Every night you creep into my dreams

It seems so real but it's a fantasy

You come into my room, come to me

But it's just a fantasy…

The dreams didn't happen until November.

Mercedes lived her life as normal as a teenage with self-esteem issues could. Eat, purge, brush, rinse, and repeat. Gargle salt water so her vocal cords weren't ruined, step on the scale and measure her sins, then get ready for the day.

Okay, so it wasn't normal. But it was her normal, and she was okay with it. Nobody bothered her about it because they didn't know. Nobody knew Mercedes was slowly dying. Not her parents, not her 'friends', no one. She wasn't sure anyone would care anyway. No one thinks it's possible to have an eating disorder when you're fat.

Mercedes didn't purge to be skinny; it was more of an anesthetic. Nobody realizes when they talk about eating disorders that it's a safety net to those that have them. Something happens when all of the calories are purged from your system, that's what no one understands. You become superhuman, you can do anything. You see brighter, you hear better, you run faster. It's adrenaline.

But one day that didn't happen.

She was gargling salt water after her routine when the fireworks in her heart started. Her hand clasped at her chest, confused. She walked out of her bathroom and stumbled to her bed. Mercedes tried taking her pulse but black dots were blurring her vision. Mercedes could swear at this moment she was having a heart attack.

Then something happened. One minute she was on her bed—surely on the brink of death—the next she was in a field filled with fog. There was so much fog Mercedes wasn't sure if it were a field or not. And oddly, this was a bright place; all the sun was shining warm on her skin, and she was floating. But still, there was fog.

Mercedes floated around the beautiful field, searching. She didn't know what she was searching for until she found him. He was as tan as the grass and his hair was the color of sunshine. He reached out a hand to her, and she took it without uncertainty.

The man pulled her into his arms and stroked her hair lovingly. "You don't know me." He said.

Mercedes scrunched up her eyebrows. "Don't I? We're here together and we're hugging. Surely we know each other."

"No." He grabbed her shoulders and pushed her away to look in her eyes. "I know you, but you don't know me. You're Mercedes, and I love you very much. You don't recognize me yet, but I'm Samuel and you call me Sam."

"Okay Sam," Mercedes said. "Why was this so important? I don't care if you didn't have a name. I feel loved, and I love you. I know I do, I feel it."

"You don't understand this yet, but its okay. You don't have to. I came to you because you're killing yourself Mercy."

Mercedes felt a boulder lodge itself in her throat. "No-"

"Shh, it's okay. I've been watching you for a while. I know everything. I know you're lonely and sad. But you don't have to be much longer. I've come for you."

"What? I don't understand."

He leaned down until there were centimeters separating their faces. "You can only see me like this when you dream. But I've found a way around that. You won't recognize me the next time we meet. But I'll always be in your dreams." Sam stopped then, not wanting to say more.

"Why are you in my dreams Sam?"

"Because you need me, and I've finally found you. We're Promised."

Mercedes tried to comprehend all of this information. She knew she was dreaming, but this was too lucid to just be a dream. "Is this real?"

"Only if you want it to be, I can leave you alone if you want."

Mercedes shook her head. "Don't leave me. Stay." Sam smiled.

She looked up at his eyes and her breath hitched. His eyes were the color of a fresh cut lawn, all hazels and greens. He took her breath away. "You're beautiful." Mercedes whispered.

Sam grabbed her face in his hands. "You're devastatingly beautiful, Mercedes. I just want to show you you are. You're hurting yourself pointlessly. There's enough darkness in the world trying to steal your light. Don't take it away from yourself."

Sam stepped away from Mercedes, and smiled. She tried moving back to him before he held up a hand to stop her.

"Why are you-"

"The sun's about to overtake the moon." Sam interjected. "I have to leave now. But you'll see me soon. I promise."

I hope you enjoyed the prelude to this story. Please review and share your thoughts on if I should continue or not! Until next time!