April, 2019

The sun was high overhead, and I wiped at my face as though I was sweating... but I couldn't even feel any sweat. Endless flat earth stretched out as far as the eye could see as I wandered through the scrub of the outback.

Taking a few more steps through the plain, the beige grass crunched under my shoes.

Though something felt off about it all.

Glancing around and then down as I tried to realise what was causing the ominous atmosphere that was seeping into my core, my eyes blew wide as I realised my feet were naked, touching the blades of withering turf that poked out of the scalding red soil. Before I couldn't wonder why I didn't feel this either, a hissing sound ahead called for my attention.

Head whipping up, I searched for the noise. But it was just me and the sparse bushland. In the distance, the air warped like waves, creating mirages, dancing and twirling above fake pools of water. Higher up, not a single cloud covered the deep blue sky.

Then the hissing sounded again.

Spinning around, I thought for sure it would disappear again.

But my head immediately came within a breath of it.

Two large rainbow eyes stared at me as the creature came even closer. It's forked tongue flicked out as it lured me into its trance.

Why am I seeing this? I couldn't help but wonder, quickly realising I was not in the normal realm. I tried hard to recall the last thing I did, but came up blank as the swirling rainbow dragged me further under.

"Olivia," the voice hissed, its mouth not moving with the words, but the tongue still darting out and tail whipping back and forth in a threatening dance.

"Yeah?" I whimpered, wishing I had Marli by my side to tell me what to do right now. I regretted not asking more about the rainbow serpent just in case it appeared again. However... how was I seeing it? She hadn't pulled me into the void. I was sure it had been a while since I saw her. Last I remembered, I was travelling, and—

"Blood," it said to me.

A chill swept through me and I took a quick leap back.

But the snake didn't like that.

Head raising higher, the serpent grew as its eyes narrowed even further.

I was sure it was going to strike.

I was sure it was going to take me down.

This was it.

Though then it said, "Too tight."

My heart calmed slightly at its new words and to know I hadn't suddenly become its dinner. Ever so slowly and hesitantly, so not to spook it, I took a step closer. "What's too tight?"

The snake shrunk a little in size until it was at my head height again. Though it still stayed erect, ready to pounce me at any moment.

"The shoe," it hissed.

"What shoe?"

"There's blood."

"What blood?"

"Blood in the shoe. The shoe's too tight."

"What shoe?" I demanded. But, already, the world around me started to fade, colour and matter shrinking into dots.

Until the world turned to black.

Then my eyes shot open.

Light pooled in from around the cracks in the curtain. The familiar hiss and whine of traffic crept in through the closed windows. But before I was able to fully remember where I was, I couldn't help but whisper, "Blood in the shoe."

"What?" a confused, familiar, melodic voice asked from behind me.

At once, I shifted to a sitting position, turning to look at him.

Long locks caressing his chin, bright blue gaze taking me in, his knee was propped up the bed, elbow resting atop of it, head sitting on his hand.

"The shoe," I mumbled again, before glancing around the room.

My suitcase was still by the wall, not opened. My clothes reeked of travel and sweat. The socks I had worn the past—well... I didn't know how many days now, but at least two—were still on my feet.

Looking back to Ben, I wiped a hand over my numb face, blinking away the sleep as I said, "How long have I been out?"

His gaze shifted momentarily to the clock on his other side before looking back to me. "Seventeen hours."

"Seventeen?" I exclaimed, then I ran both hands through my hair. "No wonder I'm having fever dreams."

"Fever dreams? Why? What did you dream about?" Concern clouded his face as he assessed me with his gaze, hands worrying over me as he knew he couldn't touch me to ascertain if there was in fact a fever.

"This snake—I think it was the rainbow serpent—kept chanting at me like it was trying to warn me. It said there's 'blood in the shoe' and that the 'shoe is too tight'."

I expected Ben to be confused along with me.

To tell me not to worry about it.

To remind me it was just a dream.

But instead he said, "Like in Cinderella?"

"What?" I asked, turning to him in shock. At once, the image of a blonde lady in a blue dress and talking mice ran through my mind as I wondered what he meant by the link.

Seeming to realise where I went, he laughed before saying, "The original Cinderella."

"Oh, like the Grimm tales?"

He nodded.

My brows pulled together before I said, "I've never read that one."

"Maybe someone has spoken to you about it before? Or brought it up in your studies?"

Pursing my lips, I replied with, "Perhaps. But... I can't remember anything. What does blood have to—"

"The step-sisters cut parts of their toes and heels off to squeeze their feet into the shoes. But as they run off with the prince, these pigeons chase after them to warn the prince, stating there's 'blood in the shoe'. He realises it can't be them, and..."

Though as my jaw continued to drop and I looked at him dumbfounded, he trailed off.

"You really don't know the story?" he asked.

I shook my head.

But rather than continuing in shock, instead his face filled with sadness.

At once, my mind started to search its memory banks, concerned that maybe we had read it together and I was just forgetting.

Surely I wouldn't forget that, I told myself. It certainly doesn't sound like a forgettable story. I mean, I didn't forget how Snow White made her step-mum dance on—

"Maybe you read it with Lukas," he whispered, cutting off my thoughts.

Head whipping back up, my eyes met his in shock and guilt. Though why was I guilty? I didn't know the answer. I didn't remember my time with him... "Who knows," I mumbled numbly. "But I can't remember it."

"Well, they're the exact words from the story. The English translation, that is... one translation."

Nodding slowly, I glanced away from him and back to the blank wall ahead of the bed, thinking through the dream again. The rainbow serpent's eyes, staring at me, willing me to understand.

"Maybe it's an omen," Marli's words echoed in my mind.

Omen? I thought back at the memory. Why does a creation deity want me to remember Cinderella? Or the step-sisters?

Shaking the thought away, I decided it wasn't worth my time stressing over. If the serpent really wanted me to know something, it shouldn't speak in riddles.

With that resolution coming to the fore, I threw the blanket off me before announcing, "I'm going for a shower. Then I think it's time you and I go hunt down some made-vampires, Ben."

Managed to finish off Lukas's next chapter (finally) and mostly though Olivia's following chapter, so you're getting an upload this weekend.

Hope you're all well and still enjoying this!