13: Dream no more

Thump. Thump. Thump.

The echoes of my footfalls stopped. And finally, the heavy weight that I felt inside me vanished. I fell down on my knees, the weight inside me also left me catching for my breath as if someone almost choked me to death. All I could hear was my breathing, and the sound of my heart. I closed my eyes and then buried my face in my palms as I tried to keep my breathing paced, my eyes already roaming around the place.

I couldn't stop the look that formed on my face as soon as the walls and the ceiling came into my sight. The walls were all painted and the images were so dim. I could not see them clearly, but I am sure that I have seen one that sent me shivers all the way up my body. It was an image of one woman with bloody red hair in a black armor holding a broad sword that is pierced through the chest of a woman with bright blue hair.

My brows furrowed as my eyes focused on the face of the woman with bloody red hair. It sent me more shivers, her face was truly scary and I can't just deny that. But not in a scary way because she looked like a witch or something, she was beautiful. All I was thinking is that her face explains everything what she might be feeling when he pierced that sword into the other woman's chest. It looked like she was full of hatred, jealousy, sadness, and more emotions were mixed up in that expression that was painted. I can't really explain it, despite the beautiful face that the woman had, she actually looked like a phsycopath who wanted nothing else but to kill mercilessly. That was what makes her look scary. And when my eyes landed on the face of the woman with bright blue hair... all I could say is the woman was actually pitying the woman who ended her life. With those eyes that she had, it seems like she was also happy and sad at the same time.

I ran my fingers down the image, but then something electrifying rushed through my arm and brought me back to my senses, making me jump in surprise. My chest was rapidly rising up and down as I glared in confusion at the image, I was completely drawn in that I did not even realize that I actually walked toward the painting without me even knowing it.

I took a few steps back and gulped. How the heck did that happen? My eyes are still glaring at the image when I suddenly heard echoes of clunking noises from behind me.

I froze on my spot.

Someone is here with me, and I do not know who that person is.

I actually don't know if that is even a person.

Clunk. Clunk. Clunk. Clunk.

Then the echoes of something metallic colliding with the floor stopped, and all I could hear was eerie silence. I wasn't even breathing, I was just holding my breath. I gulped once again as I tried to move from my spot. But I couldn't move, walk, run or something. It feels like my feet were nailed to the floor.

"Well, well. What do we have 'ere?"

My eyes widened at the voice of the person who spoke. It was a voice that was deep, but surely belonged to a woman. But, I am not moving. I couldn't move. Soon, I heard another clunk. And then another, and another, and another. "Hmmm... Are you perhaps an offering from the Hatter?" What? Who is the Hatter?

I gulped hard again as I collected all the bravery that was left inside me, clenching my fists, and slowly turned around to face the woman that is here with me. And when I faced the direction where the voice came from, all I can see was her silhouette.

"W-who are you?"

I saw the woman tilt her head to the side, then she started walking toward me. She was at the dark part of the place, and now that she moved, I can see her body already. But not her face.

Her hands were behind her back as she took a step after another and another. She was wearing an armor. I hate to admit it but she actually is. A shining black armor is what she is wearing. That explains the clunking noises that I have been hearing.

As the woman moved toward the frozen me, she spoke once again. "It talks..." She said, the way she said it, it was like she was talking to herself. And the woman chuckled, and I just stared at her in confusion.

Then finally, I see her. She is no longer hiding in the dark. At first, I knew I actually gaped at her, admiring her beauty. Hair as red as blood, golden eyes, flawless skin, and a slender but surely powerful body. She is almost perfect. My train of thoughts stopped when I realized that she is just about a one meter two away from me. She is walking toward me, the noise of her iron shoes. "Let me ask you again, are you an offering from the Hatter?" She said in a smooth voice, eyes narrowing in curiosity, I think.

I hesitated to answer her question and gulped, "I-I don't know him... or her." I felt kind of afraid of the woman in front of me. Well, she is complete stranger to me. But... damn it. Why does this situation feel so real? Am I still in my dream?

I really do not know what is happening right now but I still believe that this isn't the reality even if it feels like it. Maybe I should just go with the flow until this dreams ends... No. That came out wrong. Maybe it is much better if this dream doesn't end at all.

The woman is already nearer to me. I was just staring at her, trying to figure out what she is thinking of me at the moment since she literally looked like someone who just saw a human for the first time. Then she started walking around me, she was circling me with those golden eyes that kept on observing me like... crazy. "What are you doing?" The question just slipped out of my mouth.

But instead of a prominent answer, she said something that I couldn't quite understand. "You.. seem very different from the others that he sent me." She stopped right in front of me, then her eyes suddenly looked straight into mine. Even when it was just her eyes, she almost made me jump in shock. A few seconds passed as we stood like frozen meats in the center of the room with our eyes looking at each other, then maybe whole minute already passed. When is this staring contest going to stop? I admit it, it is already getting creepy.

No wait, that came out wrong once again. It was already creepy even right from the very start.

But it got even creepier when she finally moved. As she stared at me with her fascinatingly scary eyes, she started taking steps forward. She was getting nearer me, her hands were behind her back once again. God, she was so creepy with the way she looks at me. It feels like she... wanted to talk to me through her eyes. But it isn't that for sure. It was something else.

I really don't know what to do, now that she keeps getting nearer and nearer me. Is this something like a test? I know it is silly, saying that this kind of thing she is doing is a test. But it just popped up in my mind. Because, maybe she is trying to test my strength or fear If I would step back or just stand here and try to be brave. Is it what you call a test of courage? I mentally groaned. What the hell am I thinking? Silly thoughts...

A foot away from me, she finally halted and froze there just like a statue. But then, a bell suddenly echoed throughout the tower, making me jolt.

Then the lady did something I find very... creepy but wonderful at the same time.

She smiled widely at me. Showing me her straight white teeth, showing me her look of innocence and beauty, making me admire her too much. I don't know why, but it was just making me.

Again. It was making me admire her too much.

And too much of anything is bad for you.

Her smile says innocence, but her eyes says danger.

I felt the hairs at back of my neck stand as she asked me something that made me feel more paranoid. 

"Would you, perhaps, like to have a cup of tea with me?" 

Am I really still in my dream?