Chapter 1: A Dreamer

Some part of me - I don't know which part - seems to be missing, and I don't understand why. I've never been alone; my family and friends have supported me since day one. Yet, I have always felt so alone.

"Are you coming?"

My daydreams crashed down around me when I heard my sister's voice. Slowly, I moved my eyes up to lock with her's. I can't recall a time when I wasn't endlessly jealous of her beauty.

"Yes, I'm coming. Just let me finish getting ready."

She rolled her eyes and left my room. I got up and walked over to my window. My eyes drifted across the vast desert as my mind began wandering again. I saw images of rolling green fields, of fresh water rivers spilling into the salty ocean, and finally, of a young man riding his horse across a painted sunset.

I had long ago lost count of how many times the picture of the young man had interrupted my otherwise empty daydreams. Something about his visage haunted me, and I couldn't understand why.

"Rinoa! Are you coming?"

And she was standing in my doorway once again. I smiled gently at her, and as I walked toward her, I couldn't help but wonder if she, too, dreamed of a life beyond our home.

"Come on already!"

No, she didn't. Areith, my only sister and comfort, would never understand why I was consistently late to meals. And if she didn't understand, then I couldn't even begin to hope that someone else would.

"Sorry Mother, but Rinoa was staring out the window...Again."

When mother looked at me, I felt my heart drop. Every time I dreamed of something more, I lost her. She seemed so sad just because I wanted to be free.

"Rinoa...Do you want to see my heart break?" Mother asked with pain in her voice and eyes.

"Mother, please don't do this to me," I begged. "You can't expect me to stay here my whole life."

After those words left my mouth, I was filled with an instant, powerful regret. Mother's eyes were quickly filled with hot salty tears.

"You don't want to stay with your family? You want to run off inot the world where you could get raped or killed?! Fine, then go! You are no daughter of min!"

Hard as I tried, I couldn't form any words. As I looked around at the women I grew up with, I realized that maybe I didn't want to leave. I had never met a man, and now I was being thrown out into their world. I was alone.

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