The Strand // h.s

twenty six

I don't really know how I found myself in this position. A part of me knew this was simply a trick of my mind in my sleep induced state. I usually never have nightmares, only occasionally and even then I can wake myself from the realistic display of images. But this one would not go away.

I tried my hardest to keep my breathing soft and as quiet as possible as I attempted to seek out a place to hide myself. Oh how I wished this was a simple game of hide-and-seek. I wanted to scream when I couldn't find a place that would successfully hide all of myself. In my state of panic, I decided to try and disguise myself against the wall next to me. I had yet to find out why I was so scared.

Then a shadow of a body appeared beside the wall I was hiding against. It was a person, relatively big, with stout shoulders. The shadow stopped ascending towards me, and I quickly covered my mouth with a sweaty hand to keep myself from making any noise.

"Come on, baby. Quit hiding." The male voice was unrecognizable, quite scary to say the least. I turned and sprinted up the stairs of my house, that being the only reachable exit with the front door right behind him, realizing the reason I was so scared was because a man was inside my house and I was alone.

When I made it to my bedroom I didn't check and see if the man had followed me, I only ran straight to my bed and covered myself with my duvet. I pulled the soft, white fabric over my head as if it would protect me. When I didn't hear anything, I slowly pushed the covers off of my eyes to check around my room. That's when a vibration was heard and my bedroom door slammed open with a figure standing behind it, so I did the most logical thing I could think of and I screamed.

I jumped with a start and sat up in bed. I could see the beads of sweat on my arms glistening from the moonlight outside my window. Turns out that the vibration in my dream was actually my phone ringing. I threw myself back into my pillows, accidentally hitting my head on my headboard.

"Ouch," I muttered as I rubbed the injured spot with a slightly shaky hand. I turned towards my night stand where my phone was on charge and still ringing with a call. I cautiously reached out towards it, flipping it over to see the time-three fifty-three a.m.-before seeing it was a blocked number.

"Hello," I answered tiredly. It was probably a prank call from some kids.

"Happy birthday, baby," My sleep deprived eyes widened in realization that it was, in fact, officially my birthday. And this voice sounded so familiar, though I didn't know who it was. But I knew for sure it wasn't Harry, I'd recognize his voice.

"I'll see you soon."

-//-

"Happy birthday, sweetheart," Dad's voice flooded my room with a purpose. And I was so sleep deprived that I only turned the opposite direction. He muttered, "Wow, eighteen. Go figure."

I huffed. "I can buy cigarettes and alcohol. Woohoo," I spoke with sarcasm, keeping my eyes closed in hopes he'd leave and let me catch up on some much needed sleep. I heard him sigh.

"Come on, now. It's nine forty-five and a certain person is waiting to see the birthday girl," Dad came forward to sit beside me on the edge of my bed. I thought about that for a second, what person would be waiting to-Harry.

My eyes widened and I tried to get up but it only resulted in me almost falling out of bed. My dad chuckled as he walked out of my bedroom.

After washing my face, brushing my teeth, quickly dressing, and throwing my hair into a ponytail, I tried to slow down as I descended the stairs so I didn't look eager to see Harry. I slipped into the kitchen to inform dad I was going to see a 'certain person' he had told me about.