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I'm running through the woods, dodging trees and rocks on the ground, much less than amused at this moment--terrified, really. But this time, I'm not running from a monster that's threatening to end my very existence. It's not of flames that kiss and lick at my skin, threatening to consume me. And it isn't a neverending darkness, threatening to obliterate and swallow me whole.

No.

This time... I'm running from myself. I'm running from my past. I'm running from my future. I'm running tirelessly from my own mind. I'm running from me. And I'm starting to fear I won't be able to get away.

The little girl chasing me struggles in her pursuits, for I will not die tonight. I refuse. But she only gains speed. And me? I'm beginning to tire, the exhaustion of the chase almost taking over my senses and nearly drowning me in my own lack of strength and endurance. I know blasting her with my magic will do nothing, as she has the same powers as I. And to be honest, I've already tried. It didn't work. She seemed to be stronger than me.

'How is that even possible--to be weaker than yourself?'

It isnt; I guess that's why it's considered a dream, a figment of my overactive imagination. You see, I know it's a dream. I'm fully aware, but I can't seem to wake myself up... I'm trapped in my own mind and can't seem to find an escape.

She's so close, and I fear she will reach me when suddenly, the dirty ground before me cracks and splits open, separating the earth from itself. I scream and try to stop myself before I fall in, but the momentum from my previous sprints continue to carry me. And I fall, instinctively folding into myself with my arms clutching around my torso, still screaming for help that I know won't come.

My hair whips around me and my eyes close; I don't want to see my fate and what it has in store for me. But my breath leaves me, as I've screamed all I can, and my eyes unconsciously open. I'm still staring above me, beyond the deep split in the earth and at the dark sky casting shadows over the forest I was just sprinting through.

My hair continues to whizz around me, silver strands stinging my face at impact, but I'm able to faintly make out the sight of my younger self, staring down at me as I fall to my inevitable death. Her ocean blue eyes light with a flicker of a flame I can only loosely compare to that of Cole's, though his fire burns much brighter. And a smirk lights up her face, the face of a girl who resembles myself but can't be more than the age of thirteen.

I turn away to face the abyss below me, unable to stare back up at the version of myself that holds so much hatred for me. But I'm met by an unexpected sight; the darkness begins to brighten the more I near, like it's been waiting for my arrival... like it knows I'm coming and it's been expecting me. And, once I'm so close to plunging into it, the light becomes so bright that it almost blinds me.

But finally, I fall into its bright embrace and it consumes me. For a moment I almost believe I'm dead--that I've officially met my end and this is the light I've heard and read so much about. But then, the overwhelming white of my surroundings slowly begins to clear, as if it just stormed and the fog has lifted, and I can see clearly now.

I blink, trying to make sense of my new surroundings. I'm... home?

'Wait, what? How can this be? I was just falling and now I'm here, encircled by my loving boys and their amazing warmth?'

I only just realize that I'm wrapped up in a blanket, naked as the day I was born and the boys are with me. They, too, are dressed in nothing but smiles and covered by soft sheets.

'Is this what I think it is? Have we done what I think we've done? Am I still... a virgin?'

I don't even continue my silent questions as I lay on Ashton's chest, Cole and Xavier next to us, but not quite cuddling. Maybe they thought it would be weird to cuddle up to their naked best friends--well, brothers. But they are still touching me, showing me their love by gently caressing my skin up and down on either one of my sides.

I sigh in content and nuzzle my head further into Ashton's neck, in complete and utter bliss. I know I must still be dreaming, but that doesn't mean I'm not going to milk this moment for all it's worth for as long as I possibly can before I eventually wake. Not that I'd mind waking in their arms, either.

My eyes flutter closed again, this time with much less force and urgency and more peace and care.

"We love you so much, Avelyn. You'll never know how much, princess." Xavier's voice is but a mere whisper, an inkling of his true feelings. I know he loves me and I'll never know how deep that love runs. But if it's anything even close to equivalent to mine, then I know it's deeper and more profound than an entire ocean--more than what lies in my eyes and more than what burns in Cole's.

"I love you guys, too. So much."

My eyes flutter open and I lean back slightly, to better see them. This... it feels too real. Like it's actually happened. Like it's actually happening. Like I'm actually here experiencing this. It feels like... I'm having a vision.

But that couldn't be. I've never experienced one like this before, beginning as a dream and transitioning into reality. Well, a reality that's either happening currently or is yet to be. And I'm actually here, not spectating. I can actually speak and they can hear me, which has never happened before.

But I know this feeling, as I've become so accustomed to it throughout the years. I know I'm having a vision, and this clearly isn't happening right now so it must be sometime in the future. By the boys' appearances and our surroundings, I'd say it's in the very near future. Something tells me this is my birthday; I can just feel it.

The buzzing of my tattoos tells me I'm right, even though they were buzzing before I'd even come up with this conclusion. My body and my magic is just so happy I'm in their arms, the arms of my three amazing mates.

So, it isn't hard to come to another conclusion: we have... sex... on my birthday. Not that I'm not happy about it, clearly I'm not because not a day from now, I actually do the deed. It's just different knowing that it's actually going to happen, and that this isn't just one big dream I've conjured up out of excitement and lust towards the boys I love.

It's the future. It's my future. It's our future. And it's happening in less than a day, as my birthday is tomorrow, though it might be less from now, considering I was dreaming but mere moments ago. Either way, I'm completely ready for it. My magic hums beneath my skin in agreement.

But just as suddenly as the thought comes to mind, the front door bangs, the loud knocking ringing off the walls of the large mansion-like house. Clearly whoever's at the door is eager for someone to open it. My magic seems to stop buzzing altogether for a moment, then immediately picks back up so much stronger than before. In fact, it's stronger than I've ever felt it before, even more than when I'm with the guys and they're holding me or kissing me or touching me.

The boys instantly jerk in surprise and quickly look around, as if looking for something they've abruptly lost. They all seem frantic and soon their eyes meet that of each other's, all wide and different shades of crazed.

'What the hell is happening right now? And why do they all look like someone pissed in their Cheerios?'

"Guys, what's wro--" I begin to ask, but the knocking cuts me off, getting louder by the minute.

"Hurry up and get dressed!" Xavier shouts, quickly standing from the bed and dressing himself. Cole follows and I roll off of Ashton's chest to let him free. He's obviously adamant on being free as well to follow the boys, most likely to see who's pounding on the front door. Though, I have a feeling they already know. They all dress swiftly, their clothes being thrown on before I can blink.

"Someone better answer me right now!" I say, just as frantic as them but for a completely different reason. I feel so powerless right now and I'm not used to it--not when it comes to my visions. I'm always in control, spectating on from a distance. But now that I'm actually here and experiencing this myself through my own eyes, as if I'm actually here in this moment, I don't know what to do. And I absolutely hate it.

They all stop for a moment and turn to me, finally hearing my pleas for answers. Cole rushes over to me on the bed and leans down to take my face in his hands. I notice the wild spark in his eyes before I feel it where our skin meets.

He's dressed now. And even in this all-too-hectic moment, I still feel a little disappointed at the realization, but quickly snap myself out of it and focus on the matter at hand. "Avelyn, kitten, someone is here." I refrain from saying 'obviously' and let him finish. "I--we--don't have time to explain who they are right now or why they're here. But you'll know when you see them." I nod, not knowing what else to do in this moment. He sighs but kisses me on the temple, leaving me to rush down the stairs where his brothers disappeared to while he was reassuring me.

I get up in a haste, finding my pajama shorts and shirt from before and slipping them on, not bothering with a bra or underwear right now. I rush down the stairs and to the boys who have just opened the front door. My breath catches at the sight.

Oh my God, I can't believe it! It can't be, can it? It's...

I scream as my skin begins to burn and sting, a fire catching before me and lighting nothing but my skin on fire. This, I know, isn't part of the vision... this, it's real, and it's happening right now. While I might not be on fire in real life, the reality in which I'm lying, sleeping on my bed with my boys, I'm feeling the sharp burn. But from what, I have no clue; the pain is just manifesting in this reality, that has now morphed back into a dream, as me being lit on fire. It's not actually part of my vision, that much I'm sure.

Now I know I need to wake; my vision is long forgotten at this point, the pain taking over in an all-consuming, scorching ache.

"Avelyn! Wake up!"

"I'm trying!" I want to scream back, but the words don't come out, only my screams of agony emit. My sobs soon join them. So nothing but the crackling of the fire consuming me, my screams, and my cries of anguish are heard.

"Princess, please wake up! Fuck! Why isn't she waking up?"

"Please, help me!" I try to call, to no avail. The flames only continue to eat me alive.

"Move, let me see her!"

My body begins to shake and tremble, and I realize this is happening to my actual body, not the one that's currently being burned alive in my dream-like state--more like my nightmare-like state.

Someone is shaking me awake. Well, they're trying to, at least.

"Come on, babygirl. Wake up!"

The person's voice is loud but slightly muffled, like they're under water. I try to reach for the voice and its words, as if to grab ahold of its syllables to drag myself up--to drag myself awake. The words are so close, I can almost touch them. I can almost reach them.

"Please, help me!" I try to shout once more, a lasting effort in my freedom from this hell. But I know they can't hear me like I can hear them.

I'm dreaming; they're not. But I feel every bit of the pain that they can't see.

Finally, with one last reach, I'm able to grasp ahold of the words that continue to be shouted in an attempt at my revival and awakening. And I pull myself up with all I have, the flames that light my skin following me. But they're too late... I'm almost free.

With one last screech, I manage to lift myself up and out of that reality, and everything turns into a deep, abysmal darkness.

I'm awake... finally.

And while I know I'm no longer in my dream-turned-vision, I can still feel the burn, but the flames are no longer there.

I can still hear the boys calling for me to wake and their voices are so much clearer. It takes me only seconds to realize I need to open my eyes.

They instantly snap open--not like the soft fluttering they'd done in my vision--and I'm met by the sight of the three tear-stained faces of my mates. But the burning continues. I push them all out of the way and fall to the ground, realizing we'd previously been asleep and lying on our bed. Clutching my body tightly as the pain continues, I scream in an attempt to dull the ache. No such luck.

"Avelyn, kitten! What the fuck is happening?!"

I'm gasping for breath, choking on the last little bit of air I have left in my lungs from all the screaming and crying I'd just done, and the familiar stabbing feeling in my shoulder blades greets me.

My wings.

Out of no where, my large wings are extending out of my hunched-over back and ripping through the satin of my night shirt, greeting the fresh air they're always so deprieved of under my skin.

My tattoos burn as well, but it's a different kind of burn, like they're expanding or... growing. And I realize they are. They're changing and being engraved into something different for reasons unknown to me.

And while my eyes aren't open, I can feel the boys surround me, their presences soothing me the tiniest bit. But not nearly enough to take the pain away.

"What do we do?" Asthon shouts to no one in particular. And no one answers.

Suddenly, I feel a soft caress on one of my wings. A hand, I realize. The burn instantly subsides, leaving a dull throb in its wake. I sigh a cracked, defeated breath of relief and lean into the soothing touch.

The boys go silent, all having realized I'm no longer in torturous pain thanks to Cole's hand on my right wing. And the cutting feeling on my torso vanishes, the mark I'm sure complete. The tattoo has transformed, that much I'm positive.

Now, with each boys' hands on my silky-smooth, white feathers, I finally feel at peace.

"Ava, a-are you alright? Has the pain gone?" Xavier asks almost hesitantly.

I whimper as an answer, not because it's still there but because I have no words left to say. All I know is that their touch on my wings is heavenly and dulls my pain. And... today is my birthday.

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Sorry if this chapter was really confusing! But here's a summary just in case you didn't understand it:

Basically it started off as a dream of her running in the woods from herself, then turned into a vision of her and the boys on her birthday, then another dream of her being set on fire, which was what she was feeling in real life--not the dream. She felt like her skin was burning while she was sleeping, so it broke her out of her vision of her and the boys and she started dreaming of her skin on fire. (Sort of like when kids wet the bed and dream of, like, a river or something. Or just dream of themselves peeing.)

I know it's really confusing. So I'm sorry if you still don't understand it! All you really need to know is that she had a vision of her and the boys on her birthday, her tattoos changed, and it is her birthday. I love you, and I hope that cleared up any confusion!

As always, until next time...

Sincerely,

The Annoying Author Lady

the last chapter! And I should be posting that pretty soon. It will be long and it will be spicy, if you know what I mean. 😉 Just know it'll end on a good note. ❤❤❤)