The house was complete furnished. I walked to the living room. It was a ground floor house only and I didn’t mind. It was just going to be. The living had a three seat blue couch with a TV and a rug and coffee table. The winds had drapes on them. I walked around the living room before going to the kitchen, which was directly down the mini hall across the front door. The tiles were the traditional ones. There was sink, with two sides, a fridge and counter tops. Above the sink was a wind with white drapes. There was a clock between the fridge and the window.
Mom followed me as I walked down the hall and hit a left. My bedroom had people in it. Dad was leaning on the dresser while Vanessa played on the floor with wooden toys Dad had made. Heidi and Dan were sitting on the edge and Jack was playing under the bed, grabbing Vanessa’s ankle. Vanessa turned and smacked him with the toy car. I laughed as tears slid down my face.
I missed my family so much and to see them all in a house built for me by them? I couldn’t be happier. I hugged Mom and Dad. Heidi and Jack joined. Dan put Vanessa in the middle and put his hand on Heidi’s shoulder. “I love you guys, but leave your shoes at the door.” We all laughed.
“I’ll take you grocery shopping.” Mom offered and I nodded.
“Apples.”
“I don’t like apples. Get the carrots.”
“Grapes?”
“No, Mom, I don’t want grapes. They’ll get rotten. Grab one cucumber. One!” I said, pulling the cart away from her before she could put something crazy in it. I put some butter and pickles into the cart, along with cottage cheese and the sliced cheese. I grabbed bread and bologna. Milk and yogurt went into the cart. The checkout counter was empty so we were out of the store swiftly.
I started the car after all the bags were loaded up and looked at Mom. I grabbed her hand. “I love you, Mom. And thanks for not asking too many questions.”
She nodded. “That’s what we do. Privacy is our only security blanket. Everybody needs it.” She smiled at me and squeezed my hand. I backed up and we left the store.
I hadn’t thought about what I did for a while. I laid in my room, in my little house, and just looked at the ceiling. I searched for an escape from the memories that haunted me, were the main character in my nightmares. I didn’t find one and I signed.
Make-up covered the circles under my eyes but I wouldn’t be able to hide it for long. My work was becoming sluggish and less than satisfactory. My nightmares were occurring more and more. Nothing changed in them. They were the same and happened more than once in a night.
I’m dashing through the forest, looking over my shoulder and I can’t breathe. I can’t concentrate on anything but running away. Running away from whatever was stalking me. I jumped over a fallen tree and then suddenly, I’m in a ballroom. Nelson is standing before me with Lucas’s arms crossed over his chest and his neck. Lucas licks him neck where blood is falling.
I’m a red dress with matching shoes. Nelson and Lucas are in matching black and white tuxedoes. Nelson opens his mouth but Lucas’s voice falls out. “Pick, Adrian. You can only have one.”
“You’re dead!” I scream at Lucas. “I killed you! That knife went right through you! You’re dead!”
He chuckles and Nelson crumples to the ground. I try to go to him but my feet are stuck. Amelia is coming up from the floor, her bony fingers wrapped around my ankles. I scream and fight her. My dress is torn.
Lucas speaks to me now. “Only one life can be yours, Sunshine Adrian. Only one.” I scream louder and lash out. Lucas crumples to the ground and blood gurgles from his mouth and over the floor. It stretches to me and Amelia lets go. She disappears as the blood flows over me, up me. I’m being covered in Lucas’s blood.
I jolt awake and nobody is around. I cuddle my blankets and cry silently. I had come to realize that I loved Lucas, but I realized all too late. After I killed him.
There was a knock at my door and I got up. In my gray sweat pants and Dad’s oversized tee shirt, I opened the door. Before I could look at the person, I was shoved inside. Startled I ran to the kitchen and stood in the doorway. I grabbed a gun hanging on the wall and aimed it at the man standing in my hallway.
“Drop it, Sunshine Adrian.”
