Palinoia

Chapter 11: Nightmares

Air.

I never knew something so easy to gain was so easy to lose. And never in my life had I wanted it as much as now.

I was drowning. I didn't know what the substance was but it was pulling me back. Preventing what made me live.

I looked around while gasping for any source of air. Nothing. I was trapped in the nothingness that consumed me...but why?

Why was I like this? What the hell was happening to me?

I kept on fighting regardless. I reached up. Where was I going? I had no clue and I honestly did not care. I was desperate.

Laughter.

It was so faint but I still heard it. The laughter sounded so familiar, so pure. I stared ahead and saw him. I saw him standing right in front of me, laughing with his heart's content.

He was always happy. So, so happy. We had always been polar opposites after all. He was surrounded by a group of people and they all shared his happiness. They all had air.

I tried to cry out to him but my lips couldn't form words, I couldn't speak. I moved my arms around and could feel myself screaming from the inside but no words came out. I kicked, I banged, I made all possible movements with my body but nothing happened. We were so close but it felt like we were miles and miles apart.

Peter was absorbed around his bubble. His bubble of enthusiasm. Why couldn't he hear me? Why couldn't he see me?

"Are you blocking me out?!" I managed to say. It came out as a loud yell that caused a red aura to form. All laughter ceased. There was no sound. Everything became silent.

Peter's group froze and were no longer moving. Peter's back faced me and for a while that was how it remained. Everywhere was silent, nobody made any movements and I was still drowning.

He didn't smile at me when his body turned to face me. He didn't laugh. His stared at me with shock, absolute shock. There was also fear in his eyes and I noticed that his group of friends knelt down and slowly disintegrated into dust.

Peter stared at me as if I was some kind of monster to which I froze. I started growing fearful the more he stared at me. I couldn't move my body again and I noticed that he couldn't either.

I noticed that he too was frozen in the spot, even though his body was vibrating. Gradually, his eyes bulged more and more and his mouth slowly opened. I tried to see if I could still move my body but I couldn't.

Frozen.

I was frozen while he presented the movements. The red aura remained while I watched the scene that was before me.

Then, in the blink of an eye, the frequency of speed was back to normal. Peter reacted to his body as if he had just been stabbed. For the first time, I heard him cry out. He cried and coughed up blood everywhere.

His eyes never left mine.

He coughed up more blood and I suddenly felt something warm in my hands. I glanced down and saw that my hands were bloody. I was able to move them again and brought them up towards my face.

Staring back at Peter, I saw how his eyes lost some of its colour and he continued to stare at me the same way he did before.

And just like that. Just one word was all it took. "Breath," he said.

Gone.

He was gone within a blink of an eye. No more sounds could be heard and the blood had left my hands. Even Peter's blood was gone with him.

The red aura turned black and I was once again trapped.

I stared up, still without air and watched as a hand slowly reached down as if to take mine. It was so delicate, so warm. I had never seen a hand that looked so pure.

I wanted to trust it. I wanted to reach out and protect what was out there with everything I had.

I reached out for the hand and before I could take hold of the hand, it felt like I had to climb up a hill to seek out for it.

Once I attached my hand to it, I felt a strong push force that lifted me through the abyss. The higher I was pulled, the less nothingness consumed me.

I could feel it, I could taste it, I could see it.

Air. I was given air. I inhaled the air and my body was no longer stiff.

I didn't feel trapped any more but something was still weighing me down. As if there was another force trying to drag me down.

I opened my eyes to see my newfound surroundings but everything was hazy. The area wasn't very clear because of the smoke that filled the place. The smoke became heavier and heavier which caused me to start coughing.

I couldn't see anything any more but I could still hear the surroundings. It sounded all too familiar so I tried to run but I didn't know where to go. I tried to shout but I didn't know what to say.

"Breathing...."

I sharply turned my head around but still couldn't see anything. Whatever made that sound was close by. I could feel the close proximity.

"Are you breathing now?"

I backed away. I ignored the feminine whisper that was taunting me and continued to back away.

A cold hand was placed on my shoulder and I could feel an icy breath against my neck. "Well, Sebastian?"

I slowly turned around and met the face of the terror and devoured my soul while holding a smirk.

And thus, I woke up both sweaty and breathing heavily.