Chapter 9

Part1:Jared

Jared did not know when he had drifted off to sleep. He had woken up due to a dream. He still couldn't shake of that dream.In his dream, Alice was among him to promise to marry her, to which he had replied that she had turn pretty. Then in the next memory he and Alice where sleeping in a meadow under the bright full moon light. Then suddenly, Alice small chubby face became longer and merged as Mina's face. Then he had woken up. Was the dream showing the truth..? Or was it a result of his innermost wish that Mina was Alice? He had no way to be sure. Then he remembered a small detail he had forgotten until now. Alice had a small scar on her neck matching the mark he had on his arm. He slowly got up from his chair to check it.

Suddenly Mina turned in her sleep. She was murmuring something in her sleep, She was sleep-talking. Jared leaned towards her when he heard his name pass from her mouth. He was about to shake her and wake her up, when he heard these words as clear as a bell, "Jared, Jared promise me that you will marry me, when we grow big. " Jared froze. How? How did she know this? Only Alice and Jared were present during this conversation. Then who was Mina...was she Alice...?

When again Mina turned in her sleep, the moonlight fell on her. Suddenly the scar on her neck illuminated the room. Jared looked at it with surprise, it was mirror copy of the mark which he had on his arm. Dazed, Jared went near her. Jared was again shocked to see a new light join the light given out by Mina's mark. The mark on his arm had answered with a glow of itself. This time Jared had no doubt, Mina was his Alice in the past.

Downstairs he heard the sound of the someone walking and knew that he had to talk to Thomas about the girl in his room. Dreading Thomas's reaction, he after checking that Mina was still fast asleep, went downstairs to tell him about the girl sleeping upstairs in his room....

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Part2:Mina

Mina began dreaming about something bright and beautiful. That dream then turned into a nightmare. She dreamt of icy hands reaching for her neck. She woke up with a cold sweat. She took some time to adjust with the brightness. It was early morning. She looked around, she was not in her room. The bedroom did not look like Stara's messy room. It was a neat bedroom and it gave an indication of being a boy's room. Mina tried to recall the night before to get her bearings. Suddenly the memories of the last night gushed into her. She gasped with horror.

Suddenly somebody knocked the door. She froze. She did not know what to respond. She was still numb with horror of the events of yesterday. They certainly did not happen to normal people. She had cried out Jareds name...why?, she thought to herself. Had he come to rescue her? How was she here? What was that thing?, Her mind was swirling with questions."Mina, are you awake? ",she heard a familiar voice say. She tried to place the voice. She failed. She went and opened the door. Standing before her was Monster, Mr Salvinder.

She was shocked to see him. He was smiling at her and he held out a glass of water. She was in Monster's house. Why? What exactly had happened after she passed out? Was the last night a dream? Was she still dreaming? Looking at her troubled face, Mr Salvinder sighed. "Drink this first it will calm your mind." She nodded numbly and took the glass from his mind. She drank it at one go. It tasted off. " I mixed some herbs into it. I hope you don't mind. They bring in a calming effect",he said to her kindly. He was right. Mina.could already feel the effect. A warm feeling spread to her fingertips her leaving her tingling inside. She felt better instantly.

"You must have a lot of questions to ask me," he said , "Go on. I'll answer them."

" What am I doing here? No...I mean why am I here? ",she asked.

"Last night what happened to you was not a dream. It happened. You were rescued and brought here, as going to your parents would freak them out. First, what do you remember about last night." , Thomas asked. "I remember..." ,she shuddered, "...walking home. Then something came in front of me. It was scary. It held my throat and I felt cold. So cold that I forgot warmth. Then... I don't remember....I think I blacked out." , she said. She had not said about calling out Jared's name reflexively when she was in danger. She remembered calling him. She did not say it to Mr Salvinder, not wanting her teacher to think of her as crazy, well, more crazy than he probably thought she was.

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