Some is supposed to be in italics, just use your imagination lol: “Hello?” Vanessa spun around, heart racing. “Is anybody there?” Thump. Thump. Thump. She couldn’t see anything, her vision blurred by the mist. “Please, somebody help me!” She tried to run forward but tripped immediately. She couldn’t even see five feet in front of her. Thump. Thump. Thump. A piercing scream. A crow’s call. A warning. Vanessa stumbled forward, tears streaming down her face. “Can anyone hear me?” “No, no, no,” whispers the wind. “Nobody here. Nobody to save you.” Thump. Thump. Thump. Vanessa spun around. The mist had closed around her. She couldn’t see where she had come from or where she was going. She was lost, at the mercy of the forest. No way out. Thump. Thump. Thump. The sound grew nearer. Footsteps following, echoing. Vanessa fell on her knees, trying to stay silent. Hoping that maybe, somehow, the mist would hide her. She put her hands over her head, shaking uncontrollably, and tried to breathe. Thump. Thump. Thump. She was drowning, drowning. Each breath she took in was shallow and rapid. She was gasping for air. The mist was closing in on her, taking the air from her lungs. “Go away!” she begged, voice cracking with raw fear. The footsteps stopped. A voice came from the mist. “My apologies.” Vanessa blinked. That was different. “W- What?” “It was not my intention to frighten you,” said the voice. A strangely gentle voice. It had to be a trick. Vanessa braced herself. She raised her head reluctantly, holding her breath. “Hello, Vanessa Crowe.” Vanessa blinked again, rubbing her eyes. In front of her was a white cat, smiling warmly. Its tail was wrapped around its paws, looking like any normal cat. The only thing off was its eyes. The cat continued. “I’ve been looking for you for a very long time, Miss Crowe. You are in danger.” Vanessa stared, transfixed. The cat’s eyes were gleaming, reflecting Vanessa in its eyes. They looked like mirrors. As if they were glossed over, they seemed to be gleaming. No pupils, no whites to the eyes, just mirrors. Vanessa shuddered. “How do you know who I am?” she asked. Then she squinted, inspecting the cat. “And how are you talking?” “That is a strange question,” replied the cat, curling its tail around its paws. “How do you mean?” “You’re a cat.” Vanessa tilted her head. “Cat’s don’t normally talk.” “Oh, is that what I am?” The cat seemed confused. “I apologize if this is strange. However, I am also baffled by your reaction. Did I not just say you were in danger? I would think you would be more alarmed.” “What’s up with you eyes?” Vanessa asked. “Are you not at all concerned?” the cat questioned, cocking its head. “This is a dream, isn’t it? So this isn’t real. Which means I don’t have to worry,” said Vanessa. “Oh, I see,” said the cat. “You must be confused. I am projecting myself into your mind, Miss Crowe. We are in your mind, but I am very real, and so is the danger you face.” “What danger?” “Beware of black cats,” the cat warned. “If anybody has a black cat, they are not to be trusted. I will explain this to you later, but for now, watch your back.” “Uhm, okay?” “It may sound odd,” the cat continued, “but I assure you, it will make sense later. Now, you must wake up. I know humans often forget their dreams, but you must remember this. Promise me, Vanessa, you will remember and watch out.” “Sure.” Vanessa shrugged. “I guess.” “Good,” said the cat, nodding. Its glassy eyes shimmered. “Now wake!” Vanessa bolted upright. She sat for a moment, trying to catch her breath. What a weird dream. She rubbed her forehead, pinching the skin between her brows. Her head was pounding, a headache brewing. All she wanted to do was go back to bed, but her stomach was growling. She swung her legs over the bed and forced herself to stand. She shuffled into the kitchen area, curly hair falling into her eyes. Vanessa made her way over to the fridge, blinking the crust from her eyes. She yanked the door open and scanned it up and down. Her heart sank immediately. No pizza. There goes my back-up plan. Vanessa groaned inwardly. She didn’t have any decent food. She would have to venture outside of her house. Begrudgingly, Vanessa shuffled to the door. She grabbed her tiny purse and swung it over her shoulder. Then she slipped on her tennis shoes, sighing. She stared at the door for a moment, wondering if she really had to go. Her stomach growled in response, clearly arguing yes. Vanessa gave in, curling her fingers around the knob. She turned it to the side and opened the door, stepping outside the apartment. She was immediately hit by a freezing gust of wind, catching her off guard. She shuddered and yanked her hoodie over her head. It might have been a nice day, had there not been such a chilly breeze. It was still autumn, so not very cold out, but Vanessa found it to be colder than most people. She liked the comfort of her home, with the perfect temperature at all times.
Vanessa shoved her hands in her pockets. The grocery store was only a five minute walk away, though it felt longer as she trudged down the sidewalk. The leaves were red and orange, a beautiful burning color, but Vanessa didn’t notice. She didn’t care about the scenery, or the falling leaves, or the autumn colors. All she cared about was getting her groceries and heading back to the comfort of her tiny apartment. She made sure to keep her head down, shielding her face. She hoped that nobody would see her, or worse, try to talk to her. Most people in town knew better than to approach her, but after Hannah she was more wary. When she finally reached the store, the doors opened automatically for her and she stepped inside. She took her hoodie down, eyes scanning the aisles. She figured she would buy as much as she could to take home, so that hopefully she wouldn’t have to venture out again anytime soon. Vanessa started walking down the aisle, scanning for the items she needed. She hadn’t made a list, trusting herself to remember. She murmured to herself, picking up a box of cereal and turning it to see the price. She bit her lip, thinking. “Vanessa!” a voice shouted. Vanessa jumped, dropping the cereal box. When she saw who was calling her, her heart sank. Oh, come on. “Vanessa, wow! I wasn’t expecting to see you here! I called you last night to see if you wanted to get coffee, but you didn’t pick up. I left a message, did you get it? You should have called me back!” Hannah exclaimed enthusiastically. “Actually, I’m kind of busy…” “Oh, I’m sure you have time for a small coffee, right? It won’t take long, I promise,” said Hannah, bouncing up and down on her toes. Won’t take long. Sure. The woman couldn’t shut up. Vanessa doubted it would be short. Hannah could talk for hours without even realizing it, and Vanessa was not in the mood for it. “Sorry, I don’t think-” Before Vanessa could even finish her sentence, Hannah grabbed her wrist. Vanessa recoiled, but Hannah didn’t let go. “Come on, it’ll be fun! You get back to your paintings later!” Hannah insisted. “How did you know-” “I know everything about everyone,” said Hannah, smiling warmly. That’s not creepy at all, Vanessa thought. She tried to pull away but Hannah was already dragging her out the door. “But I need to get my groceries!” Vanessa complained. “You can do that after, the coffee shop is right across the street! I need you meet everyone!” Hannah forced her out of the store. Vanessa finally gave up, knowing it was no use protesting. As they walked across the street, Hannah began rapid-firing conversation. “Did I tell you about everybody else I wanted you to meet? I thought I called and left a message about it. You don’t pick up your phone much, do you? Did I get the wrong number? I mean it said ‘Vanessa Crowe’ in the phonebook, and I figured you were the only one…” So that’s how she got my number. She’d been wondering about that. She must be really determined to be my friend. That or really crazy. Once they were across the street, they stepped inside the small coffee shop. There were a few round tables inside, and one long rectangular table by the window. Vanessa could smell cinnamon and coffee, and admittedly, it did smell delicious. She rarely went to the coffee shop, mostly because she hated going out, but when she did, she always bought a few pastries and a cup of warm hot chocolate. She didn’t like coffee much, but they had a variety of different drinks. Almost immediately after they stepped through the door, they were bombarded by noise. At the long table, there were around ten people, all talking over each other and greeting Hannah. Hannah went over and greeted them, leaving Vanessa standing by the door, unsure what to do with herself. She stood there awkwardly for a moment before Hannah spoke up. “Come meet everyone!” Hannah said, waving Vanessa towards the table. Vanessa heaved a sigh, shuffling towards the table. “This is Vanessa Crowe. She’s a painter!” “Oh, that’s cool!” one woman commented. “That’s Jessica,” Hannah introduced. “What do you like paint?” Jessica asked her. “Uhm…” Vanessa shifted her weight, looking uncomfortable. “I guess I like to paint stars. Night sky. Stuff like that.” “Are you any good?” a man piped up. Vanessa opened her mouth to respond, but Hannah beat her to it. “Of course she is!” Hannah exclaimed. She turned to Vanessa. “Well, I haven’t actually seen any of your paintings, but I’m sure they’re amazing!” “Are you new here? I haven’t seen you around town at all,” another woman questioned. “Well, no…” Vanessa shuffled her feet, looking down at the ground. (okay so there's parts that should be in italics because its her thoughts but like it didn't go through sorry lol also I fit as much as I could, this is just part of it, might add more into the project later, or on wattpad)
