"Tell me, what do you want most in this world?" the voice spoke again.
She contemplated his words as she stared into the swirling white mist. She could sense his power whoever, whatever he was. Not the type of power that she felt as if she was in direct danger, just the type of power that told her he could be dangerous if he desired. How she knew this she could not begin to fathom, all she knew was that it felt as if there was a lion, a predacious beast of some sort staring at her through the mist.
"Freedom," she answered truthfully.
For the longest, the voice did not speak. There was only the sound of the wind swirling through the mist and rushing past her ears.
Finally, the voice spoke. "Two souls, both trapped, both needing the other."
Confused, she shook her head, opening her mouth to tell him she didn't understand when a wave of fatigue nearly made her knees buckle.
"Sleep, Nadira," he commanded.
Without choice, her body complied. Closing her eyes, she felt the strength in her legs leave her, and her body sway until she felt a warm hard presence at her back. Large hands moved across her body, brazen and shameless in their quest. She felt the pull at the knotted belt at her waist, and her heart spiked even as she felt her mind sink further into the haze of sleep. The feel of his rough hands against her hot naked flesh was the last thing her mind could account for before it conceded in its battle against sleep.
*
A bright light shined behind Nadira's eyelids, causing her to groan as she slowly awakened. Tossing one arm over her eyes angrily, she nestled deeper into the warmth of her covers. Seconds or maybe minutes passed, and she finally allowed herself to open her eyes fully to the bright sunlight shining throughout her room. Breathing quietly, she stared up at her motionless ceiling fan above as the realization of what transpired settled into her rousing mind. Lifting up to see her clock to confirm her belief, she stared at the digital readout in disbelief.
She slept. She actually slept a full night through!
Alarm restrained her mounting euphoria as she realized that meant she slept in long enough to have to encounter her parents as they left for work. Nadira groaned at the thought of her mother's black eyebrows furrowing in disapproval at her daughter's late start on the day.
"Hopefully, they will just leave before I'm ready," she whispered aloud as she pulled back the sheets.
Her arm stopped mid-action after uncovering herself. She was stark naked! Sitting up, Nadira grabbed her sheet and pulled it around her breasts to cover herself as she looked around her bed in confusion. Where was her robe? Didn't she wear it to bed last night? Trying to think back to the last moments before she fell asleep was difficult. All she could remember was feeling really tired as she got ready for bed and walking down the hallway to her room, and that was it.
Well…not quite. She remembered that dream well enough. Hooking her heels into the wood framing of her bed, she drew her knees up to her chest as she sat at the edge of her mattress. She could remember every aspect of that dream, unlike most of her dreams that always seemed to fizzle away in the morning light. Toying with the stone necklace in her hands, she wiggled her toes, remembering the way the cool sand felt between them. How odd was it that she could recall it with such clarity?
A text alert vibrated on her phone, jarring her back to the present and simultaneously reminding her she had very limited time to get dressed and to get to class. With an extra spring in her step, she grabbed her robe, which was lying crumpled at the foot of her bed and stepped out her door and paused, listening to the quiet house. Deciding to risk a glance, Nadira crept halfway down the stairs and paused, letting her gaze travel over the entry hall table. Both her parents' keys and bags were gone. Unable to help herself, Nadira let out a tiny groan of satisfaction as she raced back up the stairs.
After taking a little extra time making herself a cup of coffee, Nadira grabbed a granola bar and left for school. With her windows rolled down, Nadira laughed at the third green light she caught in a row.
Today, felt as if it was starting off to be one of those rare but wonderful days.
But her luck didn't seem to end. The following days were just the same. Each night she came home, cooked dinner for her family, and eventually drug herself up to her room after cleaning the kitchen, and miraculously she was tired. Not her usual state of sleepiness that lingered throughout the night but never reaching the point that allowed her to sleep, no, this was the deep sort of fatigue that sent her crawling to her bed with a drowsy smile on her face because she knew she wouldn't wake up until eight to nine hours later. And each following morning, she woke up refreshed. The dark circles under her eyes were fading more and more, giving her face the youthful look she was supposed to have at her age.
Sitting in the open seating area of the fine arts building at her campus, Nadira steadily passed the stone back and forth between her knuckles, unconsciously enjoying the warmth and carved texture. She was staring at the group of students across the large open room seated at the couches talking amongst one another. She watched as they talked animatedly about shows they had watched and current projects in classes they attended. In a year, this would be her, she vowed. In a year, she would find an abroad program, any abroad program they offered, and she would take it and finally start living her life how she wanted to live it. She would reinvent herself once she was free, she decided. No more having to rush back home because her parents expected her back by a certain time. She would get a part-time job giving her a taste of financial independence she craved instead of having to rely on the debit card with forty dollars her dad deposited only every two weeks. Once she was emancipated from her parents' house and living on her own, her time would be her own, and then she would find the courage to talk to new people and maybe make a few college friends.
Noticing one of the boys in the group eyes light up as he looked down the hall, Nadira followed his gaze and felt her stomach knot at the source of his happiness—Fatima Patel. Walking with a confidence Nadira has never once possessed in her life, Fatima's matte burgundy lips smiled beautifully as she caught the eye of the boy and headed his way. Nadira watched from her small table hidden off to the side of the café as Fatima stopped to talk. Glossy straight black hair parted down the middle, fashionable clothes that fit her tall but curvy frame with calculated expertise, Nadira was not ashamed to admit that this girl had become an obsession for her, an obsession that was growing into an unhealthy envy every time she saw her. Maybe it was the fact she was also Indian, or that she was just absolutely stunning with little to no effort, Nadira couldn't be sure, all she knew was that every time Fatima walked by Nadira could acutely feel how much everything about herself lacked in comparison.
Unable to look at the girl anymore, Nadira dropped the necklace from her toying fingers and straightened in her seat. Checking her watch, she noted with a sigh that she had at least fifteen more minutes until class started. A waitress in a black apron carrying a large round tray filled with drinks and toasted aromatic sandwiches walked by and stopped at a table with two guys. With a friendly smile, the waitress served the guys their order before tucking the empty tray under one arm and walking around to each table to stop and say something. Nadira watched with curiosity as the girl approached her table.