The Boardwalk Rydellington Oneshot Series

Nightmares #1

Ellington's P.O.V.

I looked down at the phone in my hand had she really just left? How could she? I need her. I felt the tears run down my cheeks and land in my lap. I convinced myself that I wasn't going to cry until I knew it was true. Until I saw that she was gone. I wiped the tears off my cheeks and tied my shoelaces and walked through the front door trying to keep it together. If she was still here I had to stay strong for her. I had to have some hope that when I walked into the room she would be there smiling at me.

I opened up my car door and sat down in front of the wheel. I put my key into the ignition and put my head back on the chair, taking a shaky breath trying desperately to force the tears away. I pulled the sun visor down as the sun shone brightly in my eyes. A slip of paper flew down to my lap and I picked it up, keeping it in my left hand. It was a picture of her, my favourite in fact. Her famous hazel eyes shone warmly, her cheeks where slightly pink and her bangs hung just above her eyes. Her smile was the most amazing thing, I could feel absolutely terrible and her smile would make me feel 110% immediately.

That was what I needed right in that moment, I needed to see her smile at me and tell me that everything would be okay. I kept the photo in my hand as I drove towards the hospital. I tried listening to the radio to keep my mind off her but she was way to important not to worry about. She had always found a way to slip back into my mind and overtake my thoughts.

Next thing I knew I was running down a hallway with the photo still in my hand. I stopped when I turned the last corner, Riker was a wreck. He was sitting against the wall with his legs tucked up to his chest and his arms wrapped around them. He sobbed into his knees while Rocky knelled next to him hugging him with tears rolling down his cheeks too. Ryland was nowhere to be seen and Ross just stood against the wall with his eyes closed, a few tears occasionally running down his face and dropping onto the floor. Stormie was sitting down in one of the hospital chairs crying into Mark's chest as he hugged her and cried too.

Never in my life had I thought for a second I would face a scene like this. That what was unfolding before me was going to become a reality. All my hopes had disappeared. I looked between them all, I couldn't believe it. I didn't seem real.

"No," I whispered shaking my head. "No," I repeated. She can't be gone.

Rocky lifted his head up from looking at the floor. "She's in a better place," he spoke quietly.

"She can't be gone," I said still not believing it. Rocky just placed his head back on top of Riker's. I looked over to the door that was standing a few meters away from me. Through the window I could see her, but I couldn't see her smiling. I walked up to the door slowly, "No, I need you," I whispered. I saw her hand drop and I opened the door.

"No Ellington!" Rocky called, "Don't go in there!" I didn't answer or stop. I had to see that she was gone for good to believe it. I walked up to her slowly seeing that she was wired up to a billion machines and none of them were making any annoying noises I hoped they would be. I took her cold hand in my and intertwined our fingers. I scanned her face my vision slowly turning blurry. Her eyes were closed and I couldn't see her stunning hazel eyes staring back at me. Her cheeks weren't flushed and her dimples were gone. There was no smile on her face. There was no emotion, no pain. She wasn't there. I collapsed to the floor still holding onto her hand. I could hear Mark and Rocky yelling at me but I didn't move. I couldn't move, she couldn't move. She was gone.

"I need to hear your giggle fill the room and your voice hypnotize me. I need to see your hazel eyes stare into my own and make me feel at home. I need to hear you say my name and tell me everything is alright and that you will be with me forever. I need you to hold my hand back and squeeze it tight until there is no blood in my hand. I need you to be with me, I need to see your heart beat and your eyes flutter open and for you to tell me that you love me. I need you to smile at so I can smile too. I need you Rydel," I cried closing my eyes.

"You can't," I swallowed in between my cries. "You can't leave me," I whispered. I lent my head up against the side of the bed forcing myself to look at her. Still holding her cold hand, I cried, "I love you."

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I woke up crying uncontrollably as I heard Rydel's voice call me, "Ellington? Ell? It's okay, I am right here. I am right here honey. It's okay, everything is alright." I felt her stroke my hair and her fingers wipe the tears rolling down my cheeks.

She was okay, she was right here, right in front of me. I fluttered my eyes open to see her's searching mine. I immediately pulled her into a hug, burying my face into her hair. She rubbed my back and kissed my head trying to calm me down.

"It's okay Ell, I am right here. Right in front of you, I am right here. Everything is okay," She whispered. I pulled my head out of her hair. She was right here, her hands weren't cold, her hazel eyes were staring straight into mine, her cheeks were flushed and she was breathing. She put her hand carefully on my cheek wiping the tears carefully, she kissed my forehead.

"What's wrong honey? What happened in your dream?" She asked keeping her hand on my cheek, I pressed my head into her hand.

"I need you," I said looking straight into her eyes as I recalled what had happened to her in my dream. She showed a look of confusion contemplating what had happened in my awful dream. "I need you," I repeated blinking as tears rolled down my red cheeks.

"Hey, hey. It's okay," she cooed. I just shook my head, it wasn't okay. She was gone, she said she would be here.

"You left Delly, you left me," I cried. The words were repeating in my head. It seemed as if they wouldn't let me forget the nightmare of her lifeless body. The sight of Riker helpless on the floor and Rocky trying to comfort him. Her parents trying to hold it together. Ross standing there fighting an internal battle, not knowing whether to break down or punch the wall. Ryland nowhere to be seen.

The tears that she had been holding back spilled down her cheeks. She was overwhelmed with the sight of my body shaking and tears spilling out of my red eyes. "I am sorry Ellington, I'm so sorry," she whispered. I pulled her into my arms not wanting her to break like she was forcibly trying not to.

"I need you Delly," I whispered again, trying to calm myself down.

"I am not ever going to leave you, Ellington. It was just a dream, I'm right here," she whispered as her tears dried up. She was here, okay and breathing. He knew she wouldn't leave him but it sacred him to think that his dream was the way she was going to go out. He never wanted to experience that again but he knew someday it would come. "Never ever," she confirmed.