The Phantom (Camila/You)

Chapter Ten

My mind was swarmed with overwhelming thoughts for the rest of the night, but the next day, I didn't know how to feel. I didn't know what was happening but at the same time I had an idea. Or a few. 

I was definitely in a state of denial but at the time I couldn't even accept that alone, I spent that night looking up dream states and how to figure out if you're in a dream or not. I figured out enough to realize I wasn't in a weird reality, but I was still unsure. 

No matter how much mind control I tried to do in my waking state to prove to myself I could lucid dream, that this was a dream, nothing worked. My hand didn't go through my other, my skin didn't stretch, the words I read seemed fine, my reflection was one I recognized, this was my reality. 

The only thing that happened that seemed like a dream was the fact I held someone in my arms and they disappeared completely. 

Maybe that was a dream. I had no idea, so I kept researching more and more about so many mental illnesses and types of hallucinations that could tie into this whole mess. 

"You'll find nothing." I jumped, my heart thumped harshly as I backed away, scared out of my mind. "Didn't mean to frighten you." Camila said, humor dripping from her raspy and sweet voice. 

"Why would I not? This is the only logical answer, I must've been hallucinating." I felt her hand on my shoulder, I kept my head forward and kept my eyes directed at the screen, not reading the article filled with words of information anymore, only focusing on that familiar and at the same time, not familiar, way her hand felt against me. 

"You weren't." I was silent. "Trust me." 

I let out a breath I felt like I was keeping in since she laid her hand on my shoulder. "What are you?" I whispered, a light tap of rain hitting against my window, I looked up at it, it was in front of my desk which I was sitting at. My reflection sat in front of me, along with my computer blocking some of my body. I saw a glimpse of the fear in my eyes when they wandered more, still feeling the touch of skin on my shirt, there was nothing. 

She wasn't there. 

"I don't know." She answered.

I lifted my hand and placed it on top of hers. "Tell me." I said softly, shakily, scared of the answer and the nightmare I was living. What was happening?

I could feel her, she was there. Her skin was soft. 

And she knew what was going on.

"I can't." She replied, trying to move away from me. "Tell me." I felt her begin to struggle, I gripped onto her harder, she felt human, but she couldn't be. 

She didn't say anything she just tried to force herself away from my grasp, "Let go!" She was strong, but I was stronger. "Not until you explain yourself!" She almost got out, pulling harshly, making me move with it. I pulled back though, "Let go, please!" 

I stood up, turning towards her, with anger inside of me, I reached out to grab her body but when I did, I fell back to a screaming. 

I closed my eyes, flinching, I let go. It was like the screaming of a girl who was being murdered. Something I've never heard before, and never wanted to hear. 

I backed up, bumping myself into the desk behind me. Then it stopped, I blinked. Trying to gather my thoughts and understand what just happened. 

I kept my eyes closed. "I'm sorry." I said, my voice laced with guilt. "I shouldn't have done that." It was silent. My heart and breathing was all I could hear. 

I was upset with myself, I felt bad almost instantly. That scream was so traumatizing, I almost felt like I did kill her. I should be upset with my actions anyway, but that made me feel more uneasy than expected. 

She wasn't here. I opened my eyes to see nothing. 

I let out a shaky breath and hurriedly put my hands to my arms, protecting my body as a cold wave came over me. 

I gasped, it suddenly dropped tens of degrees into a freezing cold atmosphere. 

I felt like I was in a horror movie.