by K. D. Peters
“Chris Liam. I’d tell you my whole first name, but I don’t give that out too often because I don’t really like it. It’s just too old school. Chris fits me better.” the guy said.
“Really? You know that sounds weird.” I commented, looking back at him.
“Trust me, I’ve gotten that more than once in my life.” Chris replied. “Although I have to admit, I am surprised. It seems like luck’s been on my side with this after all.”
“What do you mean?” I asked, suddenly feeling uncomfortable. Something about the way he talked now just didn’t sound quite right. Not to mention that it added to my uneasiness in general about how he was so familiar, even if we’d never met before.
Chris just smiled. I felt my breath catch a little in my throat as I saw it. He had a really breathtaking smile. “Don’t worry about it. Let’s just say I’m here now, and you don’t need to worry about things anymore.” he told me.
“What?’ I said, not believing what I was hearing. But by then, other students were beginning to trickle in. I wanted to ask him exactly what he'd meant by that, but I couldn’t make myself with seeing these other people around us. Like I said, I hated drawing attention to myself. So instead, I just turned away and looked back down at my book and my notebook in front of me. I didn’t know how in the world I was going to concentrate now, but I was determined at least to try.
The class droned by as usual and seemed to go on forever as I thought about the guy beside me and what he‘d just said, and what intentions he may have had for me. I found myself glancing over at him when I could, trying to put it all together. No, I was certain now that I had not noticed him at any time when I was taking my walks. And like I said, that really wouldn’t have been that unusual. But what I couldn’t understand was why he looked so much like the boy in my nightmares. And what exactly had he meant by him being there would help me? Something inside of me just knew then that there was a lot more to Chris Liam then what met the eye. And with that thought, I could feel my stomach knot slightly. It felt like this was something that at least a small piece of me didn’t want to face. And yet, he was somehow going to make me face it.
As the class ended and everyone was getting up to move onto the next, I found myself with those questions still on my mind. Chris looked back over at me as he stood up and offered a hand to me. “Well, looks like we can get going now. You coming?” he asked me.
“What? Are you serious?’ I replied in spite of myself as I stared up at him.
“Why wouldn’t I be?” Chris asked.
“Well.... maybe because I have no idea of exactly who you are. You said yourself that you just moved here, and besides I haven’t even met you before.” I said. I declined his offer of help, and stood myself up to gather my books.
However, he didn’t seem bothered at all with my attitude towards him. “I don’t really believe that one. Besides, I’m pretty sure you’ve heard about me before plenty of times. You've probably even been able to see me before. At least, what I once was a long time ago. So, are you coming or not?” he replied.
I felt myself freeze as he said that. Again, I remembered the blood stained child in my nightmares. Could that child have actually once been Chris Liam? It was sounding more and more like the case. But how in the world was that possible?
In spite of myself, I found myself nodding in agreement. “Fine. But you‘re going to tell me what's going on here.” I said, as I followed him outside.
“If you insist.” Chris said.
Really, this guy had some audacity to him. But at the same time, I found myself pretty attracted to that too, which was a feeling I'd never felt before. There was something about this guy that was irresistible, and it wasn’t just his looks. All at once, I was finding myself really wanting to solve his mystery. Even if it meant skipping the rest of my classes and following him to God knows where.
The two of us walked back out into the hallway and towards the front of the building. I kept my head down, feeling the people looking at us. But I tried to just ignore it. Coming back outside, we went down the stairs to the sidewalk leading up to the building, and I watched as Chris just tossed the book he’d brought to class into the garbage can. “You know those things cost a lot of money, right?” I had to ask.
“It really doesn’t matter that much. They get outdated too quick, and besides, I don’t need it anymore. It was more for show in there anyway.” he told me.
I had to shake my head in disbelief. Something about this guy just told me that he was going to have a very strong personality. Or maybe stubborn would’ve been the better word for it….
“So why did you get me to come out here anyway and make me miss class? You couldn’t be that interested in me just from talking to me for five minutes. And what were you going on about in there about me not having to worry anymore and about me seeing you before? Because I’m telling you, I know I haven’t.” I said, trying to sound defiant. I made myself take a seat on the stairs as I said it. Thankfully, it seemed like we were the only ones out there now. Everyone else who had come out had just headed on to wherever they were going, although some had taken quick looks at us as they did. Again, nothing unusual.
“Well, I wouldn’t call it just being interested.” Chris said, standing near me. He apparently chose to ignore my other questions. “Although I do admit that I was curious as to whether or not I was right about all of this at first. But the more I look at your eyes, the more that I know I am. You’ve got to be her. Only his kid would have eyes like that.” He continued.
His words immediately got my attention. “His kid? You mean you know my birth father?” I asked him. He did seem awfully young for to know my birth father. But then again, I reasoned that perhaps he might have though through friends or even family. Could they have been related?
Chris just shrugged though. “Well, sort of. I know more about him now, considering it’s been a long time since I’ve actually seen him. But that’s beside the point. I’m here now because this is where I needed to come. I need to keep my promise.” he said, sounding a little more serious now.
I looked up slightly up towards the sky through the leaves hanging overhead and sighed. “Okay, look, this is all really weird. You’re talking about knowing my father, and I keep feeling like I’ve seen you before. You even talk as though I’ve seen you before. Just who are you supposed to be anyway?” I asked him.
For a long moment, he was quiet. I found myself listening to the sound of the slight cool breeze passing through the leaves as I considered what he’d already told me. I couldn’t explain it, but somehow, I just knew that he was the same boy from my dreams that I’d been having my whole life. He had certainly seemed to know something about that. But why he had appeared to me now was a complete mystery to me. That, and why I’d even end up dreaming about him like that in the first place.
Finally, Chris spoke again. “Unfortunately, there’s not a whole lot I can tell you right now aside from what I already have. But I can tell you that nothing that happens with you is ever a coincidence. And trust me, I think you’re going to need me around soon enough now that you’re near the age. Your time is running out.” he said.
I’ll admit that his answer was a little more than frustrating for me. It just didn’t make any sense. Nineteen or whatever age I was, it didn’t change who I was or where I had come from. Or, at least, what I understood of where I had come from. And saying that I was just plain going to need him just didn’t sit right with me. I couldn’t help but tell him so. “Look, I appreciate it if you think you’re trying to help me with something. But I know where I came from, and I think I know where I’m going in my life. So please don’t just think you can walk into it thinking that you’re going to be my savoir or something stupid like that. No matter what happens to me, I can take care of myself thank you very much.” I said, standing back up. I’d had just about enough by then. All I wanted now was to go back home and try to get some much needed rest.
Chris just looked
at me for a moment, although he didn’t seem that put off. Instead, he shrugged his shoulders slightly, a small smile playing on his face. “All right then. I can get that. But I’m not planning on going anywhere either. Rest assured, I’ll be seeing you around.’ he said. And with that, he turned and walked away.
I just stood there for a moment, not too sure of what to make of all of this as I watched him disappear in the distance down the sidewalk. I knew I wasn’t anywhere near to getting the answers as to who he really was or why he looked so much like the boy in my dreams. But at the same time, I wasn’t about to follow him either. For as much as I was curious about him, I was also a bit fearful. What if Chris held some sort of big secret that I really couldn't handle? My mind already felt fragile enough most of the time. Maybe it was just better if I left all of this alone and hoped that he disappeared as quickly as he had appeared.
Finally forcing myself to move from where I seemed glued to the spot, I turned and headed home. I think I walked quicker then I’d ever done before, occasionally even taking the time to look over my shoulder. I knew it seemed silly, but my entire being felt shaken to the core with that strange meeting. What had just happened with all of that? Was he even real? I found myself instantly beginning to question it all. And the more I did, the more I just wanted to get home and hide away for a while.
Finally getting back to my little house, I quickly unlocked the door and went upstairs to my room. Tossing my bag aside, I plopped down on the bed and stared up at the ceiling, allowing myself to take some calming deep breaths. My insides were still shaking, but at least doing this helped me some in sorting out my thoughts from my fears. And as I did, I found that everything Chris had said was echoing back through my mind once again. Especially one thing in particular.
How he spoke of my birth father.
This was a man that no one seemed to know anything about. The one who no one even had a clue as to his identity or whereabouts. And yet, Chris acted like he knew him. Or, at least, he talked like he did at one time. What could all of this have meant? And what was the connection with me having nightmares about a child that looked so much like him? Could he really have meant it when he said that I knew him before? Or was this all just some huge, crazy hallucination?
I ended up lying there for a good half an hour with these thoughts playing in my mind before I found myself drifting off to sleep. But once again, my mind was invaded with the same nightmare that I’d been having off and on for my entire life. The same one that involved the little boy that looked so much like Chris, and the massacre of innocent people around him.
Opening my eyes in the dream, I found myself standing in a doorway, looking into what appeared to be an old stone house. The floor was of dirty stone, and it looked like the house itself may have been hundreds of years old. There were blood stains everywhere, and three bodies were strewn around the room. They had all been butchered. And near them, a little boy was sitting there crying. He looked like he was maybe six or seven years old, with light colored hair and different colored eyes. Dressed in an old fashioned white nightgown, he sat there alone, obviously badly frightened by the scene around him. It was the same mute scene I’d been seeing for years, although I could still feel the pain in my heart as I looked at this pitiful child.
But this time, something changed in this dream.
As I watched, I saw a dark figure float up from out of the ground behind the child. The boy looked up quickly as the figure laid a hand upon his shoulder. And suddenly, I could hear whispering fill the air. It seemed like this dark figure was whispering to the child. And as odd as it sounds, it almost felt as though they were trying to comfort him. The boy was staring up at it, his strange eyes wide and full of tears that were flowing down his blood stained cheeks. I found myself listening very closely now, and I could actually hear some words in the whispers…
“… I’ll keep my promise to you, if you keep yours to me…”
I awoke very quickly from that dream. Staring up at the ceiling, the changed scene replayed over and over in my mind. Just what was that? I’d never really heard anything in the dream before. It had always been strangely mute. Yet, this time, it had been something more than just a crying child surrounded by dead bodies. There had been whispering, and that dark figure. Sitting myself up, I had to shake my head again as I pictured the child’s face in my mind. He looked so much like Chris that it was scary. This couldn’t have been just a coincidence. There was just no way.
The sound of a knock on my door quickly brought me back to reality. “Yes?” I managed, trying not to sound too shook up.
Mama peeked in. “Hey there. Not feeling too well today Ariana?” she asked me.
So she’d known that I’d been home for most of the day. She’d probably even heard me come back in. But Mama tended to keep to herself a lot anymore these days, even with me. So it wasn’t that surprising that she hadn’t bothered with checking in on me before this. Thinking about that, I decided not to tell her about what had happened earlier in the day. Instead, I just played the sick card I’d been handed. “Yeah... I went to my first class and started feeling a little sick to my stomach, so I came home to get some rest.” I replied.
“Aw, I’m sorry to hear that. But I told you that you’ve been working too hard with all of that. Are you feeling up to having something to eat? I have some dinner on the table, but I could always fix you some soup.” Mama offered.
I glanced over at the clock on my nightstand and couldn’t believe my eyes. It was almost seven in the evening now. Had I really slept that long? Still, I didn’t let that on to her. If I did, then she probably would’ve really been concerned. Like I said before, Mama was funny with a lot of things. But especially when it came to me. “Sure, dinner sounds good. I'm feeling a little hungry.” I told her as I pushed myself up and off of the bed.
The house itself was well lit, and nothing looked unusual about it. All of the pictures still hung like they always did on the walls, and the carpets were still somewhat worn looking from never being replaced like they should’ve been. Even the painted white walls had a touch of yellow tinge to them, showing the house’s age. Glancing at the pictures as we walked downstairs, I couldn’t help but think about how they were all just of me. She never had any pictures of herself or even Daddy hanging in any of the houses we'd ever lived in. I’d always thought it was strange, but at the same time, I reasoned that perhaps she just didn’t want to be reminded of his death. Mama never talked about Daddy unless she absolutely had to. And even then, it was quick and to the point. Eventually, I had learned to just leave the subject alone completely. There was no sense in trying anymore if that was the reaction I was always going to get anyway.
Still, following my mother down to the kitchen, I found that I was dwelling on other things aside from the strangeness that seemed to keep a stranglehold on my family life. I just couldn’t get that dream out of my head. Just why did it suddenly change like that? And what did this Chris Liam have to do with all of it? While obviously I’d never considered my life that normal, this had all seemed just a little too strange. And to have a continuation of that dream like I just had… what did all of this mean?
“I thought I’d be creative today and try something new. Tell me what you think.” Mama said as I sat down at the table with her. On my plate was a seafood combination over pasta. Apparently, she’d decided to try cooking harder things again. It happened on occasion, and it usually all depended upon when she decided she wasn't being lazy.
“Oh, it looks good Mama.” I said, forcing at least a partial smile. May as well make her happy for now. I really wasn’t in the mood for any kind of debates at this point. I already had way too much on my mind.
My mother smiled happily from the chair across from me, her worn features actually lighting up slightly. It was funny when I looked at her now. She’d aged a lot in the last ten years. More so than what one would have thought for a woman only in her mid-forties. Her long brown hair was thin and grayi
ng in the roots, and wrinkles were beginning to deepen on her pale face. But even with all of that, I could still see the beautiful woman she once was as well. Especially when little things like this would make her happy. Or at least, I thought they did. Sometimes I wasn’t too sure of anything with her. Like I said, Mama tended to be pretty mental at times.
But as we ate, she looked back over at me. “You don’t look too happy tonight Ariana. Did something happen today?” she asked.
I didn’t bother looking back at her. “No. Nothing happened.” I replied. I really felt like I had to lie that time, although she may not believe me anyways. Honestly, I believed that my mother may have been a bit psychic at times with how easily she could read into me. But that didn’t mean I had to tell her anything I didn't want to.
“Well, you need to perk up a little. There’s no reason to be so down. If you’re worried about your classes, it’s not that big of a deal. As I told you before it's your decision if you want to continue with them.” Mama went on.
“No. I’m not worried about my classes.” I told her. Then I decided to maybe approach the subject of my dreams again. It had been a long time since I'd tried to talk to her about them, but now I felt like I had to. Maybe it would allow me talk about Chris without her going on about why I shouldn't talk to people again. “I’ve been dreaming again.” I added.
“Really? I thought I had given you something for that.” Mama noted.
“Yeah, I know. But I’m still having them. I guess the medicine didn’t help after all.” I replied. I decided it was better to not tell her that I wouldn’t take them. I would liken it to avoiding a landmine.
Mama didn’t look too happy as I said that though. I watched the frown as it crossed her face. “I suppose there’s not much we can do for it then, is there? Those pills were supposed to be the best ones out there to help with things like this.” She admitted, shaking her head.
“It’s strange though. I keep having that same dream I've told you about. The one with the little boy in the room with those dead people.” I went on.