The Enchantress

Chapter 1- Luminescent
5 am, Thursday
Grace

The dreams always started out the same, with a bright red spark. The large forest and the bright tropical fluorescent flowers and plants never lost their sheen and the sun always shone over her as if she was luminescent. She always awoke on a moist patch of earth lifting her head to adjust to the brightness. Her dream self, wore the same flowing white gown that hid her long limbs and her hair always toppled over her shoulders in beautiful waves that she was sure she could have only achieved after many hours of blow drying and conditioning. It was like her body was an actress in a movie and her brain had front row tickets, watching all these things happen and not knowing why and having no control. And then came the ringing. It was a bold and intense sound, yet it was gentle enough to be from a wind chime. Whatever it was, her whole body seemed to brighten in response and she walked towards it with purposeful strides. Strides she could never see herself in real life accomplish without falling over.

And each and every time as she would walk over towards the sound she would see the curving back of a woman. The woman never changed, that was for sure. She was beautiful, more beautiful than any other person she had seen in her whole life. The woman’s bright reddish orange hair flew around her body in big thick voluptuous waves that seemed not unlike her own curls only in a different hue.

“Grace?” The woman would say her name turning around to face her, the woman’s ocean blue eyes coming to life as she gazed at her. Grace would again parade over to her and stop, just close enough that she could take in the woman’s heart shaped face and gown that resembled her own. The woman would reach for her hand with a startling intensity in her eyes and Grace would follow suit and grab onto her delicate outstretched fingers. As she held on, a feeling of warmth and power would pass over her. The electricity between the two of them only grew stronger as they walked towards a stream that she had only just started to notice. The stream always roared gently making soft crashing noises as the water hit the rocks.

And that’s when she saw the body. No matter how many times she had this dream, she never could mentally prepared for the stone cold shock that she got from seeing it there. The sight and sudden acknowledgement of it was so intense and so fierce she often wondered if it was really a dream at all. The figure lay scarred and lifeless, faced down with a raged blond head. It had scars all over its body, and wore a brown frock, it was almost indistinguishable between man or woman. Each time she saw it her heart leapt out for the poor soul and so did the woman beside here
“It’s time.” Grace would say in a voice so musical and so beautiful, she doubted it was her own. The woman nodded, feeling the same compassion. They joined hands and the light would come. It was so beautifully bright and luminescent, that Dream-Grace couldn’t stop staring at it. They would face there outstretched palms down towards the body and brightness would grow, illuminating the body until the light was so intense she was sure that in real life it wouldn’t be possible to witness it and not be blind. The body was alive again. And before Grace got another good look at the miracle she just created, she would wake up with a pool of sweat covering her pillow and aching limbs. She’d awake in the middle of the night, early in the morning, or sometimes late in the afternoon, but the migraine she received from waking and the intense ache of her body were a constant, just like the dream itself, and it was these symptoms that told her she had a nightmare.

She groaned deeply into her pillow that morning, trying to massage the sore joints in her hand, which always seemed to hurt the most. She turned over in her bed and checked her cell phone for the time.

5:37 am, the screen blinked. Great.

She thought to herself in sarcasm before shuffling out of bed, normally she woke up at 7 to get ready for school, but she was already awake and doubted she would fall back asleep. This was the third time she had this dream this week and she was growing worried with the frequency of them. If she went back to sleep now would she have time for another one? She was folding her sheets as she heard a heard a soft knock on her door.

“Grace, honey? Are you alright” Her mother, Addison Tanner, opened the door slowly and poked her head through. Her mother was a light sleeper, and could always wake up to the soft sounds of her murmuring in her sleep and waking up earlier than normal. Grace pulled on a pair of slim yoga pants over her underwear and moved over to plant a quick kiss on her mother’s cheek, slouching ever so slightly just to get to it. She had long since grown taller than her mother, but the knowledge that she towered over her by over 4 inches still had made her feel like a giant so she slouched whenever she could.

“Just a strange dream.” She said rubbing the spot of her temple where a headache threatened to split it open. But Addison always seemed to know better, a thought that at sometimes aggravated Grace, but most of the time made her feel safe. Addison flipped her honey colored hair, which lay, placid and flat against her shoulders –unlike Grace’s own wild dark waves– as she put her hands on her hips and raised her eyebrows.

“Okay, the same strange dream.” Grace admitted wrapping her arms around her lean torso and slightly damp camisole. “It never changes.” She whispered into the still air in her room. Her mother quickly crossed the room to put her arm around her daughter’s shoulders.
“Oh… sweetie”

“I’m fine, mom. Really.” Grace said smiling squeezing her mother’s side. But her mother wasn’t convinced, her soft brown eyes looked over at her worried.

“Maybe it’s the new school and returning to live here in New York after so long. Maybe it’s the change that has gotten to you.” Her face brightened with an idea. “I have a theory, maybe it’s the fact that so many things in your life have changed –Me dating Ramon and all, new friends, and the city– your subconscious is trying to leave you with one thing that stays the same. These dreams!” Her mother clapped her hands together when she finished, excited for having come up with an answer.

Grace pondered this for a moment, the dreams did start coming around the time when her mother decided to take a leap of faith and move back to New York city after six long years of living in Long Island, in search of love. Her mother was eccentric and spontaneous that way and that’s what Grace loved about her. After she got a Facebook inbox from her high school sweetheart back in the city, Addison Tanner thought it was a sign. Being practical Grace thought it was unreasonable, but it wasn’t as if either of them had anything holding them down to the island and her mother was so happy when she got the message, after being in failed relationships one after the other Grace thought she deserved the second chance. As impulsive as it was, Grace agreed to move back to the city. At least her mother was happy, she thought on those grim nights when she really missed the open air of their one-acre property back home. But it was already late October and Grace had learned to cope ...somewhat.

“Maybe,” Grace replied with a shrug. She walked past her and into the large kitchen of their two-bedroom apartment grateful that her initial vertigo from the dream was almost gone.
“Aw, Gracie Goose” Her mother said reaching to grab a hold of her arm. Grace managed to crack a smile at her nickname just so her mother wouldn’t be too worried.

“It’s all my fault,” she continued. “If only we stayed,” Addison said wearily. And Grace fought the urge to tell her she was right. If only they had stayed. Grace would still get to be with her group of friends back on the island getting through the hooks and snaps of their junior year, instead of here trying (and failing) to fit in with snobby rich kids on the east and west side.

When they had moved here in the beginning of July, Grace still had a tan, her friends called her twice a day and her mother and Ramon were madly in love. Fast forward 4 months, and Grace was pale, had gained weight in muscle –by constantly helping move furniture up the stairs–, her friends never called, she was the new girl at an expensive Prep school and Addison was trying to mend her broken heart. Grace wiped away all her animosity and moved back to hug her mom, sensing that she was about to fall under a spell of missing her ex-boyfriend. As much as she had disliked Ramon and had horrible gut feelings about him, Grace always hated to be the one to say ‘I told you so.’

“It’s not your fault, it’s mine. As your closest remaining relative, and the unofficial adult in the family, it was my job to warn you.” Grace said after a beat and the two of them shared a laugh that diffuse diffused all of the tension.

“It isn’t that bad, with the managing of the yoga place here and the food store. Not to mention we get to see old friends. And who knows, those dreams might actually mean something special.” Her mother said. Grace had never told her the exact details of the dreams, just the fact that they made Grace’s body ache so much, some mornings she couldn’t be bothered to get up.

“You go back to bed Ma. I’m going to get ready for school. I’m sure the dreams mean nothing.” She said with and snort and brushed her lips a top of her mother’s wheat colored head.
But Grace wasn’t sure what the dreams meant. All she knew was that the woman in the dream and her shared some kind of a strange bond, and might have saved the person in the stream. It wasn’t really a nightmare, but playing it off as one seemed to make her feel less like a crazy person, and besides what kind of good dream leaves you in so much pain you’d think you were having a bad case of menstrual cramps.

At 7:48, Grace was finally ready for school. She groaned as she slumped her backpack on and made her way out of her room. Another day at the Prestigious Hamilton Hall was enough to break her spirits. Her mother had decided that if they were going to move back to Manhattan, Grace would get the best education, so she had used some of the money that Grace’s grandparents had left them to put her through the private school.

“Sweetie!” Addison called as Grace made her way to the living room. “Anna-Josita is here to pick you up.” Grace let out yet another audible groan, luckily her mother didn’t hear. She had nothing against Ana-Josita Santos, who now called herself AJ, in fact once upon a time they were best friends, before she moved to Long Island. They did everything together, they lived (and now live again) in the same building, and even their mothers were (still are) best friends. Anna-Josita and Grace were perfectly content with their twosome never inviting anyone else to join their group. While girls on their block did ballet and took piano lessons, they collected bugs at the park. But when Grace moved away they were no longer friends. Ana-Josita had refused to answer or return any of her calls, while their mothers stayed in touch the two of them didn’t. She’s just mad that your gone, give her time and she’ll come around her mother would say. But Grace wasn’t convinced, she had a gut feeling the Ana-Josita had moved on so she did too, finding new friends to collect bugs with and eventually go to the movies and start book clubs with. Her thoughts about Ana-Josita, were compensated when she moved back this summer and realized that the pudgy girl, who insisted every one called her by her full name and who collected bugs with her when she was ten, was now a lean and thin ballet dancer with thick glossy brown hair and a button nose named AJ. She had also made it clear that she didn’t want to be best friends or even just friends, she already had her group and Grace just didn’t fit the bill.

They were more so acquaintances who hardly spoke. And they would have been just that if their mother’s hadn’t roped AJ into giving her a ride for school every morning so the girls could spend “quality time” together. But it wasn’t her fault that AJ ignored her as they passed each other in the hallways.

“I’m on my way. Bye mom.” Grace said as she quickly checked her reflection in the hallway mirror. Today was a Thursday and normally they only got to dress down on Friday, but since tomorrow was the Homecoming, they decided to let the students have a little leeway. So the dress code at Hamilton was dropped and the student got to where smart casual. Grace learned the hard way the smart casual meant wearing J-crew and BCBG. She wore a gray mini pencil skirt, white tights, a black cashmere crewneck and black ballet flats and hoped that she finally got it right. Grabbing her backpack, she left her building, heading in the direction of the car. She crossed the street to AJ’s sleek black Mazda, a gift from her Dad, and got in noticing AJ’s outfit wasn’t much different from her own.

“Hey,” Grace attempted in all hopes of peace and AJ smiled wanly. She never particularly said she didn’t want to be friends with Grace, but AJ was part of the prestigious dance program at Hamilton, automatically making her popular, or one of the elite, and Grace- well just wasn’t. The two were already tired of her their forced car rides not to mention their forced “friendship.” Mothers could be very difficult. But as they arrived in front of the neoclassical styled steps leading to the entrance of Hamilton –nicknamed the golden steps– AJ turned towards Grace with the same wan smile. Grace looked back and fought the urge to role her eyes at all of this faux niceness, when AJ finally spoke up.

“I know being new is kind of hard, especially here at Hamilton, so maybe at lunch today you can sit with me and the girls.” AJ finished chewing on her lip, a habit she’s had since they were little but Grace was furious. She did not need her pity, especially forced pity that her mother decided to talk AJ into.

“Look, AJ” Grace started with one hand on the door handle. “I really don’t need you to feel bad for me, I know we’ve grown apart and I don’t blame either of us for it. And I know you’ve worked really hard to get to the place your in at school. And besides I have plans.” Grace said quickly emerging from the car. It was the most she’d said to AJ since she’d been back in the city, and if felt good to get that off her chest. Besides, It wasn’t a total lie; she had already promised the annoying Risdon Twins that she would sit with them for lunch 4th period.

“Just think about it, okay? I just thought it’d be cool if you could meet some of my friends.” AJ said and Grace contemplated it. AJ was just being nice and Grace could tell she was being sincere. She murmured a quick okay before slugging her backpack over her shoulders and making a beeline for the entrance. She supposed it wouldn’t hurt to give AJ a chance especially if it meant hanging out with someone besides the Risdon Twins. And who knows maybe she might even like it.