((Hey, it is fine! I haven't RP'ed in time, so forgive me for being a little rusty.))
Something woke up Juliette from her slumber. At first, she perceived it to be a nightmare, but when that was not so, she sat up warily, mentally shaking herself into action. Living in a cottage on the outskirts of the forest often brought travellers at strange hours of the night, so perhaps someone had been banging on their door. It wasn't unusual for people to stop by for food, water, or even a roof, which helped with her family's modest income.
Slipping into her dressing gown, the slender girl picked up the box of matches that lay on her bedside table and struck one, conjuring up a small orange glow and the burning smell of sulphur. Juliette lit the wick of a candle and gripping the brass candleholder, slid out of bed before tiptoeing towards the front of the cottage. The black-haired girl peered through the frosted glass windows, but no shadowy figure presented itself on their porch.
So where had that noise come from then?
Slightly annoyed that no one else in the house had heard it, Juliette clicked her tongue and headed towards the kitchen, rummaging around until she found the iron key. Maybe somebody was actually there, and no way was she going to get another scolding for ignoring what could be another potential guest. Her hand closed around the cold metal, and still carrying the candleholder, Juliette returned to the front of the cottage.
Unlocking the door, she peered outside, but if there was anyone out there then they were doing a pretty good job of being invisible. The shrubs and branches always appeared more threatening under the canopy of night, but Juliette shrugged off her fears. Her home was a safe haven, and had been all her life. Gazing further outwards, she saw the mass of buildings that made up Adela, the largest city here for miles. Slightly closer was a smattering of houses on the outskirts of the city.
Juliette was about to turn away when a strange sight met her eyes. Atop one of the houses was a man, but it wasn't the fact that there was a man sat on the roof that caught her attention. It was the fact that the house appeared to be trembling. Visible clouds of grey dust rose into the sky, as slate tiles rained down from the roof, crashing to the ground.
"Huh," Juliette murmured, raising an eyebrow.
That is what woke me up, she thought. Closing and locking the door, Juliette replaced the key and padded back to her room, shaking her head softly. In the morning she would only remember this incident as nothing more than a dream.