Nightmare
I trudged through the thick, chest-high, ferns to see Katie, sitting in the tree –our tree. - It irritated me that she didn’t answer my urgent calls for her. I let it slide, figuring it was just another game. ”Katie?” she could tell I was unhappy “Katie Lets go in...it’s getting-” her cutting tone broke mine off,”No” was all she said. Her gaze either ran through me or straight past me, because I couldn’t meet her eyes. Though, I couldn’t tear my eyes from her I didn’t want to look at her. ”What is it?” I questioned sharply, it sounded bitter though my concerns ran high. My limbs were shaking from some unknown force or just my mind telling me I was either in trouble or something was seriously wrong, but her expression was calm and serene. “I can’t go with you…” she responded finally after a deafening silence in the eerie woods. I thought I had heard regret in her voice but that might have been just me. As panic filled my mind I responded with another question “Why not?!” I must have looked angry because her eyes hardened. “I will make it as if I had never existed…” how could her voice still be so collected? This angered me still but before I could respond she was from her position in the tree, to the ground a few feet in front of me in a split second. She gave me a minute to calm as well. When I did I tried to sound as calm as she did with little success “Please…you can’t just leave…” she glared at me with serious eyes that burned into the depths of my mind. Shaking her head, her expression cleared “It’s for your best...” Her tone was almost caustic to me but she meant it in a way that sounded as I should have known. That stung. She had thought that was doing me good. The thought haunted me and I stepped forward”How could this be for any good?!“ My voice was louder and angrier than I intended it to be. Soon her calm overwhelming presence surrounded me. ”Trust me” she sighed “And please…don’t do anything stupid or reckless…”That hit me like a punch, but before I could grasp the concept, she was gone. Tears welled up in my eyes but I hastily wiped them away. “Katie?!” I screamed, only moments later realizing my silent tears had formed into gasps between my sobbing. Nausea followed my coughs.”Please…”I repeated as if to answer the words she had said. Don’t do anything stupid or reckless… I couldn’t move properly. Anguish filled me as I tried to ease my mind. No one came from the darkness to greet me. I was sort of thankful. I would never want anyone to se me cry.
Once I could stand, I felt like Katie would pop up from anywhere to help me with this sick joke, but she hadn’t and I finally felt guilty.
…That was when I woke up; the fabric under my head was damp with fresh tears. I couldn’t see yet, so I hopped quickly and quietly from my place on the top bunk. “Katie…”I whispered. The name seemed to echo. Shaking violently I could only wrap my arms around my abdomen, as if to hold my self from falling to pieces. Could it have been real? One way to find out. I ran to my closet, tossing needless on the ground as I searched in dire need to separate my mind from the fiction. I found an old scrap book and searched through it, to dark to realize it was empty before the night had started. No pictures of Katie and out previous events were there. A shudder ran down my spine, raising goose bumps on only my left side…my weaker side. I gazed out the window, trying to dodge the wave of tears coming. It didn’t work. The curtains dripped on either side of the window and I didn’t even remember walking over to it. I cried as the lights seemed to fade. Gasping her name and a meaningless question every time I could speak”Why did you leave?” I felt the tears come harder and longer as the more violent shaking continued to increase. I still could barely see I couldn’t focus enough to remember Katie’s number. The numbers I had written on my mirror were faded like someone had a lost attempt to erase them. Only three numbers were still slightly readable. I glared at the numbers I couldn’t make out.710 was readable still. I thought about the others. 4106 was what I got. Dialing the number I anticipated the voice of Katie but the feeling washed away when an unfamiliar voice greeted the strange call with a polite ‘hello?’ I hung up quickly and tried to decipher more numbers, 710-4186. A possibility. I had tried to calm to answer; sure it was Katie’s phone. An automated voice system answer, suggesting that I hang up. Doing so, I finally remembered that I might have her in my contacts. The frustration drained away when I saw her name highlighted by the blue bar of light. I clicked the ‘Send’ button and smiled deeply as it rang. As impatient as I was for her to pick up.
Her sweet voice invited me to leave a message in her inbox. Doing just that I feared it would worry her, my voice so shaky like that. When I hung up and slammed my head against the window sill, the phone vibrated in my hand, sending shock to my spine. I was dazed for a moment when I answered and heard her addressing me with the same nickname she had given me so long ago. The serenity in her voice was not soothing though. Just as in my dream, it made me fear. “Katie?” I gasped. ”What is it ‘Riah?” I loved the nickname she had given me. My voice was pleading and hurt”Please, tell me you won’t leave again…” Her voice was confused and concerned. This comforted me. “Riah? What is it?” I couldn’t hold back sobs. ”You were gone…” I cried “I woke up and you were gone…”
“Mariah” she pronounced it slowly to catch my attention “I’ve been gone for almost a year now, what are you talking about?” her voice flowed like silk, despite the tired tone. “I know…” I said softly “but please…don’t leave me again…I need you here!” I pressed against the lump forming in my throat for the eighth time that night. She still seemed calm “’Riah, tell me what happened…”I paused in thought running over the past two hours of agony. She always seemed to know. “A nightmare.” I explained. It sounded like she sighed-or yawned.-“It was just a dream” she cooed. Soothed but still frightened, I felt like a helpless child, battling my emotions. ”No Katie…”I pleaded weakly. “Mariah” she said soothingly again”Just pray about it…the dreams will go away…” I shook my head in disbelief. These were too deep to just ignore. I was afraid to let them go, afraid to keep them. We talked like that for a minute more when I noticed her tired tone again “Katie, you sound tired…get some sleep…”she agreed and almost hung up when she spoke again “Riah I love you...sleep well” I felt more tears coming.” I love you too Katie…”My voice was as smooth as I had wished, but as soon as she hung up I broke down.
An hour later at 4:02 I turned out all the lights, making sure I couldn’t see anything. Unplugging anything electrical that lit up. My cat jumped up by my side and I battled to sleep but couldn’t. The rhythm of my trembling body slowly took me into unconsciousness…
To Be Continued……
