#Pray return to the waking sands QUINN

[quinn-borel]

[Quinnmeric/Wolmeric Modern!AU. Part 1. Part 2. Part 3.Part 4]

She stood there with her little denim shorts and billowing pink blouse as she pressed the ice cream cone to her lips.  The wind had picked up quite a bit, and the clouds had covered up the sun–yet the sun was already in front of him in the form of her smile.  How she brightened such an overcast day with how her lips simply curled.  Aymeric couldn’t help but to stare, and Quinn noticed it.  She leaned over the railing and rolled her tongue over the tip of the soft serve–Aymeric averted his gaze immediately and looked out upon the harbor.  The soft waves brushed against the wood of the pier, and the gulls above cried out in hopes that someone would give them a tasty treat.  There was something serene about the environment which put him at ease, and the young man relaxed as he, too, leaned against the railing with his ice cream.

“Nice view, isn’t it?” she mused between licks, “Too bad it’s overcast now…”

“I’m still enjoying it.”

“Well, I’m glad.” She shifted slightly in his direction, gradually closing the two foot gap between them, “…I’ve really enjoyed my time out here with you, Aymeric.”

“I’ve really enjoyed my time out here with you as well, Quinn.  Forgive me that I’m not used to really shopping around much.”

“Oh, hey, as long as you’re enjoying yourself, then that’s the important part, right?”

They each smiled at the other, yet both seemingly hiding their grins behind their cones.  In truth, Aymeric had not spent so much time with someone alone since his past relationship.  He never really cared to try, either–he was far too busy with work to necessarily think about trying to connect with someone else in such a way.  Yet there he stood next to Quinn, completely relaxed and enjoying her company. It was a shame that he was only in town for two more days…

“You phone has been buzzing in your pocket like crazy.” Quinn pointed out, her gaze falling to his side as the light from his phone penetrated the fabric of his pants.  Aymeric broke from his blissful daze as she said this, quickly pulling his phone out to see just who was trying to contact him.  He had several messages from Lucia and Handeloup respectively detailing their need for certain documents and requests that he answer his emails.  In truth, he hadn’t expected to be out as late as he did and had promised to get some work done from the hotel room that day.  It wasn’t much of a vacation from work after all, he mentally noted.  Aymeric then noticed that a curious pair of eyes had fallen upon his screen, right when Lucia’s name read across the message screen.

“My assistant.” he explained as he pocketed his phone, “She’s extremely persistent.”

“I see,” Quinn went back to her ice cream, “she’s really causing a stir, hmm?”

“Well, I’ll admit, I sort of left her and my other assistant hanging after my flight came in yesterday.  I was supposed to let them know how the event went, but-”

“You were rather distracted.” Quinn interrupted with a wink and a devious smirk.  Aymeric chuckled softly, for she was correct.  The moment he arrived back in his hotel room the previous night he simply took a shower and flopped on the bed full of regrets with thoughts of her spinning in his mind.  It was then that a tinge of confidence struck him in the moment, and he leaned in closer so that his words could reach her and only her,

“Mind you I have my regrets of not joining you.” he explained, “The two of us and a bottle of wine? Sounds delightful.”

Quinn was taken aback for a moment, eyes wide with a grin pulling at her lips.  She then gently nudged him with soft giggles trickling from her person.  She was at a loss for words, and if he could in that moment he’d have given himself a pat on the back.  But he was only telling the truth–he wanted to spend more time with her, even if his work called for his return.  The emails could wait, it was time that he had a little personal excursion.  

“Whatever happened to starting your flirting with a compliment?” Quinn asked with a gentle jab.

“I said I was subtle.”

“Well,” she scooched over to him, effectively closing the gap between them, “what if I told you that–”

drip

...

“Shit.” they said in unison as another droplet hit Quinn square in the forehead.  The clouds above weren’t simply there for show, nay, they were an omen for a rainstorm.  An evening storm ripped through the skyline, leaving the pair little leeway before it started coming down.  They left the pier before the worst of it hit, yet once they reached the main gate of the boardwalk they were already soaked.  No umbrellas, no jackets, and barely any cover, Quinn and Aymeric stood in the rain at the crosswalk waiting to pass so that they could find shelter.  No restaurant would take their soaking selves, Kwehbers were not fond of drippy patrons, and going into a shopping center would delay the inevitable–Quinn was freezing.

“My hotel isn’t far from here,” Aymeric checked the familiar landscape as they continued to quickly walk in the drizzle, “we can get some towels there.”

“G-good.” Quinn muttered as she stood closer to the heater that was Aymeric.  While he dressed down in a button down and pants, she stood in the rain in a dripping chiffon blouse and shorts as if it were the middle of summer, not the end of spring.  Quinn crossed her arms over her chest slightly shaking as they waited for the last crosswalk.  The wind that came with the drizzle did not help, and she stood to his side in hopes he could shield her from the breeze, “I did not see this in the weather report.”

Aymeric put his arm around her and brought her closer for warmth, “Neither did I.”

There they stood in an unknowing embrace of sorts as they waited for the walk signal.  Quinn didn’t seem to mind at all, for his body heat was enough to cut the chill for the moment.  Aymeric, on the other hand, felt his pulse quicken once again.  Despite the rain, he could still smell her perfume—that warm blend of raspberry and roses wafted in the air around them.  Utterly tantalizing to his senses.

“It’s green let’s go.”  Quinn urged him along the crosswalk, “I’m cold, Aymeric.”

“Right, sorry.” he swiftly followed her across the way, the pair eventually making it to the Exarch Hotel.  Upon entering the main lobby, the concierge welcomed both of them with a somewhat sad look in their eyes seeing how their guests were sopping wet.  Quinn looked around the place with wonder in her eyes,

“Wow, this place really is as fancy as they say.” she muttered under her breath.  Aymeric fished his keycard out of his somehow dry wallet and motioned for her to follow him to the elevator.  Somehow she seemed rather nervous to follow him, though the twitching in her lips may have been from the cold.  The elevator ride was oddly silent, unlike their last ride together.  Aymeric wasn’t one for conversation while he was wet either, so he understood that first and foremost she probably wanted to be dry before partaking in casual conversation again.

They eventually made it to his room on the fifth floor, Quinn still oddly silent as she followed behind him.  Thinking nothing of the situation, Aymeric opened the door for her and and she scooched past him while taking in the sight of the suite.

“There should be fresh towels in the bathroom.” he said as he started for the wardrobe, “If there’s anything you need, let me know–”

As he turned he noticed her standing there rather awkwardly by the bathroom, words seemingly lost to her as she folded her hands in front of her.  Aymeric blinked a few times in confusion, until he realized that her clothes were really the issue at hand…

...

He looked her up and down with red in his cheeks–she was certainly shorter than him, and her shoulders weren’t nearly as broad.  Perhaps it could work...

“…I can lend you one of my shirts, if you need it.” he coughed.  He noticed the pink in Quinn’s cheeks, obviously embarrassed to even ask him for help.  However, she gave him a slow nod in response and her eyes followed him as he pulled a dark button-down from the wardrobe, folded neatly, and handed it to her.  She gently grasped the cloth in her hands before slinking into his bathroom–as for Aymeric, he immediately turned away from her to show that he was giving her the utmost amount of privacy.

He instead quickly gathered himself up and changed out of his own damp clothing, hoping that Quinn wouldn’t walk in on him with his shirt undone or pants halfway up.  But, she seemed to be taking her sweet time in the bathroom, allowing Aymeric to be fully changed and even go so far as to open up his laptop to check his messages.  He even turned the TV on to bring some sort of ambience to the room–the news would suffice, though admittedly they weren’t discussing anything in particular he cared about.

Just as he was typing up an email to Lucia, the door to the bathroom creaked open and there stood Quinn in just his button down, having abandoned her blouse and shorts so that they could hang dry over the tub.  Aymeric did his damndest not to look at her, his gaze still on his laptop screen.

“Feel better?” he asked, though his words were slightly cracked when they left his throat.

Don’t look at her.  Don’t look at her.  Don’t look at her.

“Yeah.” Quinn sighed as she plopped on the edge of the bed, staring at the TV for a bit before looking over towards Aymeric.  She simply watched him type away on his laptop, and he could feel her eyes on him as he did so.  Was she expecting him to do something?  He was just being a gentleman about the whole situation–she was practically half-dressed in his hotel room and he would not take advantage of that…right?  He bit his bottom lip trying to combat the boyish urge in his soul that begged for him to join her on the bed.  He knew better than to saunter over to her while she sat there in a vulnerable state.  He already took his chances with his flirting earlier, he wouldn’t test his luck further.

Yet when he glanced over the edge of his laptop their gazes met–she looked so���lonely, sitting there awkwardly by herself.  Her gaze seemed to beg him to join her, not in a sultry way, but more in a ‘please don’t make this more awkward by sitting halfway across the room’ way.  So after sending Handeloup a message, Aymeric shut his laptop and slowly made his way over to his bed.  Quinn crossed her legs and sat back, watching his every movement as if it was some sort of test.  He kept eye contact with her, trying not to look so boyish as she gaze upon her frame in his shirt, or stare at her bare and shapely legs.  

“Warming up?” he asked as he finally plopped down, eyes still fixated on hers.

“Yeah, thank you.  Really, I appreciate it.”  

“…You know,” he laughed slightly, “I will say, this is not how I expected this day to go, that’s for sure.”

“Yeah,” she laughed along with him, “I honestly didn’t expect to be wearing your shirt by the end of the evening.”

“Well…” he finally broke his gaze from her, looking her up and down to see how his own button-down looked on her.  It was loose-fitting, that was for sure, and it appeared that the chest had enough room for her to fit in comfortably.  Overall, she looked very cozy. “…you look like you belong in it.”

What the hell was that supposed to imply!???

“O-Oh?” Quinn asked, putting her hand to her chest with a small smile, “Aymeric…how bold of you to say.”

“Wait-”

“No, no.” Quinn teased him as she leaned towards him, “I think I know what you meant by that.”

“Quinn, I–” he wheezed, “I meant that…Ya know what?  I don’t even know what I meant to say.”

She couldn’t help but to giggle at him–oh, her sweet laughter filled his ears once more causing a stir in his core.  The whole situation, if anything, caused an old feeling in his gut to resurface.  The feeling of butterflies in his stomach, of a heat in his chest, and an absolute mess in his head as his thoughts raced and his boyish wants and needs came to the forefront.  

He may have been in love, even.

“…I do love your laugh.” he admitted, his voice low so that she had to lean in closer to hear him,

“…do you, now?”

“It’s cute.”

“You’re cute.”

“Am I?”

Quinn nodded in agreement as she leaned in closer to him , “Very.  I like you, Aymeric.”

He parted his lips to speak, yet the way she closed in on him left him speechless.  She placed her hand on his thigh and cocked her head slightly, her half-lidded gaze still somehow piercing through him, despite that he could have sworn he was in control of the situation.  But alas, Quinn seemed to have the upper hand, and her admittance to enjoying his company only fueled the fire in his chest.  Instead of fighting his urges, he relaxed and allowed Quinn to have her fun with him–it was what he desired deep down, after all.

She gently pressed her lips against his, and he returned the favor by doing the same.  They each grinned rather bashfully before Quinn went in for another kiss, her grip on his thigh tightening ever so slightly.  

Her lips were pillowy soft, and as they pulled away he could taste a hint of her strawberry gloss upon his lower lip.  Quinn’s hand abandoned his thigh so that she could touch his chest, a warm heat blossoming in his abdomen as she did so.

“I like you, too, Quinn…” he whispered before she pressed another kiss to his lips.  But Aymeric wanted to take it further than just chaste pecks.  His desire got the best of him in that moment, and he parted his lips for her, allowing her tongue to slip in with ease.  But where were his hands to go?  While Quinn’s palm was slowly dragging itself down his chest, his remained idle in hopes that maybe she would guide him.

“Is everything alright?” she asked quietly as they parted, leaning back to allow him some space.

“Hm?” he leaned towards her instinctively, wanting for another, “Everything is fine.  Great, even.”  

“I guess I’m just surprised you’re not all over me.” Quinn brushed her bangs to the side rather timidly, “I’m not making you uncomfortable, am I?”

“What?” Aymeric felt a cold chill down his spine–he was acting rather cautiously, too cautiously in fact.  He was sending the wrong signals to Quinn.  Yes, he was timid, but only because he feared overstepping her boundaries.  It became quite clear to him that Quinn expected more from him, though how much more he couldn’t quite figure out.  She was just as hard for him to read as he was to her, apparently, “No, not at all.  Are you?”

“No.” a simple statement spoke with a warm smile as she resituated herself on the bed.  Aymeric closed the gap between them once more, allowing his free hand to attach itself to her upper thigh so that he could feel her smooth, warm skin against his palm.  He ran his hand along her skin as their kisses became passionate, Quinn hooking her arms around his neck to bring him closer to her.  A stray hand entangled itself in his dark sable locks, while Aymeric’s hands deviously wandered upwards but stopped short of her ribcage.

“You can touch them…” she whispered, her gaze flickering down to his hands then back to him.  She noticed the jolt in his Adam’s apple as he swallowed at the mere thought of groping her.  Quinn couldn’t help but to giggle as she pressed him for another kiss.  By her leave did he drag both hands from her sides to her breasts, giving each of them a firm squeeze which left her squeaking with delight.

“Oh, by the Fury, you’re adorable.” he huffed into her lips.  She continued to giggle into each kiss, pleased with how he was handling her.  It was then that their shared passion grew hotter, each of them softly moaning into the other before Aymeric took the lead in nudging her to lay down.  She continued to keep her arms locked around him as he rolled her onto her back, his lips moving from her own down to her neck.  Another moan coming from her shook him to his core, and he couldn’t help but to roughly push himself against her leg–his jeans grew ever-so-tight in that moment, and Quinn noticed.  Yet before she would by instinct part her legs for him, her eyes widened for a moment,

“Shit.” she hissed.  Aymeric immediately let up, hovering over her with concern in his eyes, 

“What’s wrong?”

She looked over at her purse then back to him, her brow furrowed in disappointment,

“I don’t have a condom on me…”

It took him a moment to realize the precarious situation he was in.  Of course he wasn’t planning on having sex at all during his trip, so he was in the same boat as her.  Yet she lay there underneath him, nearly undressed, and absolutely prime for the taking.  The opportunity was within his grasp, yet he knew better.  They knew better…

He softly sighed with a smile, “That’s quite alright. Haha...ah…sorry.”

“No, no. Don’t be sorry…”

Aymeric slowly went back to his seated position on the bed, Quinn soon following.  The passion they shared immediately left the room, leaving it somewhat cold and barren.  Aymeric rubbed the back of his neck, the feeling of Quinn’s fingers entangling in his hair still lingered,

“I guess we got a little carried away there.” he said, “…Though I will say that was…something.”

“Yeah.” she shot back with a soft smile, “That was…great, actually.”

They both sat there awkwardly, Aymeric’s need still blatantly showing through his jeans.  Quinn’s eyes fell to the lump between his legs and her lips curled into a devious smile.

“Well,” she leaned into him once more, her lips grazing his ear, “I can still help you with that.”

“Y-you don’t have to.” he wheezed, yet Quinn was already tugging at his belt.  

“Nonsense,” she cooed, “I can’t just blue ball you like that.”

Aymeric sighed, leaning back to allow Quinn better access to his belt and zipper.  His mind was a haze–he couldn’t quite grasp the situation at hand.  First, they were simply enjoying the other’s company.  Next, she was barely dressed and making out with him.  Now…

Well, Quinn’s phone began to ring once more in her purse.  Quite obnoxiously, at that.  The sound of her ringtone was a tad bit of an irritant to Aymeric, and she could tell by the look in his eyes that he wished for it to stop–it wasn’t exactly aiding the mood.

“Son of a-” Quinn abandoned Aymeric’s pants to go to her purse, pulling out her phone with an irritated “Yes?”

A moment of silence…

…

“I’m busy right now” she grumbled, “...It’s none of your business…what do you mean right now? I’m on the–No.  No.  Are you serious?  Now?”

Aymeric awkwardly sat there watching her, unsure as to whether he should zip his jeans back up or not…

“…This is the last time this weekend I do this.  Ok?  Fine. I’ll call a cab and be right over.” as she ended the call, the look of irritation blatant upon her features.  In fact, she almost looked disgusted.

“Is everything alright?” Aymeric asked.  Quinn sighed and turned to him,

“Work.” she simply stated, “Minfilia was rather vehement that I come to a dinner meeting right now…”

“I know that feeling all too well.”

“I’m…sorry.” she looked off to the side, “I really wasn’t expecting for this to happen.”

“You’re fine, Quinn.”

“Yeah, but…are you going to be alright?”

“Me?  I’ll be fine.”

He watched the slump in her shoulders as she made way towards the bathroom to get dressed.  All that Aymeric could do was wait patiently for her and see her off once her Kwehber arrived.  She would not leave him without a kiss, however.  Their lips touched briefly before the elevator closed on them both, Aymeric wasting no time in grabbing his phone as he walked back to his room.

A younger version of himself would have instantly messaged Haurchefant to tell him about the situation.  However, he chose to pull Quinn’s name up first and foremost, ignoring the slew of messages from both his assistants.

> Dinner tomorrow?

She immediately messaged back,

> I would love to. <3

[rudie-wr1tes]

Endless Passion- A Sandman Fan Fiction

XIV. Sand in the Eyes

Synopsis: Sabine's attempt to breach her contract with Morpheus is intercepted. In a quick reaction of anger for violating their agreement, he punishes her in a way worse than any nightmare she's known.

Behind troves of books, Sabine nestled into a quiet corner of the library within Lucienne’s line of sight. It appeared as if she was deeply encroached by the mystery novel Lucienne recommended, as she sat with her knees curled beneath her skirt on the quilted couch.

It crossed no other mind in that place that Sabine chose to sit directly in front of the paned window, beneath the light of aurora borealis. It had been hours since Evangeline left for the Waking World. Sabine was staring through the words of her novel, white knuckled at the book jacket. Her eyes occasionally shfited to the horizon line outside expecting to see her, but no jetstream of white feathers passed through. Morpheus could return at any minute, but asking when he would return would seem suspicious. She swallowed hard, letting her thumb rub the page with each nervous heartbeat. Where was Eva? Was she safe? Did someone capture her? What if she was hurt? Nature and humans alike did not treat albino figures with kindness. If that was the case, the blood would be on her hands again. Sabine thought of Quinn. The message could have waited. But she was scared. Of him. Of everything. 

There was a flourish, a rushed ruffle of feathers. Lucienne alerted to the opened window above Sabine’s head. Sabine stumbled to her feet quickly, praying it was Evangeline. Instead, both were met with a breathless, scared Matthew. 

“Matthew, what is troubling you?” Lucienne asked, dropping everything to approach him.

“Lucienne!” Matthew cawed, “Sabine! Have either of you seen Evangeline?” 

“I have not.” Lucienne replied, “Have you?” 

Sabine furrowed her brows, “No, not since this afternoon when Morpheus called for me. Why?” The lie fell from her lips faster than breathing. 

He could barely catch his breath as he exclaimed, “Evangeline is missing!” 

Sabine’s stomach dropped, “Oh no. I mean, she can’t have gone far, right?” 

“I’ve looked everywhere twice. Morpheus is searching for Destiny. I can’t disturb him. What am I supposed to do?!” Matthew cried, “I’m supposed to look out for her. I told her to not wander off.” 

Lucienne shook her head, “Destiny can wait. Go to Lord Morpheus now and tell him. He will find her.” 

“Wait!” Sabine called, “I swore I saw her flying into the forest Morpheus called me to earlier. It was after we met… And she went back.” 

It was a lie. A lie on top of a lie, on top of a lie. Sabine couldn’t stop. Lies bleed profusely from her lips as a bloody wound. 

“That was the last time I saw her too.” Matthew sighed, pacing his talons across the wooden desk before them, “Crap, this is all my fault, you guys. I got on her case again about you and Morpheus, Sabine. She was saying these things about… About how angry she was to keep you apart from your life in the waking world, and that she wanted to go. I said no.” 

Lucienne shifted her gaze to Sabine’s blouse, noticing one of its strings at the bottom were missing. 

“What did she say?” Sabine asked intently, leaning in closer to him. 

“She really likes you, you know that right?” Matthew said in an excited tone, “She thinks you’re some sort of fucking princess. She wants you to be happy, and she hated that Morpheus was trying to bring up something that ahrmed you. He wasn’t trying to hurt you there. He was trying to use your dreams to help remember that point in your life.” 

“And he didn’t think to just ask?” Sabine scowled, “seriously?!” 

“I know.” Matthew shook hsi head, “He should have. I didn’t think it was a good idea. I don’t know what happened to you and the Dreamstone dud, but it’s clear it was harder than we all imagined. She was upset with him, with me. And she left.” 

“Maybe….” Sabine looked around, “Maybe she’s in the forest still, it’s late, but we can look, right?” 

“Morpheus would find her much faster.” Lucienne insisted, “Those woods of his can be dangerous at night. Go to him.” 

“I want to help.” Sabine said, “Maybe when you come back, we can all search for her.” 

“You have done enough.” snapped a voice from the foyer.

Sabine’s blood ran cold through her veins as Morpheus entered. His hair was dripping wet, spikes splayed across his face. Water rolled off his coat as he stormed before her on fast feet. There was something tucked in the breast of his coat. Matthew and Lucienne ran to him in concern. Sabine was the last to walk forward on careful feet, to find Evangline burrowed against his breast. 

“Oh my god.” Sabine covered her mouth, “Oh my god, Eva-” 

Evangeline was sopping wet, trembling cold against her creator. She turned to look up at Sabine. The letter tied to her foot was nowhere to be seen. 

“Where have you been?!” Matthew cried in concern, hopping on Morpheus’s shoulder to observe her, “I’ve been looking everywhere for you.” 

Evangeline trembled, “Uncle Matthew, I’m so sorry for scaring you….” She looked to Sabine, “Sabine, I’m sorry, I-” 

“Don’t.” Sabine shook her head. Morpheus said nothing, his furious eyes boring into her soul, making her ears ring. 

“I should be the one who’s sorry.” Sabine swallowed, “Are you hurt?” 

“Matthew, take her to the nearest fireplace for warmth.” Morpheus interrupted them. Lucienne quickly took Evangleine in a thick blanket. 

“I’m sorry.” Evangeline cried again, “I told him. I told him everything. I had to.” 

“Told him what?” Matthew inquired. 

“It doesn’t matter now.” Lucienne said, rushing them out of the room, “We will talk about this.” 

It was his silence that jarred Sabine. She couldn’t bear to look at him, only to see the wet puddle Evangeline left upon her exit. 

Sabine blinked, and the room was dark. They were no longer in the library, but in a blank plane of darkness. 

“You dare defy me and breach our agreement, and to what?” Morpheus berated in a cold tone, “To put your young messenger in danger?” 

“I didn’t know that was going to happen.” Sabine spoke quickly, “I made a mistake. She offered to deliver a message to Quinn. She said she knew the waking world, and I trusted her-” 

“I heard her cry for me in the midst of a violent winter storm.” Morpheus’s eyes seemed to glow with rage, as darkness contoued his angry face, “The winds, the rain, and thunder were all too much for her to fly in. You of all people should have known how fatal the Pacific North winds can be.” 

“I didn’t know!” Sabine cried, “Morpheus, please. I’m so sorry. I was upset, and scared. The second I let her go, I knew this was a mistake-” 

“Do you mistake me for a fool?” Morpheus stood closer, “It is clear you have failed to respect our deal. You have been provided with the opportunity to live here peacefully. And you disrespected my agreement over petty anger. I cannot let this go unpunished.” 

His jawline ground deep within his head. Sabine tried to turn away to run, only to find herself frozen in time. 

“You desire to return to the Waking World. Your wish will be fulfilled for the time being.” 

“Morpheus, please!” She pleaded, looking up at him, “I will not do it again, I–” 

His hand opened, a palm full of sand revealing itself to her. He blew the sand into her face as she called for him. She fell unconscious, surrounded in angry darkness once more. 

************************************************************************

In what felt like seconds, she opened her eyes. Sabine was laying on cold concrete, limbs aching. Car horns and the chorus of morning traffic filled the silence. She opened her eyes into pitch, as a police siren jutted her awake. 

The air was cold and smelled stale, like yellowed paper. A thin stream of light fell from yellowed windows above her head. She slowly rose up, looking around. Detritus and crumbled newspapers littered the ground, as dust left the walls a hazy grey around her. 

“Eva?” She called out, “Matthew? Mervyn?” 

No one answered her calls, hearing her own voice bounce off the old warehouse’s walls. She glanced again, looking around, “Lucienne? Are you here?” 

She checked her own body, finding herself in the same clothes she entered the Dreaming in. Her gardenia ring was gone. Was she finally free? 

Sabine rushed to get up, fighting the dizzy feeling in her head as she ran to the window. She looked out the yellowed window, finding herself in the middle of New York City, off Broadway street to be exact. The surroundings were far removed from its busiest corners. As grey daylight poured through, people passed on the asphalt beyond. And the echo of a familiar voice made her heart stop in her chest. 

“Kalea.” She whispered, shoving her face to the filthy wall, seeing her sister walk down the avenue back towards Barnard College. Sabine was delighted to know Kalea made it back in time for another year. She watched, as Kalea’s long hair was pulled back into a messy braid, dyed a soft strawberry blonde once, growing darker at the root. Someone finally reminded her to wear her glasses. There were a few new piercings on her ears. She wore a chunky green sweater and new jeans, walking in arms with a few of her classmates, laughing. The messenger bag on her shoulder was stolen from Sabine’s closet. She was happy, as Sabine hoped she’d be in her absence. They were all chatting amongst themselves. 

“Kalea!” Sabine shouted from the top of her lungs, “Kalea!” 

She began to bang on the window with her open palm, as her sister walked by. Sabine continued to call her name, pounding on the window, but Kalea did not look back. She then noticed a door nearest to her- she ran up to it, shoving planks of wood away from its handle with swift force. The door opened with an old click, a gust of freezing wind pouring in. A rush filled Sabine as she opened the door. This would be it. She would never have to see Morpheus again. 

Her sister’s back faced her as they walked towards the edge of a crosswalk. 

“Kalea!” Sabine screamed at the top of her lungs, running out into the cold towards her. 

Kalea flinched, checking over her shoulder. The shrill cry of her sister’s voice startled her. She looked to find the source, only to be met with a creaking door to an abandoned building she passed everyday. Its flimsy face tapped against the building’s side, soon creaking ajar, Her friends caught on and stopped to check on her.

“You good, Kalea?” Willow, a girl with brown skin and short black hair asked, checking the door as well.  

Kalea’s lips parted slightly, as she blinked hard. 

“Yeah.” Kalea nodded, “I’m fine. I just…. I heard a weird noise.” 

Lydia, a tall girl with red hair and freckles kept an arm around her friend. 

“It’s that creepy ass building.” Lydia muttered, “I heard someone got murdered there in the 60’s.” 

“Same.” Willow muttered, “Creepy ass building.” 

Kalea nodded, “I’m sure it was nothing. I’m hearing shit. I’ve been up for this final for three days now, that it’s tripping me up. I better pass this time.” 

As the group of girls crossed the street, Kalea checked over her shoulder one last time. The door was tapping against the building, rattling and groaning. 

“Have you heard from your sister?” Lydia asked, “Like at all?” 

“No.” Kalea said, “But from what Quinn told me it was pretty important. She got this opportunity of a lifetime in Norway for her sleep studies and left immediately. Whatever she’s doing…. It’s some sort of secret.” 

“That’s so cool.” Willow beamed, “Hopefully she can call soon. Sounds like some crazy government shit or something.” 

“I always knew she was going to change the world.” Kalea muttered, “I just wish I could be there to see it.”

Kalea and her friends crossed the street without another second thought of her dear sister.

Sabine, meanwhile, felt the same brush of sand fall into her eyes and face again upon leaving the building, waking up again on the cold, hard ground. 

“What the fuck?” She stammered, throwing herself up off the ground. It was sunny now. The day was different. Everything was different. 

And there was Kalea, walking by the building again with Lydia and Willow. Kalea was happier than the day before, flouncing along in a black puffer jacket, her long hair wild and wavy. Sabine called for her again. She banged on the window. She ran out the door, screaming for her sister to be enveloped in black. 

She tried to call four more times. Then ten times after that. She shattered the window once. Another time, she threw a rock and missed. Sand was everywhere, in her sinuses at times. She lost track eventually.

And on the last attempt, she only watched her sister leave for school from another Starbucks run, to return in a pile of detritus and lay there.

There was no way to judge when she would return to the Dreaming, but she would try. 

She forced herself to dream of home, but quickly her thoughts stumbled back to the dreaming. She missed the library. She missed Lucienne. She missed Morpheus too, despite how angry she was with him. She missed her sister more, but this was too painful to bear alone. 

“Damn you, Morpheus.” She said softly, “Damn you and all your nightmares.” 

Sabine cried herself to sleep, not realizing just how exhausted she was from it all, ignoring the familiar pull of hazy blue light in the distance.

______________________________________________________________

Author's note: Listen... If you didn't notice, I'm a Beauty and the Beast girlie. Obviously. That's fine. I was inspired, I can say that. But what's the draw now to being locked in a tower? I had to add my spice to that.