Winona found herself in familiar darkness and nothing was heard except the distant drips and her breathing. This wasn't happening, not again. She could see nothing and she started hearing the sudden shuffling of feet hitting the ground. She gulped and her heart raced against her chest. She knew she was dreaming but she couldn't find herself to wake up.
The same bright gold light appeared and it crept closer, Winona could almost see a shape in the light. The presence of it edging closer to her burned her skin but she couldn't get away. She felt herself get pulled by it until the tip of her nose felt hot.
The lavender-haired was forced to look up despite the sight Winona found herself in familiar darkness and nothing was heard except the distant drips and her breathing. This wasn't happening, not again. She could see nothing and she started hearing the sudden shuffling of feet hitting the ground. She gulped and her heart raced against her chest. She knew she was dreaming but she couldn't find herself to wake up.
The same bright gold light appeared and it crept closer, Winona could almost see a shape in the light. The presence of it edging closer to her burned her skin but she couldn't get away. She felt herself get pulled by it until the tip of her nose felt hot.
The lavender-haired was forced to look up despite the sight burning her eyes and she saw the figure. A mask covered its face and there was nothing but flames behind it. The figure reached out and grabbed Winona's face, feeling sharp claws digging into her cheeks. A female voice then spoke in a low hiss. "You are mine!"
Winona woke up in a cold sweat and she rushed to the bathroom, splashing water against her face. She had thought the nightmares were behind her but she had been proven wrong.
Her stomach churned and her head began to throb. She gripped the edges of the sink and looked up at the mirror, she gasped. There were three scratches on the right side of her face, beginning from her cheekbone and ending at her chin. Blood began to roll on the side of her face and she found herself sinking to the floor.
The being that plagued her nightmares could hurt her, like Freddy Krueger. What did this thing want with her? She pressed her back against the cool wall and her chest began to heave sporadically as panic began to set in.
Winona's stomach twisted itself into knots and she began to sob, her tears stinging the scratches. Her mind swirled into a tangled mess, wondering if she would ever sleep peacefully again.
The expecting teen stayed that way, letting her anxiety ride itself out. Until her tears dried up and she could breathe easier, Winona decided she was going to fix breakfast since it was almost morning. She got up and wiped off dried tears and blood with a wet rag and went downstairs.
There was no way she was going back to sleep so she would need to find herself something to do and making her aunt and Jim breakfast was a better option.
The lavender-haired teen grabbed what she needed and prepared breakfast for her family. She remembered when she was younger her adoptive parents never cooked breakfast, they always had hired help do it. But Winona would always watch them do it, sometimes she even helped as long her adoptive parents didn't find out. It's not the couple cared she'd assist, it that they didn't want her to dirty up her expensive clothes.
Winona recalled some of the things she learned from the hired chefs as she was preparing breakfast. It was helpful and she wouldn't be surprised if Jim already knew some of those tidbits. She smiled at the thought.
She hummed a song from the times her grandfather would sing to her after he had read her a story. She thanked anyone with divine power that blessed her with the only person that showed her genuine love from that family.
Winona sighed and swept a stray hair from her face and tucked it behind her ear. She was almost done with the cooking when she heard her someone coming down the stairs, she turned and smiled. Jim had come down and stifled a yawn.
"Good morning," She said before turning back to the waffle batter.
He walked into the kitchen and responded back with a 'good morning'. He sat at the counter, surprised with the switched roles. He didn't mind but he was surprised none the less. Jim watched his cousin pour the batter into the waffle iron and switch to the eggs.
Winona cracked an egg in a slice of bread with a hole in the center, she gave Jim a side-glance and a smile. "You want an egg in a nest or just waffles?"
"Both," He said leaning back with a smirk. "I want to see if your eggs are better than mine."
She rolled her eyes. "Didn't realize this was a cooking show."
"It always is in this house."
She chortled and took the finished waffle out of the waffle iron and placed it on a plate. Her head perked up when she heard another set of footsteps coming down the stairs but continued her attention to her cooking. "Breakfast smells good Jim," The doctor said before coming to the kitchen. Only to realize that it wasn't her son the one cooking.
"Thanks, Aunt Barb," Winona replied, her back still facing her. "You have time for breakfast before you go to work?"
Barbra smiled and sat herself down beside her son. "I've got plenty of time. I don't think I've ever had your food."
Winona shrugged, taking the finished egg in a nest onto the same plate as the waffle. "I didn't really know much until I moved."
She handed the plate to Jim and his eyes widened and his mother gasped. "What happened to your face?" Her cousin asked motioning to the scratches.
The expecting teen touched the scratches and frowned. "Oh, Church scratched me on accident."
Fabricating the truth was a second language to Winona but it wasn't something she was comfortable doing when it came to her aunt and cousin. But the truth would send her to the nut house and she could have her baby taken away from her so lying was for the best for now.
Her aunt stood up and walked around the counter, her medical instincts kicking in. She curled a finger under Winona's chin and inspected the scratch closely. "They're not deep but I'm concerned with how close it is to your eye. Cat claws have a lot of bacteria in them."
Winona smiled and gently pulled her aunt's hand away from her face. "I'm fine. I already cleaned it up so you can just relax a bit while I make breakfast."
Barbra hesitated for a moment, sensing something wrong but pushed it down for now. She returned her place next to her son and continued to watch her niece cook. Soon the expecting teen handed the doctor her plate before making herself breakfast.
Jim finished his waffles and went to the egg in a nest and Winona watched attentively, waiting for his response. "Well?"
After swallowing, the younger teen hummed. "Good but you haven't taken my chef's hat."
Winona chuckled and gave him a light punch to the shoulder, muttering 'jerk'. The conversation with the three went as normal until Barbra had to go to work and she waved the two teens goodbye, leaving them alone. Jim helped Winona clean up and put up any leftovers.
The older teen leaned against the sink and grinned, pulling out her phone. "Do you want to see the picture I took of Draal last night?"
Jim mimicked the same grin and nodded. Winona scrolled through her phone and showed her cousin of the large spiked troll with her cat snuggled up to him. "Aww. Who knew Draal was a big softy?"
"Church has a way people and that apparently includes tough trolls."
The two teens laughed amongst themselves until they heard heavy steps coming up from the basement. Winona swooshed away the picture and locked her phone, though the younger teen couldn't help snicker. That made Winona have issues with her own laughter and she smacked him and shushed him.
The blue troll came approached into the kitchen with the one-eyed cat in tow. "Oh there you Church," Winona smiled. "I've been wondering where you've been."
Church meowed and rubbed her body against Draal's legs, the sight reminded her of the image last night and she snorted. She needed to get out of here before the troll suspected something. She made her way up the stairs and called her cat. Church eagerly came to her master and followed her up the stairs to be fed.
Winona shook the bag of food and her pet rubbed against her legs purring loudly. She smiled at the cat and poured her food into her bowl and decided to grab the book gave to her. She wasn't able to read it last night so she decided to read it today.
She jogged downstairs and sat on the couch just in time for her to see her cousin go out. Winona caught the spiked troll's attention, his fiery gaze landing on her. She looked up at him and opened the ancient book in her hands. "Bllinky gave it to me while I was in Trollmarket."
Draal shook his head. "That's not what I was going to ask," He gestured to her face. "How did that occur?"
Winona looked down at the book, avoiding eye contact. "Church gave it to me by accident."
He narrowed his eyes. "The feline was in the basement last night and didn't come up here until now. What is the real reason?"
"It doesn't matter," She snapped and looked back up at the troll. "Now if you don't mind I would like to read in peace."
Draal snorted and went back down to the basement, the expecting human's presence now becoming frustrating.
Winona sighed, she didn't like having to do that but it was for the best. Who knows what Trolls thought about what caused her to have scratches? Well, actually she was going to find out now that she had a book about their culture and customs in hand.
The lavender-haired teen looked down at the pages and groaned, the words were in Trollish. She was going to have to go back and get the book translated so she'd be able to read better. But suddenly the words began to scramble and rearranging itself until they were now in English. Her brows raised at the sight but shrugged, since the book was old and foreign perhaps it was also magic? She would have to thank Blinky when she went down to Trollmarket.
Winona settled on the couch and read the book the troll had given her, her mind absorbing the knowledge.
It was interesting to learn about them, there were many troll tribes and the carvings they had shown their origins. When a troll had reached adulthood they would get these carvings, kinda like a tattoo. Most tribes did this but some, like the Quagawamps, did not get the carvings but instead they would have a coming of age ceremony. A Quagawamp would go on an age-old hunt and would have one night to retrieve enough meat by nightfall that could maintain their tribe the next night.
The lavender-haired teen kept reading until her eyes became heavy, she shook it off. She was not going to nap right now, not what was with happening. Her hand went to the scratches on her face, she did not want to risk it again. She was happy that she was almost finished with the book, having to stay up at nights to study made this easy. But the nightmares coming back didn't make it as easy as it used to be.
It was almost noon and Winona got up to stretch her legs and take a bathroom break. She got out her phone and texted Jim if he would like her to pick him and Toby up from school. He sent her response saying the two were going to ride back home.
The expecting teen sighed, she was going to be here until they came home and she thought about the troll that lived in the basement. She felt bad for being so harsh towards him earlier but she wasn't going to tell him the truth. What if he thought she was crazy?
Winona wasn't going to tell Draal but she was going to apologize, after getting to know him yesterday she started liking him better. But if he ever tried to hurt Jim in any way she was going to make sure he'd suffer a great deal of pain.
She jogged downstairs to the basement and saw the troll eating the coal. "You know I can get you more than just that?"
Draal grunted and didn't look up at her, making the human shift her feet and rub the back of her neck.
"I'm sorry for being rude earlier," She said taking a step towards him. "but don't worry about how I got the scratches. It's nothing really."
The spiked troll looked up at her and stood up, his eyes looking down at her. "I accept your apology but that isn't for you to decide. I am to protect those who reside in this household and that includes you. Do you still wish not to tell me the truth?"
Winona rubbed her arm and nodded. Draal sighed and edged closer to her. "Then I will not pressure you to confide me but if this gets worst you have to tell me so I can protect you."
The lavender-haired teen gave him a small smile, she appreciated him being patient with her. "Trust me. If this happens again I will tell you."
AN: There you have it my lovelies! It's getting tense with Winona's nightmares and she and Draal had a moment. Romantic? Mmm, not yet but that comes later. ;) Anyways review and let me know what you think and if you have any questions let me know! I'd love to hear them and by the way, I would not reject any bribery of fanart for this fic for a preview of a chapter. *wink* *wink*
~TheWriter'sMistress~