What Am I Without You

Part 1- He Came Back...

Chapter 1

I Thought I'd Never See You Again

My eyes burn and they aren't even open yet.

Rolling away from the bright light beyond my closed eyelids onto my side to face the dark side of the room. Did I pass out yesterday afternoon? I don't remember anything after getting home from work and changing.

Pulling my arms to fold over my face, shielding me from any other possibly abrasive lights, I let out a low groan. My hand smacking something rough and semi damp above my head on the way over.

Taking a moment to compute, I lay still in panic.

My bedroom has no brick walls or anything wet near my bed. The pace of my breath quickens, still keeping my eyes screwed tightly shut.

Slowly I realize this isn't even my bed. There's no blanket, no sheets, just bare mattress under me. The room is cold, the air is damp and stale. The only sound seems to be some form of light wind from above.

My heart is beating a mile a minute, blood running ice cold in my veins. Somehow my brain feels as though it is about to both implode and explode all at once.

I'm not in my own home and I can't remember last night at all.

Bolting up, ready to fight or run or both. My eyes dart around the room.

The walls are old mossy bricks, the ceiling completely gone in places. Rain water from what seems to have been a storm from before I woke runs down through the holes in the roof and cracks in the walls. Even with the run off the sun is now beaming through the holes above, creating a simple just oddly beautiful contrast.

Slumping towards the broken window beside me, I peer out. The house looks to be surrounded by thick woods.

I sigh and shake my head, both in disbelief and discontent with the situation I have somehow gotten myself into. How the fuck did I get here? Why can I not remember anything about it at all?

Standing to my feet I make my way though the empty house. Surrounded by only the wildlife and plant life that was now inhabiting the rooms around me.

Rubbing my hands down my face as I walk onto the front porch only to find that my truck is nowhere to be seen. The house is invaded by forest on all sides.

What do I do now? I don't know where I am or how to get home.

Patting my pants pockets and jacket down for my phone, but coming back empty handed. No phone, no wallet, no keys. I let out another frustrated growl, turning on my heels back towards the room I'd just left. Hopeful maybe they are in there at least.

Grumbling and rubbing my face hard as I make my way back through to the room.

Knelt down by the mattress, I freeze hearing a branch get snapped in the distance, yet not far off from the outside of the house. I hold my breath unsure of who else would even be out here. Stretching my neck to peak out of the window from where I'd been hunched over the mattress. I can't see anyone at all. Maybe I've become paranoid...

I shuffle around the room, as I quietly look for my belongings. Once again to not avail.

Finally, making my way back onto the front porch, this time only after peaking around the frame. Still no one in sight. It must have been my imagination.

I look up at the sky to try and guess what time of day it even is, shielding my eyes with my cupped hands. It had to be late afternoon by how the sun was positioned.

There wasn't long before the forest would sink into darkness and my only source of light would be cut. Fuck.

My hands shoving through my hair as I pace. I could feel panic and frustration, even anger mixing in my core. Confusion fighting to the fore front and threatening to drown out all other emotions in it's wake. But I can look only a lot myself a moment or two of that behavior before I had to figure out how to get home.

Another branch getting snapped caused my pacing to halt along with my breathing and thoughts. I stare in the direction of the sound , my breath hauled up in my lungs.

I could hear leaves and sticks crunch under someone's feet. Finally, the shadows let loose the form of a human, but only enough to make out a large silhouette.

I wanted to run, but my fight or flight responses had suddenly given way to my freeze. I couldn't even blink.

The human shadow moved closer to the forest edge and stopped a moment to stare back at me.

Then it emerged, pushing back a tree limb as it stepped into the sunlight.

He stood there, his eyes cast over me in surprise. Guitar cast gripped in one hand, was the most unexpected man I have never thought I would see again.

His eye brows arched then his entire demeanor relaxed. He was almost smiling.

"Toby?" he took a few steps forward and I began to back away, my head shook violently in disbelief and despair.

... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...

Thank you for reading! This is the first of a novel I am writing and I hope you stick around till the end!
I have never put my writing out there before so I am both excited and terrified but I have some many finished and unfinished stories I would love to share instead of waste!

Hope to see y'all back! Have a great day/night and... Happy Halloween! 🎃 👻🍬🕸️🖤

-D.E.R. 💕🦝

Word count for chapter: 889