CHAPTER 4: Delusions

It was him!, the man from my dreams and No I wasn't seeing things since I had pinched myself surreptitiously to be sure it wasn't another dream, but he was there, those red eyes glowing in the darkness that shrouded his face.

Next, I blinked, he was gone. I ran upstairs to my room, snacks forgotten on the kitchen counter, all I wanted to do was dive under my covers and be safe. In that moment I understood why instead of running for their lives, people tend to hide in most horror movies.

However, as soon as I closed the door and locked it, someone pulled me into their arms making me go still. I didn't need any seer to tell me that he was the one in flesh and blood. When he has been part of my subconscious it has been fun and games, but now feeling the heat of his body on mine made me wish for the safety of my mother's arms.

I didn't dare move out of fear provoking him into hurting me since I could vividly recall his brute strength. He hadn't moved for about 10 minutes and if not for his arms around me, I would've crumpled to the ground.

It was getting to about 30 minutes and we were still playing the game of statues which started to wear me out as I needed my sleep since I had dance classes tomorrow. I started squirming which I think made him realize that I was there.

Next, I knew, I was flung onto my bed like a sack of potatoes. My head hurt but I was too stunned to care, his hand gripped my throat in a vice grip cutting off any air supply. I gasped and kept hitting at his hand to try and pull it off, but he only tightened it.

Was I going to be killed by a character in my dreams? that was ridiculous. Maybe I was having a realistic nightmare because none of this made sense. His head bent closer and I wanted to scream but no sound came out, soon I felt a piercing feeling on my neck so painful I stopped trashing my body going numb from the pain.

My body was on fire, I was dying and I knew it. He hadn't moved but his hand had left my neck though I was too numb to scream. Finally, He pulled me closer as he sat down, his head lifting from my neck to look at me, his prey.

Thankfully my window was open and the moon was shining so bright, so when he held my face to look at me closely, the moon struck his face and my eyes widened in shock.

He wasn't real! because that had to be the most beautiful human I've ever set my eyes on. I stared in wonder, my ruptured and bleeding neck forgotten, He frowned under my gaze and that was the last image of him I had before I passed out.

My eyes opened slowly then shut back because of the sun, I groaned out of frustration 'Who left my window open?' I thought angrily because I was sure I closed it last night. Speaking of last night, my memories came flooding back and I moved to sit up but my body protested loudly at the abuse.

I was thrilled to discover my nightmare was over and the reason my body felt like I was run over by a truck was probably because I had helped Hans carry those bags of flour. I would have done a victory dance but I was too exhausted to stand, so I decided to rest a bit and then try restarting my body again.

My alarm rang startling me and I lept out of my bed, Holy mother of peacocks! I was 30 minutes late for dance classes, why hasn't Gwen called me?. Come to think of it Mom hadn't called for me either, I hurriedly showered and dressed not bothering to check myself in the mirror.

I yelled for Mom, Dad always left before we woke up since he worked at the steel mine and came home really late but just in time for dinner. I called thrice but no one answered me, I called my siblings still no response, did they leave me alone in the house and go on their way?

The sun was blazing and Gwen wasn't picking up her calls, so I headed for classes in case she had gone without me. As I jogged while humming to one of my favorite songs, I realized something. The streets were empty, and when I mean empty I mean no single living thing was on the streets which was odd as the streets were always crowded with people going about their daily lives.

I felt an uneasy feeling creep into my stomach and cold sweat broke out on my forehead. I began running while reassuring myself that I was just overthinking everything, I needed to see Gwen! Hell, I just wanted to see anything that lived and breathed oxygen cross my path, even if it was a stray cat.

I got to the dance hall which was just a big warehouse that had been remodeled to suit its purpose. I immediately threw the doors open, I didn't care if I interrupted any strenuous and complicated choreography I just needed to see someone.

I shuddered, it was empty! I turned on my heels, and the urge to get home increased to an infinite fold. I tried Gwen's number again but it wasn't going through. My sides were beginning to hurt the more I kept running, for some reason the road seemed unending which was starting to unnerve me.

I started crying and screaming, "Help!!! Mom! Dad! Josh! Please!!!! Anyone", it echoed and I choked on my fear. This was worse than the pain from my dream, I was losing my mind and terrified at the same time. I stopped running and tried to think of an explanation and a way out of my predicament.

I turned possibilities through my head, alien abduction, everyone escaping from a terrible situation and leaving me behind, a birthday prank though my birthday was last week but I was desperate for an answer.

The sun was unbearable and soon I became thirsty, I sighted a public fountain some steps away and raced for it. I turned on the tap cupping my hand eagerly to scoop water. As soon as the tap turned right, the water gushing out was so hot it burned my hand causing me to cry out in pain. What the hell was going on, I stared at the tap with teary accusing eyes, did even nonliving things gang up with fate and all living things just to punish me? , and for what crime?

I held my throbbing hand and searched for a suitable tree to rest since I was exhausted from all the bizarre occurrences. I don't know how long I'd lain at the base of the tree staring absentmindedly at the grass when I felt someone watching me from above, I sat up quickly eager to see who that was but when my eyes registered the face I shrank back in fear, That face!, so beautiful yet so terrifying.