Melinda turned in her bed. She looked up at the wall clock, it was in the twenty second hour (basically 4am) and she'd not slept a wink.
She left her room, candle lamp in one hand and made her way to the kitchen to get water.
As she took a gulp of water, her headache didn't seem to reduce.
She leaned on the kitchen counter and cursed at herself.
She heard someone walk in and looked up. It was a petite woman, a cloak veiling her appearance. She stood a reasonable distance and did nothing, Melinda could not see her face but she was certain that the woman was peering at her.
"What's the matter?" She called out and got surprised by her voice crack and massaged the front of her neck.
The woman didn't move or respond. Now, Melinda was offended
"Remove that cloak and show yourself"
For a while the woman stood still and then eerily began to make her way to Melinda. Melinda on the other became defensive and backed away.
"Such insolence will not be forgiven, show me your face at once"
The woman did not stop until Melinda was backed against the wall and could no longer do anything.
This greatly startled Melinda but she was of the opinion that a stupid servant was making a prank.
"I swear...who are you?!" She yelled this time around, in her frenzy she looked down and almost became paralyzed.
The hem of the woman's cloak was dripping with something, something dark, pungent and offensive, something red...blood
"Who are you?" She asked again, this time in apprehension.
The woman moved to remove the hood of the cloak and Melinda unconsciously flinched.
"It's me, your secret" the woman said in a sweet, whispery voices that sent shivers down Melinda's spine.
As she unveiled herself, Melinda beheld a disfigured woman, blood and dirt obscuring any detail that could point to who she was. Blood oozed from her mouth and nose.
Her face was grotesque that it took Melinda a while to know.
The woman said again this time no longer with a sweet facade "it's me Qaya"
As realization swept across her, Melinda let out a terrified shreak that spoke her whole body...out of the bed she'd been sleeping in.
"My lady what dream causes you such discomfort" her lady in waiting, Ginele asked with a cold but worried tone.
"It's just a dream?" Melinda asked herself as she took in her surroundings, she was in her room.
"It's just a dream" she said again this time a voice tinged with relief and worry as she stared at the nail she'd bitten off, the bloodied bedding and then the wall clock.
It was the twenty third hour.