Sleep is the best thing that has ever happened to human kind. That goes without saying, at least, according to the findings of the researcher Scarlet Greene.

That is until you find yourself in a sticky situation; in state of no return. Where you're awake but asleep. When you can't move a muscle, you feel tied; bound to the bed by steel chains, yet you're really free. Not much is as a bad as being awake but incapable of getting up; being paralysed.
It's like escaping from a jail cell, only to find there's a gate outside, you feel helpless, you feel more imprisoned than ever, as if there are hundreds of doors with a thousand guards when really, all that is standing between you and your freedom is just a guardless but locked door.

That's when you come to a conclusion; maybe sleep isn't God's best gift to mankind after all. Maybe sleeping wasn't the best decision to make, maybe she should have kept her eyes open.

Sweat trickles down Scarlet's disorientated body as she lays unmoving on a very small, less than comfortable bed. For a moment, she blinks rapidly,---wondering where and what this place is---but her eyes are too heavy, like two stones are being suspended from their lids, making the activity a hundred times more strenuous than it's supposed to be. Scanning her surroundings, she notices a small blue table with tubes; test tubes and syringes. The room is so blue, like the silent calm of the sea, just before a storm. Only there's no water and Scarlet is anything but calm. There are syringe pumps scattered on the otherwise neat blue tiles, on the table. Everywhere. A laboratory?

Where's she?

What is this place?

How did I get here?

Scarlet moans, her whole body feels numb; paralysed. But deep inside she's screaming, thrashing and fighting. The only thing that can move are her eyes, and those too, with a lot of difficulty.

Heartbeat? Drum beat? Scarlet isn't sure what, she just hears it; somewhere inside her, something is thudding so hard it clouds her hearing. The door creaks. Someone is making an entrance, but her vision goes blurry before she can make out their face. They move forward, the footsteps are loud. Too loud. Why would anyone need to walk that loudly in such a small room?

Whoever it is. "Hello, A," they say. Female? Male? The voice rings too loudly in Scarlet's ears to make out its gender.

Who are you? What am I doing here? Who is A?
Scarlet wants to ask. But the words can't come out. Instead, a strangled gurgle escapes her throat in form of a faint breath. Her tongue is a huge rock inside her mouth. The person grins. Their teeth are artificially white, shining in contrast with the brown skin. Scarlet squints so hard her temples throb. She needs to see who this person is. But they cover their face with a laboratory mask.

Scarlet closes her eyes. Just the pressure she's applied while squinting makes her feel like she just jumped out of a moving car. She's tired. When she opens them again, manicured fingers with perfect red nails are hovering in front of her face. Female it is. But that's not what makes Scarlet's eyes pop out of their sockets. In the woman's hands, is a syringe---with a monstrous needle---in it, is a purplish liquid. From the looks of it, she is looking for an appropriate place to inject Scarlet with it.

No! Scarlet wants to scream. No please stop! But nothing comes out. She's hyperventilating. Somewhere in there, Scarlet writhes again. She thrashes her arms and legs, but nothing. Beads of sweat coat her unmoving body. The only evidence there is of her fight.
She looks up at the woman with wide pleading eyes; please don't do i! Please! The woman however, doesn't heed her plea.

The needle connects with Scarlet's neck. The contact is so subtle she almost misses it. It didn't hurt. She didn't feel that prickling pain from hell that she feels every time a needle comes near her body. Scarlet closes her eyes for a split second, briefly reveling in the relief. When she opens them however, there's nothing.

She's standing, in the middle of the small room. On glancing down at herself, Scarlet notices that she's  not in the blue laboratory gown she wore a few seconds ago, but in a black tank top with the letters  NGWDO written on it, on the black sweatpants as well. Very much okay. She's not paralysed.

Her eyebrows furrow in perplexity as she checks her perfectly normal body, she's not disorientated. No. She's actually standing! The room no longer harbours the small bed and table. But the woman in the mask is right there in one of the corners. Scarlet's hands are shaking, her blood is rushing at an abnormal speed through her veins, her head is throbbing painfully and before her brain can register what she's doing, Scarlet launches herself in the direction of the woman. She wants to know what the hell she's done to her. She will beat it out of her if she has to.

If she can that is.

The woman panics. Her wide brown eyes dance from Scarlet to her coat, she places a hand in the pockets of the laboratory coat, revealing two butcher knives. She bends, cautiously but speedily and places them on the floor. She disappears. Scarlet halts.

What on eart---? She doesn't get to finish her thought before a loud thump thunders somewhere behind her. Scarlet turns around. From heaven knows where; a girl---whose sleek black hair and sea coloured eyes are the first things you notice when you look at her---gets up off the floor.

She did not just...no she didn't. Did she---"Surely, she did not fall from the ceiling? A smile makes its way to Scarlet's lips despite herself. The girl couldn't have dropped from the ceiling, or could she? The thought itself sounds as ridiculous as can get. But the girl doesn't look responsive. She dusts off her pants, and takes two steps in front; towards Scarlet. Her movements are rehearsed. Robotic almost. And she looks like an older but shorter version of Scarlet, but not really.

The blues and greens of her eyes remind Scarlet of dying blue hydrangeas and the leaves that sorrounded them at a beach house she once visited as they shine dully in contrast with her dark black hair, but in sync with the blue of the room; lifeless but still captivatingly beautiful. She's wearing the same clothes as Scarlet; a black tank top and sweatpants with the same letters plastered on them.

Scarlet knows this girl. But when she tries to open her mouth to call out to her, Scarlet's mouth can't open.

"Babe." The girl says, her voice robotic. Suddenly she's on Scarlet's left hand side. Scarlet turns.

Does she know her? Why is she calling her babe?

"Scar?" She repeats, the two words sound like something a close friend would call, but coming from her mouth, they feel like poison. It's like she's a programmed robot and her sole duty is just to spit them out like over proportioned coffee.

Scarlet blinks, and the girl is gone. There's a mirror where she stood a few seconds ago, and when Scarlet looks into it, she's not her. The girl in the mirror is not Scarlet, well she is, kind of; she is a Scarlet that looks more sixteen than twenty two. She takes a tentative step back in panic.

Then she's falling. She screams.

"Scarlet!"

Scarlet jolts awake. She swallows a tremendous amount of air and chokes on the remainder, the bed dips when someone settles beside her. He pats her on the back. Scarlet lets out a whoosh of relieved air, it was a dream! She blinks and her eyes on getting used to the light in her room come into contact with Han's turquoise ones.

"Hey," he says, smiling tenderly. Her throat feels dry.

"You okay babe?" he asks and runs his fingers through her hair. Scarlet closes her eyes, it feels good, endearing and really comforting. She has never been more grateful for him.
"You were writhing in your sleep and now you look like you've seen a ghost."

Scarlet sighs tiredly, "bad dream," she says.

His eyes narrow infinitesimally at her, probably catching on; Scarlet doesn't like talking dreams.

"But whatever," he sighs. "I'm not even sorry for cutting your nap short anymore. You have a guest," he grins conspicuously. "A very delicious guest!"

Theo. Scarlet thinks, the moment that name crosses her mind, her heart goes frantic, like she's sixteen again and her friends just told her that her crush is walking her way. It has to be him for Han to be gushing like this. "Um.." she gulps. "Tell him I'll be right down, I'll just clean up." She gathers herself off the bed.

Han pulls her to him a little and kisses the side of her head lovingly. "Hey it's okay," he says. "It was just a dream." he assures her and Scarlet closes her eyes and nods. No Han, it's partly that, partly Theo.
"I like him by the way," he adds as if reading her mind. "I really really like him!"

Scarlet's brows shoot up. "You do, do you?"

"Yes!" Han squeals. "For you of course." He chuckles. "I like him for you!" Scarlet relaxes dramatically.

"Gee! It's overwhelming how much faith you have in me!"

Scarlet mocks gasps, "Of course, it's as though the entire world knows you're a man-monger."

Han scrunches his nose. "What is that even?"

"You know, like fishmongers? In your case, it's man-monger. You mong guys, smash them and dump them."

He gasps. "You're not allowed to stop being my girl! You know too much about me!" he says. "On a side note, that phrase, babe, does not exist."

"What phrase?"

"Man-mongers?"

Scarlet chuckles. "It does, dear Han, it does," she says.

"Since when?" Han raises an eyebrow.

"Since today?" Scarlet suggests . "And on a side note; I come with good news."

"Ahuh?" He perks up.

"Theo is very much taken." Scarlet grins wickedly.

Han frowns. "Noo! Who on earth ties down such a masterpiece? That should be downright illegal! And how's that categorised as good news?"

"Of course it is good news dear Han," Scarlet says. "For one; Collin gets a faithful partner, two; poor Theo's heart doesn't get broken because you don't get to use and dump him. Three; you get to---for once---keep your hands to yourself. See? It's a win win!"

He makes an animalistic sound at the back of his throat, making Scarlet laugh.

"Any problem dear Han?"

Han momentarily purses his lips, as he thinks about it. "Actually no," he says finally. "just get ready and get your flat ass down there."

"My ass is not flat!"

"Ha-ha you thought. I'm leaving by the way." He slams the door, Scarlet hears the echo of his footsteps as he descends the stairs. And as if on cue, her dream comes back to haunt her. The girl with the sea coloured eyes, her; her sixteen year old self. Why was she sixteen in her dream?
But then, Theo. At that, the dream thoughts go to rest.

....

"Th-- oh! --irley?" Scarlet bites down on her bottom lip in embarrassment when she sees the back of the head of her guest. It's Shirley, not Theo. He is standing in one of the living areas, leaning against the couch.
Not to sound narcissistic but Scarlet really loves her house. This part of it precisely. The wide floor to ceiling glass doors provide a nice view of the tennis court in the backyard and on the other side; her heart shaped blue paver patio and her own little versión of heaven; the small flower garden she so loves. And right in front of the doors, is her swimming pool. When it's just starting to snow, she likes laying there on her couch to watch Celine play outside with the snowflakes as they fall gracefully to the ground; it always makes Celine look like a little fallen angel. It's in nostalgic moments like these that Scarlet thanks God for at least having some of her memories.

Shirley must be enjoying the veiw too because whether or not he notices how she just created a ship name for him and his brother, he doesn't let it show.
Of all people, Scarlet did not expect him to be the guest. Admittedly, he was pretty good company that horrendous night when he gave her a ride home. But still, she had thought it was Theo when Han said she had a guest. And of course, her name isn't Scarlet Greene if she doesn't embarass herself like this.

Shirley finally turns and grins crookedly.

"Hi," Scarlet squeaks.

"Hi," Shirley echoes. "You're so flushed," he says "don't worry, I don't mind seeing you in shorts," he winks. "At all."
Thank God! He did not notice the Thirley part. Scarlet still blushes more on realising that she just had on a pair of shorts and a tank top. She hadn't bothered to change. She thought it was Theo, and for some reason, she felt comfortable around him but Shirley is too hot he makes her feel self conscious.

That's ridiculous! She thinks. They're twins after all.

"Um, what brings you Shirley?" she asks.

He looks taken a back by the question. "You forgot," he states silently. A small, very tiny, almost unnoticeable frown forms on his face. It's like a firefly---though not as bright---one moment it was there, the second she blinks, it's gone.

He grins and says, "we have a date Scar, remember?"

Crap! Of course, they have a date. He had asked her on one as he drove them home that night.

"I'd like to call you Scar," he had said as soon as they settled in his Mercedes benz. Scarlet had tried to resist the urge to burst out laughing. What a way to start a conversation! "It's my way of saying I'd like to be your friend," he added and rolled his eyes as Scarlet hadn't spoken up.

She nodded. "You can."

"And I'd like to take you on a date when you're free."

Oh. "Okay," Scarlet liked how straight to the point he was, but it made her the slightest bit uncomfortable. She had said yes, and she had suggested they'd go today.

Leave it to Scarlet to agree on a date and then forget about it. Way to wound a man's ego! She does next to nothing all day, the least she could do is remember her appointments. She can't help but wonder whether there's anything she's good at besides looking okay even without ever wearing makeup. Not that she's conceited, she's just heard it countless times. Not that being conceited is a bad thing! But you get the point.
She shouldn't be forgetting such little things!

"Oh God! I'm so sorry Shirley, you must be thinking I'm a jerk! But I swear it's nothing personal I was just napping and I had this really horrible dream which got me really wound up and my mind is all over the place, just ple---"

"Scarlet."

"---don't I'm so sorry, I swear I..I didn't---forget."

"Hey," Shirley moves a few steps towards her. He tenderly places his palms on both of her cheeks so that she's looking straight in his eyes. His fingers are smooth like a newborn's. His touch is like a soft caress. Scarlet feels it like slipping under a warm blanket when it's extremely cold. It's the kind of feeling you get when you sit at a fireplace after a whole day of walking around in the snow. It's like no man has ever touched her before, and if possible, she doesn't want him to let go.

It's just an innocent touch. She reminds herself.

When she stares into his eyes,  Scarlet can't help but notice; Theo and Shirley might be identical but they have a lot of unobtrusive differences; while Theo's eyes are grey with a very faint shade of blue, Shirley's are almost equally proportioned with blue and silver speckles, if you are not close enough though, you may think his are grey too. Scarlet can't decide which are more hypnotising.

She's lost in his gaze, it's a dark pathway with no lighting but swirls of different emotions that Scarlet can't place. Like a bunch of fireflies, each one she reaches out to catch turns out its light.
It's dangerous, it's alluring. You want to turn away, you want to keep looking.
You don't know where the darkness leads, but just can't help moving further and further. And you're only counting on the beauty of the fireflies to assure you that when you reach the light; it'll be a garden full of flowers and rainbows.

"It's okay," he whispers, breaking the spell. Scarlet finally looks away. Shirley smiles and her knees feel like jelly. "It's okay. We  can do this some other time." He kisses her forehead and sparks go off in Scarlet's head. She closes her eyes briefly.

"No!" She croaks. Oh God! Am I croaking? Pathetic pathetic! She clears her throat and says again, "no, I want to hang out with you, tonight, I mean, now. Let me just...I'm just going to change into something, um... more...appropriate."

Shirley grins. "Shorts are still my new favourites." He winks. Scarlet turns her face away quickly before he notices her blushing for the millionth time.

"Ahem!"

Scarlet and Shirley each hastily take a step away from the other when Celine clears her throat.

"Hi mama," she says, not looking up from her phone. "Are you cheating on Teddy?"

Scarlet chokes on her saliva, she coughs; once, twice, then it becomes a coughing fit.

"Hey you okay?" Shirley asks.

What kind of question is that even?

Scarlet shakes her head while she continues to cough and points to the direction of the kitchen, hoping that he understands that she needs water. Shirley leaves and returns minutes later with a glass.

"Thank you." She smiles marginally at him after gulping down half of it.

"Celine!"

The little girl finally peers up from her phone; emerald green eyes wide, waiting expectantly for her answer. "Hello Ley." She finally recognises his presence.

Shirley chuckles and bends down to pecks her cheek. "Hello Cee," he says. "You're something else." Scarlet wonders how on earth they got there; on nickname basis. But maybe it's none of her business.

"Mama?" Celine's still waiting.

"Honey," Scarlet clears her throat awkwardly. "Theo and I are not dating!" she explains slowly.

"No?" Celine looks sad.

"Ah ah." Scarlet shakes her head. "And neither are we." She motions between her and Shirley.

"Oh!" Celine says, her voice laced with total disappointment as her bottom lip puckers into a pout. "I was really hoping...I'll just go and get ready now." Her voice is small now.

Scarlet feels sad but smiles anyway. "We'll talk about this again. Oh crap!"

"Mom!" Celine gives her mother a look that clearly says; bad word!

"Sorry princess, can you just go and get dressed? Mama needs to talk to Shirley."

"Shirley," she says after Celine leaves. "I...I'm really sorry!"

"What is it?" Shirley asks. "Is something wrong? If it's about Celine, you should know that I do---"

"No but I swear I didn't plan this, things just tend to spiral out of my control someti--"

"Just tell me." Shirley looks highly amused by her nervousness.

"I have a date!" Scarlet blurts out. "Another date."

....

A/N:
Dear all, I don't usually leave notes, not that I don't want to, but everytime I try, I feel like hiding in a corner to bawl my eyes out because of the cringe :(
That being said, I really appreciate everyone for reading this. From the bottom of my heart, I love you! You don't know how much! You're the best! Thank you so much, I can't thank you enough for the votes and comments. They may not be much, but to me they're. I didn't expect anyone to read my book in the first place so yeah.

See? The cringe is real.

Anyway, this chapter is dedicated to the amazing XxShadoHuntressXx Thank you so much for the amazing cover love! :)