Knives and Nightmares

Chapter 11

I awoke in my own bed the next morning. What happened? Connor must have braught me home. I smiled. I looked at the clock, which read two-thirty am, I closed my eyes, awaiting the sun to rise.

I didn't sleep dremlessly. I tossed and turned.

I was at the lake, the one Charlie and I always used to go to as kids. My hair was short then, a little longer then my chin. I was five and he was seven. His friends and him had a water fight while I built a sand castle for my doll. I saw dad, with someone who was not my mother. They were fighting over something silly. Then, we all got separated. It all went black, my five year old self panicked and ran. Ran to no where. She sat and cried. But no one heard. There was no light. I heard its laugh. I knew it was my turn. It had haunted me in my other dreams and wanted me dead too. A woman appeared, the same a before. I thaught I knew her. But she was running. Far away from me. I called for help. But she never turned back.

I awoke to the sound of Charlie's voice, he was beside me in his pyjamas, (a pair of sweats) and he was softly talking to me "hey, kid. Melll, meeeeellllll." I sat up. it was noon. "Mel, you'd better get ready! I invited my new girlfriend for diner and invited Connor too, they'll be here around four!" His voice was so full of energy it astounded me. "And who's this girl of yours..?" I asked grinning like a fool "it's a surprise" he said as he stood up. He left my room practically skipping. A diner party? I groaned and look through my closet looking for something to wear. Charlie would kill me if I wore jeans...

Three o'clock came around, I hopped into the shower so my hair wouldn't need a straightener. By the time I was finished, it was quarter after three. I settled on my navy blue strapless dress and black open toe high heeles. I wonder who this mystery girl is... I wondered as I pinned strands of my hair back. I looked in the mirror and combed my hair. It reached the small of my back and was shaped in a 'V' I heard the doorbell ring and the door slam open. "Oh, uhhh. Hey," Charlie nervously said to who I was guessing to be his date. Their voices faded as they went into the dining room. I put on a little blush, and finished my mascara. I looked in the mirror once more before I went downstairs. I stood there gazing at my reflection, my pink scars easily visible. connor cant find out... what if Annie sees them tomorrow at school... I heard the doorbell ring and Connors laugh fill the air, my breath caught for a moment. I felt full of joy. Oh god. I thought. I really do love him... I went down the stairs slowly so I didn't trip and make a fool of myself. I saw Connor dressed in a black tux. Is this some sort of prank. Why is everybody dressed up...? I saw Connors eyes bulge "wow." He said "you look even more Gorgous then ever" I blushed and walked with him across the kitchen to our small dining room. There, sat my mother, Charlie and his date on the far wall and two empty seats meant for Connor and I. We gaped in the hallway to see Charlie's date. Annie staring at us smiling, although her blue grey eyes were as cold as stone. "What is she doing here?" Connor growled through clenched teeth. I gripped his arm tightly, a little bit of my nail polish came off on his arm. Charlie stood up quickly "she's changed!! She's different, she's perfect" he gazed at her longingly. We took our seats. We all ate in science, my mom drinking beer after beer. Charlie and I flushed with embarrassment. "I'm getting chilly, I'm going to go get a sweater or something" I said leaving the table. I needed to get out of Annie's tight stare. I went up the stairs to my room and searched frantically for a sweater. I didn't bother with the lights since it would inly be a second. The door on my room clicked shut and I heard it lock. That was my first mistake. She's here. I spun around to face Annie who was grinning in the dark. Her blonde hair perfectly curled and her dress too short and too revealing for my taste. She clicked her tongue. "I should have killed you when I had the chance" I began to scream. My second mistake. But she caught it with a sock stuffed in my mouth. I looked frantically, but I couldn't see her. She jumped on my back and pinned me down. I struggled for realese. But I couldn't. She had my hands tied in seconds. Too bad I stopped Girl Scouts early... I laid there tied up, cringing in the dark. To my relief. The door opened again. And she left the room. My hands twisted and turned as I tried to release the rope, which only got tighter. I squealed with pain. This isn't my kind of pain... To my horror, Annie returned, holding Charlie's baseball bat, and a shiny object. I couldn't tell what it was. I crept farther and farther away. My third mistake. "Don't even try, I'll get you this time. I will not fail" I saw a glint or hate and revenge in her cold blue eyes although., I couldn't tell which. All I knew for sure, was she had hard, obvious Determination. I curled up in a ball, awaiting. I heard the bat swing and clack against my spine. I straightened up. I bit the sock so I wouldn't scream. Mg fourth mistake. Why isn't anyone coming here looking for me? Can't they hear this? I screamed in my head. " This is for ruining my life!" she whispered coldly. A second blow to my cheek, making my head throb. With every second the pulse got stronger and stronger. I won't cry, I have endured pain far worse then this. I felt a bruise forming on my cheek as well as my ear beginning to ring and throb a steady tempo accenting my head. "And this is for Connor. Who loves ME more!!" She snapped. a tear escaped my swelled up eye and traveled along my cheek. she grinned devishly and swung at my arm, the strongest one yet. I fealt the bone and muscle crunch and churn against each other. She threw the bat to the side, and took out the shiny thing she had before. In the dark I noticed the red Handel. The knife. It's my turn. She sat against my stomach, making it feel like its closing in. She poised the knife against my throght. "Hey Annie, what are you doing up there?" Charlie yelled up the stirs. "Damn" Annie murmured. She looked back and simotanioisly created a gash on the left side of my neck. She stood up and began to leave. She played with her hair, and flattened her dress. " this isn't over" she scowled and left. The door clicked and locked shut. My neck began to get sticky with my blood, a small pool forming along my ear on the floor. " thank you very much for the dinner, why don't we go outside and get some fresh air?" I heard Annie say. " where's Melanie." I heard Connor growl. " oh, she's upstairs picking a sweater that will look fabulous on her, I have her a tough choice." I heard chairs screech against the wooden floor. The front door opened and slammed loudly. I layed there in the dark, my vision clouding. I couldn't remember certain things. I couldn't fall asleep. He would get me too... My eye snapped open as I heard the front door open again. She's coming for me I thought. Heavy footsteps finally reached the top of the stairs to my room. The door silently opened and the lights flickered on. I squinted at the sudden brightness. "MELANIE!!" Connor screamed as he rushed to my side. I sighed with relief. He lifted me off the floor onto my bed and slowly began to untie me. "What the hell happened in here?!" He demanded, his voice gruff and stern. I spat the sock out of my mouth "T-the bat. And knife..." I chocked out. He looked around and noticed the bat with a little blood smeared on it, and the knife. "How could he let her in here?!" He screamed. I flinched at the noise which what making the drum on my head faster. "Where did she hit you?" He asked silently bowing his head. "My neck, cheek and my back..." I whimpered. I bit my lip so no more tears could escape. His hand caressed my cheek gently, it still hurt. But good pain, like last time... I reached into the drawer beside my bed for the cloth I keep hidden for my cuts, he didn't seem to notice. I placed the cloth on ymy neck to stop the bleeding. "Are you okay?" He asked, his green eyes looked troubled. Still gorgeous, but deeply worried. The sight both calmed and enraged me. He shouldn't feel bad. I should have faught, shouldn't have cared about the cold stream of water which I had hoped would freeze the little blood left that was coursing through my veins. He shouldn't be wrapped up in this crazy mess if emotions, it wasn't fair. Connor gently caressed my cheek, reminding me why I'm still alive. He got up and held the bat in his hands, " Charlie plays baseball?" He asked confused testing the weight of the bat "he used too" I said barely above a whisper, my lungs still burned for air, precious oxygen. It was silent while Connor weighed the bat, he put it behind his head and grinned "maybe I should take up baseball" I caughed out a raspy laugh imagining Connor and Charlie on the same baseball team. Connor imitated swinging the bat. " what the fuck is going on here?!" Charlie demanded standing in the doorway with a snickering Annie behind him. His eyes bulged. I imagined stepping into his shoes, seeing what he saw, his little sister huddled up on her bed, bruised up, coughing and half dead, with her boyfriend holding a bat high above his head looking like he's going to strike.