AMACon 3: Oikos, a 30 day drabble challenge

Day 3: Nothing without You

It's happening again. What is it now? The fifth...no sixth time. I know how it ends. Its always the same. But maybe...maybe this time things would be different.

Maine looks around at the familiar surroundings. Everything was pitch black yet I can see things clearly. I'm back in broadway at the passage in the back. Wearing the pink plastic rhinestoned dress. This dress itself is the stuff of nightmares. How apt to be wearing it in the stuff that haunts my dreams. I know how this is suppose to go. I turn around and I see

Him

I raise my hand to my chest a look of wonder on my face. I've done this before. I know how it ends. Maybe this time things would be different.

Alden focuses on the girl at the end of the hallway. She turns and smiles at me. I smile back. Her hand rises to come up next to her face and I take a tentative step to

Her

I am breathing hard. I force myself to halt my hand in midair. I can't continue. I must not go through with this. I stop myself from completing the wave. Instead I scream.

Alden!

I am jolted by her scream. Is she trying to change things? Why on earth is she yelling? Could we possibly be in the same dream together? I need to know. So I yelled.

Maine!

I look at him and ask. Do you know what happens? Do you know what this is? Don't you want things to end differently? This is my sixth time here. I don't like how it ends. I throw caution to the wind and take a deep breath, running towards

Him

What are you doing? I start asking her before it dawns on me that we are trying to beat it. To beat it before it falls and claims us as victims again. I forget about everything and propel my body forward to

Her

I see it. It's coming down fast. I'm running faster, faster than I could run in real life. But still it comes crashing down. Dividing us. I slam into the piece of plywood separating us. I hear him crash into the same piece of wood in front of me. I hear an anguish cry from

Him

I pound the wall in frustration. It happened again. How do we beat this? We have to think of something. I suddenly remember how this goes and it's making my hair stand on end. I look at my hands and I can see through them. It's starting. I kick the barrier between us. I need to see her. I need to see

Maine

It's happening again and I'm screaming. I go to pinch my arm to know I'm still there but my fingers pass right through. I'm disappearing! I can only imagine that on the other side he is too. I start crying. Great heaving sobs hoping that I would wake up or that he would wake up. Just get us out of here! I am losing it! We are disappearing. This wall that keeps us apart is doing this. Because...

In the darkness, their voices find each other in unison

I am nothing without you.