The Aftermath (Book IV) [NaNoWriMo13] (On Hold)

Chapter One - Nightmares

                                                                    Chapter One

                                                                     Nightmares

     Faster! They’re coming! I ran through the blackness, my legs feeling like they’re made of lead. I couldn’t see even the faintest big of light, but I somehow knew that they were nearby. They’re going to kill me! I ducked behind something, only to have my knees crash against the cold concrete floor. Everything was sticking and warm, and the light was beginning to scare the darkness away. I looked down at my hands and saw red everywhere. It dripped down my fingers and coated my jeans and white tank top. I looked up to see a man standing over me, a gun in his bloodied hand.

     “Don’t!” I cried, crawling towards him in the puddle of blood.

     The person in front of me was no longer a man. The shape shifted from a wild looking guy to a curvy woman with darkness in her eyes and a scowl.

     It was me.

     I sat up, my breathing coming in pants. Darkness surrounded me, making my heart pound harder in my chest. I ran my fingers through my tangled hair, only to feel it wet with sweat. My forehead was coated in sweat, near the point of dripping. I wiped it away with the back of my trembling hand. My pillow felt damp with both sweat and tears. Did I say anything as I slept? Glancing over to my right, I could faintly see a sleeping figure. At least I didn’t wake him up this time, I thought as I began to slip out of bed.

     My toes brushed the soft rug beneath the bed as I pushed myself to my feet. Careful to not disturb him, I felt around for my running shoes and yoga pants that I always kept nearby. It wasn’t hard to dress in the dark, but what was hard was trying not to wake my sleeping husband. If he woke and saw that I was about to go on a run, in the dark, alone, he wouldn’t be happy. Once, a month or so ago, I got lost in the woods for a few hours. He spent those hours in a panic as he searched for me in the woods. Jack isn’t controlling, he’s just overprotective. My mom agreed with Jack, although she didn’t like to. Lately I’ve been able to run and come home before anyone had even woken up.

     I tied my hair into a ponytail and snuck out of the house with my MP3 player. Plugging the ear buds, I chose a song that gave a perfect rhythm to run to. It blasted in my ears as I began running the same route as always. It was a narrow path that curved around in the woods, and I knew it perfectly. It was probably about two miles long, and obviously two miles back. The ice cold air nipped at my face and arms as I began to run, but I ignored the discomfort and focused on the path. Lately I’ve been running it three or four times in a week. The nightmares have been becoming more frequent ever since things have been slowing down around here. Every other night I dream of death. It starts off as a sweet dream, with sunshine and family. But the dream shifts to darkness almost immediately, followed by screams and blood. Always blood.

     I pushed myself forward, attempting to beat my record by a few minutes. The memories flashed through my mind painfully, reminding me of things I’ve tried desperately to forget. The war haunts me. Every person I harmed or killed, they come to me in my dreams. They always try to harm me in one way or another—sometimes taking it as far as threatening Jack or my kids. Ever since that day, when blood was shed in the halls of the main building, I’ve kept those images hidden. Only recently, as life began to settle, has that day began to haunt me. So I keep busy by doing whatever I can to help this planet. Lately it’s been cleaning houses and searching for anything useful for the community: blankets, furniture, clothing, etc.