Sleep Walking [Roc Royal/Chresanto August Story]

My Life Was Changing Before My Eyes

My eyes pried open as I felt my body hit the ground with a harsh thud.  The sound of my loud panting echoed off the walls.  I placed my hands on the floor where I lay on and to my surprise it was soft fur.  I glanced down to see that I was laying on the rug that was in my room.  No forest floor filled with twigs and leaves.  I glanced around at my surroundings.  Posters of different bands covered up the four walls of my bedroom.  I was home. It was all just a dream.  It was extremely vivid though.  The dim light provided by the rising sun peered through the blinds on my window. I gripped onto the pink sheets of my bed and pulled myself up.  Maybe I can catch a few more minutes of sleep.  Just then, a shrieking beep began to blast into my eardrums.  I groaned in annoyance as I turned to my left, my alarm clock was producing the noise.  

I slammed my hand roughly on the snooze button and stood to my feet.  I began to stumble towards my bathroom door, my fingers fumbled against the wall for the light switch.  As I flicked it on, I squinted my eyes in pain as I tried to adjust.  I stared at myself in the mirror, my wild black curls bundled up above my shoulders.  My caramel colored eyes just stared tiredly at the mirror.  I saw nothing but an average teenage girl, but at the moment I didn't realize that I was actually an endangered teenage girl. My name is Ava Foster and this is the moment my life changes miraculously in front of me.  As I glanced at my chocolate toned arms...I realized something horrifying.  

Dry blood stained the side of my white tee shirt.  I glanced at my left arm and found an enormous slash that started at my shoulder and ended halfway above my elbow.  I felt the stinging pain soon kick in.  I don't know what scared me more; the fact that I had a gaping cut...or that it matched the exact same one I had in my dream.

***

I sat with my legs crossed on a bench in front of the school.  It was a cool, autumn morning during the month of October in Philly.  I wore burgundy tights, tucked into calf-high black leather boots.  I wore a light-washed high waist cuffed shorts and a black oversized knitted sweater.  My beige beanie was pulled tightly over my ears.  I had my nose in "The Fault In Our Stars", a novel I had read about 27 times.  It was quickly snatched out of my hands by a stranger, so I thought. I glanced up at my boyfriend Rayan."Ray, gimme' back my book!"  I giggled trying to snatch it from him, but Ray was slicker than me.  "Ava you've read this book a bajillion times!" He whined.  "I'm sorry..." I apologized shyly.  

I took a hold of his two braids, and pulled him close to my face.  I angled my face as our lips met, his mouth tasted like mint and nicotine, an odd combination that I've gotten use to. My fingers sneaked their way around his neck...and that's when I quickly took the book out of his grip.  "Dammit Foster, you always get me with the kiss!"  He chuckled loudly as he placed his jansport bag on the concrete and stood me up, placing me on his lap.  I nestled myself into his warm chest, his strong axe body spray filling up my nostrils.  "Can you believe Austin, lemme' tell you what happened..." 

Rayan's voice became a muffled sound as I zoned out of his conversation.  Chresanto August came around the corner.  Chresanto and I had Health Class and French together but we never exchanged a conversation before, we waved at each other occasionally.  But it was odd, he appeared in my dream last night and I got this tugging feeling in my stomach that it meant something important.  

I caught his eyes and we stared at one another for a few moments, his lips parted like he wanted to speak. Instead he just waved and entered the school.  "...gonna' come Ava?"  Rayan's voice was now tuned back in, but I didn't catch his entire question.  "Huh?" "God, you need to get your ears fixed baby. I said that this week is the basketball tryouts and I could really use the support. You gonna' come Ava?"  I nodded my head slightly "Of course, I'll bring my pom poms and everything." I giggled as I pecked my lips onto his softly.