The Past is in the Past

2 ~ Ѕluмвея Раяту

Serena

Our hours were up. Time to go home with Jess. I sat outside on a wooden bench and gazed up at the pink orange sky. The sun had just set. A crisp gust of wind shook the trees. I inhaled the sweet smell of summer and shut my eyes.

"Mila!" A familiar voice shouted at me.

"Shut up Jess that's not funny," I opened my eyes hoping to see Jess outside with her signature evil "I got you" grin but she wasn't. I sat there a little scared and confused.

What the hell is taking Jess so long, I thought.

"I'm here, let's go," Jess walked out through the sliding glass doors and jingled her keys.

I drove my car, with Jess following behind, back to my apartment. After parking, I got into her car and we drove to her place. We jammed out to our favourite songs and laughed and talked. To get to Jess' house, we have to cross this really nice, big bridge. I've done this a million times before so it was no problem but it was different...

As soon as the car met the smooth road of the bridge, my heart pounded in my chest and throat.

The water.

The sound of screams and splashing and blood flashed in my mind. I stopped singing. I stopped laughing. I gripped onto the arm rests.

"Hey you okay?" Jess asked, turning down the pounding music. I gulped and nodded, the back of my head buried into the head rest. The car bumped as we got off the bridge. I felt my heart slowly begin to stop it's heavy pounding and the terrible images dissapeared. Jess grabbed my hand. "Serena," she looked from the road to me and back to the road.

"I'm fine," I loosened my grip on the armrests. Jess pulled her hand back and placed it on the steering wheel.

We pulled into the driveway and walked into the house. Her roommates were on vacation so we had the entire house to ourselves for the weekend. I sunk into the couch and rubbed my face. Jess sat next to me and rubbed my shoulder.

"What happened back there?" Her eyebrows turned upwards. I told her everything- the voice, the name, the screams and blood and water...

"It was terrible. I don't know what's happening. I don't know what to do."

"How about we get into some comfy pajamas, do a face mask or two, and watch a movie."

"With popcorn?"

"With popcorn," she smiled.

We ran upstairs into her beautifully decorated room. Beige and white filled the room. Her queen sized bed was stacked with pillows and matching sheets. Brown curtains draped over a big window next to a white painted desk. A stuffed grey bunny sat in the corner of her desk

She opened her closet and tossed a pair of nike shorts and a tee shirt onto the bed for me before she began to change into her own pajamas.

Downstairs the popcorn popped and the movie began playing. We stuffed our faces with popcorn and shed some tears as the insanely hot Ryan Gosling danced on the street with Allie.

"Do you miss him?" I asked. Jess looked at me like she didn't know what I was talking about. "I saw the bunny, Jess." It was a gift from her boyfriend, James, who left to go study abroad. She sighed.

"Fuck..." she looked down and shook her head. "I should throw it out. I don't have time to waste on someone who doesn't give a shit about me."

"He hasn't called or texted?"

"Nothing since Christmas. We're done." She grabbed the remote and turned the volume up. I nodded. Halfway through the movie, Jess was snoring away on my shoulder. I felt my eye lids get heavier and heavier until I couldn't keep them open any longer. Slowly, I let sleep take me into its arms.

"Mila you have to come back they need you." A voice called.

"Ms Menticide," was whispered in my ear. I opened my eyes. I was in front of a dark alley. In front of me, the words "Brooklyn Way" floated around. I know that place. I walked into the darkness and stopped in front of a rusty door. Hesitantly, I grabbed the fading gold doorknob and turned it. The door squeaked as I pushed it open. Inside was a bright light. I walked into it.