To Break His Curse

Ten

AURELIA

My eyes flutter open and I am surprised to see complete darkness. I could have sworn that I closed my eyes for a second, and it was evening time.

Claire and Ellie were fighting over a sandwich and I decided to settle the score by eating it for them.

Yes, they got mad, yes, they delayed me in my bed time which is exactly what I was trying to prevent by ending the sandwich war.

My head rises and the bed makes loud squeaking noises as I lift myself up so I can lean agaisnt the wall behind my tiny bed.

What the f**k?

It is literally nighttime and I did not have a single dream about him. I reach for the clock on the flood next to my bed and the time indicates that I was asleep for four hours.

Four f*****g hours!

Where was my dream?

No wonder I feel so weird. I have never known sleep without Colton in years. Even in my power naps he’s there.

I nearly panic but before I do, I remember that panic will only make it impossible for me to sleep.

Calming myself down, I prop my head back on the pillow and shut my eyes. I begin thinking about him and the very last dream I had of him.. Maybe he will come finish our unfinished business!

A raging hippo on the rampage later, my eyes pop open and I nearly scream immediately.

That was the alarm waking me up…

“that was a first! You were so silent in your sleep today.” Ellie yarns before she throws herself back on the bed.

What the f**k…

I cannot even speak.

This is unnatural to me. I would not be this freaked out if say, I did not see the exact replica of Colton and then next thing you know he has disappeared from my dreams after nearly six years!

It does not make sense whatsoever!

“You look like you had a nightmare. What were you dreaming about?” Ellie questions as Claire continues to toss and turn in her bed before throwing her blanket off her and screaming.

We do not even register it.. That is literally what she does everyday when she realises that she has to wake up for school but she wants more sleep.

“No. No, Ellie. It’s what I didn’t dream about.” I am basically just staring straight ahead, trying to make sense of the whole thing and it is not getting any close to being full of sense.

“goodness, so your yummy hunk did not f**k you into blissful oblivion of your surroundings today? Big deal! We got a good night’s rest for once.”

I turn to her and she actually looks happy.

She does not get it.

Sure, kept the part about him being in my dreams every single day a secret but could she at least show concern?

“No, Ellie. You do not understand. This is the first time in six years that I did not have a dream about him.” I explain and we both get distracted by Claire throwing herself on the floor and rolling a few inches before she rises to her feet. The frown on her face only belongs to a child’s face as she gives us evil glares like she is expecting us to say something.

We deny her the attention and she continues to frown while storming out of the door and slamming it shut.

She is not a morning person, and under no circumstances is she supposed to get in that shower first.

“okay. You are full of jokes! Although it would kind of make sense. I feel like that is the most peaceful sleep I have had In a while.. Which is very surprising since you slept before everyone else!

I give up on trying to convince her and head to the bathroom to catch Claire and take the remaining two centimetres of space that she probably left for us both in there.

Just a centimetre each. She is quite generous.

The shower session turns into another fight, there is a new bar of soap that we have no idea how it landed in the bathroom but we do not bother with the investigation.

I finish putting my sneakers back on and am about to leave when Aunt Gaby approaches me with a face that I do not like.

“Bad news again. You are required to show yourself in the main house again.” She shakes her head as she fumbles with her fingers.

“this time around it’s the lady that wants you!”

The words leave her mouth and I literally throw myself on the couch.

“What the hell?! That was not an excuse to break the couch! You know we’ll be without a couch if you dare break it!” she yells and I want to roll my eyes but I just get off it.

“thank you for letting me know.” I I walk away without saying another word and as I walk into the main house, I do not even dare turn my head or talk to anyone.

I head straight back to the room where Ava directed me to and I find my mother positioned outside already in her uniform.

“I smell a… Oh.. There she is!” Estella Hardaway’s voice cannot be mistaken for any other. She was born with a voice designed for evil. Her accent is not similar to everyone else’s here and I know there is a story behind that and where she met her husband, but I never cared to listen.. Or I did and forgot because I honestly could not be bothered!

“you little stealing b***h!” she points a finger as she marches out of her room and my head shoots back.

“come here, where do you think you are going?” she pulls ne forward withu arm, gripping onto me so tightly with the claws she probably just installed that I feel myself getting scratches on my skin.

“Where is my expensive necklace? I have been told you were assigned this room yesterday! Where is it?” she questions and I am honestly confused. My eyes move to my mother and she immediately shakes her head to indicate she never told her that.

Could Alpha Bale really?

She grabs me by the hair this time around and I do not even have the time to react before she throws me into the room. The bed is still undone so I assume this is missing necklace case is something she became ware of pretty early on!

“did you steal it?” she questions with her hands on her love handles. The dress she is wearing actually flatters her but that was my opinion before she began acting like the devil’s mother! Now she’s just a toad in that olive green dress.

Period.

“No..” I answer as I massage my scalp where she pulled at my hair.

“Then find it! Hurry!” she sits on one of the couches in the room and turns her TV on.

Am I supposed to be stuck in here looking for something that I cannot even identify?