181 Days of Madeline Jesty

Chapter 65: Nightmare

I opened my eyes, expecting to be on my bed. But instead, I was standing in the middle of what seemed to be a vast empty space. I might be dreaming, I thought, even though the dream seemed to be too real.

I stepped a foot forward. Safe. Another step. Safe. After five more steps, I decided to take a walk and wander around, thinking I'd wake up soon.

But then I heard a whimper. I followed the direction of the sound until I saw someone, a woman, lying on the ground—or space. I didn't know what to call it anymore; I just knew she was lying down, curled in a ball, her hair covering her whole face as if she didn't want anyone to hear her cries.

"Hi," I whispered. This is a dream. I can do anything, right?

The woman stirred.

This may be a wrong idea, I thought. After all, nightmares are dreams too.

I slowly stepped back, regretting I said hi. But when the woman got up, her dark long hair cascaded down, revealing her face.

Amielle!

I ran toward her, but an invisible wall suddenly blocked my path, causing me to tumble down.

"M-Maddie? Ms. Maddie? A-are you here?"

Her voice made me tear up.

"Amielle," I said, rushing toward her again, but my hands were in front of me this time, careful not to hit the invisible wall. "Can you hear me?"

"I thought I would never find you."

"W-what do you mean?" I asked, finally sensing the barrier that kept us apart. "What is this? Why can't I come near you?"

"L-listen, I don't have time, Maddie," she said, getting up. "This is an ability I inherited from my ancestors, but I can only do this undetected for a few minutes."

"What? What ability—"

"Don't doubt. This isn't a dream," Amielle continued, cutting me off. Her hands aligned with where my hands were, as if she could see me. "Aunt Cornelia sent me far away, Maddie, and I've been looking for you since. But please stay away from her. She's more powerful than you think. But . . . he's alive. Find our—"

Then . . . I woke up.

He's alive—who is? Who was she pertaining to? And . . . an ability? Ability to walk into people's dreams?

If anyone should believe her, it should be me. After all, I used to have an ability too—an ability I never asked. But it was just a curse now.

I want to believe her.

Frustrated to go back to the dream—or whatever it may be, I tried sleeping again, even taking a pill to aid me. But no matter how much I tried, I would end up in my room, all alone again.

Perhaps, it was only a dream.

***

The dream stressed me out so much that it might have caused my monthly cycle to begin. Strange how I had always been filled with thoughts of people who, then and now, were either physically or emotionally absent in my life. Stranger that I had to deal with it along with the painful shedding of my uterus.

I hope dying isn't as painful as this fucking dysmenorrhea.

It was a missed opportunity that Mickey stayed in our estate until the Wednesday of that week but we did nothing but our homework together . . . in spots where Suzie could see us. She wouldn't let us stay in my room "because of the ants," probably from the snack crumbs I was bringing in. That—or she might just have a feeling we were up to something else. Sigh, it could've been the best days of our youth, just sneaking on every corner of our estate, but my own biological process—and the ants, or maybe Suzie—had to ruin it.