Fighting the Stars - A Jack Harries Fanficton

Chapter 29

White. That’s all I could see around me. White. Someone was breathing heavily. It seemed as though it was echoing throughout whatever world I was in. It took me a moment before I realized that it was my own.

A high pitched scream caused my body to crash onto the ice cold floor. I clung to the white, hoping that it could somehow be a refuge for me. My head was pounding louder and louder with every passing second.

Then there was laughter. But not just any laughter. This was menacing, it shook me to the core. Trees appeared around me, as if a forest had been dropped over my head. I looked behind me, a man dressed in all dark clothing stood behind a collection of branches. Something told me to run, so I ran.

I could hear the chaotic laughter trailing behind me. It turned the ageless trees into a menace. They loomed around me, while hiding him. The branches tore at my skin in an effort to bind me, while weeds sought to shackle my ankles, so that I could go no further.

The man stopped before me. He wiped away his mask, revealing the all too familiar face. “I found you." said James.

He reached out for me, stroking the back of my hand. His light brown eyes turned a violent shade of red. He gave a toothy grin.

I stumbled in the grass beneath my feet, but I managed to stand. I backed away from him slowly before setting into a dead sprint. I could feel the branches and vines tangling me once again. But the pain they caused was minor when I compared it to the inferno raging on within me.

I came to a hault as James appeared in front of me. “I found you." he repeated.

I turned and ran in the opposite direction. I only took five strides before I faced him once again. I couldn’t tell which was louder, my ragged breathing or the pounding in my chest.

Either way, I still managed to hear the words, “I found you." slide their way off James’s lips. They cut past my skin, through the bone, and all the way to my very soul. 

His touch on my hand burned. It stung like white hot knives piercing my skin. I screamed.

I bolted upright in the bed, gasping for air and still feeling his touch on my hand. I could feel him watching me. I could feel him waiting for me.

"Sophie, are you alright?" asked Jack next to me, his eyes groggy. “You were screaming. Another nightmare?"

I nodded my head as a single tear cascaded down my cheek. Without hesitating, he took me into his embrace. He was so warm, so safe. I couldn’t even imagine waking up from a nightmare as horrid as that one and not having him beside me to hold my shaking body.

"Did you want to talk about it?" he asked. I shook my head in response. I already had to go through it once, I sure as hell didn’t want to live it again. “You know the doctor said that talking about them helps you cope."

"No," I choked out. I wanted to say more, but I knew that a one syllable word would be far safer should my voice decide to crack.

Ever since the funeral I’ve been required - by law and my mother - to see a therapist three times a week. I absolutely despise it. I don’t want to discuss my feelings with a complete stranger. Those things inside of me are private, and they should be kept that way.

"Are you sure?" he asked.

I thought back to the images my mind had conjured up. My bottom lip quivered. “Yeah, I’m sure."

You know what the really scary thing about bad dreams? It’s that something’s going on in your head, and you can’t control it. I mean, It’s like there’s these bad worlds inside you. But it’s just you…it’s like you’re betraying yourself.