Beacon in the Darkness

3. Treading Water

So what would you think of me now,
so lucky, so strong, so proud?
I never said thank you for that,
now I'll never have a chance.
May angels lead you in.

- Jimmy Eat Word.

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Lightning flashed, illuminating the lines of his face in yellow light. His lips stretched up into an all encompassing smile, laugh lines crowding the corners of his dark eyes. He stuck out his tongue and crossed his eyes. Camila laughed at the stupid face he made, reaching over to punch him in the shoulder like always. Her fist passed through his form and he dissipated under her touch. The grin left her face as she peered at his empty seat, panic rising in her chest. Her hand grazed the cool leather, searching for even a fraction of the warmth he may have left behind but there was nothing. Just cold, empty pain.

The black sky turned a violent red and moisture fell from the heavens. Brilliant crimson rain splattered against the fractured windshield. Camila flicked on the wipers but only succeeded in smearing the offending drops across the glass. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she tried in vain to clean the blood away. It was too much and she couldn't handle seeing it. Not now, not here.

"Please, please, please," she called out as her shaking hands twisted the dial fruitlessly.

A sound outside her window startled her and she whipped her head toward it. Carlos stood on the other side, his brows pinched together and his mouth turned down into a frown. Camila placed her palm against the glass, wanting more than anything to reach out and touch him again. The red rain fell over him, coating his body in thick, sticky liquid. He traced his finger across the glass separating their hands. More tears overflowed onto her face.

Carlos cocked his head to the side and asked, "Why so sad?"

Camila closed her eyes, letting the moisture coat her cheeks. "I miss you." She opened them once again only to find him gone. Leaning her head against the cool window, she pounded her fist against the barrier that had separated them. "Come back. I need you to come back. Please. Carlos, please." But he didn't.

The bloody rain continued to fall, continued to trap her in the neverending nightmare. Slowly, her vision filled with the glaring red surrounding her, leaving nothing but the aching, cold loneliness and despair inside her.

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Camila bolted up in bed, her heart pounding and her body shaking. Sweat covered her, causing her pajamas to cling uncomfortably. She lowered her face to her hands, fighting back the urge to scream.

Soft rain pattered against the window, the sound making her even more on edge. She took in a shaking breath and looked over at the clock, five in the morning. With a sigh, she swung her legs over the side of the bed and stood. She knew she'd never fall back to sleep after that. Making her way across the room, she opened the door and exited into the hallway. The house was still dark and her mother's door remained shut.