Destiny

Destiny- Chapter Four

By: Julie

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Chapter Four

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I climbed the ladder shortly after Shawnee had went to bed. I saw her fast asleep, her blankets piled beside her. I walked over to her and quietly covered her up so she wouldn't freeze. I climbed into the extra bed without a kiss goodnight, feeling empty. I sighed and whispered-- "I love you Shawnee."

She stirred and mumbled in her sleep. "I don't know, mistake," she said.

I forced myself not to cry, it hurt me, and I'd hurt her. I loved her, protected her for five years, and now, it was like we were strangers again. I decided to start to show her I loved her in the morning. I'd make her breakfast or something. Suddenly, she whispered my name.

"Help! Shane don't!" she called out.

"Boss? Is she okay?" Coleman asked from below, on the couch where he'd sleep for the night.

"She's having a bad dream," I replied, getting up and walking over to her bed, and sat next to her as she restlessly stirred. 'Please don't touch me', ran through my mind.

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She ran through the woods desperate to reach her parent's house before the NAL got there. She looked into the window and saw her mother shake her head. Then the glint of stainless steel, the slight flash from the barrel. Her mother crumpled to the ground. A shadow moved the gun to someone else, she shifted her eyes to see her father pleading with the shadow. The shadow lowered the gun and walked to he door. She walked in through the back door and into the living room, he had a gun in his hand and was starring down at her mother. She turned and ran out the door and into a boy. He held her at arm's length and silently pointed to the forest.

Behind her, she heard a shot and turned as the boy fell to the ground.

"Help! Shane, don't!" she yelled.

Then the pain hit her and she fell to the ground.

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"Shawnee, wake up," Shane's voice called to me through the dream. "C'mon wake up," he pleaded.

My eyes snapped open and teared blurred my vision. Shane was sitting beside me, not touching me, just watching.

"It was just a dream, it's okay," he whispered, still not touching me.

Without a word, I began to cry. He started to reach out to me, then pulled away. "Shane," I sobbed quietly, starting to sit up.

"Yes?" he asked, pain clear in his voice.

"Hold me," I whispered, crying harder.

"But you said--" he started.

"Please," I sobbed. Slowly, he gathered me in his arms and held me close to his chest. He held me close until I started to hiccup. He carefully set me back on the bed and put his hands at his sides. He got up and went to the one window in the house. He leaned against the pane, starring out the window.

"What was it this time Shawnee?" he whispered.

"A shadow, he killed my mother, then left my father, I ran out the door and into you, you told me to run. When I looked behind me, I saw you crumble to the ground. I cried out to you and then I was shot too," I said, when I finished, he turned to look at me.

"You know that will never happen Shawnee," he whispered. "Go back to sleep. We'll talk about it in the morning."

I nodded silently and watched as he walked to his bed and laid down. There was a time when He'd lay down with me an sleep next to me until morning, but those days were over.