In the apartment above Pandoras Teabox, a warm flickering light could be seen shining in the farthest bedroom.
Ophelia Bantum was up late once more trying to cast out the memories from her mind of her most recent nightmare.
Every night had been like this for the past week, the second she fell asleep, she’d hear the sounds again. Then she’d wind back up here awake, surrounded by lit candles, and reading what her brother referred to as “gothic chick lit.”
Ophelia felt a bit silly letting something so feeble as a nightmare effect her but the sounds that filled her dreams haunted her. They were always the same; bones crunching, tires skidding, and her brothers desperate screams. The worst part of all was that every second she stayed trapped in that place, it felt like a memory from another lifetime was awakening. One that seemed destined to catch up to her.
It was moments like this she wished her Grandmother was still around so she could ask her what it all meant, but it was just her and her brother Puck now.
Losing Puck frightened Ophelia. That kid meant everything to her, he was an idiot at times, but she cared for him deeply. No matter how crazy he drove her, he was her entire world.
Getting up from her bed, Ophelia walked down the hall towards her brothers bedroom, the sounds of a gaming stream echoing throughout the dark hallway. As she reached the bedroom door, Ophelia closed her eyes and took a deep breathe, she knew Puck was on the other side but the sounds in her dream were so real she felt herself questioning if this life were the real dream that she was escaping to.
Stepping forward, Ophelia pushed open her brothers door and exhaled a sigh of relief. She smiled to herself, Puck was safe and sound, asleep in his gaming chair. His mouth agape as soft snores escaped, hair wild and mussed from his headset that had yet to be removed.
Ophelia displaced her brothers headset, and grabbed a blanket from his messy bed and draped it across him. Seeing him like this gave Ophelia a sense of peace, as long as Puck were around she could count on things to be okay.
She could forget the sounds from her nightmares, even just for a moment.
