyfriend. I am envious of her and try to hide it. She has been my best friend since we were 8. I live here with her in the condo her father purchased for her while we go to university.

"I couldn't sleep much. I keep having the same dream and honestly it's starting to get to me," I finally answer while reaching up into the cupboard for a plate.

"Is it the one with the red hoods," she asks.

"The very same," I reply digging around in the fridge for the eggs.

I turn on the stove and grab a frying pan from another cupboard. I put the pan on the stove and add a little oil into the pan. Once the pan is hot I crack two eggs into it and spice them with salt and pepper. While they are cooking I put two pieces of bread into the toaster.

"What are you doing today?" I ask Lisa.

"I don't have a class until 10 today so I think I'm just going to lounge around in my pajamas and catch up on some shows," she says giggling.

I smile while flipping my eggs. I don't know how one person manages to keep track of so many shows at once.

"How about you," she asks me when I don't reply.

"I have a few classes today, I was up late working on the assignment for my first class today," I sigh.

"That's probably why you're always so tired Dani, you never know a normal time to go to bed," she replies sarcastically.

"I know, I'm a procrastinator," I reply.

My toast pops from the toaster just as I finish cooking my eggs. I butter my toast and pour my eggs out of the pan and onto my plate. I eat quickly as I am already running late. I grab my bag off the chair and wave goodbye to Lisa with my mouth still full of food.

...

I walk out onto the street and get into my car. It's an older small blue suv. I toss my backpack into the back and rubs my gloved hands together before trying to start my car. I turn the key and the dreadful screeching noice fills my ears. 

"No, no, no," I say pleading, "please don't do this today," I say desperately trying to start my car. I try to start it a few more times before my forehead falls against the steering wheel in defeat.

Suddenly I am jolted when I hear a knock on the window. An attractive man is standing outside my car. I open the door of my car and glance into the most beautiful green eyes I have ever seen. His light sandy blonde hair falling over his eyes. "Do you need help?" He asks in the deepest most melodic voice I have ever heard.