It Happened to Me

Chapter Nine

Chapter 9

I begin to fidget in my sleep, my pulse racing and my body sweating. I see nothing but darkness and I can feel nothing but the burning of my lungs. I've been running for too long and I don't know what I've been running from. My feet are tearing into shreds as they pound against the crisp gravel road. I quickly glance behind me, seeing nothing there. I turn my attention back in front of me and see a man with a scary face coming at me. His eyes are narrowed and filled with so much hate and rage. His mouth is curved into a frown, his eyebrows knitted together in an angry notion.

I abruptly stop in front of him, beginning to turn around but falling down. I flip around and start to crawl backwards on my hands. Something stops me and holds me down, restraining any further movement. I look at my captive and see Frankie, the man from the night of my fathers murder. I glance in front of me frantically, searching for the other criminal, searching for Johnny. Suddenly he is right in front of my face and an axe appears in his hand. Johnny lifts his arm high in the air, ready to strike it down. It comes at me with great speed and I find myself closing my eyes and screaming for my life.

I sit up, screaming in the midst of the night, my body sweaty. I open my eyes and realize where I am. I'm sitting in a large field under the starlit sky with a blanket beneath me. I look around, desperately trying to remember what happened last night. I move my hand and feel something next to me. My heart begins to race as I slowly look to my left. I see a boy sit up, his hair tousled and his eyes tired.

"Mia," Jayce says. "What's wrong?"

"Um, I had a bad dream," I answer, realizing that there is nothing to fear. Still, my eyes grow watery and I can't help but replay the dream in my head. Their faces were so scary and it felt like it was real. I feel a teardrop slowly make its way down my cheek. It is then that I realize that I am beginning to cry. Those faces, those names scare me. Their eyes were filled with so much anger and rage. Every time those eyes peered into me, the felt like a thousand daggers piercing my back. Remembering the night of my father's death and the dream makes me frightened.

I so desperately wish that time can rewind and I can just fix everything. What if his death was somewhat my fault? Would my father still be alive had he never saw Jayce and I? If Jayce had stayed with us and chosen to take a ride from my father, could he have helped prevent his death? My mind is swirling, spinning into a pool of questions. No, it's not my fault, it's not Jayce's fault either.

I look at Jayce through a blurred vision, struggling to pull away from my thoughts. His face is marked with concern and somehow, it seems as if his eyes are speaking to me, yelling at me. Somehow, if feels as if Jayce knows why I am crying, though, it isn't hard to figure out. I watch as he reaches out to me, muttering a "Come here" and pulling me into a warm, welcoming, safe embrace. I sob into Jayce's arms, my breath shaky and sharp. Jayce starts to slowly rock our bodies back and forth in a comforting motion and my sobbing soon calm and eventually ceases. After moments of pure and utter silence, I feel Jayce's warm lips on my forehead, kissing it softly.

"Are you okay?" He softly whispers and I nod my head slowly.

I close my eyes in an attempt to relax, trying to focus on nothing but Jayce. His arms are strong and they hold me close to his body, bring my mind and emotions to ease. Jayce soon lays back with me still in his arms and I suddenly feel attached to him. I lay my head on his chest, closing my eyes and listening to his heartbeat. His heart beats in a steady, thumping motion as he begins to gently stroke my hair. I smile against him, enjoying the feel of him and the melodic harmonies our heartbeats seem to make. I focus on Jayce's breathing, listening to its rhythm. Slow and steady, he breathes in and out, his mind and body seemingly calm.