Dreams At Last

by GhostWriter11202

Twyla Boogeyman has lived in the shadows all her life. Now the concept of "friends" has been brought up by her father and she can't avoid it. After escaping her father's wrath, she meets a stranger. With a secret. Will she discover his secret in time? Or will her nightmares overcome her?

Dreams at Last

Chapter 1 *Nightmare*

A living nightmare. That's what she was. If fear could take physical form, she would be it. Now don't get her wrong, she's beautiful, stylish, thin, and -well- perfect. But it's her shyness and personality trait that keeps people away. With a single touch of her finger, she could scar anyone for life. She doesn't want to hurt anyone, but it just...happens. She tends to shy away from people, afraid of hurting them unintentionally. Ironic, it is, being the daughter of the Boogeyman. It was she who was suppose to be fearless. But instead, she feared one thing, and one thing only; causing others pain. You could say she was just extremely compassionate or emotional, but when you can't touch anybody for fear of sending them to a shrink, you kind of don't do it out of the kindness of your heart. You do it out of habit and common sense.

Her Father tried to teach her to not worry about it and to just do as she pleases. That's the advantage of being in the Boogeyman family. So she did what he said and she did as she wanted; not interacting with anybody but her Father. And the time came to that of which her Father noticed that what he had said had not gotten the correct message to his daughter as to what he meant by 'do as you please'. And that time, was now.

"Twyla, please! You know what I meant." her Father tried to reason.

"Oh, but Father! You know what I meant! I'm not harming anybody unless direly necessary! Why don't you understand that?" Twyla asked, extremely frustrated, for she had said this many times before.

"Because you're my daughter!"

His voice was gentler now.

"Does that mean I automatically have to be a heartless monster?" Her Father looked at her incredulously.

He narrowed his eyes at her. "Is that what you think I am? A heartless monster." Realizing what he had mistaken her statement for, she quickly tried to order things out.

"You know that's not what I meant..." she said, tilting her head.

"I know. It's just...I want you to be happy, and it's kind of hard to think you're happy when you avoid every living being at all costs. I just want you to stop worrying and to get some friends." he looked like he really cared. Tough chance.

"Dad, I do have friends. Howleen and Spectra." Twyla said proudly.

Her Father didn't look too sure. "I'm okay with that Spectra girl, because she is somewhat like us. Quiet, likes the dark, and invisible. But the werewolf? Uh, I don't think she's one of your best choices..."

"First you tell me to get friends, then you tell me you don't like my friends. You're such a hypocrite!" After that, she stormed off to her room.

As she sped through the shadows, she slipped under the door and ran up the shadows on the wall onto her bed, where she came out of the dark and lay there softly crying.

'Why didn't he understand?' she thought miserably.

"Twyla?" she heard someone call. She didn't answer, for if it was her Father, she had nothing to say to him.

"Twyla?" she heard them call again. But she then realized that the voice was a female's and it sounded like it was coming from the corner of the room-

Spectra materialized before her eyes.

"Is everything alright?" she asked in her unnaturally soft voice.

"Spectra! How long have you been here?" Twyla asked, afraid she had heard her and her Father's argument.

Spectra looked down, ashamed.

"All of it, but don't worry, I won't post it." she said with a faint smile. Twyla stood up and hugged her, grateful for a friend like Spectra. Especially since she could high-five her, hug her, and just plain out treat her like a normal person. All of this was possible because she was a ghost.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Twyla said unconvincingly through tears.

Spectra looked at her sympathetically. "Do you really expect me to believe that?" she said playfully.

Twyla looked down and smiled sadly. "No, I guess not..."

Spectra took her best friend's hand and started to bring her towards the door.

"Come on. Let's go get your mind off of things."

Twyla stopped in her tracks. Her somewhat-of-a-smile faded abruptly. "Spectra", Twyla warned, "you know I don't like going out in public."

"I-I know, but...don't you want to go shopping, or go to a restaurant? Or go to the beach, just-anything?" Spectra said desperately. Twyla knew why she was trying to get her out. Every time they hung out it would either be at Twyla's or Spectra's house. They had never gone anywhere else, and Twyla was kind of nervous.

Twyla decided to overcome that fear for once, then maybe her father wouldn't be so disappointed in her. "Ok, let's go." Twyla said, determined.

Spectra beamed. "Yay! Let's go to the mall first! And then-..."

While Spectra rambled on, Twyla zoned out. She imagined being able to talk to people without being extremely shy. Be able to shake hands without hurting or scaring them. To be able to just live life freely. But then she remembered she's in reality and that nothing ever came that easily. And if it did come that easily, it was fake.

Chapter 2- *Attack of the Killer Clothes*

Walking through the mall wasn't that bad. She had accidentally bumped into a group of people and brought their worst nightmares to reality and sent them screaming in terror, but hey, it's been a good day so far.

Now walking into Spectra's favorite store, Spectrum Glow, Twyla finally understood her best friend's style. Spectra liked it dark, like every other ghost, but she added a little light flair to keep it different. She even added glitter.

"Let's go find you the perfect outfit! Oh! Over there!" Spectra pointed to a dark purple, strapless, knee length dress that blurred into a smokey blue. It had black diamonds outlining the top and bottom hems, and around the waist line. The dress had a see -through top layer of lace, the second layer a glittery skirt, and the third layer a light silk. It was PERFECT.

"Let's go get it!" Spectra urged.

"Do we even have enough money?"

"Of course we do, remember, I used to be royalty?" Spectra said, pointing at herself for emphasis. Twyla just nodded. Spectra smiled once again and grabbed Twyla's hand, practically dragging her across the store.

Unfortunately, Spectra was too excited and they ran into a rack of clothes, causing them to trip and fall. When they got back up, still dazed, the clothes on the rack had gotten caught on them. Spectra had gone invisible without even realizing it and Twyla was TRYING to hide in the shadows. Unfortunately, again, the store was brightly lit and there were no shadows that she could see of.

Still dizzy from the fall, the two stumbled and tripped around the store. Twyla fell into a woman who was checking out some clothes and caused fear to sweep through her.

"KILLER CLOTHES!" the woman screamed, drawing a lot of unwanted attention. "RUN!"

Moments later, everybody in the store was screaming and running, trying to flee from the 'Killer Clothes'. With all of these people running into them trying to get away, they just became more disoriented, which caused them to fall in to more people! To everyone else, they looked like a floating pair of outfits trying to kill someone. Spectra regained control and hurried to Twyla and yanked her out the door, but not before grabbing the freaky fabulous dress and throwing a wad of cash on the counter. Though there was no point in paying for the dress, because right when the cashier saw the money thrown in front of her, she backed up against the wall and pointed at it screaming "CONTAMINATED! CONTAMINATED!"

And as Spectra pulled Twyla along she yelled over her shoulder, "I have very good hygiene, thank you very much!"

Laughing when they reached two blocks away, Twyla thanked Spectra for the dress.

"It's beautiful..." Twyla said breathlessly. Spectra just smiled and swatted her hand, as if to say 'no problem'. Twyla smiled back, but her smile turned into a stressed out frown as she sunk down into a nearby bench.

"What's wrong?" Spectra said, worried by her friend's sudden frustration.

Twyla put a hand on her forehead. "My Father will be so disappointed when he hears of this." When she looked back up, she saw comprehension dawning on Spectra's slightly transparent face.

"Oh. Your Father's not the easy going kind, is he?" Spectra asked, but already knowing the answer. Twyla shook her head no. Spectra cast her sad, violet eyes down. Without a word, they walked back to Twyla's house, already knowing what was in store for them. And it wasn't a cute new hue dress.

Chapter 3 *Punishment Turns to Accomplishment*

As she and Spectra walked through the door that separated them from her greatly feared father, they turned their heads to each other and nodded.

What they saw behind the door, was very unnerving, like something you'd see in a horror movie. All the lights were off, except for one that flickered in the far off corner.

(In the Boogeyman family, your mood affected the life around you. And if it wasn't too obvious already, her father's mood was dark. As dark as the room that lay before her.)

They crept in slowly, afraid that her father was somewhere near.

...Out of nowhere a black rope made from what looked like smoke whipped out of the dark and dragged Spectra outside as she screamed from surprise, then some invisible force slammed the door shut with so much ferocity, that she flinched, worried that it would break into splinters. It didn't. All of this happened in less than three seconds.

Watching her best friend being scared and thrown out the door like that was just too much. Instead of fear, she felt anger. Anger towards her father for never understanding, never trying to understand!

She turned to the darkness and shouted, "Father! You don't just scare my friends half to death and throw them out the door like that!" But with those words, whatever it was wrapped another rope of smoke around her waist and held her up against the wall. Not so as to hurt her, just to scare her.

With her feet still 12 inches off the ground, she screamed, "Stop-Stop! Just...listen!" Out of nowhere her Father walked under the flickering, dim light and said in a dangerously calm voice, "Friends? As in plural? Ha, you only have ONE friend if I remember correctly, and I wouldn't even count HER as a friend."

Still feeling strangely brave, she hoarsely whispered, "She IS my friend!" But her temper was soon getting to the point where she realized how messed up this was; Her Father holding her off the ground without even touching her and threatening her. This was delusional!

"Just-Just let me down!" she struggled to say, each passing moment making her weaker. Struggling was a real workout.

Walking about the room casually, he said without even looking at her, "Tell me, Twyla. When I told you to 'make friends', I didn't expect you to go scaring innocent citizens around the mall-"

"Scaring innocent citizens? Oh, come on! Hypocrite, hypocrite, hypocrite! You frighten people, sometimes even traumatize them, with nightmares and cursed dreams! Every night, everywhere! And you have the nerve to tell me not to go scaring people!"

"You watch your tone with me!" he hissed, tightening the rope's grip out of pure anger, "I'll tell you when you can come out..." And with a flick of his hand, the smokey rope materialized into an unknown creature and carried, no, SLITHERED her down to her bedroom, where the window that she used to have above her bedpost had vanished. Just solid wall. The slithering specimen threw her onto her bedroom floor, which felt like a prison now. It vaporized into thin air right before her bedroom door slammed shut, splintering the edges of the wood near the doorknob. She got up, staggering, and fell into the door.

She pushed herself upright on the handle and kicked the door with all her strength and screamed, "YOU ARE A HEARTLESS MONSTER!" She kicked and smacked the door a few times more, then gave up and sank to the floor. Lying her head on her arms, she sat there for the longest time, not knowing if night was approaching, or if it had already passed.

She waited on that cold floor for what seemed like eternity, but when she was finally fed up with being confined in her own room, she got up, but immediately fell back to the ground with a dull thud. Her limbs were sore from being curled up in a ball for so long. She used the wall to lean against and searched the room with her eyes. She could just slip through the shadows under the door, but as if she hadn't already thought of that. Her father was always one step ahead of her. He had put some stupid curse over the door, so there was no in or out for ANYONE except her father. And he was DEFINITELY the last person Twyla wanted coming through that door. She looked around the room for any signs of escape, even though her efforts were futile. She knew her father was not that stupid to let even the slightest crack let someone escape once he had them in his grasp.

So instead, she sat back down on the floor and waited for something, anything to happen. Sometimes, she didn't even think of him as her father. More as someone who was forced to give shelter and food to her, but didn't really care if she disappeared or was kidnapped. It's always been this way, but he had gotten more...sensitive this past year. He was angered easily, that's why Twyla was so careful about what she did. She didn't want to disappoint him. But she had been standing up to him the past two months, being pushed to her boiling point, which had just arisen awhile ago. She still didn't know what time it was.

Her stomach rumbled. She stood up and banged on the door with annoyance,"I'm hungry! The least you could do is NOT LET ME STARVE!" She stepped back as a dark shadow silently rushed up from the door and swirled into form not even three feet away.

"F-Father..." she trailed off. He just stood there glaring at her.

"I've been thinking the past two days-"

"Two days?" she interrupted.

He cleared his throat impatiently, "As I was saying, I was thinking...I suppose you are allowed to leave your room now."

"Really? Yes!"

"But," he held up his pointer finger. "No leaving the house."

"What? Are you kidding?"

"Do I make myself clear?" her Father said, obviously not expecting a fight. And of course, she didn't give him one.

"Yes. Crystal clear," she mumbled reluctantly. He stared at her, just to make sure she was telling the truth, then left leaving the door wide open.

As soon as she heard the footsteps fade away, she bolted out of her room, through the corridors, past the spiral stairs, through the kitchen, and right through the living room to the front door. She stood hesitantly in front of it, as if it would jump out and swallow her whole. But then she reached out a shaking hand to the knob and grasped it, ever so slowly turning it, opening the creaking door. Every squeak and creak of the door made her wince. She didn't want her Father to hear her escape. As soon as the door was wide enough for her to be in the shade, she quietly dissolved into the shadows, closing the door with a point of her of finger.

Racing along the sidewalk's and tree's overcasts, she went as far as she could from her house. Not even stopping when she ran into multiple people. Finally, she found an open seat on a bench for her to take a break. Just because she speeds through shadows, doesn't mean it doesn't take work.

Panting, she materialized on the bench, startling a young teenager. She hadn't even noticed him, sitting there. Still sitting in the shade, she disappeared, not wanting to bring attention to herself. He kept looking at her, even though nobody else could see her.

She became visible again. "Why're you staring at me?"

"Oh, nothing. I just never met someone as beautiful as you," he said with a warming smile. She blushed, not sure of what to say to the flirting stranger. She looked back at him to get a better look of his physical features. His eyes were a deep red and very vivid. His hair was a sparrow black and was wavy. His clothes had a lot of white, with some hints of red and black. He sort of looked like a vampire prince, but without the fangs and he didn't wear lots of dark clothes.

"You barely know me, why are you saying that?" she asked genuinely curious.

"I don't have to know you to like you," he said it like it should be obvious.

"Well, if you don't know me, then how do you know you like me?" As she said it, she felt like they were playing a game of back-and-forth.

He seemed like he was catching on to what she was thinking. He smiled. "Well, I never said I 'knew' I liked you."

"And what's that supposed to mean?"

"Exactly what I said," he replied subtly. With that, he stood up and offered his hand to her. She reached to take it, but pulled her hand back down and stood up herself. He looked at her with a curious gaze, but didn't question. He began walking, but turned around when she didn't follow. He nodded his head for her to come along.

When she caught up she asked, "Where are we going?"

He had another one of those mischievous smiles, "Anywhere."

Chapter 4 *When in Doubt, Eat Out*

Walking side-by-side, Twyla wondered, 'Why am I hanging out with a guy I just met 15 minutes ago?'

Then she her mind drifted off to other unrelated subjects.

'Maybe the reason I've decided to trust him is...his eyes...and the way he smiles...' She woke up from her daydream and contradicted her thoughts. 'No, I can't. I'm only hanging out with him for the afternoon and that's final. No 'see you later', or 'call me' after this. We'll would go their separate ways.' Twyla was just fine with that. Besides, she'd never be able to live with herself if she caused him harm.

She put her arm around her stomach, grimacing. Two whole days without food, how is she still able to walk? These hunger pangs felt like someone stabbing her over and over.

"Are you alright?" he asked, looking concerned.

She nodded her head meekly.

"Just...hungry."

"I bet we can find someplace good around here" he said with another one of his smiles.

As they began walking again, Twyla began to sway, suddenly light headed. Two days without food wasn't supposed to make you pass out! Near to fainting, she fell.

Surrounding people stopped to stare, while a few others crowded around. He knelt down and attempted to put a hand around her shoulders to help her up, but she quietly whispered, "No!" But he hadn't heard her, for she was too weak to speak any louder. He picked her up and quickly asked someone to call 911. They pulled out their phone and dialed, panic clearly written all over their face. While all of this happened around her, she was barely awake. The last thing she heard was an ambulance siren, then her hearing sense shut down. Now all she saw was panicked people and movement all around her. She turned her head with her last ounce of strength and saw the ambulance crew hurrying towards them. Her vision started to blur, and her last thought before she passed out was, 'How was he not scared?'

Chapter 5 *Sleepover*

Waking up in a hospital bed was the last thing she expected. She had forgotten most of what had happened earlier that day, but she did remember fainting in front of everyone. Just as she was having these thoughts, a doctor walked in.

"Ah, I see you've awoken."

She just nodded curtly.

"Now, I'm going to be terse. Do you know why you're here?"

"N-no. I just remember having these sharp pains and passing out..."

"Well, has this ever happened before?"

"No."

H e just nodded his head and jotted something down on his notepad.

"Ok. I bet you're wondering why you're here and what's wrong."

"Um, yeah, just a little," she said sarcastically, but not too much. She didn't want to insult the doctor.

"Well, it seems you passed out from lack of nutrients and food. Your body couldn't function any longer without the essentials and just...stopped working."

That would be the fault of her Father. He never fed her enough, and blocks off the kitchen. She had been okay, sometimes forgetful or tired, and extremely weak, but she had been living just fine. She guessed the two days without food AT ALL had really taken its toll on her.

"Now, you'll be all right, you're just suffering from osteoporosis. Now don't worry, we have a medicine that will help you within a month at the least. Recovery could take up to six months. Just take this medicine three times a day, and you'll be set. I would expect you to eat healthy now, got it?" the doctor warned. But what was she supposed to say? Her father didn't feed her often, and he will probably leave her to rot in her bedroom once he finds out she's left the house. Which was STRICTLY against orders...

"Um, sir? If I may, it kind of depends..."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Finding it easier not to explain, she said, "N-Never mind..."

The doctor looked at her suspiciously, and nodded his head. "Okay then, now that that's settled. You can go home when you're ready. Your friend outside here has filled out the papers and sorted everything out."

"Thank you." she replied lamely. Home? Who was she kidding.

'Guess it's time to go back to prison,' she thought pitifully.

"Hey, you're awake."

She looked up to see...Oh crap! She didn't even know his name!

"Um, yeah. Uh, this probably isn't the right moment to say this, but, we don't even know each other's names."

"Oh, yeah, I'm so sorry. My name is Eros. Eros Valentine."

"My name's Tywla. And wait, are you related to-"

"Yes. My sister is C.A. Cupid," he said with a playfully mocking smile.

She laid back down with a plop and covered her face with both hands. She sighed miserably and uncovered her face.

"What's wrong?" Eros asked.

"My life," she answered automatically. He looked at her sadly, obviously wanting an explanation. She closed her eyes and nodded toward the edge of the bed, signaling for him to take a seat. He came over sat down, waiting patiently.

"It all started when my mom died..." And from then on, she told him everything.

Finishing her life story at around 10:00pm, they sat in silence. Neither of them knowing what to say, but wanting to say something.

Eros decided to break the silence, he said, "So that's why you were running yesterday; from your Father."

"...Yes."

"And, excuse me for saying this but, he's the reason you're here right now. And he didn't even come for you."

"...Yes. And he's not here because he's waiting for me at home. I snuck out, disobeyed him, and now he has to pay for the hospital bill." her voice shaking, she dread what lay in store for her. But she had felt sorry for herself long enough. It was time to go home.

But before she could even say anything about it, Eros said, "Who, may I ask, is your Father exactly?"

Bewildered as to why he sounded so nervous, she said, "Uh, he's...he's Mr. Boogeyman. You know, the guy who controls nightmares and dreams?"

He sounded distracted now, and he mumbled, "Yeah, yeah...I know who he is..."

Changing the subject, and trying to sound more upbeat, she said, "I think I'm ready to go now."

But Eros hadn't seemed to hear her. He looked like he was thinking intently.

Then he said, "Why...Why don't you come stay at my place for the night? My parents won't mind, and my sister surely wouldn't."

Her whole heart screamed 'YES!', but her mind said 'No...'. She wanted to go and get away from her Father so badly! But she knew if she stayed away any longer, she would only get a worse punishment. So, she said, "Sure. Thank you so much! Though I still don't know what I'm going to do when I do go home..."

"Don't worry, we'll figure it out at my place," he said encouragingly.

As Eros talked to the nurse at the desk, Twyla looked at the pamphlets on the sidewall. Some were medical related and others not so much. She picked up a card that read 'Monster High'. It was a school pamphlet. Intrigued, she flipped through it. There was all kinds of qualities that seemed inviting, like the acceptance on uniqueness, the classes interested her, and all the above. Eros came over and took her hand, a signal to go. She stuck the pamphlet into her skirt pocket and nodded her head, as if to say 'I'm ready'.

Walking to his place wasn't that bad, until it came to going up the hill. It wasn't that far, but it was already dark out. She wasn't complaining, really, she lived in the dark her whole life. It IS her life. But she knew Eros was uneasy. Nearing his house, they picked up the pace, both wanting to get out of the night. She had to admit, his house did surprise her. It was practically a mansion! It was pure white and had pillars in the front. Guess you could call it a "mini-white house".

"Eros!"

They both jumped in surprise as a young girl came running out of the house. She didn't look too happy and stopped in front of Eros with a glare.

"Where have you been? Mom and I have been worried SICK!"

Hearing the word 'mom', Twyla realized this must be his sister.

"Settle down, sis. I had to help...a friend." And when he said the word 'friend', he gestured over to Twyla. Eros' sister didn't even so much as glance at Twyla before continuing.

"And to think I-" But she stopped short, finally realizing someone besides her brother was there. She looked at Twyla with a wide stare, then held her hand out.

"Oh my! I'm so sorry you had to see me like this! It's just my brother here is sometimes such a nitwit. What is your name again?"

Twyla was at a loss for words. This girl could sure talk a mile a minute. Getting over her confusion, she looked down at the girl's hand, and hesitantly shook it.

"I'm Twyla. You?"

"I'm C.A. Cupid! But you can just call me Cupid. Now, what is it you're doing here? And do you know why my brother has been gone for so long? And how did you two meet? Oh! Where do you live?"

"Uh...I'm here because I needed a place to stay, Eros helped me with a situation, we met at the park, and I'm not quite sure about the house right now...I don't think my Father will ever let me come back..." As she answered those questions, she was surprised she had been able to keep up with the chatty girl.

Cupid just looked at her for the briefest moment and spun to face her brother.

"You better come in right this moment and explain EVERYTHING to Mother. From morning, to now."

"Okay..." Eros replied, defeated. As he stomped off to the house, Cupid stood with her hands on her hips, waiting until Eros was fully in the house. She then turned quickly and was all peppy again. She sure was a strange girl.

"So you're staying the night?"

"Um, yeah, I guess so. If that's okay with you, that is..."

"Oh, it's perfectly fine with me! Come, let's go to my room!"

Curious of what her room would actually look like, Twyla followed without complaint. Reaching the door to her room, which was COMPLETELY painted pink, Cupid took a moment to run back downstairs and explain to her parents why there was a random girl going upstairs. Once she came back, she didn't even hesitate to throw open her door and gladly push Twyla inside. Immediately, she started pulling her this way and that and giving practically her whole life story. When Cupid finished, she yanked Twyla to her pink ribbon covered lace bed, and sat her down.

Barely out of breath, Cupid asked, "So. Whaddya think?"

Not knowing what to say, Twyla gave an appreciative smile and nodded, "It's...Great! Very...pink."

Cupid started nodding furiously, obviously proud. "I know, right! What does your room look like?"

"You wouldn't want to see that..." Twyla said with an ashamed smile.

"Oh come on. I'm sure I would," Cupid insisted.

Trying to change the subject, Twyla pointed to Cupid's bow and arrow.

"What does that do?"

Cupid looked at her like she had grown a second head.

"They make people fall in love... You know, CUPID," Cupid said, saying each word like it should be completely obvious.

Seeing that she should have known about it, Twyla looked down at her hands, embarrassed beyond belief.

"It's okay, I guess you don't get out much?" Cupid said, suddenly sympathetic. After an awkward moment of silence they heard someone call them downstairs for supper. 'Oh great' Twyla thought 'Now I get to meet the rest of the family...'

Chapter 6 *Potatoes, Salad, With a Side of Fail*

Cupid called down to her parents that they'd be right down. Then she turned to Twyla with a huge grin.

"If you're going to have dinner with my folks, you're going to have to make a good first impression." she said.

Grabbing Twyla's wrist, she dragged her over to the closet.

"What are you talking about?" Twyla asked, already knowing what she meant.

"Time to get a new outfit!" Pulling outfit by outfit out of the closet, Cupid would occasionally mutter something about "Sizes, width, and lengths". Twyla just sat on the bed, dreading what Cupid would pick out for her. Finally satisfied, Cupid held the clothes behind her back and walked towards Twyla.

"Here, put this on!" And she handed it to her. Twyla held it up, skeptical of Cupid's fashion sense. But what Cupid had picked out was totally surprising. It was PERFECT!

Twyla didn't know how Cupid had gotten her style right, but she wasn't complaining. Putting on the midnight blue tights and then the violet ruffle skirt over it, she was surprised once again that they fit. Then she pulled on an old looking smoky shirt that was designed to look like a corset, but wasn't. Then Cupid handed her a black ribbon choker that had a deep starry sky blue square gem. Her shoes were flats with three metal stars near the heels. They were a shade of green and purple mixed into a haze. Then Cupid did her make-up. Some black eyeliner and purple eye shadow, and clear lip-gloss.

Cupid took a step back and examined her work. She smiled and clapped her hands excitedly. "You're perfect! They're going to love you!"

Twyla just smiled her gratitude and looked in the full length mirror. Turning this way and that, looking at every angle of herself, she was satisfied with her appearance.

"You ready to go downstairs?," Cupid asked.

"Definitely! And thank you," Tywla said sincerly.

"No problem. I take every chance I can get to help a 101 love situa- I mean...to help friends. Yeah." Twyla was suspicious of what she meant when she said "love", but cast the thought away when Cupid started heading out the door. As they went down the stairs, they could hear the family talking and laughing. When they walked in, Eros went to meet Twyla. Grabbing her hand, he led her over a seat across from his. He pulled the chair out for her and, out of the corner of her eye, saw Cupid sneak a sly smile. Sitting down, Twyla took a look at Eros and Cupid's parents. They also wore the traditional white, pink, and red, with the occasional black. Twyla could see where Eros got his sparrow black hair from and where Cupid got her lace style. Twyla felt strangely at ease with these strangers. She didn't even think about her Father ONCE. They talked about everything and anything for hours until the clock struck 11:00pm.

Tired, Twyla was beginning to feel bored. The parents began their story on how they met in high school, and Eros looked at Twyla and rolled his eyes, pretending to look bored. Twyla tried to suppress a giggle, right when Eros stood up and cleared his throat.

"Um...Excuse me, Father and Mother, but Twyla looks quite tired...so, I'll just show her the guest room. His father and mother looked surprised, and waved them away, as if thinking nothing of it. They continued on with their story with Cupid as Eros leaded Twyla upstairs. The guest room was on the far side of the hall, and wasn't very big. But Twyla was more than happy to occupy it, still not remembering her fight with her Father. As she walked in, Eros stayed in the doorway, unsure of what to do. He looked like he wanted to stay, but he also didn't look like he thought it would be appropriate. So she went over to where he was standing and asked, "Is there something you need to tell me?"

"He glanced at the hallway, looking like he wanted to leave now, but stayed. "Yes, actually. I wanted to ask you...I wanted to ask you...ask you if you wanted to...go...out sometime...?" Twyla was surprised at this, for she had just met him yesterday, but then again she just had dinner with his family and she's staying the night. But no, it wouldn't be fair to him, if she would never be able to see him because her Father punished her. Because he was definitely going to punish her. She thought about it, and knew her answer.

"I'm...sorry. My father...and-and-it's just...I'm sorry. I can't." she said despairingly. Trying to shrug it off, Eros just told her "no biggie". Saying their goodnights, Eros went to his bedroom, leaving Twyla alone in her temporary one. Feeling miserable, she looked around the small yet luxurious guest room. Everything was practically red or white, but there was (yet again) the occasional splash of black. She wandered farther into her room with growing curiosity. Everything was intricately made, as if it was all hand born from scratch. Twyla walked slowly over to the dresser, dragging her finger softly over the carved wood, following the patterns. She looked at her reflection. Looking away, she walked on, with her arms crossed. Lying carefully onto the bed, she fell asleep before her head touched the pillow. She had nightmares all night, like usual. But this time, they were worse. As if her Father was sending her nightmares personally for disobeying him.

Chapter 7 *Goodbye*

Waking up the next morning in an unfamiliar bed made her heart do a flip, but bits and pieces started coming back to her while she sat there. Now remembering where she was and why, she got up from the bed and searched the closet for reasonable clothes. Pulling out a neon yellow tank top and a gray ruffle skirt she pulled them on quickly. Her shoes were plain black flip-flops. She combed her wavy, long hair and put on a Moon-&-Star necklace. Happy with her choice of clothes, she took one step at a time, knowing that she would be leaving today. As she reached the last step she almost ran into Cupid, who had a piece of toast hanging from her mouth and a glass of juice in her hand.

"Thawry!" Cupid mumbled. She spit the piece of toast out onto the ground. "I mean sorry! I'm late!" And with that she ran out the door. Nobody else was up except Twyla, so she figured she better leave before they asked her to stay for lunch. She wrote a note saying thank you for dinner and a place to stay. She sat it on the long table. Taking one last long look around, she left.

Chapter 8 *Lost*

He woke up feeling tired. He rolled over onto his stomach with his arm hanging over the edge of the bed. His sparrow black hair was mussed and his bed a mess. He hadn't slept well last night. Not after asking the girl he liked out and her turning him down. Sighing, he turned back over and stared up at the ceiling. About fifteen minutes later he finally decided to get up. Once dressed, he went downstairs, wondering if anyone was up yet.

Once downstairs, he already knew his sister was gone. Besides that no one was up. Grabbing a glass of water, he started to head back upstairs when something caught his eye. A note was left on the table, signed "Tywla". Curious, he picked up the note gingerly, and then ran upstairs. Throwing open the door of the guest room, he looked around, already knowing what he would see. Or not see, to be precise. Closing his eyes, he stood there for a few moments in defeat. When he did open his eyes, he left the doorway and sat on the bed that Twyla had occupied the previous night. He opened the note and read it:

Dear Valentine's Family,

Thank you for supper and allowing me to stay the night. I will gladly repay the debt. If you need anything, just ask.

Sincerely,

Twyla

Setting down the note, he put his hand over his face.

'I should have told her last night!' he scolded himself.

She had gone back to her Father, after everything he's done to her, she went back. Well, there's no doubt he's going to have to help her. He had to stop her before she made it home. Because if she was to open that door to "home", she would never come back out. And Eros knew this for a fact, for he had met her Father. He was a monster, evil, and despicable. Eros had met him only years ago, and he still hated him. Now knowing what he would do to Twyla, he couldn't hide it from her anymore. He had to stop her and keep her from going back to her Father. For that would be the end for everyone.

Just as he was about to run out the door, his Mother called.

"Eros Aero Valentine! Where do you think you're going?"

Uh oh. She used his full name. He knew he was in trouble now.

"Um...just...out," he said lamely.

His mother shook her head. "Mmhm. Out. And exactly WHERE is out?"

"You know...outside this door...So if you'll just let me go..." And he began to sneak towards the door.

"You stop just where you are young mister. You've still got to finish your chores. You didn't do them yesterday and you are not getting out of it today. Go on." She held her arm out in front of herself and stepped back, leading the way to torture.

"Yes, Mother," he said begrudgingly. Mothers. They always win.

Walking up the stairs, he glanced over his shoulder. Making sure she wasn't listening, Eros called one of his best friends. Today, it wouldn't be Eros doing the chores.

Practically running up the streets to make up for lost time, Eros searched for Twyla. In moments she would reach her house and...and...no, he couldn't let that happen! He was almost to her house, but she could already be there. And then what would he do? He ran even harder after that thought.

He saw her house coming into view. Twyla was just at the door, standing there. She wasn't reaching for the knob, or trying to unlock it, or anything. She looked nervous.

"Twyla!" he called. She turned to him, surprised.

"What? Eros? What are you doing here?" she said, stepping away from the door. Good.

"I just..." There was no point in stalling. He had to tell her. "I need to tell you something."

She came over to him. "What is it?"

"Uh...I...just wanted to tell you..." he stuttered. He just couldn't bring himself to do it. Not at the moment.

"I just wanted to ask you...if-if you would like to go somewhere today?"

"Uh, Eros. I'm sorry I already told you-"

"I know-I know!" he said quickly,"But...can we just go as...friends?" That question broke his heart. He didn't want to be friends. He wanted to be more than that.

Twyla looked skeptical. "I don't know..."

"Please?" After a few moments of consideration, she finally broke into a smile.

"Sure."

"Yes! I mean...thank you...for agreeing...yeah." He was really not good at keeping secrets. She walked over to him, casting one last glance behind her.

Walking around town, he noticed that Twyla couldn't settle down. She seemed nervous, always looking over her shoulders, always looking side to side. He supposed she was looking for someone. Her Father.

He tried to calm her, "Um, Twyla. What's...wrong?"

"It's just my Father. He's...nevermind." That seemed to snap her out of it. Now she was looking at him.

"Why did you ask me to walk with you? You're not going to ask me out again, are you?"

"No! No, no. I won't bother you again. Promise." But right after he said that she looked...disappointed?

"Oh." But as quick as it had come, it was gone.

"So, what is the reason you asked me to walk?"

"Um, I think we should talk about this over some food." So they went to a restaurant.

Chapter 9 *Death's Door*

Now sitting at 'Boo's Bistro', Eros was already into his story.

"...So I knew your Father a few years ago. He used to come every night and give me the worst nightmares. Some of them were so vivid, that one night, I actually woke up standing on my windowsill and was about to jump, when my Mother ran in and yanked me down. That's when they started locking the windows every single night. I would sleepwalk around the house and do whatever I was doing in my dreams, aka nightmares. You're Father seemed to torture me the most. None of my other family members seemed to be suffering from any dreams, so they just thought I was going crazy. It soon came to where my Mother had to lock the door at night and sit outside.

This went on for three years until I finally stood up to him. Your Father came out from under the bed, ready to give me my usual nightmares. But I was still awake when he came, so I told him to leave me alone. That only angered him. He put me to sleep himself and caused the worst nightmare of my life, everything was so real, so lifelike. When I finally woke, four days had passed and I was alone and lost in a wood. It took me another two days to find my way out and when I came home, my Mother didn't let me go outside for a year. And every night of that year, he came. It started getting worse and worse until he even came during the day.

I couldn't take it anymore. I waited for him one night and when he came I tried to trap him. Big mistake. He threatened to put me under an eternal sleep, but mumbled something about needing me for his plan. When I asked him, he tried to put me to sleep, but I wouldn't let up. And when he learned that I wasn't going to sleep without an explanation, he gave in. He told me everything. He even told me his name, Roran. But his plan was worse than I had thought. He was using my energy to become more powerful. He told me I had the most vivid dreams of anyone he'd ever seen, so he tried to get me to cost my life for the sake of his power. See, if you didn't already know, anybody in your family can pick a host and drain their dreams and nightmares. And when the time is right, you can take their life as the last step of power. Your Father just couldn't get me to "go", so he...I-I hate to break it to you...but...I think he's out for you. He gave up on me." And that was it. He finally got it out and now she was sitting there, staring at him like he had just said he was an alien.

"Are you feeling okay, Eros? Maybe we should get you home..."

"You don't believe me?" Twyla nodded her head slowly.

He stood up abruptly.

"I gotta go."

"No! I'm sorry..." Twyla said, trying to keep him from being mad.

"No, I'm sorry. I really need to go." And he turned to leave.

Now about half a block away from the bistro, Eros chided himself for being so stupid. How could he let his own petty feelings get in the way of saving Twyla? She was probably already opening the door...and her Father would be there waiting for her...for her life...

He turned around and ran as fast as he could. Not stopping for anyone or anything.

Her Father could take over everyone in the world through nightmares if he got a hold of Twyla again. Though it would be more difficult to hurt her, for she was one as her Father. And he had to take their life through a nightmare. He couldn't simply kill them, the host had to do it themselves IN the nightmare. And Eros didn't want to know what her Father would do to her. With every thought he ran faster.

Now nearing the street she lived on, he couldn't stop now. He would do what he had to, to save Twyla.

Reaching the door he yanked it open. Running inside, he frantically searched for her. There was a single light flickering in a corner, but everything else was dark. He took a tentative step forward. Another one. And another. The door slammed with a deafening bang and Eros tripped onto the floor. Looking up, his eyes started to adjust to the darkness and he saw what must have been an Entrance Room. Nothing was here except the light, but even that wasn't enough to welcome anyone. He tried taking another look round and saw two hallways, one to the left, another to the right. Choosing the left he stood up slowly and tip toed through the hallway. It was dim in here also, but he could still see fairly. This room seemed to be a living room. It had a dark velvet couch surrounded by other objects that Eros could not see clearly. He walked on.

He came to a kitchen, but he could only discern it because there was an extremely long table and old Victorian chairs around it.

Moving on he stumbled past a staircase that led to who knows where. He came into view of corridors and didn't know which to take. But when he heard a creaking sound, he followed it down the center corridor.

Walking down the hallway was very disconcerting for he didn't know when or where her Father would jump out. But he almost walked past the door to Twyla's bedroom when he heard footsteps. He quietly walked over to the door and peeked through.

Twyla was lying on her bed and her Father was next to her. In his hand was a vile of some shiny, sandy looking substance, but he hid his hand behind his back.

"It's very sweet of you to not be mad at me for disobeying you..." Twyla mumbled. She looked tired. He had to do something soon.

"Oh, it's quite alright dear. I'm just glad you're home. Safe and sound." He said the last part with sarcasm, but Twyla didn't seem to notice. Her eyes were almost closed. Her Father took the vile out from behind himself and pulled the top off. He poured some of the substance onto her and she closed her eyes completely. That's when Eros figured out what it was. He had used that same stuff on him when he put him to sleep every night those five years! Now she was fully asleep, her Father started the nightmares. Her breathing quickened and she started moving restlessly in her sleep. Eros couldn't stand to idle any longer.

He stepped in with a look of determination. He looked at him with a look of shock, but quickly got over it.

"What are you doing here? I have no use for you anymore," he said disdainfully.

"I'm not here for you. Let her go. She's your own DAUGHTER."

"I could care less," he said with a wave of his hand. Eros took a tentative step forward, trying to get closer. But he saw what Eros was trying to do, and he also took a step forward.

"You're not saving her. If you get in the way, you'll just go down with her," he said with an evil smile.

"I won't be going down with her, because she won't be in the first place." Then he ran toward him with his hand in a fist. Eros reached out to punch him, but he sidestepped with ease and kicked him to the ground.

"Face it, even without my full powers you are weak to me." Then he lifted Eros to his feet and held him to the wall. He lifted his fist, but cringed and dropped Eros to hold his head. He looked over at Twyla, who was lying still now.

"Ugh, she's...fighting back in her dream..." He narrowed his eyes at her and she seemed to slip back into the nightmare.

"There. Now, where was I?" He threw a punch at Eros, but he ducked down and rolled behind him. He stood up in one fluid motion and kicked Roran's legs out from underneath him. He fell to the ground but grabbed Eros' arm and pulled him down too.

Eros could tell Roran was still fighting with Twyla in the nightmare. He wasn't fully focused and Eros got a punch in. Now Roran was mad, and pushed Eros back into a dresser, where everything clattered to the ground.

"I'm not going to waste my energy on you!" Right after he said that he stuck his arm out in the direction of Twyla. She stirred in her sleep then started to swing her legs out of the bed. She stood, but her eyes were still closed. He was making her sleepwalk. He was going in for the kill! She started to walk towards the door. Eros started for her, but Roran grabbed his arm and yanked him back. The door was still open from when Eros came in.

Twyla sleepwalked out into the hallway, unaware that she was walking to her death.

Eros elbowed Roran in the chest. He doubled over and Eros broke free. He ran out into the hallway. Just as he was about to grab Twyla's arm, she dissipated into the shadows. Eros turned around to see Roran leaning against the doorway with one hand, and the other clutching his stomach. He smiled victoriously.

"Bet you didn't see that coming."

Turning back to where Twyla had just been standing, he ran down the hallway. Reaching the hallway, he saw Twyla walking up the stairs. He ran even harder but was tripped by Roran. Cursing, Eros rolled over and threw him over the top of him and scrambled up. Speeding for the stairs Eros took two steps at a time and finally reached the top of the stairs. It turned out to be an abandoned apartment at the top. He had TOTALLY not expected that, he had been expecting some lavishly decorated upstairs bedroom or something of the sorts.

There were holes and cracks everywhere in the floor, with each step Eros was afraid that Twyla would fall through the floor. But she made it successfully across and stopped at the door on the other side. Hearing a moaning from behind, Eros turned around. Roran had just made it up the stairs and was now kneeling on the ground, holding his head in his hands.

"Ugh! Stop-Stop fighting, you stupid girl!" he mumbled.

Eros turned back to Twyla and saw she was opening the door now. Roran had gained back control and she was walking up another flight of stairs that led to...the roof. Stepping carefully, Eros made his way across.

He was half way now, but Roran was right behind, still fighting every step of the way. Eros started walking faster and stepped on a weak spot which cracked and created a hole the size of his foot. He fell through the spot, but only his leg. Scrambling to get out he winced in pain when a jagged piece if wood cut him as he got up. His pant leg was now covered in blood, but there was no time to think about it. Gathering himself Eros sprinted to the stairs successfully without anymore interruptions. But when he reached midway of the stairs Roran yanked him backwards down the stairs. Lucky for him though, Roran broke his fall. But that was his breaking point and Roran couldn't take it anymore. He threw Eros to the ground with an echoing thud, and then ran the rest of the way up the stairs.

"I'm finishing this once and for all!" he screamed from upstairs. Eros pulled himself up with effort and got up the stairs with only a few injuries. When he came to the top he saw Roran leaning against one of the chimneys, holding his head again. Looking over, Twyla was getting up onto the ledge of the roof.

"No!" Eros ran to her. Roran didn't seem to notice, he was too deep in thought, trying to get Twyla to go over that ledge.

Twyla stood up on the ledge...eyes still closed...still dreaming...she put one foot out, over an empty, dark street...and...

Eros grasped her arm and pulled sharply backwards. She fell into his arms still sleeping. He breathed a loud sigh of relief and collapsed to his knees. It was over. She was safe.

A shadow covered over the two of them. Eros closed his eyes, remembering one important detail. Roran. He looked up. Roran was glaring down on him and Twyla with such hatred that you could literally see the fire in his eyes.

Roran swiped his arm through the air and Twyla disappeared into the dark of the night. Eros had forgotten that Roran still had control over Twyla as long as she was sleeping. He could still use her. It WASN'T over.

Chapter 9 *All Fun And Games Till Someone Loses A Life*

Eros had had enough of this. He had to wake Twyla, but where was she? Roran was getting weaker, trying to fight Eros while still keeping Twyla asleep. But if he did get her to...you know...he would be able to control everyone in the world. Or anything that sleeps, for that matter. He stood up defiantly and clenched his hands into fists.

"Where is she?" he said coldly, not so much as asking than demanding that he tell him.

"You're not going to win, Eros. Face it. She's mine and you know it. Besides, why do you even care? It's not like you're doing this for her," Roran said with a mirthless laugh.

"That's where you're wrong, Roran. I am doing this for her and her only."

His mocking smile turned to pure hatred. "Lies," was all he said before he snapped his fingers and Twyla appeared beside him. Eyes still closed, she looked so innocent, so ingenuous. Like she was caught in time itself and the seconds, minutes, hours that ticked by meant nothing.

"What are you going to do now? She's not going off the roof, so there's nothing else to do," Eros said triumphantly.

Roran seemed to be deep in thought and made his decision.

"You're right. Not the roof. But there are other means of doing this." He glanced back over at the stairs. "And it's just as easy." Twyla began walking towards the stairs and Eros started after her, but Roran grabbed him by the neck of his shirt and pushed him over to the ledge of the roof. Now pushed onto his back, Eros could do nothing but stare daggers at Roran. Roran pushed him by the throat a little farther over the ledge.

"I can't have you interfering with my plans any longer. No matter the feelings you have for my daughter-"

"Daughter?" he said hoarsely. "Hardly. You're trying to KILL her!"

"So what?" he said dismissively with a swat of his hand. "I can do what I want to whoever I want. It's not like I ever really cared for her. Or anyone, in fact."

"What about...her mother?" Eros asked, disbelief etched into his voice.

"What about her? I only used her for my plan."

"You...killed her?"

"Of course. But she wasn't the one. She didn't help anything but annoy me. So I took Twyla with me and moved here. To this vermin infested town with interfering imbeciles like you. But I hope you realize that I'm just talking to you to stall for time while Twyla plummets to her death." Then he pushed Eros out even farther and just as he was about to end it for him, they both heard and ear-shattering scream. Roran smiled and let Eros go.

"Seems I don't have to kill you after all. Your lucky day. Now if you don't mind, I'd like to acquire what was rightfully mine." He turned around and walked leisurely to the stairs. Eros pushed past him and skipped at least five steps at a time. When he reached the bottom he searched for any signs of life. He didn't find anything but a hole in the floor about 20 feet to his left.

"No...no, no, no," he mumbled. He stepped carefully across the ruined apartment. He came to the hole unharmed and hesitated.

Did he really want to see? No. Yes. Maybe? He didn't want to see but maybe there was a chance to help her, maybe she wasn't gone yet. He peeked over the edge.

What he saw broke his heart. A shaft of light let him see, but not very far. He saw Twyla on her back, one arm over her head, the other across her stomach, like she had simply fallen asleep. Her eyes were closed and she had a serene look on her face. He couldn't tell if she was breathing or not.

He snapped out of this state when he heard footsteps coming slowly down the stairs. Thinking quickly, Eros searched the room for something to cover the hole with. He found some scrap paper and a white sheet and covered the hole to make it look as though somebody just casually sat their appliances there for the night. Then he stood up and with one last glance over his shoulder, he ran down the opposite staircase.

When he reached the bottom he immediately made a break for the left, knowing Twyla was just around the corner. When he came into the dark room, he couldn't help but call out her name, even knowing she would not answer.

"Twyla?" But of course, no answer. He looked for anything that would shed some light. After a few agonizing minutes of searching in vain, he found a flashlight. It didn't have much battery left so it kept flickering on and off. He swung it around the room and found her. He ran to her and kneeled down beside her, sitting the flashlight on the ground. He picked her head up in his hands and checked for a heartbeat.

Nothing...wait. Yes, a very faint heartbeat. She's alive! He laid her head back down and reached for the flashlight, but right as he touched it, the light flickered and went out, leaving only the pitch dark to devour him. Hitting the flashlight against his palm a few times, he learned that it was completely dead now.

But then he heard a quiet swish that sounded like it was coming from his left. Then his right, now in front of him, behind him. Comprehension dawned on him to what the noise was coming from. Reaching down for Twyla he felt nothing. He kneeled completely down and felt around. Nothing, again. Standing back up he started backing up slowly towards the wall.

"Roran. I know it's you! Face it, you've lost, and trying to scare me isn't going to change that."

He heard a low chuckle, without the humor. "Of course, Eros. But that doesn't mean I can't kill you both just to make my life a little better." That last part sounded none at all sarcastic, so Eros guessed it was true. Eros went to pick Twyla up, but when his hands reached for her, he snatched empty air.

"Where's Twyla!"

It was coming from his left again. "Oh, she's fine. I want her to be awake when...you know." He said the last two words with satisfaction.

"It won't come to that, believe me," he said with loathing.

But before he could so much as blink, he felt some sort of powder fall onto him and he dropped to the ground, sleeping.

Chapter 10 *The End?*

When he finally awoke, he found himself completely disoriented. He couldn't remember where he was and what was going on. Looking around he saw a dark room, and upon looking up, a hole in the ceiling. He began to wonder if he had fallen through, and sat up to check for any injuries. Finding none, he sat in bewilderment for a few moments. Struggling to remember what had happened he went through all of his memories up until the point.

And then it struck him. Twyla, nightmares, Roran. Everything. He got up immediately and ran to the doorway at the far end of the room. He ran from room to room, but didn't find anyone. His last choice was to go upstairs.

Running up carefully he reached the top step. And that's when he found her. Twyla lay on the middle of the floor, completely unprotected by anyone. Or anything. Not thinking twice he ran to her. Then he heard a low chuckle. Looking up, there stood Roran.

"Came back again? Really, when will you learn?" he said smiling cruelly.

Eros didn't respond, he stood up instead and got ready to punch the idiot. But Roran had something else in mind. A rope that looked as though it was made purely of smoke lashed out at him and wrapped around his waist. Caught off guard, Eros just looked down at it. Then he was thrown across the floor and slid into the door. Dazed, he lay there and Roran stalked up to him.

"I need to get rid of you first before I can pay any attention to Twyla. Because you're surely to just screw up my plans again if I let you live," he said, trying to explain to a very confused Eros.

"She's...still alive?" Eros gasped.

"Of course. I could've done the job when you were asleep, but I had a better idea; Let Twyla watch you suffer. It's more amusing that way."

Eros looked over to Twyla, who was now sitting up and struggling against a rope that was tied around her arms and waist. Her ankles were also roped together and a cloth was around her mouth. Roran walked over to her and she tried to scoot backwards, but he grabbed the rope that was around her arms and yanked her upwards. She couldn't quite stand with the ropes around her legs so he dragged her over to the door and stopped before Eros. He used another one of those ropes made of smoke and whipped Eros aside a few feet, then opened the door and walked out with Twyla still in hand. Then he came back in and dragged Eros out, too.

When Eros came out he saw Twyla sitting near the edge of the roof. Roran threw him right next to her and walked up casually, but with a look of menace on his face. Eros tried to stand, but he had done something to his ankle when Roran had thrown him against the door.

"Don't bother. You're done for either way," Roran said with a sneer. Then he grabbed Eros by the throat and lifted him over the edge with supernatural strength. Now laying on the edge of the roof Eros realized that this was the end. He wouldn't be able to save Twyla, he could barely save himself. He stopped kicking and closed his eyes, waiting for his death.

Chapter 11 *Dreams At Last*

Twyla thought quickly. She had to do something or else her Father would end all for Eros if she didn't act now. But being tied up she wasn't too much help. And she was still a bit groggy from the sleeping powder her Father had poured on her so she wasn't thinking as clearly as she could have been. So she did what she could. She kicked him in the shin.

"Ow!" he yelped in pain. "How dare you!" But he did nothing to stop her and turned back to Eros.

'That was useless,' she thought. So instead she set to work trying to get the ropes off. When she didn't so much as loosen the knot, she searched the roof for anything that would help. Something shiny caught her eye and she jumped at the chance to be free. She slowly scooted over to it, but glanced back to see if her Father had noticed. He hadn't. She inched forward but was yanked back sharply to face her Father. She risked a look over his shoulder to check for Eros and saw him slumped against the ledge.

"Don't worry, he's alive. For now." He dragged her roughly back and tied the ends of the rope around arms to the side if a pipe sticking from the roof. He went back to Eros.

"Mmmpht!" Twyla mumbled. Annoyed, she wiggled her head this way and that, and the cloth around her mouth slid down.

"Stop!" But of course, he ignored her. He was pushing Eros back ever so dangerously close to the open air.

"Pay close attention now. I want you to see this," said Roran.

"Stop it! Stop now!" she screamed. He now said something to Eros and threw him back. He flipped over the edge and Twyla could no longer see him.

"No!" Without a moment's thought she kicked at her Father. He lost his balance and tripped over his own feet, which resulted in a horribly long fall off the roof.

Realizing what she'd done, she stared at the spot where her Father had stood only moments ago. But then she thought of Eros and closed her eyes to stop the tears. She hung her head in silence. But not for long, because she heard a gasp and then scraping of stone. Looking up in astonishment she saw Eros climb over the ledge and sit down in exhaustion. But he quickly recovered and set to working on the ropes around Twyla.

"B-But..." Twyla stumbled, searching for words. "How? I saw you...fall."

"I know. But I hung to a ledge and was about to climb back up to help you when he comes sprawling past me. It scared me half to death. I'm just glad your okay." He looked at her with wide eyes.

"I'm...fine." she said distractedly. He undid the last knot and she immediately wrapped him into a hug. He was caught by surprise and fell backwards.

"Whoa! What's that for?" he said with a small laugh.

She pulled back and looked straight into his deep red eyes.

"Because you saved me." He seemed to get self conscious after she said that.

"Yeah, I guess I did, didn't I?" She giggled and hugged him again, but this time for a little longer.

When they finally pulled back they were both quiet. Staring into those rose-red eyes was hypnotic.

When she finally broke out of her trance, but not completely, she said, "I wanted to thank you for letting me stay at your place..." Then something dawned on her. Where was she to stay? She had a home, but no money.

But as if reading her mind, Eros said, "You can stay at my place as long as you like. My parents won't mind, they'll finally have someone to tell their stories to. Oh joy." he said without much enthusiasm. "And Cupid definitely won't mind. She's always wanted a sister." With that last sentence Twyla noticed he had gotten considerably closer.

"Um, yeah..." she said lamely.

Then she closed her eyes and they kissed.

When they pulled back Twyla remembered a question that had been nagging in the back of her mind.

"Eros, when people touch me, their nightmares and fears become reality to them. But when you touch me, you're not afraid. Why?"

"Because I loved you at first sight, Twyla. That can overlook anything."

•THE END•