my dreams

running

AN: hey guys! this one is a little more odd than the boats one, but dreams are strange. this dream gave me butterflies, and it still does when i think about it, even though none of it makes any sense at all.

I was running. From what or whom, I was unsure. All I knew was that I had to keep running. But, natural body functions kick in eventually, and my bladder was screaming at me to find a restroom. I was springing through a cookie-cutter neighborhood. The houses were all a pleasant beige with terracotta roofs. The small gardens had red rocks with sprouts of green emerging from the ground, begging for water.

It got to the point where I was going to pee my pants, so I had to stop running down the sidewalk. I approached a house that had a pink flamingo in the tiny garden, and I rang the doorbell, panting. A bald man who appeared to be in his early thirties opened the door. He was wearing black jeans, a pink top, and thick square glasses, and he held a white coffee mug in his right hand.

"Um, yes?" he said in an almost annoyed tone, obviously alarmed at my disheveled appearance.

"I'm so sorry," I panted. "But I am legit going to pee myself. Can I please use your bathroom? I'll be in and out super quick. I won't ever bother you ever again."

The man looked me up and down, and saw how red I looked. He grimaced, closing the door.

"I'm sorry, sweetheart, but I don't know you. Good luck, though."

"No, please sir! I-" the door was closed.

I swore under my breath and sprinted to a nearby convenience store to relieve my bladder. I tossed the key with a little toy keychain attached to it back to the store clerk, thanking him.

I kept running. To where? I didn't know. From who? I would figure that out.

I made it to a Catholic high school with a big X in the quad. I assumed it represented the name of a saint, but I didn't have time or energy to actually consider it.

It was summer and the school was vacant. I had no problem running down the halls, the sound of my tennis shoes slapping the linoleum echoing through the corridors.

Then, I heard running and heavy breathing behind me. Fear immediately settled into my chest, pushing me to run faster. But I knew it wouldn't matter. I would be caught eventually, and I would just have to deal with the consequences of running from it. I slowed down, waiting for my assailant to catch me. I felt arms wrap around me. A gasp escaped my mouth, even though some form of contact was expected. I was pulled around and pinned to the floor, my head knocking against the tiles.

A man got on top of me, straddling me at the waist. He was extremely muscular, but not heavy. His muscles were hidden under sleeves of black-ink tattoos. The tattoos were pictures of religious imagery and odd artwork, I noticed. It was hard not to, though, as his arms were above both of my shoulders by my head. He lifted his head up, and I saw his face; high cheekbones, a light suggestion of a beard, and the most stunning blue eyes I'd ever seen. He wore a baseball cap to cover a head that appeared to be devoid of hair, but his bald-ness seemed to be by choice. He wore all black, too, even in the summer. He was....well, he was very handsome.

We were both panting now, his face red with a dewy perspiration. He looked at me and smiled.

"Hi," he said, showing off a smile of blindingly white teeth.

"Hi," I responded, still out of breath from my sprint. I put my hands up to my face and rubbed my eyes. Good thing I chose not to wear makeup. When I opened my eyes again, he was still staring at me, smiling.

"What?" I asked.

"You're very pretty," he replied, causing me to blush.

"So what are you here for?" I asked. "Are you here to get me?"

He chuckled lightly. "No, no. I'm just a stand-by. They needed me today, I guess. Lucky for me though," he continued.

"Do you know when they're coming?" I questioned. He just shook his head and crossed his arms, but still straddling me firmly.

"I don't mind this view, though," he said with a wink.

"I think I have a nice view, too," I replied cheekily. We both chuckled.

Awkward silence set in. I unknowingly started to run my hands up his denim-covered legs, just to satisfy my raging sensory ADD. He raised an eyebrow at me, shifting his weight on my body. I held my breath, and closed my eyes and focused on the comforting pressure of his hips against mine.

Time passed. Eventually, he looked at his watch. He got up and helped me to stand as well.

"They've decided to let you go. I guess it's time we depart," he said, looking the message on the tiny screen on his wrist. I turned around and started to walk the other way, already knowing that this interaction would sustain me for months.

"You think you can just leave without saying goodbye?" He called.

I turned around. "Goodbye, uh... what's your name?"

"Brian McCook. Look me up," he answered, winking.

I turned around for a final time and began running away from that awkward-yet-fascinating encounter. I heard a light laugh behind me.

Brian McCook. I thought, as my legs propelled me forward. I'll have to look him up.