Late night drives

XXXIII : Nightmares

Matthew's POV.

You could barely see what was going on around it was so dark. Within seconds three tall, muscular men surrounded him. Before he even had time to react they all rushed at him at the same time.
Hundreds of blows were given to him and even if he managed to dodge some of them he could not defend himself or even get up from the ground. His muscles were starting to let go he was swaying a bit Nevertheless he wasn't giving up. Without hesitation, he grabbed one by the hood and then snatched it away. As soon as the others realized it they immediately dropped him and backed away. Panicked they ran away abandoning the one whose identity was revealed. He was obviously in pain because he had great difficulty getting up.

Now that my eyes had adjusted to the darkness I could more or less discern what was going on. Unfortunately, I couldn't see the only one left. I also couldn't be surprised here because there were far too many of them. nope. They were gone there was only him. However, my feet refused to move. My fingers tightened on the wall I was clinging to. My throat feels dry and I gasped for air as my heart is pounding in my chest. I try to stay calm while he is still conscious on the ground. This is my only chance before something else happens. I feel my pocket looking for my phone.

At the same time, I hear a noise I rush to turn my gaze. A dimed light has been turned on I hasten to bend down so as not to be seen. that's when I see the profile of his attacker. There is a black spot, some kind of ink a tattoo but I can't make it out clearly. I hear footsteps coming from outside. He rushes to escape so he grabs him by the ankle and he trips. The footsteps seem to be getting closer, who can come here? This place is completely abandoned. I rush out of my hiding place to help him. I approach them slowly. When Ricky turns around our eyes meet. I remain frozen. He looks frightened and in total incomprehension. Very quickly this expression is replaced by fear. I'm about to run towards him when he collapses in front of me. He doesn't move for a few seconds.

I remain frozen I no longer move even my little finger. Suddenly the darkness start spreading again in this empty abandoned hangar. I start to sweat even more which causes me to shake uncontrollably. What am I going to do? What should I do? I am on the verge of panic. Why? What is happening? Shortly after I hear noises again, like iron being struck. My legs wake up and I run away without thinking. I don't even know where to go hoping to find the exit. Running in this dark place is not easy. I run into several walls. My ribs hurt more and more. I stop for a moment to catch my breath. I hear the last blow louder than the last. at this moment I collapse. I am about to scream but no sound wants to come out. I can no longer get up and I remain curled up. I shiver with coldness as my heart pounds. I sniff. And lean against a wall paralyzed with pain.
A few minutes later I hear the sound of sirens nonetheless everything seems so calm. I believe they are all gone already. My fists press together.
Then my hands slowly go up to the shoulders and pat them gently as I rock back and forth at a frantic pace. I have to remain calm. Calm.

Impossible. I start shaking uncontrollably. I suddenly project myself forward, pushing real suffocation. I can finally breathe. when I open my eyes I find myself in my bed. I still need a few seconds before resuming a regular breathing rhythm.

Later during Physics Class.

I have been sitting in my chair and looking straight ahead, yet I can't see anything. I can't hear anything either. As if I was living in slow motion with no image or sound. This last hour of class seems endless. My eyelids are heavy I struggle to keep them open. How long will this still last? I want to end it as soon as possible. May he pay for what he did and that everything is back to normal. I am exhausted. Although I can't give up. My eyes gradually close when suddenly I jump. Someone or something just hit my bench. I recover immediately. Mrs. Clarke finds herself in front of me. His stern look was marked on his face. No smiles or wrinkles of expression. She looks me straight in the eye. I know that I am in trouble. Dodging her stare is impossible. However, she remains silent. Holding the entire class. Holding the whole class in suspense who also attends the scene. I hear a few whispers but nothing specific. My hands tighten and my breathing quickens. I try to swallow this lump that remains clinging to my throat. She looks up at me before turning on her heels and going back to her class as if nothing had happened. which scares me even more. I dare not imagine what awaits me. Laying low during the rest of the course would be the best thing to do.

Immediately after the ringing, she calls me as I was about to leave discreetly.
I slowly walk towards her as if my feet were weighed down by remorse and the sleepless nights that weighed on my shoulders. When I arrive in front of her, to my great surprise, she no longer has that severe expression. I even have the impression that she softened as if she were worried.

"Matthew are you okay?"

I am so stunned by her question that I ask her to repeat herself, which she doesn't do right away. She gets up from her chair and looks at me for a long time before continuing.

" You're very distracted these days."

Is it that obvious? True, the dark circles must have betrayed me long ago. I try to find some answers however I remain speechless. At the end of the day, she is right.

"I must remind you that the exams are coming soon. Moreover soon after the winter festivities, the inscriptions with the universities begin. There is no time to slack off. As for now, your recent results are not as great. I give you one last chance. Don't miss it."

A second chance? I can hardly believe my ears. From what I have heard about her, she never made compromises about another student. Not saying that to brag about getting special treatment. Nonetheless, I keep wondering. Could it be that she pities me that much? Ah, how pathetic am I?

" Yes, I will not deceive you, Miss. Thank you very much." I say before living the class desperately trying to control my shaking voice.

I rush to the nearest toilets violently closing the cabinet in which I swallow. I take a deep breath and roll my eyes so the tears don't fall. I breathe harder and harder. And to say that I thought this revenge would relieve me of this pain. it only amplifies it. Regardless of how I feel now, I can no longer turn back. We are at the point of no return. I must not screw up the plan. This is our last chance to take first place from him and at the same time make him pay for what he has done. Yes, make it pay. That's what I always wanted. that this bastard pays until the last minute for everything he has done to him. No matter what it costs me. If only we could find a way to end it for good this time. I am exhausted from all the recent events. Doubt begins to tip the balance. Thus everything seems to waver. When I close my eyes all I see is his face this always smiling face- genuinely. His eyes were always full of light and joy. Those were highly contiguous. Once you get close to him you could not help but feel better. A painkiller in person.

" Hang in there brother. It's all almost over. You could finally rest in peace when justice is done to you."

As soon as I finish washing my hands, I feel my phone vibrate in my pocket. new message, I open it directly without checking who it was from. It's a photo. Silver and my car. he writes to me that he has found the missing part and had finished installing it. What to do? I said nothing to him when I left. Plus I doubt he knows, judging his reaction when we last saw each other.

However I can't be ungrateful, he repaired my car for free and sent me another in the meantime. the parts found were extremely rare, and he had to face many difficulties.
I run my hand through my hair, ruffling my curls. I must not let guilt tie my fists. This story has nothing to do with him. it's Kim and Kim only. and in addition, I want to find my car. I just don't have to run into Kim. that wouldn't be safe said Ash knowing the plan is going so well so far. Suspicion should not be raised. I just need to avoid him after all. It won't be so difficult since it has been nearly a month since I've seen his damn face. I respond briefly to Silver's message.

Matthew: I will pass by this weekend. I can stay longer. Let's meet at the entrance.

Silver: Sure

I huff as I push open the main door. He's probably already waiting for me in the parking lot. I raise my eyes to the sky, it is already very dark because of the near coming of winter. I hurry because I have already wasted enough time.

______________________________________

Thank you for reading !!!

Matthew is obviously very troubled by what happened to his brother a few years ago. What should he do in order to regain his peace of mind once again? Is living up to his brother's footsteps the best option ? Wouldn't it cause more harm than good? Cause at the end of the day, Matthew and his brother Ricky are two different people. Which means two completely different lives goals and dreams.

See you next week.

Vicky❤️