Forehead Kisses (ONGOING)

Part Twenty-Two

     I swallowed a ton of saliva when he shot me with those black eyes of his like they were trying to pierce into my soul.  I sat up hoping he'd be veering away from my line of sight. There were lights at the distance. I narrowed my eyes a little more and noticed that it was New York. Wow.

     "It's beautiful isn't it? All those city lights," Sev asked, aware of me. It is. Mesmerizing in fact. "You should've seen it at sundown. It has all those pretty colors." It must've. I took my camera from the couch and went to take a picture of the magnificent urban display. 

     "So cute," Sev murmured behind me, still laying on the green carpet. I looked at him with irritation. "Stop saying that."

     "Why? It's just a compliment." 

     "Compliments could kill you."

     He sat up and moved a little closer beside me. "Why don't you want to be complimented?" One brow arched higher than the other. "I don't want my head growing too big, dwelling on praises and all those things.Compliments are like doubts at the back of my head." I was now gawking at him. Snapping myself out, I said "Does that make sense?" He chuckled. "Definitely not."

     Sev pulled me up and held my hands. "You still owe me a dance, love." The Ed Sheeran song was over but the cheezy songs just keep on coming. But I liked this one. I used to hear it over the radio but I never bothered looking it up. "I love The Cab," he said as he held my waist and glued his hand there.

     I swear if he puts it lower, I will chop his whole arm off.

     His other hand lifted mine and there we were. Gliding on the grass as if it was for eternity. And for the first time in a very long time, all I ever thought about was me and him and now. There wasn't any past nor future. Just the present. He would step on my foot so often, I ended up doing the same thing... purposely. Before we know it, we were playing it. Chasing one another in the room, laughing like there was no tomorrow, blocking each other just to step on each other's feet. It was fun. So much fun.

     I found myself laying on the carpet. Sev went to get mineral water. 'If you miss someone, my dear, just look up at the sky and tell the stars whatever you want to say.' Granma always says that whenever I miss my mom. Now I miss everyone too much I never wanted to look up. Ever. Maybe that was why it was better being under city lights and guided by headlights because the stars never gave me comfort. They just made me walk through endless asteroid belts. I'm tired and realized I was dozing off.

     "Elizabeth... Elizabeth?" a voice cried in the dark. At first it was creepy but then I realized I was in another dream. In the same dark, cold, damp room. The voice called out my name once again and shivers just trickled down my spine. What is it with this voice haunting the inner chambers of my mind during slumber?! I'm scared, yes. To the point I'm totally annoyed.

     It's like... let's say, you are at the point where you really, really are sleepy and you get to your room. You get under the covers. Switch off your lamp or decide to stop scrolling your phone or put off your torch and just get comfortable. Prepared to enter sweet sleep. Then you hear a creek somewhere outside your room when everybody else is asleep. And you would all be like 'Haunt me some other time, fucking ghost." 

     Exactly what I'm feeling right now.

     "What do you want!?" I growled. This is my mind. I think, say, do whatever I want. Besides, it wasn't a tender voice. It was a low, cold, raspy one. Spine-chilling. I can hear him breathing. "Everyone you love," it said following a very creepy cackle. "What do you mean?" No answer.

     I hear him drawing calm breaths. They loom closer and closer until I felt cold air blow by my ear. I turned around and thumped backward. In front of me stood the black shadowy figure that used to haunt my dreams. He was never a good sign. He laughed and I cowered. 

     I was staring at Death once again.

     "Go away! Go away!" I ran as fast as I could but my feet were like to sacks of cement. "Come, child," he bellowed. "No! Go away!" I struggled. His hand was so close to me now. Closer. Closer. 

     "No!" I screamed as I sat, realizing it was another nightmare. I was panting when I saw Sev rush in.