River of Red

X

I sucked in a breath. The children may have been be young, probably only 5 or 6 years old, but they were armed and deadly.
The leader, a little boy, probably the biggest; he was about 5 feet tall and was a little chubby.
He was freaking adorable. He had the chubbiest cheeks and the cutest little nose.
He snarled at me.
Evil little thing though.
I started to back away, but when I turned around the little girl looked the same as the others.
And the others looked ready to kill.
They quickly formed a circle around me, cutting off my escape. My mind churned, I could fight maybe two, but definitely not 11. All their little mouths turned down into a snarl. The first little girl grabbed my ankle from behind, effectively slamming me onto the ground. As my legs were brought out from beneath me, my head hit the ground, and it started throbbing. Bad.
Two more grabbed my arms, and two more grabbed my legs.
They carried me toward the mermaid fountain.
The mermaid looked down at me, as though she was laughing at my stupidity. Like she's the superior.
But its a stone statue.
I thrashed, trying to escape their grips, but more swarmed me and held me motionless.
Those little buggers were strong.
They dragged me over the edge and pulled me into the water. They started to pull my head under, pulling me deeper. I took a long, long breath of sweet oxygen just as my head was submerged. The children were smiling at me through the dimness of the water. I tried to kick, but they still held me tight.
They pulled me deeper.
Way deeper than the fountain should have been. Now they probably had me six feet under.
I was as good as dead.
Their little hands poked and prodded me. I had no clue how long they held me under, it felt like hours, but finally my oxygen stash ran out. As my last bubble escaped, my lungs constricted, searching for more oxygen.
It hurt to drown.
It hurt really bad.
I frantically used the last of my strength to try and push the little monsters away.
I failed.
Their little teeth but at my arms, making the water go red with blood. Blackness caressed the edge of my vision like the waves lapping at the shore. The pain started to fall away into the black.
Nolan face dominated my vision.
His beautiful face.
His perfect face and dream for any sculptor. I knew I was dreaming. I had to be dead, but I felt his hands clutch my arms like a lifeline. My body seemed fuzzy, like I had been stuck in a blender and poured on the floor.
Scattered all over.
I closed my eyes and smiled.
Through the haze, I heard faintly, "No! Katrina!"
I opened my eyes again and frowned. I think I'd did, I couldn't really feel anything. I tried to lift my hand to Nolan's face, but my arm wouldn't move.
I grew frustrated. Nolan's beautiful face was so, so close but I couldn't touch him. His lips moved as he spoke to me. I couldn't hear him. I slammed my eyes shut, trying to shake off the fuzziness. Finally, I started to hear him.
"No, no! Katrina, love, open your eyes." His velvety voice was pleading. I tried to open my eyes, but I could not.
Damn that fuzziness.
I tried to tell him I'm okay, for him to calm down, but my body was limp. I could feel myself not breathing, if that's even possible. I didn't breath, didn't feel the flow of oxygen in and out of my lung, through my heart and into my limbs.
I felt dead.
My heart seemed so quiet I couldn't feel or hear it. Or maybe it just got too tired. Maybe my body was too worn to finish the race, too broken to go on.
But my brain was not.
It was like a spark lit my mind. The feeling came back to my limbs, my eyes opened, sounds rushed back into my ears.
I was alive.
100 percent alive.
___________________

After I had come back to life Abraham was certain I was the savior.
I can't say I was happy.
I can't exactly die, is what Abraham said.
I am invincible.
After I died I didn't breath. My heart didn't pump. I was like an empty walking corpse.
Now, though, my mind controlled my body.
My body didn't control my mind anymore.
This is how I thought about it. My mind was in control now.
I am in control.
So there I laid in bed.
Mind churning.
Thoughts processing. 

It was dark outside, the full moon a bright beacon in the sky, casting long shadows across the floor.

My mind wandered. I thought about how this was possible, ever the nerd, and wondered how I still had control over myself even if I had died. Maybe it was magic, or some really jacked-up science, but whatever it was, I was a part of it now.  I sat up.
I thought, wondering, that if I had complete control over my body, maybe I had control over objects too. I looked around the room, spotted my jeans, and curiosity won over common sense.
Control.
I took a deal breath. I stared at the jeans, willing them to move.
They stayed limp on the ground.
I tried again. Willing them to move to the left, sliding across the floor, moving 2 feet to the left, sliding, maybe picking up bits of dust on the way.
The jeans stayed in place.
I sighed in frustration, I was getting mad, I didn't understand why it wasn't working. If I was supposed to be all powerful why couldn't I control thing with my mind?
The jeans moved.
I jumped off the bed ecstatic, I had to tell Nolan what I had accomplished.
I jumped up and down, "Nolan! Nolan! Come here!"
Nolan was in front of me in a flash, worry etched into his face.
"What?"
I laughed, a happy laugh, "I can move thing with my mind, like a super hero!"
He looked very confused.
I pointed to the jeans, "Watch."
And he did.
I focused on the jeans, willing them to move 2 feet right.
They didn't budge an inch.
Nolan looked at me skeptically.
"Are you sure," he asked.
I nodded, "Yes, now wait, I can get it."
He waited.
I focused on the jeans, now a little embarrassed that Nolan thought I was crazy. He must think I'm crazy after telling him I can move thing with my mind. And apparently can't.
Totally crazy.
The jeans moved two feet to the right.
I jumped up and down again, happy to show Nolan. He looked incredulous.
"Not bad"
I grinned, "I know!"
He smiled, I had infected him with my good mood, "We'll have to tell Abraham about this."
My smile melted, "Not another question time!" I groaned.
He laughed, amused by my groan, "But or course! Abraham sure does love his questions."
Awkward silence.

5 awkward seconds

5 kisses I wanted from him.

5 times I almost hugged him.

I pointed to my bed, gaze shifting awkwardly, "I'm, um, going to bed, so."
Nolan snapped out of his daze, "Yeah, okay, um I'll just go then."
I got into bed. Nolan walked out the door, shutting it behind him.
Darkness enveloped the room.
Fear constricted in my heart.
"Nolan?"
The door He appeared in the doorway, bathed in the hallway light.
"Yeah?"
I shifted awkwardly, "Can, you, um, if you wanted, could you stay in here tonight?" My voice was tiny.
Nolan's face was indistinguishable in the hazy light.
He stepped into the room, "Sure." His voice was quiet.
I patted a spot of the bed next to me. He glided over to the bed, feet not making a single sound as they moved across the cherry floor.
I could barely make out his outline as he laid down next to me on top of the covers. I curled up in a ball next to him. Complete silence fell on the room.
Not a single heartbeat.
Not a single breath.
Not a single second went by without me painfully aware of his body so close, but yet so far away. I shifted toward him slightly. He drew in a breath, even if breathing isn't needed. I laid my hand on his stomach, feeling his muscles. I scooted closer, rested my head on his arm, and held his cold hand in my equally cold hand.
We're the same temperature now.
He squeezed my hand in his, and kissed the top of my head.
"Sleep."
And I did.