Till Sunset Do Us Part

Chapter 8 ~ Heartbeats

My heart was pounding -- thuds knocking against my head continuously. It seemed like it would never stop -- which please me. I didn't want it to stop. The blissful pain made me feel alive. I fell to pieces in him arms. Those pieces I knew only he could put back together again. I draped my arms around his neck. I didn't want him to leave me. But as I felt less and less of the pain, I knew I had to have died. I let go, feeling the life I knew end. "I'm sorry, Rita. I just -- I was just so happy and relieved that you were still alive. I didn't want you to leave me." I looked at him, saddened by his words. Was I really still alive? Was I dreaming?

Hallucination? Dead? Or was I caught somewhere in the between? I didn't know if what had just happened was in which world and in account of that I didn't know where I wanted to go. So I just stayed. I didn't do anything. I wanted one to overpower me. Finally I could breathe again. I opened my eyes again, and felt someone move my hair out of my face. I looked around me. I felt alive, better, not like I did before.

"I'm dead now, aren't I?"

The angel disguised as Trent looked at me confused. "Why would you think that?"

He was wearing the hoodie I wore in the dream. Maybe I was still somewhere between. I was almost positive that there was no way that I could still be alive.

"Am I dreaming?" If I am, I must've remembered his eyes perfectly I thought in admiration. They're just like the way they were last time I looked at them. It was true, but there was still something different: a different sparkle in his eye.

"Well, um... no. I don't think so. Why? Is this a nightmare? If so, I'm sorry. I didn't intend on ... I'll leave if this is the last thing you wanted. I mean, like if you totally hate me for--"

"No! This is... like Heaven. I mean, I thought I was dead. I mean, I wanted to die, before. I thought I was. So, am I alive?"

The one who looked so much like Trent smiled. "Uh, yeah. I'm pretty sure. I mean, unless you've gone even more crazy than usual," he laughed. There was still one thing I was undecided on.

"But ... Okay, um... I don't know how to ask this. What were you doing around midnight to three this morning?" I bit my lip. I didn't know if now was the best time to ask it or if I was even alive or still asleep. But I wanted -- no, I needed to know. My excuse was for my sanity, but I honestly just wanted to know what to expect.

"Sleeping..." he laughed. I frowned, knowing I probably just made a complete fool of myself. "At the park."

I looked at him astonished. "So, I wasn't dreaming," I asked, this time more confident that I wasn't a total nut case.

"No. Why do you keep asking me if you're dreaming?" He had a confused smile on his face.

"I don't know. I guess because half of the things that have happened have been... weird, or far-fetched. Most of the time, like when there's no evidence of anything, I just assume that it's just my imagination taking control again." I realized that I'd never told anyone anything like that before. I never let anyone dig that deep inside me. Not even Rochelle. I took another glance at his hoodie, trying to side track myself by thinking about what had made me believe that what really happened, didn't.

"I kinda had to get rid of all the evidence so Shelle wouldn't think that I would ever try to hurt you. Sorry."

I took a deep breath, understanding the situation. "It's okay. I just look at hard evidence before I do anything else with the subject."