Nothing can keep me from sleeping.

"No... Please, no please, come back to me! I'm--"

He was being lifted into the air, his eyes glazed, his lips wearing a content smile. The Siren was seducing him, her long graceful frame pressed against his, her robes wrapping and swirling in the air, dancing like ribbons on a breeze. A fog curled around the two, and it made it impossible for her to see. I coughed and stumbled, continuing to run, but tears threatened to blind my vision. My clothes were raggedy and poor compared to the garments of the Siren, in all shades of blue and white and gray. Her eyes were a piercing, icy blue, her hair a beautiful flowing silver. She was like a piece of artwork, an unreal goddess that was breathed into and brought to life. Her perfect lips parted and a sweet song cooed at him, drawing him in further.

"NO!!" I cried, my words cracking with my tears. I finally was close enough and dove for his hand before he was too far to reach. I tried tugging him down, crying and screaming, "Please, come back to me!" His eyes flashed and he looked down at me sleepily, confused. He slowly started to be tugged down, he slowly started to come back to me... but that Siren snatched him again, winding his face back hers with her slender fingers on his chin.

"Drift away, my love.." she whispered, their eyes now locked and her lips hovering over his. He smiled contently again, and rose into the air. I cried out but clung onto his arm squeezing my eyes shut.

"I WON'T GIVE IN!" I cried. With him still under her spell, the Siren's eyes snapped to me, her gaze hateful and burning. I glared up at her, but with just a raise of her hand and a flick of her wrist I was yanked off and threw down to the ground. Plucked off like a rotten apple from a tree, she tossed me aside. My head impacted the concrete violently, and my body grew numb and cold. The last image my eyes saw was the Siren gently cradling his head as their lips pressed against one another.

I had lost him.

And then, I blacked out.

= = = = = = =

He didn't remember much, but when his eyes opened, he felt rested, at peace, content. He was lying on a bed of the coziest clouds, with swirling fog all around him. The Siren was no longer there, however, her sweet and soothing song still rung in his ears. He sat up and looked around; he was in a complete white room, and appeared to be floating. A blanket of clouds pooled around his waist and he pushed them aside. He hadn't felt so rested and at peace in a while. He continued to smile as he started to make his way down, the clouds slowly lowering to let him to the ground.

And that's when he saw her.

His heart stopped in his chest, and his entire body almost froze. The room he was in as he drifted down had faded from a beautiful and peaceful ivory paradise, into a stale, gray and concrete jail, flickering lights and disturbing rust as the only decor. She lie there like a crumpled heap, her clothes tattered and her body completely still. He stumbled off the cloud, landing ungracefully but he gathered himself and darted over to her. Skidding to a stop and throwing himself down next to her, he rolled her over.

His heart caught in his throat. Her body was cold as ice, her expression pale. Her eyes were closed, her eyelashes holding remnants of tears. He gently lifted her head, almost crying out when he felt the dried blood on his fingers. She had been lying in a pool of it, a bleeding head injury. He wrapped his arms around her and pressed his ear to her chest, desperately trying to hear her heart.

Nothing.

He cried out. "No, no, no... Come back to me, c-come, come back!" he shook her, staring desperately at her face, waiting to see those bright hazel eyes pop open and her lips smile at him. All a joke, just messing with him, they could leave together. But that was not the reality. Her body was lifeless, her heart not beating, there had been so much blood.

He grew dizzy with the realization, almost falling over, almost running away... But he couldn't let go of her, no, he was afraid once he did she'd disappear from him. Instead he clung to her and buried his head in her neck, his body racking with sobs. He cradled her, rocked with her, kissed her cheek, forehead, lips. He stayed like that for a while, desperately wishing she'd come back to him like all the lost loved ones do in fairytales.

But this was no fairytale; she was gone. No true love's kiss would bring her back.

"Had only you stayed awake to be her knight, she may still be alive," he heard whisper in his ear. His heart sank into his stomach, and he felt his vision start to black out. "But, as you've said so yourself, my dear: nothing can keep you from sleeping."