Bloody Souvenirs

Chapter 14

I slowly walked down the stairs as I rubbed the sleep off my eyes. I had been up till 3 last night, thinking of all possible explanations as to why the auburn haired girl had been in my dream. It was lucky I had today off from work.

I had run back all the way home from the hospital, with the intentions of asking Matt about the girl. But he wasn't home. And he didn't even get home until late at night, after I had fallen asleep.

So when I saw Matt fast asleep on the couch, I didn't hesitate to kick him in the shins to wake him up.

"Ow!" he groaned, "Jesus, Kat. What was that for!?"

I shrugged, "To wake you up."

He rolled his eyes as he got up and muttered sarcastically, "Yeah, right."

I went into the kitchen to make myself a cup of coffee, "When did you come home last night?"

He blinked, "Around one, I think. Why?"

I turned around to face him, "Because I fell asleep waiting for you!"

"Whoa." he smirked, "I didn't know you were such a big fan of me."

"Ha. Ha." I mock-laughed as I stirred my coffee, "You wish."

"Uh, just drink your coffee and banish grumpy Kat." he said.

I ignored him and continued stirring the coffee. He went up to his room, leaving me to my thoughts. "What am I going to do today?" I asked no one in particular.

After about 15 minutes, Matt returned. He had changed clothes and looked decent.

I was sat on the marble kitchen counter, sipping on my coffee. Matt looked at me, "Go and change. You look like shit."

I rolled my eyes as I turned around to face him, "I actually wanted to ask you about something."

"Shoot."

"Do we know a girl with auburn hair? Green eyes, normal height, pretty?"

Matt took a step back as he looked around, "I don't think we do. Why are you asking?"

"Think harder. She's pretty young, not more than 17."

"No, we don't know her." Matt said cautiously, and this time asked more insistently, "Why are you asking?"

"Because I saw her on the street yesterday." I shot. "She called out to me from the other side of the street."

Matt stopped whatever he was doing, which was getting himself cereal before he headed off to work, and looked at me, "And?"

I don't know but I think it was something about the tone in which he said that one word but I was suddenly intimidated by him.

I took a step back, "She got hit by a car while crossing the road, ended up in the ICU."

Matt's shoulders slumped and for a moment, I thought I sensed relief in him. Or had I imagined it? "Maybe she was calling out to a different Kat. Because honestly, I don't remember anyone of that description."

"That's not all." I said and paused to gauge his reaction. But he remained stoic. "I saw her waving to me."

He shrugged, "Need I repeat myself?"

"And her mother recognized me when I went to the hospital after them. Called me by my full name."

Matt turned to face me fully this time, "You went to the hospital after them!?"

I shrugged, "I was curious. What's the big deal?"

"What's the big deal? The big deal's that I don't want you going around strangers all by yourself, Katelyn!"