Duality (slashers x reader)

15. Coming Undone

I woke in a cold sweat to the sound of my alarm ringing. My shirt clung to my chest and my hair stuck to my forehead as I groped for the clock beside me. I silenced it before bringing my knees to my chest and resting my head on top, trying to slow my breathing and frantic heart. The warmth of my bed did nothing to help the pounding in my head. Nausea swelled in my throat and I jumped from the bed, racing to the hallway in search of the bathroom. I tried the room adjacent to mine but found it dark and spacious, with the faint outline of a desk at the far end. I moved on, thankfully finding the opposite door to be a bathroom. I lunged towards the toilet and emptied my guts, the cold tile floor offering a little comfort to my overheated body. I flushed the toilet and sat back, leaning my head on the wall as I attempted to process what the fuck had just happened. If it wasn't for my alarm clock, I would have been dead 10 minutes into this dream.

Gripping onto the cabinet for support, I pulled myself up and grabbed a glass from the side of the sink, filling it with water before quickly gulping it down to try and wash my mouth of that horrid taste. I wiped my mouth on my sleeve and peered at myself in the mirror. This time, my younger complexion wasn't the first thing to grab my attention, but rather a stain on my shirt. It was dark and red, a sprawling pool that had dried recently. I frowned before spotting the large patch of dried blood on the side of my face. It stretched from my cheek to the bottom of my neck, standing out against my white shirt and pale skin. 

I leaned over the sink and cupped my hands to catch the water, bringing it to my cheek and scrubbing over and over before grabbing a towel and wiping my face clean. I left a red blotch on the clean towel and grimaced at the thought of it staining, throwing it aside and vowing to wash it later. Turning back to the mirror, I saw the source of the blood to be a long scratch along my jaw, which was already spilling out another round of crimson pearls. Frantically grabbing for a wad of tissues, I held it to my face and watched as the blood quickly seeped through the layers.

Sighing, I quickly made my way downstairs, feeling an extra ounce of anxiety as I stepped off the last step, and found the kitchen, rooting through the cupboards before finally finding the plasters. I threw the tissues into the bin and gingerly used the toaster reflection to guide me in my placement of the plaster. I sighed, patting it down, and threw the waste in the bin.

A note on the counter next to me caught my attention and I picked it up, reading: 

'Had to go into work early, won't be home til late tonight'

The handwriting was neat, even though the note seemed to have been written in a rush, but I didn't recognise the owner. I dropped the note back on the counter and moved to the cupboards again to look for some sort of food when a distant ringing cut me off. I followed the noise out into the hallway and found a telephone next to the front door on a bookshelf next to various photo frames. I didn't recognise anyone from them either. 

'Hello?' I held the phone to my ear and stifled a yawn.

'Hey, I'm just about to set off.'

'Sarah!' My mood instantly lifted and I felt a wide grin spread across my face.

'Y/N! Is that a new thing you're starting, announcing the name of whoever you talk to?' I heard her chuckle.

'No, no, I'm just... happy to hear you.' I bit my lip, cringing at how sappy that sounded. Sarah paused before responding again.

'Are you okay?'

'I'll tell you when you get here.'

'Okay. I won't be long.'

She hung up, leaving me in the silence of the house again. I stood motionless for a while, unsure of what exactly to do. I didn't know whose house I was in (whoever it was seemed to have a decent amount of money though) and my headache was getting worse by the second. I decided the best thing to do would be to wait for Sarah to get here and hopefully she'd fill me in on my situation.

I skunked back upstairs, flicking the light on in my bedroom and spotting the patch of blood on my pillowcase. Walking over to the wardrobe, I picked out a simple t-shirt and jeans, pulling a jumper out for if I got cold. As I dressed, I looked around at my room and tried to gather what kind of person I was. The posters plastered on my wall were mainly music - Metallica, Sisters of Mercy, Rainbow and Black Sabbath immediately caught my eye - but there were also a few movies, especially a very big Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter poster next to my door. I smiled slightly, good taste, before the sharp ding of the doorbell caused me to jump.

I ran downstairs and swung the door open, immediately throwing myself into a bewildered Sarah's arms. 

'Jesus, Y/N, are you alright?' I pulled away from the hug, laughing and moving my hair from my face.

'Yeah, yeah, I'm great, come on.'

She followed me inside, shutting the door behind her, and sitting at the kitchen counter, watching me as I started making tea for the both of us. She stayed silent until I'd presented her with a mug and leaned against the counter across from her. 

'So, what happened then? I mean when I called you said you'd tell me about it later. What's it?'

I sipped my tea, nodded my head, and placed my mug down on the counter, before straightening up and beginning to recall the events of the nightmare. I made sure to leave out the fact that I knew who he was but made a big deal about the cut across my jaw. Sarah didn't speak once, only nodding now and then or frowning. By the end of my explanation, her mouth was agape and she stared at me with wide eyes.

'So yeah, that was a bit freaky I guess.' I laughed, waiting anxiously for her response.

'What the fuck?'