I traced the aging tree trunk, smothered in wrinkles - each one bearing an untold tale within it.

The radiant sunlight exuded by the ball of fire, was slowly fading away into twilight. The azure sky was suffused in various colours of pink, yellow, blue, orange- the colours of hope.

The time of evening - the highlight of the day, the serene atmosphere; the silence so palpable and worth listening to.

Inhaling in the petrichor, I closed my eyes for a brief moment, in order to tie my long lost bond with this place. The peace I felt within for those precious moments was indecipherable.

The quietness, trees and bench of the park were the same, but one thing was missing. The person who used to occupy the space next to me on the wooden bench. That place was currently occupied by Olivia's Algebra homework.

Sighing, I walked towards the bench, scooping up the homework and transferring it to my lap. My fingers, tentatively grazed the spot which used to be filled by the presence of the only flower that blossomed in my life, which was now shriveled.

"Can I sit here?" a mellow voice startled me.

Reluctantly, I pulled my hand away from the bench and wrapped my hands around my knees as my feet rested on the bench.

The twilight was fading and the diamond encrusted sky was becoming accentuated by every passing moment. My eyes wandered towards the empty park.

I sometimes wondered, why don't people leave the comfort of their houses and come out to view something as enthralling as a sunset?

"It was nice to watch the sunset with a companion." She said while smiling at me.
Her friendly countenance did not mingle in with my stoic facial expression.

I watched her momentarily. Her raven black hair were plaited into a braid. Her lustrous, onyx eyes held a scintilla of friendship. A small smile decorating her lips was emanating such warmth that I had to look away.

"By the way my name is Alice. Alice Sanguine. What's yours?"

I quickly stood up on my feet. I could not possibly introduce myself.

I started to cover the distance in long strides, in an attempt to get away from her, trying to forget what I had just encountered. It was not possible that I would meet her again, right?

Crestfallen, I pulled the door to Aunt Allie's house ajar. Even after months of living under the roof of this house, I could not truly call it my home. A home is a sanctuary, where one feels welcomed, and under this house it was the contrary.

Silence greeted me as I trudged into the kitchen. Pouring myself a glass of water, I took a sip.

My head throbbed in pain.

My feet left the kitchen and climbed the stairs that lead to the room allocated for me.

The cold bed embraced me and the exhaustion sang a lullaby. Before I knew it, I was inundated by darkness, in order to escape the headache.

*~*~
My eyes could see nothing, but darkness. A soft whisper of cold air brushed against the nape of my neck making me shiver from the impact. My arms were numb as they were tied tightly against something solid.

I tried to move but could not.

I was trapped like a helpless animal, on the mercy of the one who had brutally and cowardly tethered me.

I sniffed, desperate to get to know my whereabouts. The smell of soaked mud entered my nostrils, indicating I was some where in the presence of trees.

"That's right, Princess." A low, raspy voice reverberated through the atmosphere and sent shudders of intimidation down my spine.

In a jiffy, the blindfold left my eyes. When my vision adjusted, I instantly gasped.

"Oh! You know this place well and good, I see. You should thank me for providing you with an opportunity to reunite with your beautiful memories."

My eyes were fixed ahead. I could see a little me, dancing around and giggling, accompanied by my mother on the crunchy carpet of gold and yellow leaves.

My teeth gnawed on my lower lip.

"Why trying to damage such beautiful lips?" The repugnant voice asked.

A keen wind howled, making the leaves scurry away in fright. They encircled the little me and my mother and after some moments, every thing was gone.

The giggling, the dancing, the leaves, me, my mother, everything vanished.

I was left alone with an appalling voice.

Thunder tumbled down, heralding the arrival of pelting rain. It turned the sky into an ominous shade of grey-black that was swathed with thick wads of clouds.

The wind blew ferociously, causing the leaves of the tree against which I was tied to move with it, joining the rhythm of what seemed like a sinister song being played by nature.

I felt something warm brush against my ear lobe.

"We have some unfinished business, Princess."

With that being said, guffaws erupted and pierced through my ear drums, encapsulating me in stark trauma.

Suddenly, it seemed that I was becoming distant from the tree and from everything else. My head started to move in circles.

Thud!

My eyes sprung open as I gulped in air. I was sprawled on the floor. Supporting my weight on my feet, I got up and sat on the bed, frantically looking in all the directions.

My arms hugged my frail figure, and my body shook involuntary.

Taking deep breaths, I uttered a sentence as a constant mantra.

"This was a dream, just a horrible nightmare."

When my ragged breathing returned to normal, I remembered Olivia's homework. Instantly, I ran down the stairs and was relieved to find it on the kitchen's counter.

Moonlight entered the dark house. I walked outside and sat on the porch. The askew, white rays fell on my body as I basked in the silence pervading the environment.

Maybe this moonlight can illuminate me, and make the darkness within me go away.

______________________________________

I have been losing my ability to write over the past few months. My writing style has changed a lot, as now I tend to write in 3rd person rather than 1st.

I hope this chapter was up to the mark and evoked in you a sense of fear.

The scene of the dream was horribly written and I'll accept any suggestions to make it better :)

AYS_621