Awakening Black Wings Jenn awoke with a dreadful sensation deep within her heart. Something didn't seem right about the world in general and she felt disoriented as she scanned her room. She rubbed the sleep from her eyes and stretched before pulling the blankets off to notice that she was still dressed in her school uniform. Her mind felt murky, as if she was walking through mud and she was having trouble remembering how she got into her room. Confused she stumbled out of the bed while rubbing the last remnants of sleep from her eyes and started down the stairs to the kitchen where she found some cereal to eat, then ventured into the living room and turned on the stereo. "Unnnn... Jenn is that you?" Kris propped herself up on the couch and squinted against the daylight that entered through one of the large living room windows. "Oh, Kris!" Jenn startled, surprised to see her friend. She ran around the coach, dropping her cereal bowl on the coffee table, and close the window's blinds, "Why were you sleeping down here?" She inquired in confusion, trying hard to recall the night’s events. "After you fell asleep I didn't think it would be a good idea to just crash next to you without you knowing so I decided to stay down here." Kris explained pulling herself into a sitting position causing the blankets fall away, "I hope you slept well." She continued while running a hand through her messy hair. Jenn rubbed at her temples, she could not recall her friend staying the night. She turned around to see that her friend was only dressed in a small bra that’s strap was partly draped over Kris's shoulder, revealing part of the girl's small breast, "Uhhhh... Kris..." She stammered, experiencing a heat rushing through her body. "What?" Kris looked down at herself and hastily pulled the blanket around her body and fixed her bra, "I'm sorry. I thought I'd wake up before you." She reached for her watch on the coffee table while holding the blanket close to her chest, "You are up earlier then usual." She blinked at her watch, "Geez, it is five in the morning." She flopped back onto the couch and pulled the blankets over her head. "I... I'm sorry." Jenn apologized, still embarrassed that she saw Kris partly nude. "Would you like something to eat?" She started to head back towards the kitchen, attempting to get something else on her mind other then Kris’s athletic form. "That cereal smells good." Kris's muffled voice sounded from beyond the folds of the blankets. "Coming up." Jenn acknowledged as she ran into the kitchen, grabbed a bowl and filled it with some cereal before opening the fridge to get the milk. 'What is wrong with me? Why can't I remember Kris staying over night?' Her thoughts raced through her mind. When she turned around she could see Kris through the kitchen door as she stood up and stretched. Jenn found herself mesmerized by the way small streams of sunlight shone across Kris's white skin making her look virtually angelic and Jenn could almost imagine her friend with large wings. Kris turned slowly and Jenn blinked several times as she saw a large tattoo of black wings spread entirely across her friend's back. Jenn didn't get a good look at it before Kris pulled on a white tank top and Jenn suddenly realized she was staring at her best friend. She shook her head, added milk to the cereal and brought it out, "Here you are." Jenn offered trying to conceal her flushed face. "Thanks." Kris took the bowl and gave Jenn a curious look, "What is wrong? You are beet red." "I'm sorry." Jenn gazed down at the floor; "I sort of saw your back when you were getting your shirt on. Th… that is a nice tattoo." She complimented Kris shyly. It was now Kris's turn to blush, "You saw that did you?" She set the bowl down and rubbed her hand through her hair in embarrassment, "You don't have to pretended you like it. It is an eye sore." "No no!" Jenn stuttered, "It is beautiful. Did it hurt?" Jenn inquired in curiosity, eager to learn more about her friend. "When did you get it?" Kris leaned back on the sofa, "To tell you the truth I can't remember. My parents did it while I was really young, some kind of weird Celtic tribal thing. I kind of lucked out seeing as my little sister got her entire arm and part of her face done when she was only three." "Geez," Jenn sat on the sofa heavily, "Are all parents nuts or something?" "They seemed to think that it protects from evil and things like that." Kris enlightened, reaching for her cereal again and scooping a spoon full into her mouth. When she glanced up, she could see Jenn still staring at her, "Do you want a better look?" She proposed softly as she reached for the bottom of her shirt to it pull up, exposing her stomach. "No no!!" Jenn shook her head violently, "That is quite alright." The truth was she did want a better look, however the idea flustered Jenn so intensely that she thought she would die of embarrassment if her friend took her shirt off again. Just the sight of Kris's athletic build in that tight shirt was enough to cause Jenn to overheat. "Okay..." Kris pulled her shirt back down and scooped up a spoonful of cereal, being sure not to take her eyes off of her friend. "Oh," Jenn looked down at her cereal not very hungry anymore. She nervously glanced across the coffee table and realized that she knew very little about the girl that sat across from her, tattoos, siblings, sleeping with no clothes on. She didn't even know what kind of music she liked. She rubbed her temple as a new headache began to increasingly throb. "You okay there Jenn?" Kris inquired, holding her spoon in front of her mouth, too concerned for her friend to remember her food, "You look rather pale." "Yeah, I just need to go to the washroom." She explained simply as she got up and left the room. She entered a small washroom located down the hall, closed the door and gazing at herself in the mirror. Her head was aching along with something else that she couldn't quite explain. She set her hands on either side of the sink and stared at herself in the mirror, "What is wrong with you?" She asked her reflection, "This is not like you at all." Something deep inside of Jenn told her that today was going to be a bad day. It told her to stay home, but she ignored the feeling. It is silliness to believe in such feelings. It almost felt that if she left her house that the world would come to a screeching halt. A knocking at the door startled Jenn out of her thoughts, "Jenn, are you feeling alright?" Kris probed from behind the door. "I... I'm fine." Jenn closed her eyes tight, forcing all her emotions back, then splashed some water on her face and through her hair before opening the door, "Do you mind if we head out early?" She requested. "Sure thing." Kris replied, looking her friend over, "You sure you are alright?" "I should be fine. No worries." Jenn lied, "I just need some air or something." She didn't feel fine at all. She was hoping the water would snap her mind into shape, however the feeling simply moved to the pit of her stomach and grew stronger. She hoped that the walk to school would clear her mind some more. The two of them quietly took showers, then got their things together and prepared to head out the door. Jenn was forced to shield her eyes against the harsh light of the sun as they stepped out into the light. She squinted up at the clear blue sky, not a cloud could be seen anywhere and Jenn began to wonder if she was worrying for nothing. 'How could anything really bad happen on such a nice day?' She thought to herself. Casually they walked along the sideways not knowing what to say to one another. It seemed that the silence would go on forever when another girl dressed in the same uniform stepped out from around a corner ahead of them. Jenn stopped in her tracks as she took in the girl before her. She was short and kept her head low, her eyes on the ground, but her fiery red hair caught Jenn's eye. She blinked a few times then turned to Kris, "Hey, have you ever seen her around here before?" She wondered, nodding toward the girl. Kris glanced in the direction Jenn was nodding, "Nope; she must be new." Suddenly the redhead turned around as if she heard someone call out to her. Her eyes fell on the other two girls and she froze in place. The three of them stood silent for a moment. When Jenn's eyes met the other girl's she found it hard to pull away. There was something familiar in those eyes that almost called out to her, scratching at the surface of Jenn's brain, like an intimate feeling or deja_vu, she knew them from somewhere, saw them before. Then the redhead quickly turned and started to run down the road without turning back. "Hey Jenn, you going to be alright?" Kris inquired while waving a hand in front of her friend's eyes. "Her eyes...." Jenn mumbled more to herself then anything else. Kris watched as Jenn's emotions shifted before her and something changed in the girl's eyes. Before they looked dark and struggling, but for a moment Kris thought she saw a glimmer in them. Jenn could not take her eyes off where the girl once stood, 'Maybe?' Jenn thought to herself, 'Maybe today was going to be a good day after all.’ ***** To be Continued...
Back to A Shadowlander's Dream: Book 1 - A Tale of Shadows Index - Back to Original Fiction Shoujo-Ai Fanfiction