Unravelled Plaits

Falling - Kristina

"Hah. You... love me! You do, don't you?"
He bends his knees and stares me in the eyes. A sly smiles snakes onto his face.
"Stupid girl."
He pushes me into a chair and chains seem to wrap themselves around me. It's hard to breathe. A tear leaks from the corner of my eye.
"Love gets you in trouble. Do you really want any more trouble? You certainly don't need it."
I'm opening my mouth but as I try to talk, water fills my mouth and lungs and nose and I can't breathe, I can't move, I can't...
"You're in trouble now, Krissy. Real big trouble."
He strokes my cheek before cranking my head back with the base of his palm, and the chair is tilting, I'm falling backwards, the ground-

"Krissy! Krissy, stop it! Kristina, Krissy, please, oh god, Krissy! Wake up! Talk to me!"
I'm breathing really fast and really shallow. Realising, I slow it down, open my eyes. Turning my head to the side, there he is, sitting on the edge of the bed, a scared and pained look on his beautiful features.
I'm trying to cough out a word, even a sound, but... nothing. So I hold up my hand and he takes it.
"Oh my god, Krissy, you were, you were basically screaming, but your mouth was closed, and then you stopped moving and you stopped breathing and I was so scared, Krissy, oh, I'm so relieved that you're okay..."
"Shh," I manage, and I pull myself up. "I'm... uh, I'm fine. It was just a stupid dream. A nightmare, that's all." He was worried about me?
"Okay. Okay." He lets out a deep breath. "I was so scared."
"I'm fine. Alright? Well... I'm not, look at where I am and what's happened but still... the dream is fine. Okay? Now let's leave it. There's more important things to deal with..."
"Indeed," he whispers, a cheeky little grin on his lips...
He's leaning forward and pressing his lips to mine, and kisses me passionately, running his hands all over me, tears off my top and in turn I take off his. He rolls over on me in the bed, slips off his jeans and I kick off mine, holding him close, allowing my hands to explore him...

I gasp and bolt upright in bed, and I feel all the colour run out of me. I'm shaking, falling back down onto the mattress. I feel sick, so sick -
"Oh my god, are you alright?" Max is looking at me concerned, and I don't blame him. I look a state probably.
"I - yeah - I'm not - no - sure - what-?" I stumble over my own words, slurring and mixing them in my mouth.
"I think you had a bad dream?" He looks really worried. He's putting down his sketch pad and walking over to me. Placing his hand on my forehead, he immediately withdraws it.
"You're burning up! Oh jeez, stay right there -" he launches himself out of the room and returns a few seconds later with a damp towel.
"The-re you go," he whispers, placing it on my forehead. "I hope you're alright..." he whispers, "because I... Nevermind." he stands up and walks back over to the bench.

It was a dream... inside a dream?

And they were contradictory?

What's real? What do I believe?

I catapult up and vomit all over his bedspread.

"Holy -!"
"I'm sorry," I whisper, before sinking into unconciousness once again.