The Fates Intertwin

01 | A Nightmare

"What? Raspberries? The magical legendary fruit? "

In a circle sat Claire and her four cousins together around a hill of rasberries in the midst. Her eyes never left the red fruit, eager to have a one shoved in her watery mouth, and know what magic it had. However, Ken shot her glares with an unsatisfied look plastered on his face which she wasn't aware of. He just wanted her to notice his anger and annoyance towards her but the rasberries distracted her from the surroundings. Being defeated, he shot a long sigh before distributing the fruit, each got a handful except for the lovely . . .

"Huh? What about me? " The surprised Claire scoffed in disbelief. Ken replied with a 'no' head shake and said, "Think about what you did first. After you know and learn from your mistake, you may have yours to eat. "

"Excuse me, Mister brag, what mistake will this innocence do? " she boasted with an eyebrow raised, begging for an explain.

"Ah. Innocence you say. This anti-innocence bug wormed around, here and there, unaware of what danger she will be put in, even telling someone about her whereabouts she didn't think off, " he blurted out with fumes coming out of his nostrils. Claire shrank from his reprimand and pouted with her shining glassy eyes her blushed cheeks, looking away. Vanessa shot him a pair narrowed eyes and signed at her, to which he rolled his eyes and thought for some solution to satisfy the two parties.

"I will give you the rasberries, " he uttered and Claire at the same moment rose her head looking at him with glimmers of hope.

"Under one condition. "

Her tongue felt itchy to be sticked out at him, but any wrong move would make him take back his word. She remained silent like an obedient puppy waiting from his master the commands to do.

"Promise me that you won't go anywhere without informing me before, " he stated in a serious tone. After a while of thinking about the future of raspberries, she finally passed her answer.

"Humph! Okay! " She huffed with furrowed eyebrows, "I, lady Claire promise that . . ." she remarked before a devil smile was planted on her lips. Swiftly, in a couplet of seconds, she snatched the berries from Ken's grip and ran away, standing behind Vanessa.

"Promise that I won't promise! " she shouted victoriously raising her hand that was full of raspberries. Ken gazed at her curiously, before realisation washed over him, and noticed what feint had happened.

"Claire! Come here! Give them back! I swear- "

"Na, na na, na na, na~ "

"Ken, don't waste your energy. She's a sly fox that will do what she wants no matter the cost, " Eyonzo spoke to the tall man chasing after the puppy, but was ditched by him. "He's placing his mind in level of a child younger than him with 9 years, " Kyonzo sarcastically muttered, and Vanessa didn't have something in hand to do but sigh at her childish brother.

A swift turn from him, and Ken finally caught Claire, who gave a weird chicken yelp.

"Leave me! Leave me! Leave me! " She cheered optimistically from between her giggles as he wrapped an arm around her neck and the other one played through her short blonde hair strands.

After what felt like donkey's age, the merry situation was settled, and it was the awaited moment. Claire's eyes shone brightly, brighter than the Sun, for having the golden chance to admire the raspberries and taste the so-called 'legendary rasberries.'

-Its magic is so powerful that a bite can give energy and strength, and cure all the wounds.

These were the words told for her about the fruit. The reason of her over excitement was these said words, for they got a misfortune not to have any chances of eating good food in such conditions.

"Owwwww! Too delicious for my tongue to endure! " She squicked at the juicy sweetness once it touched her tongue, and how smoothly it melted inside her mouth, as if she was taken to a never ending dreamland. The others nodded in agreement of what she said. They all were careful to not rush in eating them to appreciate this moment, admiring and pondering over the taste. . .

Claire glanced at everyone around her with a broad grin glued on her face and her heart leaped for joy. Everyone's mood was lifted and their spirits brightened, all storytelling gow their day went and giggled together in delight. She thanked the whole universe for granting her the best family she ever wished to have, in the very moment she was in need for. Growing without the embraces a loving mother or a caring father was so harsh for her small heart to bear. But they ensured to make her feel like she had them or she wasn't missing them, showering her with all the love and gifting her all their happiness. In such a hard life and its poor simplicity, yet they managed to laugh and smile, love and hope for the better.

The day went all good and well. Night had arrived, time to sleep was it. Everyone laid down and stargazed, as there was no roof to block them from the twinkling stars. They chatted and giggled, so peaceful and happy moment. One by one, they gave up and their eyelids closed, allowing them to drown into their worlds of dreams. Except for Claire. In her sleep, she was sweating with moans in the midst of night.

"No don't leave me alone. I don't want this, " she moaned, more like shouting but in a whisper. She was panting from suffocation and her breaths felt like burdens on her chest. She felt like losing life before her eyes snapped open suddenly shouting, "NO! "

She was intemperately sweating and got a hard time breathing, loudly. The sudden tears shone like pearls on her cheeks under the moonlight. Soon sobs came out escaping her lips and she straightaway covered her mouth and stood fleetly going away before her sobs could grow louder and wake someone. She couldn't catch herself anymore, so once she was sure far enough, her palm was removed automatically, for her loud sobs to break the dead silence. She cried and bawled and her body was furiously trembling, and soon felt down as her legs got numb and couldn't carry her body anymore.

"T-this c-ca- can't be t- true. It can't be true, " she sobbed in fright from between her heavy breathing. "I- its just a- a dream. No m- more than a dream. "

She stayed there, sniveling and talking to thin air for comforting herself, yet her being was still shivering. She wrapped her arms around her body as she felt cold, more like hugging herself, closed her eyes and tried to get rid off that nightmare, but it was a failure. She thought that sleeping would help, so she got up and with wobbling knees she walked and in her place she lied down. She closed her eyes for a moment and opened them. Closing and opening. But no sleep, suffering from insomnia.

Later, the black sky turned bluish, calling for the dawn. Everyone soon woke up full of freshed energy, ready to do their day-to-day routine. None did feel suspicious about Claire, she laughed and joked as if nothing happened, but her inside was stormed. She couldn't help but her mind kept tingling to the nightmare.

Everything was so normal; Ken and the twins went out hanging with friends and searching for food to eat, Vanessa going out meeting her friends and Claire, for the first time in all history, sticked to her side which Vanessa felt anxious about it, but after a couplet of seconds of thinking about it, she found that it was better and safer for Claire to come and stay with her. Once they reached and joined the friends' group, all chatted and laughed but Claire couldn't hear anything but silence, her mind was somewhere in different dimension.

The day was calm, too calmer than usual, and that's what scared her. Many dark thoughts and guesses filled every gap in her head that she felt suffocating. She decided to have a walk nearby to get rid off this aura and thoughts of her sinful brain.

[" I am just overthinking about it. I need to stop. "] she told herself with determination. Oh, but no. She wasn't overthinking or something. What she feared of already was at the doors knocking.

A sweet walk was it, Claire thought, until Ken appeared in front of her, sprinting in full speed towards them and behind were the twins trying to catch up with him.

"Run off! They're attacking! " Ken yelled. She was all shocked and fetishist at her place with eyes that were about to pop out of her ghostly pale face. Dread washed all over her, as if the Angel of Death was staring at her, smiling.