Setting Myself Free

Chapter 21~Her Story

"My ghost,

   Where'd you go?

                                            What happened to the soul that you used to be?"

-Halsey, Ghost

~~~~~~

After our first date, everything seemed to be going well. Blake would talk me into going outside with him more. He usually laughed around me and smiled more.

Mike and Blake seemed to be on good terms again. The whole brotherly situation worked out I guess. Blake never went into details.

There would be days when Blake left for 'business purposes.' Whatever the heck that meant. And he would return some days upset, glancing at me quickly before locking himself in his room. But other days, Blake would come back grumpy, carrying a beer bottle. That was his gang leader side.

I didn't know what was going on, but I knew that he was keeping secrets from me. And so was I. These days, sleep wouldn't come so easily. It's like the devil was trying to haunt me through these strange nightmares.

My nightmares consisted of the same thing. Baby Lea and my mother.

"Come back to us, Shannon," my mother cried. She gracefully walked before me, the color of white surrounding the both of us.

"Shannon," another voice called. This was a voice that I have never heard before.

"Lea," I whispered to myself, tears leaking from my eyes. "Come back, come back."

No one answered. Each time I called out, deep inside, I knew I was alone. No one was going to come. It's like my entire family vanished.

"Where are you?" I screamed.

~~~~~~

"Shannon," a voice said, trying to shake me awake. I struggled, kept between two forces of dream and reality. I wanted to continue to call out to Lea, but she would not answer.

The new voice, calling my name from a distance, is what awoken me. I slowly fluttered my eyes opened, seeing a pair of blue, concerned eyes.

Blake looked down at me, his hands caught up in my hair, murmuring soft words. I softly shook him off me, wiping away the remaining tears.

"Those darn nightmares," I whispered, even though I knew Blake had heard me. He pulled away, back to his side of the bed, his expression untraceable.

"What nightmares?" he asked through gritted teeth. I sighed, knowing that I was defeated and that I now had to tell him. No more games, Shannon. There's no use keeping my mouth shut. No, no. Blake would find out somehow. Through the internet or something.

"The usual nightmares," I whispered. "All I see is my mother. And sister. I don't know what I did wrong, Blake. It's like they're haunting me." Blake frowned, his arms wrapping around me as if on instinct.

Blake sighed, looking away. "Well, that...ruins everything."

My eyes narrowed as I crawled closer to him. I laid my head on his lap, looking up at his crystal blue eyes. He had a strange expression on his face. A distant one.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Today," Blake started. "Is...your birthday. You don't remember that you're turning eighteen?" His eyebrows were raised in surprise as his fingers ran through my mess of a hair. I blinked at him, feeling as if I'd just been shut down. Today was my birthday. How could I forget?