This Old Town

eight | ordeal

I was running. Like every other night I was running. Only this time I have had enough. I needed to know what was chasing me. So I did what I would have considered the unthinkable when these nightmares first started. I stopped in my tracks but didn't turn around. For some reason, I only had enough courage to stop running. Thus, I wait for it to attack first but it didn't. I turned around and pounced on whatever it was. It had been the cause of all my misery for the past couple of months. I shut my eyes and just hit and hit and hit, until I was tired. I stopped when it hurt to breath, my knuckles were throbbing, and dirt found its way up my nose and into my burning lungs. I stopped fighting and letting my body go limp, I slid to my knees. I looked down at my bruised knuckles that were already turning all sorts of greens and purples. And then I look up to see it in the eyes for the first time. But what I saw frightened me to the core because what I saw was me.

At least it looked like me. And even after my long fight she, or should I say I, looked fine. This version of myself did not have a scratch on her body. She actually stood tall, arms folded in front of her, and sported a small sarcastic grin on her face that showed something I did not recognize. Confidence. She stood tall and bold because she was confident and behind her peering eyes I could she that she grinned as if she knew something I did not. Suddenly I felt something drip onto my hands. I looked down to inspect the drop of blood. Realizing it was from my nose, I reached for it. As I did so I looked up to see myself, but I was disintegrating. I got up quickly and to stop myself from blowing away but my legs would not work. Blood dripped from my nose as I watched the image of myself fade away. Just as I thought it was all over, my head suddenly started throbbing. I grabbed my head from the pain. The mixture of dirt and tears burned my eyes and started streaming down my face and mixing with the blood from my nose. And all at once, I felt blood drip from my ears as well. I felt helpless so I just curled myself into a ball on the ground and cried.

-   -   -

"Nevan, wake up" someone said as they shook my numb body.

My eyes quickly opened to relieve a worried looking Elton looking down at me.

"Don't move okay?" he stood up promptly.

"Am I still bleeding?" I asked sitting up and reaching for my face.

"Bleeding? What bleeding? Where are you hurt?" Elton looked at me worried.

I looked past him and realized I was no longer in my room where I had fallen asleep.

"Where am I?" I pleaded with him and covered my teary face too confused to be unemotional.

"I'm so sorry" he said causing me to look at him again.

I couldn't even say anything in reply. He just lunged at me. When his sharp teeth pierced my skin I screamed and everything went dark.

-   -   -

"What are we going to do with you, Nevan?" a voice said aloud.

I picked up my heavy head and saw my mom, dad, and Nico standing in front of me. Meanwhile, I sat on the floor, my hands and feet tied up. We were in a dark room with dirty, cold floors.

"What's happening?" I cried. I couldn't even stop the tears because I was just too terrified.

"Poor Nevan. We have to get rid of you" Nico stated.

"What so you mean?"

"He means that you found out about some stuff that was supposed to stay a secret" my dad answered.

"What are you going to do with me" I said as I hyperventilated.

"We love you Nevan but you're different. We can't have anyone knowing that" my mom spoke.

"We're sorry Nevan" they said in unison as the room exploded.

-   -   -

I looked up once again and saw a guy hunched over on the ground. Now it was my turn to ask if they were okay.

"Are you okay?" I called up from a distance. I didn't want to risk getting hurt again.

The guy looked up and I knew it was James. Only his face was bruised and bloody. I ran to him and kneeled beside him.

"What happened?" I asked him.

"Why don't you tell me?" he stated.

"What do you mean?" I said as I stood up and backed away.

"This is your fault. So why don't you tell me" is all he said before he collapsed onto the floor.

I just stood there and stared. Dumbfounded by all that had just happened. I couldn't even cry anymore because I was just too tired of thinking that I was awake when I wasn't. Awake, I thought. I looked up at the bright sun that heat up my skin from above and screamed.

"I don't care. You hear me. I don't care and I'm not scared anymore. I'm not awake so I don't care" I screamed at the top of my lungs and squirted because of the sun.

"Wake up" I suddenly heard in the direction of James' body.

"Wake up then. If you sleeping then wake up, Nevan. Wake up!" James screamed at me but remained looking unconscious.

"Wake up!"

"I'm trying" I yelled back.

"Nevan. Wake up"

-   -   -

I jumped up, almost as if I were drowning. I took deep breaths in as I took in my surroundings. Pitch blackness surrounded me. I reached for what I hoped was my lamp and the light illuminated the room. I was in bed and in my house. A wave of relief spread over me and I realized it was over and I was finally awake.

The time read 3:13 am. I got up, made my bed, and walked to the bathroom. I was starting my day because after all that had just happened there was no way in hell that I was about to fall back asleep.