Meghan was having a vivid dream.
Even before she came to the academy, she always had dreamt of four things.
A boy.
Darkness.
She and the boy kissing.
And her death.
After that, she always wakes up, gasping for breath, always wet with sweat, and no one to calm her, say to her that everything is just a dream. And she never forgot that dream because she still has it every night.
She's currently having the same dream. But now it's different.
It does not have darkness. It has a light, neon lights to be exact; they're all flashing.
A minute later, she knew that she's in a club and she starts to dance, just like everyone else.
She put her hands against the air and bow her head, dancing and feeling the beat of the bass at the same time. Meghan needed a break, her dreams were all dark and shallow and bland. This one's different.
Someone grabs her hips.
She didn't bother to look at the person who just grabbed her hips. For sure it's a man because the hands are too big for a woman. She went along with the music and grind her ass to the man's front and the man pulled her even more.
Meghan felt the man breathe to her neck and she heard him said, "Let's grind this a little bit farther from here."
And she felt an uneasiness. And she pulled away from the man and looked at him.
"Screw you asshole."
She almost walked out of the dance floor but the man pulled her.
She felt pain on her wrist, of where the man is holding her and is minding if anyone on the dance floor will see the scene. But no one bothers to stop the man and they all continue to dance. She tries to pull herself from the man who's starting to drag her somewhere. She says to the man to let her go.
"The woman says to let her go." Meghan heard someone said.
She was standing with the man along the entrance of the hallway and the other man who spoke for her was sitting on a stool at the bar. His face was staring at his rock glass with a rum in it and swirling it even though it's not necessary because it's not a wine.
"Fuck off, man. Go get some other sluts you're going to bang. This one's mine." The man started to drag her again and she tries to pull away.
"You know, you should be scared to a woman who says to let her go. You don't listen. By the looks of it, you want her against her will." He shakes his head, "Pants on fire, isn't it? Let her go." He said those words like a knife is going to get through your neck
It didn't work for the man, and before he fully turns around, the other pulled Meghan away that made Meghan fall onto the ground and watch the two having fisticuffs.
The man who pulled Meghan away touched a fist to the man near his jaw and nose hard that made the man fell onto the ground. The man on the ground didn't fight back, blood was flowing from his nose.
No one bothered to look, not even glanced at the scenario, as Meghan examined. She saw him turn around and examined him. Using the source of violet lights to look at the figure of the man, he was lean and was wearing a black leather jacket, white muscle tee, and jeans. She can't exactly see his face.
He has black hair. That's all she can see.
But she knew this was the man who was always in her dreams.
The man looked at Meghan and saw her sitting on the ground. She was wearing a thin cloth tank top with a TOKYO ROCKS design on it, a black cardigan to match the black font of the design, jean shorts, and 4-inch heel sandals. The look on Meghan's face is laced with curiosity and embarrassment and the man saw in Meghan's eyes a recognition-
"Watch out!"
For a few seconds, the man didn't know what just happened. He saw Meghan in his arms and there's blood coming out from her mouth.
Meghan felt pain and saw blurriness. She wanted to thank the man who just saved her from the man who was trying to get her and catching her falling onto the ground.
After that, she almost hears him screamed.
"No!"
-
Meghan woke up and gasped a breath.
Inhale. Exhale. That's what she's doing every time she wakes up and thinking that she was about to die from the lacking of oxygen from her body.
She will not die. Yet.
The need for water was the first thing that has come out from her mind. Yes, she needs water. Slipping her slippers to her feet, she walked and got down the kitchen. Before she even got to that side of the house, on the other side she saw a bar with many kinds of alcoholic beverages and glasses. She saw a tequila and tried to open the closet and can't budge.
She then closes her eyes. Click.
She opens her eyes and also opens the closet and get a bottle of tequila and a shot glass.
As she goes to the bar, she opens the tequila and pour herself a shot and then place the bottle on the bar. She took a shot. The tequila was good at the same time very strong. She winced and shake her head after taking the shot.
"Mind if I join you?" a voice said.
She got surprised by the deep and big voice aired around the big surface of the room. By then, she saw a man lean on the doorway, but cannot see his face hiding at the shadows at the same time. Very cliché scenario.
The man walked, a jacket clutched to his hand and said, "You know, I've been trying to get a drink from that shelf. Itchy to get a free drink rather than to by some cheapskate out there."
Both hands are both holding the shot glass and the bottle of tequila. Getting the shot glass and the bottle from Meghan, she felt electricity when he touched her. Watching him pouring a shot of tequila, she wanted to see the face of the man. Wow, so many men she'd met, though none of them she knew, even in her dreams.
This is going to be her last shot. She will see the face of the man right now.
She was wishing these broken stars to give her somehow light to see the man, how unfortunate-
"You're staring at me. I feel like a chocolate ice cream melting right now."
Her eyes widen and were shocked by his admittance. His eyes are beautiful sapphire, he has the black color of his hair and everything-his nose, cheek, chin, and mouth are all perfect.
"Have we met?" She realized that the words had come out of her mouth before thinking about it.
She saw a hint of surprise and saw him smirk, and said, "Welcome to Hewlett, Miss. Pleased to meet your acquaintance. And no, we haven't met, but yes you're sharing a glass to me, thank you very much." He poured another and took a shot. "Wow, that feels great."
Meghan was surprised at how the tequila wasn't hitting him. For a shot of glass, she always gets dizzy and fast to fall asleep. This man took two, and now taking three.
"Your turn, Miss." She forgot that she was handed with a shot glass again and took a shot again. She felt a burning sensation roam her throat even though it tasted bitter. She had enough.
After that, the man speaks, "Now I'm a little bit tipsy, I should get to my bed." As he walks away, she forgot to ask his name.
She walks fast around the bar and says to him while a little bit shouting, "What's your name?"
The man stopped walking. And turned around, glowing his beautiful face.
"Call me John." He stared at her for a few seconds, smirks, and walk away.
Now that Meghan saw his face, she can exactly tell that he's a fine specimen that came from another space. But there's one thing…
He could be the man she's looking for in her dream.
But let me tell you something. Something is off though.
-
Meghan's Poem
How can you dream a dream?
That possibly cannot happen.
How do you ride with the magic?
That you once believe is real.
Once, we were so young
To live in our fantasy
Riding our magical carpet
Thinking that our world
Has magical things in it.
Wake up, wake up, I say.
Reality is beneath us.
Have a slap on your face.
You'll never see that man in your dreams.