As their initial meeting continued, Cassandra didn't really seem to notice the lack of interest that was being shown for what she had to say. April had taken on the role of the listener, nodding her head or asking a question every so often. But in all honesty, when she really tried to focus on what was being said, it made her head hurt. She had never even heard of luminescent eye primer or weird tools that curled your eyelashes. She had truly given up paying attention when Cass started talking about her favourite stores to shop at. The two were now nestled in the back of the Nolan family car. And though she wasn't exactly enjoying the conversation, the scenery was definitely worth the tiring flight. They had already left the city, now speeding down a curving road, surrounded by nothing but green. It looked like it did in the pictures that she saw on postcards, or pictured in textbooks. But because it was so up close and personal, it was a thousand times better.

Despite the trip not turning out quite as she imagined, April couldn't help but feel guilty. Here she was, already ignoring her 'so-claimed' best friend, just because she had changed a bit. What did it matter if her hair was different? She was still the same person on the inside. The same person... just a little obsessed with outward appearance and looking good. But was that really so bad? Maybe April was in the fault. After all, she was turning 18 in under a week. Wasn't that what girls her age were supposed to care about? Having nice hair and wearing the up to date fashions? But even the thought of something so pointless made her tired. She liked just letting her hair do what it liked and throwing on a nice sweater and jeans. It was comfortable. And as she glanced over to Cassandra, to give her another aimless nod, she noticed that the heels strapped onto her ankles did not look the slightest bit comfortable.

“Oo, we're here!” The words took a few seconds to sink in, but April's mind finally whirled back into attention, her eyes snapping forward to take in the house ahead of them. She had remembered the Nolans being rich but for some reason, she couldn't seem to connect two and two together. The house that they were currently heading towards was huge, painted a crisp and clean white, with a deep red lining. It was at least three stories high, from what she could see and their garage suggested that this wasn't the only family car. But the most amazing addition of it all, was the garden. And it wasn't contained to just one place. It spread around the house, up the side of a few walls, the tendrils curling and reaching to be closer to the sunlight. Trees littered the yard, slowly letting their branches and thousands of leaves flutter in the gentle breeze. She felt like she had been transported again – beamed up by some awesome science fiction laser – and dropped right into a dreamland. It was beautiful.

Realizing that her mouth had been hanging open, she closed it quickly, glancing to the side to see if Cassandra was just as effected by it's beauty. She obviously wasn't, seeing as her head was now buried downwards, fingers furiously pushing buttons on her phone. Taking a moment to remind herself that she shouldn't be so quick to judge, April ignored it and returned to staring at the house. It got even larger as the car made it's way to the garage.

“Home sweet home...” Mr. Nolan chuckled as the car was turned off. April hopped out, smiling a bit as the fresh air hit her, even from inside the open garage. It was so much cleaner than New York. Less smog and disgusting aroma in the air. She had always been somewhat wary of the big city and had always begged her parents to live somewhere not smack dab in the middle of the whole city. They had settled for a quaint little home that was a ten minute drive to reach the very edge of New York city. But it was still not enough for April. She had taken the nature loving gene from her parents, unlike her brother, and had always enjoyed camping trips.

Before she could move to grab her suitcase, Mr. Nolan was already hauling it from the trunk, giving her one of those friendly smiles that people give you when they're doing something nice. She just nodded and smiled back, throwing her backpack over her shoulder before she trailed after Cass, breathing in deeply once they had left the garage.

“It's so nice out here,” she commented, hoping that maybe they could start a bonding conversation about how they both loved the scenery out here and then they could plan a bunch of activities together. Like going for walks or having picnics or lying out on a blanket under the shade... For a moment, she thought that Cass was going to agree, making her plan perfect, because the blond stopped, glancing around as if she had never seen the place before. But instead of agreeing, she just shrugged and kept walking, eyes returning back to her phone.

April literally felt her shoulders deflate and she was glad that Cass was a few steps ahead of her, so she couldn't see her crestfallen expression. So much for that idea.

The inside of the Nolan house was a thousand times more lavish than the outside. The floors were made of a deep, rich mahogany that April was sure cost more than her brother's braces had. The walls were almost too white, making her afraid that she would ruin one if she even just bumped into it. But the furniture was exactly what April loved. She had a fascination with vintage things – especially antique looking furniture. And that was exactly what the Nolans had chosen to decorate their home with. It almost felt like a museum exhibit, with how perfectly clean it was.

Unfortunately, April didn't even get a chance to explore, because as soon as her shoes had been toed off, she was being dragged up the stairs, towards what she assumed would probably be Cass's bedroom. Judging by the sudden invasion of floral scents and perfume that greeted her nose, alongside an overload of pink decorations, April realized that she was right.

“Let's talk! I haven't seen you in forever... Like, literally. So... I think we should totally catch up. We could paint each others nails too!” Cassandra was babbling again, not even listening as she checked her reflection in the mirror beside her. But April felt suddenly nauseous, like everything was too much, too soon. The world spun for a moment before she braced herself on the dresser, eyes closing as she tried to breathe in. But the air in here was definitely not made for her lungs.

“You know what, Cass... I'd love to talk but I don't feel good at all. I think the flight here made me super tired,” she piped up, forcing her eyes open to avoid suspicion. April hated people knowing she was sick. Being tired was one thing, but sickness was one of her pet peeves. She always viewed herself as a person stronger than an illness. She could tell that Cassandra was a bit hurt, judging by the way her bottom lip jutted out, gleaming with gloss. But perky Cass was right back before it had been made too obvious.

“Okay! I'll show you to your room then,” she offered, bouncing past April at a speed that did nothing for the moths trying to eat April's stomach alive.

The room was a deep green, almost like a mossy palette of colours. The air was fresher too, which was appreciated greatly as April stepped inside, feeling a bit better with the breeze coming in through the window. “Let me know when you want dinner, okay?” Cass questioned, a hand being placed on April's shoulder. Nodding, she waited until her friend had left to collapse on the bed, exhaustion rolling over her like a giant tsunami. It was the flight. It had to be the flight. She was never this tired, always full of energy. But lately she had been feeling like she had been dragged through the streets under a tow truck.

Relaxing into the mattress, she didn't even bother to pull the comforter over her body, feeling like if she did, she would overheat and never wake up. Not even two seconds later, she was asleep, lips parted and eyebrows furrowed, signalling the beginning of a bad dream.

April turned her head, moving towards the caress to her cheek. She was met by a pair of blood red eyes. No pupils, just red. She had the sensation of being drugged and the ability to move seemed to escape her. Her whole mind felt like it was in a haze, movements feeling as slow as molasses. She blinked and the crimson eyes were gone, as were the fingers that had been touching her skin. Bolting upright, she tried to survey her surroundings. Everything was foggy, just like her mind, but a sense of urgent clarity had taken over, forcing her to try and focus. It looked like she was in the middle of the forest, surrounded by shadowy trees and wet, dew filled moss. Her clothes were soaked all the way through and she could feel the cold moisture against her skin. That was when she realized she was still wearing the same clothing she had been wearing on the plane. Had she walked in her sleep, away from Cassandra's house? It could be possible, considering how large the house was. But it had barely been noon when she went to sleep. The darkness that surrounded her felt thick as night.

Managing to stand up, she began to walk, though it was hard to see through the shadows. Each step she took away from the little clearing she had woken in drew her further into darkness. As hard as she tried to squint, her eyes refused to adjust to the strange and abnormal lighting. After what felt like ages, she found another clearing that almost blinded her with the sudden change in brightness. There was nothing here, just another patch of earth that wasn't being choked by tree roots. Taken over by a wave of nausea and misplaced exhaustion, April clumsily sat in the middle of the clearing. She let her head rest against the soft dirt, closing her eyes to attempt to ward off the dizziness she felt. She almost fell asleep again, mind almost slipping before her stomach began to twist. It felt as though she had eaten something that didn't agree with her.

Moaning into the soil as she turned over, so she could sit up and rest on her knees, the feeling changed, a sudden pain bursting through under her ribs. With shaking hands, she lifted her pyjama shirt, breath catching in her throat at what she saw. The skin that covered her stomach had changed to a sickly grey colour, her veins pulsing a deep black and visible from beneath the flesh. It looked like something was trying to get out, pushing against her stomach, causing it to raise in little bumps. Another pang of white, hot heat struck through her belly and she clenched her teeth, unable to look away. The thin expanse of skin over her stomach finally broke, as thousands of moths burst out, all attempting to fly away. Some fell, for their wings had broken in the struggle to free themselves from her insides. April let out a silent scream, no air to give volume to her horror as she tried to stop the sudden black blood that spilled from her new wound. But it was slick like oil and her hands slipped clumsily over her wounded flesh.

Her vision went black and for a moment, she thought that she had passed out due to the pain. But she could still feel her hands pressing against her stomach and she forced her eyes open, finally able to let an audible gasp free. There was no blood. Just a ruined pile of sheets tangled around her legs and vicious scratch marks along her abdomen.

“What...” There was a moment of confused silence as she caught her breath, eyes wide and hands shaking before she realized that she wasn't in a forest. She was in the same neat, mossy coloured room that she had fallen asleep in. Yanking her legs free from the sheets, she ran to the bathroom attached to her room and slammed the door shut, breathing labored from the adrenaline still coursing through her veins.

After a few minutes of leaning her head against the door, she slowly lifted her shirt, just to double check that her stomach was still in tact and the same as it had been before. It looked no different, even in the harsh lights over her head. With a shaky sigh, she moved to look at her reflection, half expecting it to be distorted. But she looked the same as always... except for the fact that her hair was a mess and she looked a bit too pale. Splashing cold water on her face, April finally felt somewhat calm, after she had realized that it was only a nightmare and it was a normal thing, especially considering that she had never been separated from her family with such a great distance.

Returning to her bed, she flopped back onto the disheveled sheets, letting her hair loose as she realized it was slightly damp with sweat. Despite feeling exhausted, she couldn't fall back asleep. Not after a nightmare like that.