Disclaimer: It's the twenty-fifth time. Surely you know what goes here by now.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE – PIXIE DUST

I could feel my mind drifting at the edge of my consciousness, serene silence filling up the void created by warped emotions residing in my mind. I was free from the emotions that chained me down when I was awake

Jealousy. Distress. Nervousness. Insecurities.

Grotesque emotions ran rampant, but I held them at bay in my mind, trying my best to ignore them while I was conscious. But, here, in this pit of darkness, I could finally relax. I was finally at peace though. No problems troubled me. No people called me.

This was death.

People.

Riven.

The name sounded warm and strong like an asylum, a place of refuge. Then another name followed it.

Musa.

Anxiety poured in and rushed through my consciousness like a tsunami. I couldn't stay in this state anymore. I had to return to reality to untangle all the problems I had created. That duty fell to me.

But reality will hurt us. We're so sensitive, we can't take the pain.

Even so, I had to go.

Why? Because of guilt? You think it's your responsibility to face everything and pretend to be brave. You aren't brave. We aren't brave.

The true words resonated within me. Guilt forced me forward. I knew that I had to receive my punishment. No matter how painful it was, I had to receive some punishment to quell the guilt inside of me. I had to. I just had to.

Then the darkness finally lifted.

ººº

The sweet chirping of birds woke me up in the morning with a nauseating migraine. When my eyes creaked open, the first thing I saw were big, round hazel eyes boring into my own. As she sat my stomach, she stared straight in my eyes, studying me intently before remarking, "You're eyes are pretty."

Am I in heaven or am I in hell?

Then, from the corner of my eyes, I spotted a strand of my honey-colored hair. I had to catch my breath. I was back in my body. The news felt unreal. Tears of joy started to pool at the corner of my eyes as I grinned like maniac.

I'm in my body…I'm in my body! I'M IN MY BODY!

However, my shock lasted for only a few second because Chatta easily distracted me again with her curious eyes that were bigger than saucers.

"Th-Thanks?" I stammered.

She brightly smiled and dove in for a hug, wrapping her arms around me with massive strength unusual for a little girl her age. She lightly giggled before climbing off my body, allowing me to sit up. To beamed again, her rosy cheeks brightening up.

"I've decided! You're my fairy god mother! I'm Chatta! Six years old! I'm the patient sleeping next to you!" I glanced at her fluttery white dress, which I had easily mistaken as an angel's uniform.

"Nice to meet you Chatta. I'm Flora," I replied, a bit shaken up from being greeted with overblown enthusiasm right after I woke up.

"I know who you are silly!" she chirped. "I've been watching you for some time from over there." She excitedly jerked her thumb over to the next bed hidden by the curtain before she let out another giggle.

"Hm? What you are you laughing about?"

"Ah…just something little. I saw something funny while you were sleeping," she replied with a mischievous smile plastered on her face.

"When I was asleep?"

She had on the most mischievous smile plastered on her face, and didn't bother to hide the fact that she knew a secret as she giggled. "It was funny."

"What was funny."

"Noooothiiiiiing," she squeaked.

I crinkled my brows in confusion and whined, "That's not very fair."

"Oh by the way, you have a lots of friends. You know, you know, is the Pinkyhead your boyfriend?"

"Pinkyhead?" I pondered the name for a while, till I realized she must have been referring to Riven. My face lit up with embarrassment. "Y-y-you mean m-m-magenta?"

"He's your boyfriend?"

"No! He's…just a friend."

"Hmm," she hummed pensively, frowning as if she was unsatisfied. She puckered her lips as her eyes wandered around the room till they suddenly widened at the open door. "Oh no! Nurse Griselda," she whispered in alarm.

Her body suddenly ducked behind the bed, and I glanced that door to see tall, wrinkly nurse entering the room with surprised eyes. Then she smiled at me with a hint of annoyance—or was it a sneer?

"You've been a bad girl Miss Flora," she clucked, her malevolent eyes gleaming from behind her round-rimmed glasses.

"I've been a…what?"

In my entire life, no one had ever called me a bad girl, even when I was a little toddler. Back in kindergarten, while everyone was scrawling on the tired teachers face and tying her up in a chair, I quietly would persuade them not too. I was the good girl!

"You've caused us a lot of trouble. You've ransacked our kitchen, started a cafeteria food fight, and pantsed the nurses and doctors," she informed in a cruel, nasally voice.

"I've…WHAT?"

Suddenly the malicious look on the nurses softened as she pushed up the rim of her glasses. "Do you seem to have developed a split personality."

I was speechless as I gaped at the nurse and shook my head with denial. "No, no, no. I did NOT do that…OH WAIT! Tell me, am I not on earth anymore? Am I in heaven?"

The nurse's already graying head seemed to become one shade duller, as her worried eyes narrowed. "Oh dear. Insanity too?"

"So I'm on Mother Earth?"

"Yes dear. You've been on this planet for the last twenty-one years, nine months, twenty-six days, thirteen hours, fourty-eight minutes, and twenty seconds of your life of your life."

"Excuse me?"

"I have a superb sense of time," the nurse nonchalantly explained.

"…I see." I couldn't hide my disturbed stare.

"Anyways, you're family will be happy to see you up and moving. They left right before you evil split-personality cause havoc," she tittered in a pitying tone as she patted my back. Somehow, that annoyed me and got a frown tugged at my lip's corners.

"I don't have an evil split-personality."

"Poor girl. It's ok to be in denial. It was nice seeing you. Now then, I'll go check if Chatta is hiding here again."

The nurse started into the deeper section of the room towards the bed closer to the window, but a few minutes later she hurried back over.

"Have you seen her?" she quickly rattled her voice, her sharp finger pointing at the bed.

"Hm?" I could feel a tender tug on my blanket, and realized that Chatta had hidden from view by covering her body with my long sheets.

"Chatta. She had brown pigtails and energetic, big eyes. She's a hyper kid, so she's hard to miss."

"Oh..well..um…" I could somehow sense the anxiousness emanating from Chatta's tugs, which I tried to camouflage by squirming a lot in bed.

"Your sheets look loose. Shall I tighten—"

"No, it is ok." I tried to give the most convincing smile I could manage. "I like them this way."

"So have you seen Chatta?"

"Well…um…" I continued to squirm. My eyes started to wander.

"She told me she was going to go downstairs to the lobby," I lied.

"Thank you." She started to grumble with bitter, hardly audible words before letting out a sigh and leaving the room. The door slid shut. After a few more seconds of silence, I urged Chatta to come out. Then the door slid open, and I hurriedly covered Chatta.

"Yes?" I asked as I whipped my head around.

"Flora?"

Riven stood at the door with his almost stoic, half smile that evolved into a full, blown out, coy grin. The atmosphere grew so quiet I could hear the rampant beating of my heart that almost jumped out at Riven's appearance. I suddenly felt so weak. Was it because I was back in my own body?

"H-Hey R-Riven."

He mussed his hair, his eyes flickering between me and the group, then heaved a sigh of relief before shutting the door behind him. My eyes followed his every motion and studied it. Watching his body move from a third person point of view acted as an eye opener.

"Hey," he coolly greeted.

Suddenly, for the first time for a long time, I felt shy in front of Riven, and it felt awkwardly, uncomfortable. My body heated up and grew tense. I shook my head violently, and started to hit it. What was wrong with me?

A sudden giggle destroyed the silence in the room along with the tense atmosphere. Riven's eyes narrowed and searched the room frantically.

Chatta crawled out from the sheet and poked her head out from behind the bed, her lips mockingly puckered. "I saw youuuu!"

"Huh?"

"I saw you…mwah mwah MWAH!" Chatta started to make puckering noises. I didn't get it, but somehow Riven did. Shades of blush colored his cheeks.

"It was you!" His finger accusingly pointed at the sweet angel.

"It was me!" she repeated like a little parrot.

"Shh...The nurse will hear," I repeated. "Chatta, you aren't really the patient sleeping on the other bed right?"

Chatta grinned, her cheeks lighting up like bulbs. "You got me."

"You're supposed to be the children ward."

"But over there it's so boooring," she whined while she curled up in the cutest, little ball I ever saw. Nevertheless, I laid down the law.

"Chatta…" I strictly warned.

"I can't be here? The evil ogre is gone. You, myfairy godmother defeated her! You're the best fairy godmother in the world!" she squealed as she bombarded me with a love-hug attack.

I did not know whether to take her words as a compliment. I had always wanted to be a fairy, but, primarily, weren't fairy godmothers…old? But old people were wise, so that meant I was…wise?

I grinned and surrender, patting Chatta on the back like a crying baby.

"And mind telling me who that hell she is?" Riven placed a nasty emphasis on the she as he sent her scornful looks, but Chatta returned his glare with one of her own with twice the intensity.I trembled slightly.

Little girls sure are intimidating.

"You think you're my formidable opponent?" Riven scoffed.

"No. I think you're just jealous."

At that remark, Chatta snuggled up to me more, digging her head into my chest as she comfortably rested. Riven about looked ready to pounce on the little darling, and the look on his made my cheeks heated up. A strange sense of happiness swelled within me.

Chatta brightened up and abruptly jumped off from my chest and crawled over to Riven, puckering her lips as if implying something. Then she motioned for Riven to come closer, and then said, "I have something that would make you feel better."

She craned up neck up till and cupped her hands around her mouth as she excitedly whispered something to Riven before giving him a peck on the cheek. In return, Riven went bright red again.

All I could do was watch in wonder. Riven sure furrowed his brows in confusion.

Then the door slide open.

"Chatta!" the "evil ogre". "You're supposed to be in the children ward!"

"Aw…but…"

"No buts. Come with me." The nurse lifted the tiny angel into the air and carried her out. Despite the forced removal from the scene, Chatta still beamed with glee.

"Bye fairy godmother! Come visit me sometime!" She waved with a big smile stretched across her face.

When Chatta rounded the corner, Riven's attention switched back to me.

"So you should leave the hospital soon."

"Yes I should."

"So how does it feel to be a girl again?"

"Interesting. How about you?"

"It's interesting." I couldn't tear my eyes off of Riven for some reason. "What? Did you accidently leave half you mind in my body?"

I grinned cheerfully, and replied. "You mean did you leave half your mind in my body?" I playfully stuck out my tongue as Riven just rolled his eyes.

"By the way, what did Chatta whisper to you?"

Riven immediately froze before he started for the door. "Nothing much. Nice seeing you awake. Leave the hospital soon, and I've arranged a ride from the hospital for you."

After he left, all was left with a long period of silence for me to roam in my thoughts.

Well, that was uneventful.

I sighed and glanced around the room, catching an ivory bowl full of cherry blossoms sitting on my bedside, which hadn't been there before. Did Riven bring it? His whole visit suddenly became eventful.

ººº

After surviving through a dreadfully long checkup with a doctor, who insisted I had a split personality, I could leave the hospital wearing the clothes that my parents had dropped off earlier. Currently, my worrisome dad was wailing to me through the phone.

"You are you ok? Do you have any broken bones? Are you feeling faint? Are you pregnant?"

"Dad, I'm fine. I'll be arriving at my apartment soon. I have to hang up now because I'm leaving the hospital."

"Ok. Well are you keeping yourself warm?"

"Yes."

"Stay safe."

"I know dad."

"See you soon flower."

"Bye."

When the call ended, I left out a large sigh that had been accumulating throughout the whole day.

Like any other winter day, the chilly air prickled its victim's skin and shook the branches of the trees. The sky was already darkening into a beautiful winter sunset due to the shorter winter days. Before I could check to see if my ride had arrived, my had to untangle the mess of hair that the wind created, and the second I finished, my eyes widened.

A sleek black limo sat in the driveway, and a dark silhouette stood next to it, his head bowed with his right hand over his heart.

"Flora," the figure dressed in a chauffeur's outfit acknowledged. Then he raised his head slightly, and I caught the sight of his chiseled jaw, and flirty eyes.

"Brandon?" I gasped. Conveniently ignoring all the envious stares from visitors, I quickly scurried over to him.

He grinned like the gentleman he is. "I've been told to be your chauffeur for the night. The night is young, and you're so beautiful...and demanding"

"It's only three, Brandon, and the sun is still up."

"I have the pleasure of driving a fine lady this afternoon. Step into the limo."

"But—"

"Step into the limo," he repeated in a more strained note. When I still move, he reassuringly said, "Come on. Play along to this pretend game."

"O-O-Ok."

Brandon didn't drive my back to my apartment like I had suspected. Instead in drove me to a salon and a boutique. When I questioned what was going all, he would always reply, "You'll see."

Four hours later, we arrived at a towering, golden hotel glittering with night lights. Brandon, who had changed into a tux, gracefully opened the door for me, and I tried to step out into the cool night air without ripping my pink ballroom gown.

"Welcome to your ball, Princess."

"What's going on?"

"It's December 31st..." No response. "...You're invited to our company's New Year Party..."

"I-I'm invited?"

"Come on. You don't truly think we are coldhearted devils who would just work you to death and not reward you?"

I paused for a second, pondering the answer to his question, but couldn't voice it when I found it.

"Wow, you do." Brandon sighed. "We invited you as a thank you, but I guess that's too hard to believe."

I stayed silent and pensively glanced at the grand golden hotel called Hotel Solaria as Brandon led me to down to a fairytale-like scene filled with extravagantly dressed women and handsome men. Multiple chandeliers sparkled, and a curtain of light fell.

It was the start of a beautiful night that would ultimately ended in disappointment.

As usual review and critique if I screwed up the concept of PB&J. Don't be shy.

It's hot. I'm sleepy. Good night.