Cursed To Hold My Breath

A sign

Another dream. Echoing laughter, images of party balloons and presents flashing in my mind. A party? I saw faces of my other friends, and Haley, sitting in front of a cake alight with candles. This was her birthday party.

Then the mood changed, with screams and flashing red lights as I was plunged into cold and darkness. I had that same weightlessness feeling from the night before, this was another dream underwater. I couldn't breathe, or move. Panicked, I tried to call for help, but no words escaped my mouth.

I sensed something next to me, another person floating. Her brown hair flowed around her. Then I saw her face, and my heart dropped to my stomach. Haley. Why was she in my dream? She didn't move, her silent face expressionless. I tried reaching out for her, but then darkness engulfed her.

Through the rippling image before me, there was the same bright light, but nobody was there. Was I going to die in my sleep? It was the best way to go, no pain at all, you just felt at peace. But my chest burned, and my lungs were begging for air. This was something else.

I felt myself being lifted higher, towards the light. The coldness swirling around me. Then my hand went warm, and I was being pulled back into the darkness. No, I needed air, but I was being pulled deeper, deeper...

"Emma!"

My eyes flung open as I fell onto the bed, gasping for air. I looked at Haley, her face full of fear. The image of her in my dream flashed before my eyes, and I flinched. She was gripping onto my hand, the coldness leaving me and I was now sweating.

"Are you okay?" She asked me. "My god, you're so pale, and you're burning up!" She placed a hand to my forehead.

"What happened?" I asked once I finally found my voice.

"Emma, y – you were floating." Haley stammered. "I tried to pull you down, but you felt so cold."

"What do you mean?"

"It was like something was carrying you." She whispered.

I stared at her, dumbfounded. Floating? Wait, my first dream had actually happened, so what about this one? I now feared for Haley, what was going to happen to her, to us?

"Emma?" Haley looked at me, showing fear and concern.

"I'm fine." I mumbled, hoping she didn't hear the fear in my voice. "I just...need some fresh air." I hastily climbed out of bed, but Haley's frightened voice stopped me at the door.

"Wait!" She called. "Are you sure you're okay? You don't want me to come with you?"

"No, I just need some time alone." And with that, I slipped past the door and walked silently down the stairs. Sadie was asleep on the couch and she lifter her head at me. I put a finger to my mouth, pausing at the end of the steps, then walked out the front door and closed it with a soft click.

The night air felt cool, the street illuminated by the yellow light beaming down from its large pole. I sat down on the front porch steps and began to weep. After a long time, I couldn't cry anymore, so I just sat in silence, hugging my knees close to my chest.

I felt a cold chill go up my spine, and shivered. Lifting my head up, I saw the same boy standing in the yellow light.

"Please." My voice cracked. "I need answers."

He walked silently down the street towards the forest, then disappeared. I decided to follow, blindly into the forest. There was something inside of my puling me forward so I kept on going, my bare feet crunching in the dead leaves. For as long as I walked, hugging myself tightly, I just looked down at my feet.

I stopped, sudden panic rising inside of me. Where was the path? I was lost, I had no idea where I had just came from, and now I stood in the center of a clearing of trees.

"Hello?" I called, doubting someone would answer, but I had hoped.

"I always hate seeing you like this." Answered a familiar voice. The boy appeared in front of me, showing a look of sympathy. I could just barely make out his facial expressions in the moonlight.

"You again." I whispered.

"Yes. It's me." He confirmed. "I suppose you want to continue our conversation?"

I nodded. "What exactly is going on? Why did my mom keep secrets from me? What is this thing that she's hoping won't affect us?" I asked. "And...why do you look so familiar, who are you?"

"The curse." He simply said.

"That doesn't exactly answer my questions. What curse?" I asked him.

"I would have to start from the beginning for you to understand that." He said.

"I'm listening."

"Well, first off, your mother tried to keep your father away from you in hopes of the curse not affecting you two. Because his family is cursed, she didn't want you to know about it, so she's hidden all pictures of his family and tried her best to not mention anything about them." He explained.

"Why? I don't understand why she would do such a thing." I shook my head.

"It's because of the curse." He said.

"And what does this have anything to do with you? How do you know all of this stuff that I don't even know about my own family? You never even told me your name." I snapped. "If you're really a ghost, and you're dead, then prove it. How did you die?"

He stared at me, looking hurt, but I didn't care. I wanted answers.

He looked down, then spoke quietly. "I had a twin sister in the womb, I was the first born, but unfortunately died. Luckily, my sister had barely survived, but I was torn knowing that she would now grow up alone without me, but I just couldn't leave her. So I watched her grow, happy, completely unaware because of the secrets kept from her. I could never leave her, not until she knew." He looked back up at me and gave an awkward smile.

Watched her grow? I was fitting things together in my mind, what he said, why he looks so much like my dad. "Twin sister..." I whispered, my brow furrowing. He's been watching me grow...so then...I gasped. "You still never told me your name." I realized, looking up at him. I was hoping that what I thought wasn't true.

"My name is Erik." He said. "Erik Johnson, your twin brother."