by Kaitlyn Hoyt
I AM WALKING DOWN A darkened hallway with candles casting eerie shadows along the walls. It goes on for miles with an end not in sight. I keep turning around, hearing footsteps mirroring my own, but no one is there. I don’t know where I am or where I’m walking. Nothing is visible on either end.
After a while, I see movement in front of me. A male figure appears. “Larkin?” Moving closer, his features begin to morph into someone else; his hair lengthening, frame shortening.
Taking small steps toward me, he smiles wickedly. “Hello, Ryanne.” I try to scream, but nothing comes out. I turn around and run as fast as I can down the hallway. I can hear him running after me. A hand pushes into my back sending me falling forward, crashing into the hard ground. Dust and dirt stirs around me. My lungs instantly protest against the foreign materials I just inhaled. Once I roll over, a foot comes down on my stomach, pinning me to the ground. “Let’s finish what we started.”
My scream finally comes out as he bends down, dagger in hand.
He is going to kill me. There is nothing I can do. My body is paralyzed with fear. The look in his eyes is more feral than the previous times I’ve seen him. A high-pitched noise echoes through the room.
“Ryanne, wake up.”
Gasping, I open my eyes and see Colton, Liam, and Logan standing over me. I am still lying on the couch in the entertainment room; a movie is paused on the television screen. The high-pitched noise was my scream. I roll over hiding my face from everyone, but I can’t stop the tears as my body is racked with sobs.
“Dude, I thought you said that you were trying to help her with the nightmares!” yells Colton.
“I’ve been trying!” says Liam, equally as upset. “I don’t like seeing her like this either. I can’t get them all the time. She’s blocking me somehow.”
Finally able to control my tears, I still. The room is silent, and I am sure everyone is waiting on me. I sit up slowly, and push my hair out of my face. Without thinking about it, I use the sleeves of Colton’s sweatshirt to wipe my tears away. Some mascara rubs off as well. I tuck my knees underneath me and avoid everyone’s eyes.
“I’m sorry I interrupted your movie.”
After no one replies, I slowly lift my eyes. I’m lost in a pair of green eyes that are looking at me and wanting to help, but not knowing what to do.
“Adam?” whispers Colton. I nod and drop my head into my hands.
“He keeps trying to kill me,” I say barely audible. “I try running, but he always catches me and knocks me down. I become paralyzed with fear. The last thing I remember is him reaching toward me with a dagger in his hand, smiling. He’s always there. Always.”
“How long?”
Looking back up, I glance at Colton and say, “Almost every night since Liam rescued me. They are usually different, but always end the same.”
“Why didn’t you tell anyone?”
“Because there is nothing anyone could do.” I look down at the sleeves of the sweatshirt. “I’m sorry I stained your sweatshirt. This is the second time I’ve ruined your clothes.” I can’t sit here anymore, with everyone looking at me. I want to get up and punch something…do something. Anything.
As if reading my mind, Colton grabs my arms, and pulls me off the couch. “Come on.” He pulls me out of the room.
“Where are we going?”
“To train.” That instantly gets my attention, exhaustion forgotten. “Let’s go destroy something.” Looking over my head, he yells, “You guys coming?”