Chapter 4: Chapter 4
My eyes snapped open, and I sat up in bed, my heart pounding in my chest. It was dark in my room, and I blinked blearily until my vision stabilized.There wasn't any furniture in my bedroom save for the hardwood floor and four walls lined with bookshelves. My wardrobe consisted entirely of clothes hung up" (i.e. not on hangers) in the closet, and there was nothing on the ground to indicate that I had been sleeping.So why did it feel so wrong? How come every dream I've had since has involved someone hiding something from me or playing tricks on me? I rubbed my bleary eyes, trying to clear my head before I jumped out of bed and ran my fingers through my hair. It was a mess, but at least it was my mess. I could fix it.With shaking hands, I pulled myself together and walked down the stairs into the sitting area/library of our home. There weren't many furnishings besides the oak table with four chairs around it, a chest of drawers, and a window overlooking the meadow.There weren't even any curtains; instead, there were two large bay windows set into the wall beside the door leading outside. They both opened onto small (i.e. not big enough for a person to fit through) balconies that overlooked the flower-tiled roof of the cottage.All of which helped make the place cozy despite the lack of proper beds.But even though we didn't have much going for us materially speaking, we had everything we needed. Our home was ours, and no one could take that from us. Not even a witch. And I was going to prove it to her.With trembling legs, I made my way across the sitting area and past the library towards the garden gate. Before I left the house though, I paused to look back at the house and all its emptiness. It was ethereal, almost other-worldly. The kind of place you could lose yourself in for hours without realizing time had passed.That's how I knew it belonged to us. Even ghosts couldn't steal homes.It took some effort, but eventually I forced my feet to move and by the time I reached the bottom of the garden, I was ready to face the world again.