[ WP ] You wake up staring into a pair of eyes , your own .

The bedroom's eastern facing window glowed with the familiar summer sunrise. Gold, clean, promises of warmth and beaches. My eyelids twitched, I was in the realm of the tiger mother and I was *she*. *She* controlled the silver tigers of the Dying Land, and ruined many men's hearts for other maidens. Her name was only spoken by the beasts in their tongue, a rowdy purr, or maybe a docile growl. Sleek, terrible, makers of death, the cats responded to her words. Their eyes, gold with flecks of obsidian, ovals of predatory hunger. 
 
 I dreamed of *she* most nights. The nights I did n't, I woke up wanting. The only time I felt fulfilled was in those dreams. *She* was loved, *she* was feared, but most of all, *she* controlled the tigers. With the silvery beasts came power, blood, gifts. The tigers shone like newly smelt nickels, smeared with onyx stripes. Muscled, long of tooth, and gentle as a baby to *her*. Why must the dreams end? I thought about opening my eyes, but really I wanted to fall quickly back into my dream. The Dying Land did not have ex-husbands, bill collectors, nor 9-5 cubicle torture. 
 
 I pulled the covers over my head. *sigh* I have to get up. I'm sure it's time for work. 
 
 `` It is time.'' 
 
 *What in the holy fucking hell??? * I jumped a foot, my eyes flew open to see who broke into my flat. *I should have saved that last question for now* 
 
 *It was me! * I looked at myself, disheveled from dreamland, squinting from the morning light. I reached out to touch my hand. *I feel like me at least* 
 
 `` Do n't be afraid. Look. Here.'' I held up a silver plated *solid? * looking glass. *The fuck? * 
 
 Gold ovals looked back, mean eyes, hungry eyes. My hair, normally a mousy brown, cut responsibly, flared around my head like a lion's mane, though jet black streaked with snow. I was darkly beautiful, cruel pout, pointed nose, sharp cheekbones. I was *she*. 
 
 That's when I noticed the cats. I called them, `` to me''. Two shiny furballs leaped on my Sleep Number mattress, sinking claws into the foam. They were purring demurely. I laughed and laughed with me. *Finally* I had found myself.
