Less than Perfect

16. Aftermath {part one}

                                                           Chapter Sixteen

                                                                Aftermath

                                                                 Part One 

The next three days passed in a terrible blur for Skye. Nightmares were the cause of restless days and nights. And, as the time passed, memories of Bryan flooded her mind, frightening her. Sleep, real sleep, was far away during that time, masked by the horrifying nightmares that haunted her. She had slept most of the time, though, only waking in sweat once in a while, reeling in the pain of a broken heart and tattered spirit. The agony that clutched her heart had overcome her body, sending it in a downward spiral to the depths of darkness and despair. Her body had lived in that state of darkness during that time.

   The nightmares were painted pictures on a cycle around the life she'd lived with Bryan—dark memories, happy memories, things that broke her heart. She yearned for him to be alive, in reach, with her. But it was the same every time she woke—nothing. Bryan was no longer with her, only in heart and dreams.

   For the first time in those three days, there wasn't a piercing ring in her head. She woke with her mind refreshed, the pain had subsided. It all seemed clearer, no images torturing her or thoughts scrambling around Bryan's death. She wanted to pick herself up and out of the depths of despair; she wanted to forget about the bad times. She knew she couldn't for long, soon the taunting darkness would come back, but she needed to, no matter how short-lived.

   Opening her eyes, nothing was blurred; she saw everything in the new light, slicing in through the blinds of her bedroom window. She blinked, her lids recovering from the heaviness of weighing sleep. Her memories of the past few days were only fuzzy. Vaguely, she remembered the nightmares, the waking late into the night with her mom beside her bed trying to calm her screams, the oppressing waves of heat, cold, and exhaustion. All of it slurred into a tainted glower of her own depression—the loss and mourning.

   Taking a deep breath, she carefully pulled the covers off of her, leaving them folded on the other side of the bed. Her head was slightly heavy, recovering at its own pace. Stretching, a yawn escaped her lips and she sighed, releasing the long breath. She wanted to go downstairs, looking for her mother or Rachel, but feared Johnny would also be there. And she didn't need to see him so soon.

   She padded her way across the room, slowly. Her body tingled from the stretching of her muscles, lazing in the previous lack of exercise.  Touching her hand to her forehead, she felt the clamminess beneath her fingers and decided a quick shower would be the revival she needed.

   After she was showered, her mind was clearer, her entire body refreshed. The revival had come; she was in a better place, forgetting the nightmares and thoughts of loss. She still felt the cold hole that dwelled in her heart without Bryan, but she didn't let it bog her down. She knew that it wasn't healthy.

   Dried and dressed, she stepped back into her bedroom, sighing again. Her heart remained heavy, relenting to release Bryan and let him go, making her insides cry out. She wanted him, wanted him to come back home.

   There was a small creek of the floorboards in the hallway, and Skye jumped a little, surprised.

   Rachel peered around the doorway, smiling, and looked right at her. "Hey you're up," she said. Taking her place as Skye's best friend, she stepped around the door and into the bedroom, approaching her friend for a hug. "It's good to see you back in the land of the living," she added quietly, embracing Skye into a hug.