“The day you’ve been waiting for has finally arrived!”

This dream again…

“We welcome, Henry Treycott! Thank you so much, sir, for your cooperation…”

Henry Treycott, my father, is dressed in rags and has his wrists bonded together by rope. There’s a man behind him pushing and ushering him to move faster. The executioner starts clapping, energetically.

“Your ceremony has been a joyous experience, however, I think we’ve all been waiting for this very moment!” The executioner wears a long cape and hood, hiding their face, I imagine an eerie smile underneath, seeing as they are always more excited each time I have this dream. Anticipating the beheading of my father.

My body moves uncontrollably, regardless of what I want, shoving me through the people to the stage.

My father catches a glimpse of me in the corner of his eye. I can tell because after that he can’t stop staring at me. He runs towards me and stumbles on his feet, knocking him to his knees.

“Scarlett? Why…why aren’t you happy?” He says, lazily, cupping my face with his hands.

He strokes my cheeks, forcing a smile with his thumbs. He digs his nails into my skin, burning my face.

“Stop it…stop! That- ow! It hurts…” The pain increases, almost too real. He’s never done this to me in a dream before. Why is this happening? The man from before drags my father off of me and thrusts him toward the executioner.

The executioner grabs him by the collar of his rags, driving him to the guillotine.

My father looks at me, satisfaction in his eyes, my own starting to water. I reach for my face, rubbing my eyes clear of the tears. When I look at my arm, however, I notice the red of my skin. I didn’t wipe of tears, but blood.

“Any last words, Treycott?” The executioner asks, appearing directly in front of me, inches away. They have a face unlike I had imagined.

Brown hair, up to their shoulders, brown eyes, dull and unnatural, a face just like mine.

“This isn’t fair…” I mutter, the words only barely escaping my lips.

“Oh? Unfair? But you chose this punishment! Didn’t you?”

“No! I didn’t! It was the king! And all those who came before him! I wouldn’t— I couldn’t…” My mind spirals, causing a vicious migraine.

“You didn’t save him in time, Scarlett! And if you can’t save your father…how can you protect you friends?” The executioner says, taunting me, my head throbbing.

“That’s not…that isn’t fair. I— I tried…we just didn’t… we didn’t have enough time.”

“Oh, it’s fine! He got what he wanted! You know that’s true!” They giggle. “I wonder if your friends would be okay with dying. Would you?”

I blink, appearing somewhere new. My neck feels tight, I look down noticing a rope around it. I claw at it, attempting to rip through.

“Two for one? Is it my lucky day?” Their hand holds the other end of the rope and my life with it.

“This is always how it’s going to be, Scarlett, you can’t stop what’s predetermined by the Gods! And you had so much hope…whelp! Better you than the others! You were never that important anyways.” They say, bending their wrist.

The executioner grips the rope tighter and signals for a man to come up to me.

He kneels down, hooking his fingers onto a box.

He looks up at me with bright, teary, brown eyes, almost as if he is scared of his own actions. His blond-brown hair peaks through by his hood and I realize exactly who he’s meant to be.

“It’s not your fault, Ryder, I’ll see you soon, sometime.” I say, real tears streaming down my face.

The executioner blows a kiss to Ryder and he pulls the box from under my feet, as I tug on the rope.

I can’t wait for this dream to be over.