Telltale

Darkness swam at the edges of my vision, and reality threatened to pull me back into its grasp. Thoughts trickled slowly back into my mind, bringing forth the painful picture of what I was to awake to. Squeezing my eyes tightly shut I willed myself back into into the peacefulness of sleep. Soon my senses were ebbing once again.

A dream unfolded before me, my sleeping conscious painting a picture from the black and whites of my closed eyelids.

The sky above me was a periwinkle blue, devoid of any clouds. The breeze from the many passing cars swept my hair across my face. The smell of exhaust filled up my nose, underneath it the smell of summer.

The sound of our footsteps thudded dully against the pavement, my sister walking beside me. The familiarity of having her beside me was a comfort, and tranquillity bloomed within my chest. But a darkness tainted it, seeping forth to stain it. I stopped suddenly, grasping her school bag in one hand with my sudden terror. The fingers of my other hand curled into a fist at my side.

The darkness seemed to grow within me, a place in my chest that shouldn't exist. I desperately willed it away, pushing it back into its cage. The effort caused my nails to bite forth into my skin, but it wouldn’t stop. It never did.

I only fought harder against the force as my sisters eyes met mine. The blue depths sparked in question, flickering between the hand on her bag and my pained expression. She opened her mouth, but a ear splitting screech drained out the words that had left her lips.

The darkness within me burst forth, the world throwing itself into a halt. Cold dread seeped over my limbs as time itself slowed. The noise scratched at the inside of my skull, the screeching becoming even loader. It drew closer, and as my eyes found the source of the noise so did my mind fill with panic.

A car was skidding along the road, the wheels dragging against the pavement. Headed right towards us.

The world was stuck in slow motion, but I knew I only had seconds to get us out of the way. The weight of time held my limbs fast, but in desperation I fought against the bounds. Just one small movement, to pull her out of danger..my muscles coiled lazily within my arm.. just one tug!

The world came back with a snap, the car collided, a raw scream piercing the air.

A scream died in my throat as my eyes flew open. Pushing myself upright I pulled in deep breaths, that came out in wet gasps. Tears streamed down my cheeks, and I wiped at them with a shaking hand. My skin was slick with sweat, the sheets clinging to my skin.

My heart slowly ceased frantically beating, and through the panic reason came. But with it came the terrible truth. That it was not a dream, but a memory. My sister had been run over by a car. And it was my fault. The tide of terror threatened to overwhelm me.

With it again came the painful picture of my sister, filling up my minds eye as the memory once again raised forth. Of how in the split second before she was hit her blue eyes had widened, gazing into mine. After of how I had stood numb, and unharmed, staring in horror at the wreckage before me. The car at a standstill before her sprawled form, her legs at odd angles to her torso. The red of her blood pooling from the wound to her head as she struck the pavement just seconds before.

The corner of my vision flickered black, and a strangled cry escaped me as my mix of emotions twisted within my gut. Without realizing it my clammy hands had come to grasp at my hair, and I was hunched over as if in deep pain.

Untangling my fingers from my hair, I fought to steady the quivers raking my entire body. But not only did I struggle against this, but so did I face the torments of my thoughts. For I couldn't stand them any longer, I had push them to an unreachable depth were I wouldn't have to face them any longer.