Chapter 2: A Chance Encounter
Lili snuggled into her warm bed covers. Big Brother had washed them today, and they smelled like soap and warm fabric.
No more bad dreams tonight, ok?
No such luck.
Tap.
What was that?
Tap.
I hope it isn't the man again. He's creepy.
Tap.
It's all just my imagination, right?
Crrrrack.
Lili sat bolt upright. Somebody had put a crack in the mirror, a big one at least two inches wide.
It's him!
Lili tried slinking back under the covers, but to no luck. She could still see the awful crack in the mirror. It was burned into her eyelids. She could even hear his awful voice in her head still.
"Hello, poppet. See you soon."
His voice sounded smooth and sort of suave, like poison or cupcake frosting.
Did he leave me the cupcake? I hope not.
Lili just buried her face into the pillow.
Don't think about it! Don't think about it! Don't think about it. Don't think about it. Don't...think...about...zzzzZZZzzzz.
And before she knew it, she was asleep.
That night, she had a dream.
She was sitting in a black room. There was a table in front of her, with a single cupcake on it.
It was the same cupcake as earlier.
"That wasn't very nice earlier, poppet. How'd you like it if you'd been working on something all day and somebody threw it in the dustbin?"
Lili couldn't think of anything to say except "S-sorry..."
"That's better. Good manners maketh the man..er, woman."
Something dropped from the ceiling. Lili couldn't make out anything except the shape. It was a man. He walked toward her and tipped her chin up, forcefully yet lightly, with his fingertips.
"And I'm always one for good manners." he purred.
Lili woke up in a cold sweat.
Who w-was that?
...
"Big Broooootheeeeer!"
Switzerland came running into the room, panting (again)
"What's wrong? What is it?"
"Another bad dream..."
Switzerland sighed.
"Are you not getting enough sleep? Insomnia?"
"N-no.."
"Is something else wrong?"
"No.. Will you stay with me until I fall asleep?"
"Yes..."
Lili snuggled back under the covers and pressed her head into the pillow. She tried not to think of the scary man with blue and pink eyes.
Was he the man in the dream?
.
.
.
He did call me 'poppet'...
Lili just shut her eyes tightly and thought happy thoughts, rainbows and butterflies and cupcakes...damn!
But after much trial and error, she managed to succumb to exhaustion.
Rawr! Smexy Oliver! (I'm sorry... ;A;) Anyway, Austria enters next!
