"Nora?"
I turned my head to the direction that the voice came from. My best friend of years, of my life, stood there with her arms folded and a frown on her face.
"What's wrong, Vee?" I asked, reaching towards her. She looked terrified – her eyes wide and scared as she looked at me. Wait, no, she was looking behind me. I tried to turn around, to see what Vee was so scared of, but suddenly my feet were stuck to the ground. I couldn't move. I tried to speak to Vee, to get her to tell me what was behind me, but it was to no avail. "What is it Vee? What's behind me?"
"The clock ticks, Nora," A voice that I knew so well… "And the hands are not in your favour. Running won't stop time. It's set in the stars; it's fate. And it won't be long until he catches you." The familiar voice said. When I blinked, I found myself unable to reopen my eyes. He was in front of me now, I could tell, and the back of his hand caressed my cheek. "It's a shame this is how it has to be… you're not too awful to look at. Quite easy on the eyes, actually, that might help you where you're going."
"Where," My voice was shaky, scared. I cleared my throat so I could speak without my voice quivering. "Where am I supposed to be going?"
"It's not where you are supposed to be going, Nora. It's where you are going. And I can't tell you that, it's strictly confidential. But you're a smart girl – you'll probably figure it out soon." That's it. I knew who exactly that voice belonged to, and it shocked me to the core that it was them who spoke. "So you recognize me now, do you? I thought it'd take you less time than that to figure out who I was but eh, never mind. You got it in the end, right?" I heard a movement, like the flutter of wings. "I'm sorry but it looks like I have to go. We'll catch up next time you decide to pass out on your desk in class. By the way, when you wake up, the answer is forty."
I woke with a start, my eyes flashing open. That was a dream I'd rather forget… but I knew I couldn't. For some reason what his said registered important to me, and I knew it was significant not to forget.
"Miss Grey, what's the answer to this question?" The teacher asked the moment I awoke; an eyebrow quirked as he knew full well that I wasn't listening.
"Um, forty?" His eyes widened for a second before he said,
"Correct. But next time, please refrain from falling asleep in my classroom, you understand, Miss Grey?" Although he said it nicely, I could sense a borderline threat in there.
"I understand, Sir, and it won't happen again." I replied, disoriented. If I wasn't still confused about the dream-that-possibly-might-not-be-a-dream I'd have blushed, but I was too distracted. Vee noticed this.
"Are you okay?" She whispered from her seat next to me. "You look like you're about to throw up…"
"I think I have to go to the nurse," I replied, giving Patch – who was half way across the room – a glance. He looked gorgeous as usual, leaning back in his chair like he couldn't care less. But when he caught my eye I noticed the wonder there. "Alone." I tore my eyes away from him and raised my hand.
Worth continuing? Just a l'i'l introduction kind of thing so, yeah, it's meant to be short.