Ember took a deep breath and stared up at the ceiling, the dim night light by her bed throwing odd shadows across her walls. The reason she wasn't able to sleep was probably because she had downed five cups of coffee in the wee hours of the morning, trying to calm her nerves. It had worked, for a little while, but then her plan backfired on her, the caffeine keeping her wide awake. Groaning, she shifted under the covers, trying to get comfortable. Ember closed her eyes and listened to the silence of the night, the humming of her computer's modem slowly lulling her to sleep.
Her dreams started out peaceful, but it wasn't long before they turned dark. A shadowy and barren landscape swirled into her mind, the dull grey rock beneath her feet churning with silver mist. Ember shivered and took in her surroundings, a cold chill rippling down her spine. It was completely silent, putting her on edge. The snap of a twig somewhere in the distance had her whirling around, adrenaline starting to course through her veins. All of her senses went on high alert, her breath coming out in rapid gasps. She wrapped her arms around herself and began to walk forward, only to hit a solid object that loomed up out of the mist. Ember yelped and looked up into the eyes of the thing she had run into, only to find herself transfixed by gorgeous orbs of a brilliant cobalt blue.
"Ember… you have finally come." The man whispered in a voice that sent shivers down her spine. He raised one large, callused hand to cup her cheek and leaned in close, his lips brushing her's like the soft touch of a butterfly's wing. Shock went crashing through her, along with a heavy dose of lust and desire. Her emotions surprised her, and she pulled back from his lips as if they had stung her.
"W… who… are you?" She whispered, fear and curiosity bubbling up in her chest, an odd mixture that annoyed her. Ember studied the man warily, taking in his thick curls, which were the color of golden wheat. His handsome face was all chiseled jaw and sharp angles, like that of a mischievous god's. It took her a moment to realize that his full lips had twisted into a rueful smile. She let her eyes travel back to his own, her breath taken away at the pure sorrow etched into his features.
"I know you don't know who I am right now, but I promise you will soon." He whispered, his form slowly fading into the background.
"No, wait!" Ember held out a trembling hand and tried to grab his shirt, but her fingers just closed onto empty air. She looked around, the man's absence had been replaced by three other men, their eyes boring into her skin like needles. They each held out a hand to her, inviting her to take them.
"Choose me." The one with deep auburn hair pleaded, his soft voice holding a hidden passion. He watched her with burning ice blue eyes, their depths churning with desire. Ember found herself taking a step towards him, but something held her back.
"Ember…" Her name was spoken in a sultry whisper that had her nerve endings rippling with pleasure. She turned to see who had spoken, and was surprised to see another man standing there. He gave her a decidedly wicked smile and held his hand towards her, his long fingers elegant and unmarked. His hair was the darkest she had ever seen, shining like a sheet of black water. His eyes were equally as dark, full of mystery and fringed by long black lashes that any women would be envious of.
"Choose me." He implored to her, his seductive lips turning up in a slow, sexy smirk. With a shiver, Ember moved forward, the dark and enticing man in front of her appealing to her greatly. Suddenly, a hand snaked out of the shadows, latching onto her wrist with an iron grasp. Crying out in surprise, Ember whirled to see who was holding her back. Eyes the color of a thunderstorm glared back at her, darkening as they caught her glance. The man that they belonged to held an aura of arrogance and danger about him, and his broad shoulders were fraught with tension. He frowned and pulled her closer, his fingers tightening around her arm.
"You will choose me." He commanded, his deep voice holding no room for arguments. She opened her mouth to deny him, but the man with the cobalt eyes appeared just as suddenly as he had disappeared. Closing her eyes, Ember jerked her arm away from the man's clutches and shook her head vehemently.
"No, no no…" She muttered to herself, dropping onto her knees as a loud blaring sound assaulted her ears. Covering her ears, Ember tried to block out the sound, but to no avail.
"Shut up!" She shouted, opening her eyes to find herself on the floor of her bedroom, the alarm clock sitting on the night stand screaming incessantly. With a groan she sat up and clicked the button to silence the sound. Everything seemed to be normal, but the contents of her dream still haunted her. Who were those men… she thought to herself, rubbing one arm to get the blood flowing again. With a sigh she stood and stretched, trying to work out the kinks from sleeping on the hard floor. She happened to glance at the alarm clock, and a string of curses sprang from her mouth.
"Crap, I'm going to be late!" Ember exclaimed, rushing into the bathroom to jump into the shower. Stripping off her pajamas, she turned the knob and waited impatiently for the water to get hot, shifting from foot to foot to keep her feet from freezing on the cold tile of the floor. Steam rose up above the curtain, and that was her cue to hop in. She sighed as the warm water massaged her sore muscles, but soon remembered that she needed to hurry and reached for the shampoo.
Thirty minutes later, she stood in front of her mirror, shaking out her long sheet of shining chestnut hair. She blinked as she studied her reflection, her dark green eyes showing a hint of annoyance. Ember shrugged and straightened her scarf.
"It will have to do." She muttered before grabbing her backpack and racing out the door.