~Sean

It was freezing outside and I instantly began shivering uncontrollably as soon as I stepped outside,the cold wind biting at every expose part of my body, including my arms. The cold wind blew hard towards me, making it hard to move forward without falling over. I had to hold my hat in place with one hand as I forged ahead so I could get as far away from the university as possible. I couldn't believe I was stupid enough to think that Mark actually liked me. He probably didn't even care that I left. He's probably playing video games with Bob right now, I thought bitterly as I trudged on, feeling my face growing numb from the harsh wind. I felt so tired, like I had been used as a punching bag, but I had nowhere to go. Not anymore. I took a couple more steps forward before I fell face first in the dirt. "Could be worse." I reminded myself as I spat dirt out of my mouth. As soon as I said that, snow and hail started pouring down from the sky. "G-great." My teeth chartered as I managed to push myself back up off of the ground and go a little farther on. I was officially off of school grounds now, but there was nothing ahead of me except for a deserted highway. I winced as a piece of hail the size of a golf ball hit me in the back, causing me to stumble forward past the street. I had no idea where to go from here. I had no idea where to go at all. I just wanted to create as much distance as I could between Mark and I. I felt bad for abandoning Bob and telling him goodbye, but not bad enough to where I would go back. I wasn't wanted there, so what was the point of staying? I fell onto my knees in a coughing fit, feeling the snow that was starting to form on the ground seep through my jeans. Shakily, I stood back up unsteadily, breathing on my hands in hope of keeping them at least a little warm. By now I had lost feeling in almost everything, especially my feet as I shuffled on like a zombie. Suddenly, the hail began to fall more heavily, the size increasing to be almost as big as a tennis ball. I grunted in pain as a chunk of hail rammed into my shoulder, but I kept going. Why I did, I didn't even know anymore. There wasn't a point for anything I was doing except that I wanted to go. I wanted to find a place I could really call home. Another chunk of hail landed hard on the back of my neck, this one bigger than the last. Pieces of it slid down my shirt and pants, making me feel even colder. Mark's look of pure hatred burned in my mind every time I closed my eyes, his words echoing in my ears over and over again like a mantra. "H-He hates m-me." I repeated as I began coughing again, my lungs searing with pain and my fingers steadily turning an unnatural shade of blue. I made it only a few more steps before a large hunk of hail nailed me right in the head, sending me sprawling into the snow, dazed but not unconscious. I watched as my short ragged breaths evaporated in front of me. "I'm a dragon." I wheezed with a weak laugh. The last thing I saw before I finally fell out of consciousness was a familiar silver car driving up towards me.

"Hey, you okay?" I faintly heard a Danish woman ask. "Wha?" I grunted in response as I struggled to sit up. I was lying in a bed wrapped up tightly in several blankets and a pink comforter. "No no no," she tsked as she gently pushed me back down. I reluctantly complied, my whole body burning and aching at the same time. "What happened?" I groaned as I rubbed my head. Wrapped around the spot where it hurt the most was a large bandage. "You tell me. I was driving back to campus from finally getting off of the plane here after visiting my family and I find you lying half dead about a mile from the university." She stated, her voice laced with concern. "I-I don't remember." I stammered as I tried to remember what I was doing, but the only thing I could recall was meeting the Danish woman. Everything past that was a blue of memories I couldn't quite understand. "Do I get to learn your name yet?" I inquired with a weak smirk. She gave a small smile in return. "Signe." She introduced herself. "Sean." I said before I fell into another coughing fit. "Take it easy, you have a concussion, several large cuts, and a small cold." She informed me. "Great." I sighed in annoyance. "So, you really don't remember anything that happened after me picking you up?" She asked sadly. I shook my head no as I laid my head back down on the soft pillow. "Well, the most I can tell you is that you and I really hit it off after I drove us to the airport. I gave you my number and we began dating. I went to Denmark to meet my family briefly while you decided to go to the University of Cincinnati and get a degree in hotel managing." She explained slowly like she was speaking to a small child. "Really?" I frowned in confusion. That didn't sound right, but I guess I could go with it. Besides, she seems like a nice person. "I made soup." Signe declared proudly as she handed me a steaming bowl of chicken noodle soup after helping me sit up, propping pillows up behind me. I nodded in appreciation as I greedily slurped down the soup, enjoying the warm feeling it left in my stomach. "Where do you live?" She asked once I finished eating. Suddenly my mind flashed to an image of a messy room. Standing by the door was a man that for some reason seemed familiar to me. He had raven black hair and chocolate brown eyes. "How long was I out?" I changed the subject since I had no answer to the question. "About six hours. It was around one thirty in the morning when I found you." I quickly did the math in my head. It was apparently around seven in the morning. "Here, why don't you stay here? After all, a girlfriend has to take care of her boyfriend once in a while." She smiled as she fluffed my pillows and turned to leave. "Hey, can I have my phone?" I inquired, wanting to know if she and I really did text. "Of course!" She handed me my phone from her pocket, then left the room. As soon as I knew she was gone, I unlocked my phone and checked my texts. She was right. There was a lengthy conversation between her and I. We had talked about going on a date and possibly living together. "Gotta go, I'll let you rest up!" Signe announced as she left the apartment. "Yeah...right." I mumbled uncertainly as I deactivated my phone and tried to go back to sleep.

Everything around me was cast in a bright white light, like I was in heaven, and yet somehow I knew I wasn't. The building I was in was ginormous and there were rows upon rows of books everywhere. I could hear my mother hissing in my ear, saying that she didn't love me and that she was glad I left. The whispering continued until I came across one specific row. Sitting curled up in a ball against the shelf was the same black haired man I saw earlier, but this time, he spoke to me. "I hate you!" He screamed in my face, his chocolate brown eyes smoldering with rage as he glowered hatefully at me. Even though I didn't remember him, his words and expression hurt me like a cut with a knife. I then had a sudden urge to just walk away. So I did. I turned my back to the stranger and walked away from him. As I walked, I felt something wet trail down my cheeks. They were tears.

I suddenly bolted awake, panting heavily, tears streaming down my face like a river. I quickly wiped them away with the back of my arm and tried to steady my breathing. What was going on? Who was this man I vaguely remembered with raven black hair and chocolate brown eyes?