A Projection of Fate

Sleep never came to me since cancer took my dad from me a few years back. It had gotten so bad that I needed pills just to fall asleep. Life had become gray and dull. Nothing pleased me anymore. Nighttime was my escape from it all. However tonight a pill was not needed for me to sleep.  

My spirit floated away from my hourglass figure into a red and black world. The black ground was hard and hot. A soft breeze swayed in between the black trees. The soft silk of my black night gown graced my pale skin. A boy with long wavy brown hair approached me. His green eyes twinkled excitedly in my direction. His black suit stood out against the stark red skyline. A crooked grin danced across his face.  

“Aren’t you the girl next door?” He inquired, looking me up and down. “Why are you in my dream anyways?” Nervously, I played with my long wavy brown hair, as I looked sheepishly at the ground. His slender hand lifted my copper eyes to his glistening eyes.

“Who are you?” I inquired, slapping his hand aside. “Aren’t you the guy who always runs late to everything, and almost always cuts me off?” Rolling his eyes, his arms crossed against his strong chest. An irritated smirk darkened his face. Before he could protest, the ground quaked below our feet. Screeching rang in my ears, causing a migraine to throb. Great, you can get migraines in dreams. A large black dinosaur emerged from the long line of trees. My jaw fell to the ground at the sight of the dinosaur. My annoying neighbor looked over at me with shock.  

“Wake up!” He screamed, waiting for something to happen. “Wake up!” Nothing happened as silence hung heavily between us. Clearly we both had astro projectected somewhere else. A sly grin brightened my face at the revelation.  

“Our spirits are in another realm.” I blurted out, praying he didn’t think that I was insane. “You won’t just wake up. We have to find the door.” Glaring, he turned back to the dinosaur and sprinted off into the tree line in front of us. Of course, he would cut me off again. His head popped out anxiously, turning towards me.  

“Come on, you nut.” He yelled, motioning me towards him. “You just told me this isn’t a dream.” Hot breath warmed my neck, making me sprint up next to him. Branches smashed against my face until we finally stopped. Our chest rose rapidly, hungry for fresh air. A river of red rushed in front of me. I suppose we should probably make a raft to get across.  

“You could have held some branches for me.” I retorted, examining the black bamboo around us. “Help me build a raft to get across. Giggling poured from his kissable lips, a large grin forming on his pale face.  

“Or we could just take the bridge.” He said sarcastically, pointing to a gray stone bridge. “I thought you were the top student of the class.” My eyebrows furrowed as a scowl darkened my face. He was so obnoxious. A pregnant pause weighed heavily around us, making the moment even more awkward. Dirt crunched beneath our feet, echoing loudly around us. There was no noise around us. The silence was stifling.  

“What is your name anyways?” I asked, looking away sheepishly. “I never see you in the school hallways.” Chortling, he rolled his eyes, and crossed his arms. Thump, thump banged my heart as he looked me in my eyes.  

“I am Raoul, and you are the infamous Ruby Flicker.” He answered, blushing slightly. “Your nose is always buried deep within a book at every moment, so how could you see me. In fact I hide in the library during lunch as well. The cafeteria is too loud. I -” He stopped and glanced at the murder of crows. Tilting my head, curiosity burned through my mind. The crows just stared at us, and cawed at the same time. Something was off. A large black demon with a red suit emerged from the middle of the crows.  

“You are beautiful, Ruby Flicker.” He complimented, flickering his tongue. “Marry me, and he goes home. That is if you don’t harbor feelings for each other.” Blushing scarlet, my shaking hands smoothed my nightgown. Nausea threatened to make me vomit at the disgusting display of misogyny.  

“She is my girlfriend!” Raoul announced, pulling me closer to his chest. “In fact we have been dating for a year now.” My heart beat faster, just as his was currently. A woodsy smell filled my nostrils. The smell melted my heart, for it smelled like my dad’s. Cancer stole him from me a couple of years ago.  

“Prove it to me, and kiss.” The demon challenged, crossing his arms. “I want a real kiss, too. I am a true bullshit seeker. Lies will get you killed, and she's stuck with me.” His hand ran through my hair, his hand tracing my frightened face. He leaned in and pressed his lips against mine hungrily. The fear evaporated from my heart, forcing me to lean into his kiss. A soft pop echoed around us as he pulled away. Redness flourished on our cheeks. This felt so right.  

“He is my boyfriend!” I shouted, kissing him on his lips passionately. His arms wrapped around my small waist. A stunned look twisted Raoul’s face as I pulled away from him. Scoffs exploded from the demon, making us look back at him.  

“Too bad, she still belongs to me.” The demon growled, lunging at us. The crows burst into the sky. Raoul jumped in front of me, taking the brunt of the kick. His body crumpled into a small pile. The demon circled around me, looking me up and down. A sigh of approval tumbled from his red lips. A shiver ran up my spine.  

“I am not anyone’s property.” I groaned, rubbing my forehead. “I am my own person. Le-” The large dinosaur appeared again. With a loud roar, he swallowed the demon whole. The forest melted to my Gothic bedroom. My chest ached as my spirit bonded back with my body. My Chemical Romance rang through my ears as I booked it out onto the street. My black t-shirt clung to my finger. Strands of hair stuck to my face from the cold sweat dripping down my face. Raoul stumbled out on the sidewalk and ran up to me. The stars twinkled above us between our two boring suburb homes. The moonlight bathed us as a murder of crows cawed at us.    

“Did you mean what you said there?” He questioned, shifting his feet. “I n-” My lips pressed against his lustfully.  Scarlet flushed our cheeks, as we pulled apart. His heart was beating out of his chest. His green eyes sparkled.  

“I am your girlfriend.” I admitted, wrapping my arms around his neck. “That is if you want to be my boyfriend.” A crooked grin danced across his stunned face.  

“I do.” He replied, spinning me around. “I love to be your boyfriend. We can be library nerds together. How about a real first date without the dinosaur, and a jealous demon?” Chuckling to myself, joy filled me for the first time in the past couple of years.  

“It will probably have to be tomorrow though.” I teased playfully. “I don’t think anything is open at three o’ clock.” Laughter erupted between us. Swiftly the crows erupted into the night sky, as we waited for sunrise.