Stones Diary: Built for Pressura' 2

Chapter 59.) Unexpected.

The living room was as dark as coal with the moon's light being the only right of passage. It was misty, cold, and silent outside. The waves were still. The nightlife was resting. Lucky's loud thoughts prevented him from getting any sleep. Every shadow had him paranoid. His fear had him assuming things were lurking from the corners. His heart rate was on a constant rollercoaster. Maybe he was sleep deprived. Maybe his nightmare was just a result of overworking. Ava warned him. He knew he should have cut back.

It was 2 in the morning and the only thing on his mind that shouldn't have been was the glimpses of his flesh burning. Sitting up, Lucky placed his face in his palms and took a few slow, deep breaths. Restless and anxious never meshed well together but here he was experiencing both. Standing, he stretched his tensed muscles before heading into the kitchen. Running the cold water, he splashed his face a couple of times before patting his face dry with a paper towel. Grabbing a bottle of water, Lucky practically swallowed the bottle to quench his thirst.

Retrieving another bottle from the fridge, Lucky finished that one just as quickly. Leaning over the kitchen island, he closed his eyes and massaged his temple. He needed to figure out what his nightmare meant but had no more space in his mind for fear. He wanted to forget about it. The fire. The taunting. The figure. It's voice.

Supernatural things didn't scare him but being unable to do anything was a problem for him. He already had to fight with himself in the real world in an attempt to manage his emotions and now he has to deal with a nightmare where he's not in control? Was there a correlation? Was it a message or was he just tired?

Tired of thinking. Tired of feeling, Lucky tossed the empty bottles into their recycling box and then made his way toward the bathroom to empty his bladder. His mind wandered. He's been doing his best to let go of his past. His heartfelt conversation with Renae had really opened his eyes to new perspectives.

He knew it would take some work to fully move on from his deep-rooted issues. He was a man of many things and healing was something that he took seriously. He had a family that he wanted to give nothing but the best parts of himself. He knew he couldn't do that if he kept allowing his past to hold him back.

But he was exhausted. He was a man who was used to turning off his emotions. He was a man who was used to being able to not feel anything for years. Emotionless. He was used to just floating through the world with no worries. Things changed. He welcomed feelings but it seemed as if things were just crashing down on him without warning. It was hard to keep up. Hard to keep track. Hard to prepare himself for the emotional rollercoaster.

Every part of him assumed that his life would magically change for the better after the wedding. He thought the sun would shine brighter once he took care of Frank. But those were just his minor issues. His bigger issues were deeply rooted and seemed to be begging for him to take time to work on them. But how? He was doing the work. Therapy was helping. Seeking outside help was doing him justice but maybe he wasn't fully open to healing. Maybe that was his problem. Part of him wanted to be done and the other half felt the need to hold onto his trauma but why? For what?

As he washed his hands, Lucky glanced up at his reflection but noticed something standing behind him. Spinning around quickly, he frowned at the empty space. Exhaling, he shook his head and cut the light off as he exited the bathroom but jumped at the sight of Ava.

"Baby..." he sighed.

"Sorry," she apologized.

"Gotta stop sneaking up on me like dat," he mumbled, rubbing the back of his neck.

"I'm sorry... are you okay?" she followed alongside him.

"A lil bit," he entered the living room and sat on the sofa arm.