Aftershock // n.h [Short Story]

Aftershock // Niall Horan [Short Story]

// the one and only chapter //

     "you can't play on broken strings

     you can't feel anything."

     “It was just a dream,” Niall coo’ed in his lover’s ear as he brushed her wavy bed hair straight. “It was just a dream.”

     She knew he was trying his best to calm her from what she just had dreamt of and tried to keep her tranquil, yet, even when he tried his utter best, it wouldn’t work. The scenarios that were running through Rose’ mind couldn’t be erased by someone stroking her back telling her it was all fake when actually it wasn’t.

     What Rose had just dreamt of happened some way, seven months ago. It was just recreated in her cruel and damaged mind but recreated it or not, she still could feel the agony and trepidation that she felt constantly.

     Rose still remembered his face, looking at her, as if she was an easy prey. He was sick within yet he looked completely normal. He was a wolf under sheep’s clothing. He ruined everything for her.

     “Please,” Rose whimpered as she shivered under Niall’s touch. “Don’t touch me!” She yelped as she sprung out of the bed, running out of the room.

     Ϟ

     “She what?!” Josh asked as he almost choked on his morning tea. Josh eyes were open and his lips apart.

     Josh and Niall, the two best mates, were having a late lunch. Josh was completely hungover as he went out partying yesterday night, which in fact he had invited Niall to join him, but Niall declined his offer as he did once too much these past few months. He used Rose as an excuse to stay home almost every night. She needed him more than ever.

      But Niall felt bad for abandoning his best friend for the past few months so he had invited him out to late lunch at my favourite restaurant, Old Town. Josh was Niall’s good friend and Niall knew he could trust him with his life; if there were ever a moment he had to give him his life anyway.

     Niall sighed as he put down my tea mug and stared into Josh’s fatigued eyes that were screaming hungover. “She ran off yesterday in the middle of the night after she got one of her dreams again. She was lying outside in the garden by the rubbish bin, curled up in a ball, crying and begging for it to go away. I never saw her look so scared of me as I came over to bring her back. Took a lot of convincing to get her back inside, I’ll tell ya that.”