Daniel

Kidnapped

I woke as I always did when such things happened. Extremely thirsty and incredibly worn. I felt as I had just run a marothon while wearing weights around my ankles, wrists and neck. I cracked open my eyes and inhaled fast at the glare of light. Then suddenly Nicholas was there and the light dimmed. He pushed a bottle of water into my hand and helped me sit up, I took a huge swig and glanced at him. "How bad was it?"

He bit his lip as I looked around, noticing for the first time that we were in his room and mine. "I called Amy," he said, "I told her we had a project come up and you're staying at my house."

"Thanks," I said, relieved that we had spared my adoptive parents the truth again. I looked pointedly at him, swirling the water around inside the bottle.

"Fine," he said and put his hands up in mock surrender, "It was pretty bad this time Daniel, I could barely hold you down. I'm worried about you, I think you should tell someone."

I shook my head and took another drink. He turned another page and and poised his pencil over the page. He looked at me as if waiting and I sighed, leaning back. Then I began to describe what I had seen, "I'm sitting in a room. It's girly. I'm doing Math, A.P. I think. My pencil is mechanical and my hands are a girls, the nails are perfect." At this Nicholas laughed but I ignored him, going on.

"There is a bed in the corner and it's perfectly made, the room is spotless. There is a t.v. on a dresser against the corner. But suddenly there is a sound and I turn. There is a figure coming in the window and I'm filled with fear. He comes at me and...and." I blanch as realization hits me and my stomach twists. I jump up and rush to Nicholas' bathroom where I vomit like there's no tomorrow.

Nicholas comes up behind me, clutching his notebook to his chest. "What is it," he half whispers, afraid of the answer.

I go to answer but am racked with more stomach spasms and lean over tbe toilet bowl, retching. my mind races through what I had seen."Monica," I finally get out between gasps and sniffs, "I was Monica. She's been kidnapped."

I can see him in the mirror in front of me and I can see his eyes widen in shock. I lean back, shaking. Then after a moment I stand and thrust my face under the faucet and turned it on. Pushing my face into the water. I wash it and then brush my teeth with the toothbrush I've always had over here. He watches in stunned silence, until I go back to his bed and collapse. Still trembling like a leaf in the wind.

Nicholas sits down beside me and looks at the ceiling, I swallow, crossing my hands over my stomach. How could this happen? Was it true? Of course it was, my visions had never been wrong before. I gagged again as I remembered the incredible amount of fear and shock and violation of having a stranger in the room. Nicholas looked at me in concern as I sat up, putting my head in my hands.

"We have to do something," I moaned and he said,

"What can we do, Daniel? Did you see where she was taken?" I shook my head at both questions. I didn't know what we could do, but I knew what I couldn't do. I couldn't just sit here while she was...anything could be happening to her. I groaned again. Anything could be happening to her.

Nicholas looked at me, unsure how to make me feel better. Why did I have to see these things? Why did this have to happen to me?

I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself down. I was doing no one any good by being like this. I stood and started pacing. "Who would want to hurt Monica?" I wondered aloud. She was one of the only popular girls who had ever been relatively nice to me. She had even helped me with my homework once. My stomach twisted again but there was nothing left in it and I just dry heaved. I bent down, putting my head between my knees. When I looked up Nicholas was on his very rarely used smart phone.

"What are you doing?" I questioned.

"Seeing if the cops know. They do. They just haven't released it as a missing persons case yet," He looked up at me solemnly, "but they will, won't they?"

I nodded, sober and serious. This was crazy. Ghosts and spirits and black outs and seizures and now this. I didn't know what to think, I didn't know-

"Whatever you do Daniel count me in, okay?" Nicholas said, meeting my eyes with seriousness. I smiled and nodded,

"okay," I murmered and he nodded as if that settled it. "Now," I said, "Are you ready to go see Monicas house?"

He blanched and I burst into laughter at his expression.