T's Hopeline | ✓

23. Crawling Back

James' POV

The ground beneath me was moist and wet, slippery even, and every time my bare feet reconnected with it shivers travelled all throughout my body.

I didn't know where I was but I felt something guiding me down a path built in cold and irregular shaped stone. It continued on for as far as I could see, one very straight and dark line which cracks where covered in damped grass and weeds.

It was cold, too cold for the thin clothes I had on, dark enough for someone to trip on their own feet and through the air navigated a strong draft of wind, almost strong enough to push me further. I couldn't see much besides the path I was running on, desperately trying to find its end.

I ran and then ran some more.

It wasn't until I had nearly reached exhaustion that, out of nowhere, I saw someone, the silhouette was of a woman, she had long hair cascading down her back and gazed at me intensely. I stopped and stared, trying to get a better glimpse of her just to make sure it was actually her.

I followed the mysterious figure but every time I increased my pace so I could get to her, she would do the same. Our run turned into one long sprint and we quickly reached a building, somehow I was so caught up on the chase that I didn't even notice it until I was in it.

It had an industrial feel to it, lowered and dim lights throughout its length. I didn't quite have time to process my surroundings before I noticed she was already on the opposite side of the room.

As she took a couple of steps back, she stepped right under one of the lights, allowing me to take a proper look at her face. It was her. Her plumped, red lips with rosy cheeks, a small nose and big dove eyes right under her perfectly trimmed eyebrows and slightly obscured by her dark and now long hair, it was longer than I remembered.

She smiled at me and mouthed my name, causing my heart to race for a completely different reason.

I was even more nervous now as started chasing after her again, and despite knowing that I was heading somewhere I wanted to go, I couldn't help but to feel like my desires were behind the wheel instead of my brain. It all felt too easy, but I would do anything to hold her in my arms again.

I turned around the corner and all of the sudden the lights were mysteriously switched off and everything was pitch dark. If it weren't for my irregular breathing, you would be able to hear cold silence of the night. I kept looking around, facing all possible directions in the hopes of seeing something or seeing her again but no such thing happened.

Suddenly, her face appeared beside me, on my left, and made me jump. I turned to face her but just as our gaze locked on one another she was gone.

"No!" I screamed before drowning in silence again.

I froze. I felt claustrophobic, desperate, anxious, like I was losing her all over again but just as my worst thoughts were taking place she appeared again, for the opposite side.

There, over to the right!

I wasn't even able to start running toward her when she disappeared yet again. However, I wasn't simply going to stand there, not this time.

I started running faster than ever before with my arms in front of me to prevent hitting something my eyes neglected to see. The room felt like it was expanding as I moved and, despite running for what felt like hours, I found nothing...

I couldn't find her again, it was nothing more than an illusion. Finally there was a light at the end of the room, clinging on to hope I raced there with every ounce of energy I had left and, just as I was about to touch her, she disappeared.