The Realms [Watty 2017 Shortlist]

Night Terrors - Part 25

Tuesday night. Tuesday night. Tuesday night. My mind keeps catching on the days that pass and those that remain. I look around Ryan's room, waiting for him to return from the bathroom. Every inch of the space is covered with pictures, postcards and mementos and I marvel at how well we're integrated into this world. On his nightstand, not yet in a frame is the picture of the two of us on the beach that we hastily snapped the day we got married. I rub my fingers along my chest, wishing for some doubt about how this is all going to end.

I turn when I hear the door open and Ryan sneaks back in, trying to keep the door pulled close so that no one suspects he's hiding me inside.

"Are you sure that everyone's asleep?"

He jumps a little at the sound of my voice, even though he left the window open for me to enter. "Yeah, I'm sure. They all seem to have the same sleep-like-the-dead disease, so we should be relatively safe. I don't think it would even occur to my parents that I'd have a girl in my room on a school night."

"Not just any girl." I smile and step into his arms.

"My wife." He chuckles softly and tucks loose strands of my hair behind my ears. "I'm exercising a lot of willpower to avoid shouting it down the halls at school. I'd really like to yell out 'yo wife,' just to see what everyone would say."

"They'd think you were being ironic or something. A cute nickname."

"I almost fumbled it today with Mason. His congratulations and then the revelation that you told him completely floored me."

"I'm sorry I forgot to tell you and I'm sorry that I couldn't really talk to you about it until now." I pull Ryan towards the bed and throw back the covers.

"I still don't understand why you told him. He said he saw you outside Maizie's house when he went looking for me. His whole timeline didn't make sense to me, but I went with it."

"He was in her basement, Ryan. Not outside, he was in her basement like some psycho stalker. He was waiting for Maizie but pounced on me instead."

His brow furrows. "Not literally I hope. Otherwise I think I'm going to blow my cover by beating the crap out of the guy."

"Settle fighter. No, not literally. But, he tried to intimidate me. He said I'd never get away with what I was planning. He knows that Maizie is in on whatever I'm doing. I have a feeling that things are about to get even more complicated."

"Will your parents check on you?" He settles me close to him and nuzzles my neck.

"Rarely. It's a bit of a risk, but I told them I had a big test and needed to get some sleep. So, I don't think they'll bother." My heart rate accelerates. His smell is like home, standing on a cliff, the ocean breeze in my hair.

"I wish we were older so that we didn't have to hide this part of our relationship. I just want to spend as much time with you as I possibly can."

I'm not planning to miss even a moment with him leading up to Friday. When I'm with him, the deep hole in my chest seems manageable, but as soon as we're apart, I'm being buried by guilt and remorse. I turn in his arms and try to make myself forget that time is ticking away; my life on the cusp of imploding.

####

The room is bathed in a bright white light and I'm momentarily disoriented. I've been here before, but I can't remember when or where. The walls are blank and there is a desk in front of me with a solitary chair on either side. I move towards the desk and run my hand along its smooth lines, trying to place the scene before me.

"Hannah, it's been a while."

Goosebumps appear on my skin and my stomach drops to my toes in a whoosh. I recognize that voice; I hate that voice. "Grayson."