Breathe (A romantic start in the Past)

"BREATH! Breath! Breath, Raya, breath." What a nightmare. Comforting myself seemed to come easier now after my many years of practice. My mother died when I was 14 and my father left us even before that so I went through some of the most strenuous years of my life alone. When I got stood up for my senior prom I cut my social life off and now at 20, three years after graduating I finally started to feel comforted by the silence. But ever since two weeks ago, when I had a dream of this oh so hot Roman guy calling out my name, every time it gets quiet or I fall asleep I get these horrid nightmares and images of a battle, like a scene out of a movie, ancient Roman soldiers battling some unknown enemy. Crazy right? But I mean who am I to complain, this is really the only contact with the opposite sex I get.

"Guess that’s all the sleep I’m getting tonight. Hey, there Kitty." Brushing my hair out of my face, I pet Kitty my calico cat. It helps calm me down. I named her on not one of my better days demonstrated through my lack of creativity. "Want to go have a snack?" Kitty jumped gracefully off the bed with me hot on her heals. I don’t care what other people say cats are smarter than dogs, I swear Kitty knows exactly what I say but only reacts when it is something that interests her, so not very often.

I gave Kitty some warm milk I sat down on my chair beside the window. I get a great view from my apartment, clear sky, bright stars, and a musky scented breeze in the summer that comes from the west. Life on the prairies, too hot in the summer and damn cold in the winter, we are more or less never happy with the weather.

Walking over to the mirror in the hall, I looked at my reflection. My waist length cinnamon hair and bright green eyes seemed a dull grey in the twilight, and my figure obscured by extra large shirt that I wore for a nightgown.

That damn guy, a nice looking guy but like all the other guys in my life he left a huge pile of trouble behind. I was going to go to University to study Ancient cultures maybe become an archeologist, or college to become a chef but no parents made it hard to afford so I went to work at the local restaurant as a waitress, working long hours and getting low pay.

"I was thinking Kitty, my birthday is coming up maybe I should go on a trip. Not too far and you would come too. What do you think?" I pet the little ball of fur that was now curled up on my lap, finished with its milk. A soft purring sound echoed through my quiet apartment, "I take that as a maybe!" I said laughing. "I talk to you way to much for it to be a healthy relationship. Come on," I said carrying Kitty to my room, "lets go back to bed and try to sleep."
…

"Hey, Raya!" I spun around at the sound of my name, dropping the tray I was holding. "Yeah." I responded meekly, I am in trouble now.
"You’ve been standing there with that tray for so long the food was probably cold, it’s just as well that you dropped it." It is only Megan, my best friend, "You’re just lucky it was me that caught you day dreaming not ‘Cruella’. What were you daydreaming about this time, don’t tell me it was the Roman Knight again."
"He’s not a knight!" I snapped at her so quickly I never got a chance to think to realize that I was admitting she was right, "Sorry."
"This really has you worked up! Two weeks ago you were the best employee seven months in a row and a shoe in for a promotion, now you’re lucky you still have your job some days. I am worried about you Ray." The frown she gave me to emphasized her worry.
"Don’t be!" I don’t need my best friend worrying; I do that well enough by myself. "There is nothing to worry about."
"You sure?"
"Positive."
"If your sure."
"I am. I have to clean this up, go back to work." Turning around I heard her footsteps disappear into the kitchen.
…
After work, walking down the hall towards my apartment door, I reached my door and hesitated. Something feels wrong. I put my ear up against the door to hear if anyone was inside. Nothing. With a gasp I released my held breath, unlocked the door and walked in. "Kitty. Here Kitty." I walked through my silent apartment putting my purse down on the counter as I passed through my kitchen into the living room. Full moon tonight. "Kitty, you want supper?" A light thud in my bedroom and Kitty pranced out. "Hey naughty Kitty." Walking back into the kitchen I scooped up Kitty on the way. "Didn’t you hear me come in? Let’s go get your supper."

After warming up Kitty’s milk and eating a bologna sandwich I had a shower. "Hey Kitty. Want to go to bed?" Another light thud followed by the patter of her claws across the hard wood floor and the jingling of her tags on her collar. "Come on." Opening the bedroom door Kitty continued her prance followed by a graceful leap onto the bed. Flicking on the bedroom lights I had just enough time to take a quick glance around my room before I felt a sharp pain in the back of my neck before and everything went black.